This Week In Fandom History

PHIL LESTER, YOU’RE A GENIUS! This week’s episode is a little different. This week, Emily and V finally release an episode that has been sitting in our vault for over a year — not because it wasn’t good, but because the universe pulled off one of the most chaotic, timeline‑breaking acts of accidental fandom trolling we’ve ever witnessed.
We originally recorded this episode as a thoughtful, slightly exasperated look at Dan & Phil shipping culture — how two creators became the center of one of the internet’s most enduring RPF fandoms, how fans blurred the lines between performance and reality, and why it’s important to remember the fiction part of Real Person Fiction.
We talked about boundaries.
We talked about ethics.
We talked about how there was no evidence of a real‑life romantic relationship.
And then — about 24 hours later — Dan and Phil announced their relationship.
Not only that: they announced they had been together since 2009.
So not only did reality Joss our episode…
It Jossed fifteen years of fandom history with one press release.
We took a breath. We texted each other memes of Ben Affleck smoking on a balcony (you know the one), and then shelved the episode until it fit the calendar. And now — finally — it is time.
Join 2025 TWIFH discussing 2014 Dan & Phil, and let 2026 you laugh at our misfortune.
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Sources
Fanlore
The Secrets of the Slashers
Are Dan & Phil In a Relationship? The Truth
Promo
Sex Ed with DB - When you think back on your high school days, do you feel like you got the sex ed you deserved? Probably not. Well, good news: Sex Ed with DB is a podcast about the sex ed you should have gotten in school. Host DB has a Master of Public Health from Columbia University with expertise in sexuality, sexual, and reproductive health – so rest assured that the podcast is always medically accurate and based in actual science. It’s also warm, funny, and entertaining! Sex Ed with DB just wrapped its fourteenth season, which focused on PLEASURE, ranging from foot fetishes to getting strapped to gooners to polycules to pleasure as RESISTANCE. You can check out a great starter episode ("Late Bloomer Lesbianism with YouTuber Alayna Joy") right here on your podcast app of choice!
TGI Femslash - Our favorite fan convention, TGIF/F, is happening soon! The con is back on February 18-21, 2027, in Los Angeles, and registration is open now. The convention is limited to 100 attendees, so make sure you register soon to experience a wonderful, intimate, friendly con full of like-minded femslash lovers as you make friends with fellow queer fans, dance the night away to vids at Club Femslash, participate in the one-of-a-kind Fic Battle, and attend fascinating panels. You can get more information and register for your spot at http://www.tgifemslash.com. We'll be there, and we hope you will, too!
Artifacts: Stories from the Emotional History of the Internet - Artifacts is a storytelling podcast about the technology, media, and digital culture we've left behind, and the feelings that remain. Each episode begins with a familiar artifact - a burned CD, a dial-up modem, a movie rental store, a family computer, a paper map - and unfolds into a story about memory, identity, creativity, belonging, curiosity, and the experiences we still carry with us today. This isn't just a show about old technology. It's about the people who grew up alongside it. Hosted by award-winning podcaster Danny Brown, Artifacts blends personal storytelling, cultural history, and thoughtful reflection to explore why some of the most ordinary objects became the milestones of our lives. Because sometimes the objects fade, but the feeling doesn't.
This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history!
Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at @thisweekinfandomhistory
We’re now on Instagram! @thisweekinfandomhistory
Sign up for our newsletter on our website, http://www.thisweekinfandomhistory.com!
Check out our Fandom Primer playlist via linktr.ee/twifh
You can support the show via our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thisweekinfandomhistory
Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hunters, get your salt! This week, V and Emily are joined by friend-of-the-pod Heidi Tandy, who calls in from San Diego Comic-Con 2026 to discuss the fandom that spells SDCC for her, and thousands of others in the fannish community: Supernatural. The premiere of the show on the WB (progenitor of The CW) in 2005 changed fandom permanently, in more ways than could possibly be discussed in one hour. But SPN also changed fandom for Heidi, personally, in ways big and small, and we’re delighted to hear all about them from the room where it happened. We dish about LiveJournal’s early rush to create communities, the prevalence of Wincest fanfiction, and how Supernatural’s relationship to its fans evolved over its long run. Supernatural, like the other S-named fandoms before it (Star Trek, Star Wars, and Sherlock Holmes, natch) is a Fandom Of All Time. How many seasons have you watched?
Sources
Timeline of Supernatural Fandom
Heidi's Fanvids on YouTube
Promo
Re: Dracula - Re: Dracula takes the famous horror tale, breaks it up chronologically (every entry of this epistolary novel has a date), and sends the story directly to your podcatcher as it happens. Every time something happens to the characters, Re: Dracula publishes an episode, in as close to real time as it happens. Some episodes are short (less than a minute), and others are lengthy (over half an hour). Re: Dracula is a faithful, text-accurate adaptation, featuring a full cast to tug on your heartstrings and sound design to keep you on the edge of your seat.
TGI Femslash - Our favorite fan convention, TGIF/F, is happening soon! The con is back on February 18-21, 2027, in Los Angeles, and registration is open now. The convention is limited to 100 attendees, so make sure you register soon to experience a wonderful, intimate, friendly con full of like-minded femslash lovers as you make friends with fellow queer fans, dance the night away to vids at Club Femslash, participate in the one-of-a-kind Fic Battle, and attend fascinating panels. You can get more information and register for your spot at http://www.tgifemslash.com. We'll be there, and we hope you will, too!
