In Defense of Fandom
In Defense of Fandom explores the creative output of the SPN Family, as Supernatural fans call themselves, and illuminates the ways that fandom can be an incredibly positive influence in our lives.
Episodes
July 9, 2025 • 32 mins
In this final installment of the season, we wrap up final thoughts on the state of celebrity worship, fame, and parasociality. We’ll also hear a bit more about the positive things that we can get out of parasocial relationships, some of the risks to watch out for, and discuss the future of parasociality.
Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social
Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott
And new mu...
Mark as Played
June 17, 2025 • 37 mins
We’ve talked about parasocial relationships as a one-way street, but can that ever change? Is there a way for a parasocial bond to become just a regular friendship? What would that even look like?
Hear examples of how parasocial relationships became something more reciprocal, and learn whether that’s likely to be a rare event or something more commonplace.
Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social
Music wr...
Mark as Played
June 3, 2025 • 26 mins
Has the internet made us all worse at relationships, including the parasocial ones? We’ll talk about the celebrity attitude scale, which measures how intensely an audience member feels about a celebrity, how the internet has changed our media diets, and how online relationships are a blessing and a curse.
Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social
Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott
And new m...
Mark as Played
May 20, 2025 • 39 mins
What’s it like to be in-between a celebrity and their fans? What’s it like to have a real relationship with a famous person—and have fans think you might be an access point to that person?
Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social
Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott
And new music written & performed by August Hotel: @augusthotel
Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie
See full episode transcript a...
Mark as Played
May 6, 2025 • 3 mins
I'm so sorry for the delay, but I promise you will have a brand-spanking-new episode in your feed in 2 weeks.
In the meantime, support NPR/PBS! Support local journalism! And find ways to give back to your community around you, because this is the only way we're going to make it through.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
April 22, 2025 • 54 mins
Explore how parasocial relationships may, or may not, differ across mediums. I speak with creators in music, podcasting, youtube, and musical threater spaces to hear how each of their experiences are different and yet so similar!
Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social
Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott
And new music written & performed by August Hotel: @augusthotel
Cover art by Liz Hand: @...
Mark as Played
April 8, 2025 • 27 mins
What happens when our minds fixate on an actor or band member or podcaster and we start to see things that aren’t there? When a fan feels so much closer to their idolized famous person than they really are?
AKA, What’s the deal with parasocial relationships?
Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk
Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott
Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie
See full episode transcript at www.sa...
Mark as Played
March 18, 2025 • 49 mins
A HUGE thank you to Marie for letting me rebroadcast this lovely conversation with her from March 2024.
If you aren't already, you should subscribe to Carrying Wayward for all their excellent episodes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/carrying-wayward-a-supernatural-podcast/id1541257824
Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk
Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott
Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie
Lear...
Mark as Played
February 4, 2025 • 38 mins
Don't forget to send me your fan questions! You can reach out via twitter (@SadieWit), instagram (@Sadie_Wit) or my website form (sadiewit.com)
Link to Jonathan's Kickstarter: www.herooftheprophecy.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
January 21, 2025 • 56 mins
I catch up with costume designer Jennifer May Nickel regarding the aftermath of the Eaton fire in LA.
Jennifer & JP’s gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jp-jennifer-may-nickel-eaton-fire-relief-fund?modal=donations&tab=all
RA recovery fund: https://give.randomacts.org/campaign/random-acts-natural-disaster-recovery-fund/c656615
Geekscape podcaster’s gofundme: bit.ly/DustinErin
Creation Entertainment’s employee, Leticia, gofun...
Mark as Played
January 7, 2025 • 18 mins
What started as a random question on Bluesky turned into a whole conversation about fandom conventions (and why I seem to go to so many of them). Thank you Shae for agreeing to jump online with me to chat over the winter holidays so that I could answer your question in far more depth than you were expecting.
Remember if you have a fan question of your own, you can reach me on insta, X, bluesky, or my website!
Curious to learn mor...
Mark as Played
December 24, 2024 • 14 mins
Today, we answer Anna’s query!
Solution 1: Fifty Shades of Grey is an example of fanfiction that became published as a standalone series.
Serialization & Fifty Shades of Grey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzk9N7dJBec
Solution 2: Some writers start in fanfiction, but have to leave that world behind so that it doesn’t influence their own, cannon writing (and accidentally steal ideas)
How Tamsyn Muir* had to leave the fanfic commu...
Mark as Played
December 17, 2024 • 11 mins
Welcome to our experiment! Podcast editor Dr. Anna Funk steps up to the mic to ask a question that's been bubbling in the back of her mind. Listen next week for the reveal of the answer!
And do you have a fandom question? Send it out way! Either through twitter DMs (@SadieWit), instagram (@Sadie_Wit), or via the webform at https://www.sadiewit.com/contact-1
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
November 19, 2024 • 8 mins
We're back! And with some exciting news!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
September 9, 2024 • 26 mins
Alright, let's wrap up everything we've learned on endings: from the fan experience to the changes in how TV is made. And of course, we'll try to answer the question of whether we think Supernatural will ever be back for a season 16th.
Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom
Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance):
Mark Hampton: NA
Rob Benedict: @RobBenedict
Jeffery ...
Mark as Played
August 13, 2024 • 2 mins
Howdy Y'all! I hope to see some of you at the Austin, Texas Supernatural convention this weekend. Please don't feel shy, come say hi to me. I'll have stickers!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played
July 30, 2024 • 28 mins
Nothing ever really dies in the land of Hollywood! Reboots, revivals, and resurrections are all possible returns of fan favorite shows. Not that fans always want more of the story...
Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom
Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance):
Kevin Grazier: @kevingrazier
Matt Kelly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saintmort/
Gabe Garza: https://ww...
Mark as Played
July 16, 2024 • 34 mins
Spring of 2020 was a rough time for basically every industry, and television was no different. COVID-19 restrictions changed the way that television was made and what could be possible; unfortunately, this was at the perfect moment to completely alter the ending of Supernatural.
9:55 and onward contains spoilers for the last 3 episodes of Supernatural, so beware!
Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fa...
Mark as Played
July 2, 2024 • 68 mins
Look, this is the episode we all knew I was going to do. I can't talk about endings without talking about the different perspectives on Supernatural's finale. Lynn Zubernis joins me for a conversation on the last season, the last episodes, and how different fans interpreted the ending vastly differently from each other.
Spoiler Warnings! Want to avoid all spoilers? Use these timestamps to skip them completely:
Well... in this ...
Mark as Played
June 18, 2024 • 35 mins
Not all shows end. Or, at least they don't conform to what we tend to think of as an ending. This episode is an exploration of three short vignettes.
Oh! And no need to worry about a spoiler during this episode!
Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom
Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance):
Mark Hampton:
Maggie O'Connor: @maggie.in.the.middle
Katie Hampton: @El...
Mark as Played
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