Girls who like Boys who like Boys – Ethnography of ... - Yuuyami.com

[…]
I think it’s part of the reason, why I don’t have to explain
fandom anymore. Because, if my friends are fans, I don’t
have to explain why a story of Q [a Star Trek character] is
good to read about.
We do end up talking about a lot of stuff that’s not terribly
fannish, you end up talking about classes and you end up
talking about this and talk about that.
Fandom, as one of the largest parts of Barb’s life throughout high
school, still plays a very major role. She went on to explain that not all her
friends were fans, but that all knew what fandom was, so that she would not
have to explain it, every time she mentioned it. Barb’s fan-mode is the one she
expresses most, but no longer as her sole mode of identity. Instead it serves as
a means of connection to others.
It’s a screen that I use for deciding who I want to talk
to…because generally (and this is a really mean thing to
say) but if someone hasn’t found fandom by the time
they’re 25 they’re not likely to find it. But [if they have
found fandom] I don’t have to explain sort of the mindset
that comes with it.
If you’re online and you’re researching a show, that you’re
a fan of, it’s inevitable to find fandom in the fanfiction way.
If you haven’t found it and you’re online, then I’m not sure
I want to deal with you, because you’re not using the
Internet the same way.
This seemed to be another occasion at which Barb’s self-proclaimed “fandomsnobbism”
reappeared. She had explained to me before several times that she
was aware of the many ways in which fandom is lived and acted out, and
emphasized the difference between “Internet fandom (journals or pages):
writing and reading (on pages and in journals)” and “really traditional fandom
(cons and 'zines, also magazines – i.e. pro-zines as opposed to fan-zines).”
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