Senior Project Advisor

Evan Mueller

Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Winter 2021

Keywords

LGBT, queer, gender, sexuality, media, fanfiction, fandom, asexual

Abstract

Initially, I planned to make a short film for my senior project, exploring the themes of gender, fan culture and identity. Due to COVID-19, I ended up just writing a screenplay instead. I've decided not to submit the screenplay here, since I want to hold off on presenting it to the world until I've reached the 'final' final version (a completed film), and so instead, this is just an informal reflection on some of the motivations that went into writing the screenplay.

In this reflection, I explore a couple of topics related to fandom, gender, and sexuality. First, I critique some common ways that fanfiction communities are characterized by popular culture, providing my own interpretations of how gender plays a part in those depictions. I also provide a couple of potential explanations for the popularity of slash fic among female fans, and look at a brief history of how queercoding in 20th century film and TV has informed present-day queer representation. Finally, I walk through some examples of 'queerbaiting' and 'queercatching,' to provide a backdrop for how LGBT+ fans experience queercoding today.

Department

Theatre & Dance

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

Sexual minorities in motion pictures ; Fan fiction; Advertising—Motion pictures

Genre/Form

essays, criticism

Type

Text

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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