Sex Ed with DB - When you think back on your high school days, do you feel like you got the sex ed you deserved? Probably not. Well, good news: Sex Ed with DB is a podcast about the sex ed you should have gotten in school. Host DB has a Master of Public Health from Columbia University with expertise in sexuality, sexual, and reproductive health – so rest assured that the podcast is always medically accurate and based in actual science. It’s also warm, funny, and entertaining! Sex Ed with DB just wrapped its fourteenth season, which focused on PLEASURE, ranging from foot fetishes to getting strapped to gooners to polycules to pleasure as RESISTANCE. You can check out a great starter episode ("Late Bloomer Lesbianism with YouTuber Alayna Joy") right here on your podcast app of choice!
This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-forward podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history!
Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at @thisweekinfandomhistory
We’re now on Instagram! @thisweekinfandomhistory
Sign up for our newsletter on our website, http://www.thisweekinfandomhistory.com!
Check out our Fandom Primer playlist via linktr.ee/twifh
You can support the show via our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thisweekinfandomhistory
Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode will be available to all listeners for 7 days before access is locked to our $5+ Patreon donors.
This week, our C-List Superhero is Ami Han AKA White Fox (Marvel), and our A-List Superhero is Kal-El AKA Clark Kent AKA Superman (DC Comics). Our Uninformed Expert Panel this week is Emily Jaye, as always, and our special guest is Ella Dawson from Rebel Ever After. Listen in as they learn about our two heroes and weigh in on whether either, or both, is f*ckable... like, at all.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiiii! This week, Emily and V head back to the mid‑90s — the era of dial‑up internet and aggressively pointy shoulderpads — to revisit the rise of Xena: Warrior Princess. It’s hard to overstate how much this show reshaped the fandom landscape: a morally complicated heroine, a narrative built on redemption… and a relationship between two women that sparked decades of essays, fanfic, fanvids, and lovingly chaotic forum debates. The Xenites weren’t just early adopters of online fandom. They were architects of it. Come wander the hills of ancient Greece (New Zealand) with us as we look at how one warrior princess carved out a space that still echoes today.
(Make sure you sign up for our newsletter to get some phenomenal Xena fic recs in tomorrow's edition!)
Sources
The History of Xena Fanfiction On the Internet by Lunacy
A Cyber History of the Online Xena Community: Part I -- September 1995 To June 1996
How Xena: Warrior Princess Earned a Permanent Spot In Pop Culture
Promo
Super Sorry - Have you ever watched a Marvel movie and thought, “Wow, somebody really owes somebody an apology?” Like Tony Stark and Steve Rogers in Civil War. Or Thor and Loki about… well, everything. That’s the question at the heart of SUPER SORRY, a podcast that revisits the Marvel Cinematic Universe one movie at a time through the lens of apologies, accountability, and unintended consequences. Revisiting one MCU movie at a time, Super Sorry hosts Amber and Todd break down who should have apologized, who deserved an apology, and imagine the conversations that could have happened. They also explore the emotional, physical, and financial fallout of superhero action, from damaged relationships to city-wide destruction and billion-dollar cleanup efforts. Whether you’re a longtime MCU fan or just enjoy thoughtful pop culture discussions, SUPER SORRY offers a fresh perspective on movies you thought you knew inside and out. You can find SUPER SORRY wherever you listen to podcasts.
Re: Dracula - Re: Dracula takes the famous horror tale, breaks it up chronologically (every entry of this epistolary novel has a date), and sends the story directly to your podcatcher as it happens. Every time something happens to the characters, Re: Dracula publishes an episode, in as close to real time as it happens. Some episodes are short (less than a minute), and others are lengthy (over half an hour). Re: Dracula is a faithful, text-accurate adaptation, featuring a full cast to tug on your heartstrings and sound design to keep you on the edge of your seat.
This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history!
Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at @thisweekinfandomhistory
We’re now on Instagram! @thisweekinfandomhistory
Sign up for our newsletter on our website, http://www.thisweekinfandomhistory.com!
Check out our Fandom Primer playlist via linktr.ee/twifh
You can support the show via our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thisweekinfandomhistory
Please remember to rate the show 5 stars on your listening platform of choice!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Absolute potato! This week, TWIFH is delighted to bring you a special preview of Femme & Furious, a new pod-friend and great listen for fans of fandom, and especially for listeners who liked our old behind-the-scenes pop culture rundown episodes for Patreon. In this episode, our friend Julia Portela looks with a feminist lens at five (secretly six) pieces of extremely current media: Obsession, The Drama, Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Sterling Point, and the novel Girl's Girl by Sonia Feldman. Julia is funny, smart, and definitely a fangirl. Listen to our #Gamergate episode over on her feed, too!
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This week on Femme & Furious, we're breaking our own format because while it's technically a "Fast 5," we've got six properties on deck, because there was too much good pop culture to cover this month. Spoiler-free pitches up top for each one, then we go all the way in with spoilers, feminist analysis, and a few unhinged theories.
What I'm covering:
Obsession — the viral horror hit that outran Supergirl in theaters, the "man or the bear" discourse hiding in plain sight, and why Bear is absolutely a dog guy.
The Drama — Zendaya and Robert Pattinson's wedding-week-gone-wrong dark comedy from Kristoffer Borgli, and the racial double standard baked into who gets forgiven for what.
Odyssey — Christopher Nolan's mythic epic, the Emily Wilson feud, and a full breakdown of Circe, Calypso, Helen, Clytemnestra, and a theory about who Athena really is.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day — Tom Holland's loneliest Peter Parker yet, the Frank Castle friendship that's carrying the movie, and a hard pass on that Little Caesars order.
Sterling Point — Amazon's CW-coded YA drama, a love triangle the writing doesn't quite earn, and the most joyful period scene we've seen on TV ever.
Girl's Girl by Sonia Feldman — one of my favorite books of the year, a queer coming-of-age story about girlhood, friendship, and phones as a silent second language.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.