Sadly, not always. Plus, there are the new fandoms like bandom RPF where the fans actually have a much closer relationship to the people involved.

In this case, I think it's because the source actually involves two gay men, rather than being mostly based on subtext.

Men write a lot of fanfic. The difference is that they just call it porn, and post it on XXX story sites instead of on fan sites.

Although I know there is a HUGE fandom which goes to Prince Edward Island on "Anne of Green Gables" tours.

Would totally take that tour.

I remember there was a male ficwriter posting on the Temeraire LJ, who clearly hadn't a very high opinion of "fangirls" or the online ficwriting community, despite the fact that he was enjoying the books enough to be penning fanfic himself. It was all a bit odd.

Ahahaha. That is just funny on so. many. levels.

Sidenote: it is interesting to me that most of the fic writers she gets this stuff from are men. Aren't most fic writers - overall - women?

So, fandom-as-we-know-it (the loosely organized gift economy one with the 'zine past and the Kirk/Spock and what not, that is) is mainly female. But there are areas where you see a lot of fanworks by men, like old-school Who. It's a parallel universe, for me at least.

Sadly, not always. Plus, there are the new fandoms like bandom RPF where the fans actually have a much closer relationship to the people involved.

Yeah on both. The utter lack of a fourth wall with bandom (not usually the fault of the fic writers) continues to give me the wiggins. (When the people being written about leave feedback or bitch that they're not being paired with someone enough, my brain starts to short the hell out.)

When the people being written about leave feedback or bitch that they're not being paired with someone enough,

::boggles::

REALLY??

Seriously. The brave new world is totally weird.

::boggles::

REALLY??

Heheheheh. Yeah.

I think what we're seeing here (re: bandom in specific, though the phenomenon is not restricted to that) is the leading edge of the new interaction between artists and audience. A lot of these artists are on the web constantly, they are very aware and very comfortable with social media, and some of them actually did write fanfic back in the day (and may still - there's some suspicion on that point). They're too savvy to believe that they wouldn't get the same treatment. Some of them enjoy it, some of them don't.

REALLY??

Really. Victoria from Cobra Starship left feedback on a piece of femslash written about her, saying the stockings were a nice touch, and Gabe Saporta has said there should be more stuff pairing him with the dude from The Academy Is...

A lot of these artists are on the web constantly, they are very aware and very comfortable with social media, and some of them actually did write fanfic back in the day (and may still - there's some suspicion on that point).

What she said.

Unlike with Popslash, a lot of these bands are still small enough that I can see them play in a dive bar. It's a brave new world.

I'm pretty sure Tom Conrad from the Empires (and formerly of The Academy Is....) also left feedback saying "Just lovely...."

Certain cultural historians (and megan walker knows what I'm talking about, because I saw the book on her shelves) make a distinction between popular culture and mass culture. Popular culture is something that has always existed, and it's defining feature is that it's participatory. Mass culture is a product of late 19th and 20th century and it's unidirectional. Producers expect their fans to mostly just passively consume their product.

While bandom seems weird, the fact that people can interact with the band and each other and contribute to and help shape the culture is a natural state of affairs.