The Nickscast discuss why a show targeted towards men became unexpectedly popular with women and has continued to grow in popularity: We're talking about the SPNFamily (Supernatural fans!). How is the show so popular after even after twelve seasons? How does it differ from its peers? What keeps its fans going? We're going to eat some pie and find out on this week's episode of Fanthropological! Next week, we’ll be talking about fans of Sherlock Holmes (BBC Sherlock, Elementary, classic; we're talking it all). Stay tuned! ## Episode outline ### [Last episode's](http://fanthropological.com/e/26-whovians/) Famous Last Words **Z:** Who is the fan favourite character and why? **G:** In canon, who is born first and why do fans think it is one way or the other? **T:** Is it just because its two hot people? Will any show about two hot people succeed? **Alex:** How much slash fiction is there? ### Fandom facts **Origins:** An American fantasy horror series that was first broadcast in September of 2005. It follows the nomadic lives of brothers Sam and Dean Winchester, travelling the US and hunting down supernatural foes (as their father did, who spent years seeking revenge against the demon responsible for his wife’s death). It just ended its 12th season, as of this recording, and is renewed for a 13th. **Fandom origins:** Largely Livejournal ([supernatural_tv](http://supernatural-tv.livejournal.com/)) **Names:** Supernatural Family / SPNFamily **Size of fandom:** The TV series pilot has 5.6 million viewers, and episodes regularly have about 3 million viewers. **Fanfics:** Archive of our own: Over 92000 (January 2015); Over 60000 (February 2014); Over 27500 (December 2012) ### What did we discuss? A brief history of strikethrough and splintering of fandom from Livejournal ~ the Supernatural newsletter ~ Fan terms like imbroglio (vs fanwank) and real-person fiction (RPF) ~ Keeping a ...
Combined, we’ve been playing tabletop games (let’s admit it, mostly Dungeons and Dragons) for decades, but what is it about a game that takes it from a good one, to a great one? We try to answer the question “what makes a great tabletop experience?” (And the answer _isn’t_ everyone starting on time… though it should be!). We cover… * The lack of importance of verisimilitude * The importance of not know what to expect * The importance of exploration ...And more! ## Episode Outline **Topics:** Min-maxed characters don’t matter, verisimilitude doesn’t matter, the importance of not knowing what to expect, improv, subverting tropes, making the game your own, plot and narrative, exploration, creating a shared experience, wonderm supporting each other, creating opportunities to grow, not (always) winning… and consequences! ## Where can I get updates? If you want to follow us on social media, we’ve got you covered: * Facebook: [facebook.com/fanthropological](https://facebook.com/fanthropological) * Twitter: [@fanthropologic](https://twitter.com/fanthropologic) And of course, we can be found where all fine podcasts are found (e.g. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2IVp8MBIUyCqlKyZn79iHn), [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210?mt=2), [Google Podcasts](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vZmFudGhyb3BvbG9naWNhbC9yc3MueG1s)). Oh, and here at [fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com) ## What is Fanthropological? Every week, our podcast, Fanthropological, delivers about an hour of fandom-related "fanalysis" covering a different fandom every week and giving you hard data, history, special guests, and, of course, speculation! We cover topics spanning the gamut of anime, manga, comics, video games, comics, movies, books, television, and, in general, geek culture. ## Who are you? We are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek … who also happen to have been best buddies since high school, and all happen to be named Nick. We started the Nickscast as a labour of love, and ...
This week, you're all gonna be in this experimental film! Provided, of course, that you're a fan of They Might Be Giants (TMBG) (and are OK with film being... tape? Nevermind). What is it about this quirky musical group that has kept fans interested for over 30 years? Next week, we'll put on our robes and wizard hats to talk about fans of tabletop RPGs! ## Episode outline ### Fandom Facts **Origins:** > They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG expanded to include a backing band. > > — [Wikipedia - They Might Be Giants](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Might_Be_Giants) TMBG is known for having an unconventional, experimental kind of music, has released 19 studio albums (including _Flood_ which has been certified platinum), has created theme music for several television shows, and has produced children's music. Think you haven't heard of them? Try one of the following: - Boss of Me (theme song of _Malcolm in the Middle_) - Dog On Fire (opening theme of _The Daily Show with Jon Stewart_) - The theme song for _Oblongs_, and _The Wrong Coast_ - Birdhouse in your Soul, Istanbul (Not Constantinople), and Particle Man **Most Active:** Given that They Might Be Giants has been a band since the 1980s, it's not surprising that the [Google Trends](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F07n3s) data shows a pretty low amount of interest over time. To be fair, unlike many of the fandoms we've covered, interest in TMBG was already quite low in 2004. There was a huge spike in interest in July 2004 which corresponds to the the release ...
