In which our heroine is charming
Mar. 13th, 2026 10:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spiralsheep1. Have you ever watched illusion magic? Close-up, or in a stage show, or on television? Did it work for you?
I've seen illusionists on television and close-up in real life and even when I know how the trick is done I've never spotted the illusionist at work. They're magic to me in at least one sense of the word.
2. Have you ever wished on a star, or a lucky cat, or a coin in a wishing well? Did it work in some way?
Yes, I've wished on objects, but never believing the wishes would come true and none of them ever has. Most of my family aren't superstitious so we mostly did time or place specific traditional customs such as wishing on a poultry wishbone at xmas dinner or when blowing out candles on birthday cakes.
3. Have you ever cast a spell, made a love charm, or tried a curse? Did it work in some way?
I've asked for healing at special springs by leaving a traditional (biodegradeable) offering but, again, without believing any favour could or would be granted. Also, I expect the genii locorum prefer people who clean up their habitats by removing non-biodegradeable litter &c. Despite being a dedicated apatheist I also once asked for healing for a USian Christian friend at the shrine of St David in St Davids Cathedral in the city of St Davids before walking to the nearby holy well dedicated to his mother St Non (and then sent my friend the token I acquired at the cathedral and carried on pilgrimage - she was thrilled but not afaik healed). I was passing the well anyway as it's on a beautiful seaside cliff-top footpath. I was alone when I arrived but soon surrounded by a large group of women pilgrims, who'd walked from another direction, which was interesting because organised pilgrimage groups are an uncommon sight in the UK. I couldn't talk with any of them though because their guide was very LOUD and INSISTENT on having her group's ATTENTION. Fair enough as they'd signed up for it, and I'd already been blessed by a peaceful moment alone at the well (and my friend received the pilgrim token to tell her I cared about her).
4. Are there any other traditional superstitions you pay attention to? Do they work in some way?
My family didn't indoctrinate me with superstitions as I grew up so no to any magical element. But not walking under ladders, and paying attention to the weather and wild animals seems worth it, as does picking up stray pennies and buttons.
5. Would you want major magical powers like in a fantasy story? Which powers, and how would you use them?
Eep, NO! I'd probably end up as a medical experiment in a secret government research bunker. But I would like to have enough manual dexterity to palm things like a stage illusionist. I bet that skill would have all sorts of uses in addition to doing crime or stage magic....
6. And y'all? :-)
I've seen illusionists on television and close-up in real life and even when I know how the trick is done I've never spotted the illusionist at work. They're magic to me in at least one sense of the word.
2. Have you ever wished on a star, or a lucky cat, or a coin in a wishing well? Did it work in some way?
Yes, I've wished on objects, but never believing the wishes would come true and none of them ever has. Most of my family aren't superstitious so we mostly did time or place specific traditional customs such as wishing on a poultry wishbone at xmas dinner or when blowing out candles on birthday cakes.
3. Have you ever cast a spell, made a love charm, or tried a curse? Did it work in some way?
I've asked for healing at special springs by leaving a traditional (biodegradeable) offering but, again, without believing any favour could or would be granted. Also, I expect the genii locorum prefer people who clean up their habitats by removing non-biodegradeable litter &c. Despite being a dedicated apatheist I also once asked for healing for a USian Christian friend at the shrine of St David in St Davids Cathedral in the city of St Davids before walking to the nearby holy well dedicated to his mother St Non (and then sent my friend the token I acquired at the cathedral and carried on pilgrimage - she was thrilled but not afaik healed). I was passing the well anyway as it's on a beautiful seaside cliff-top footpath. I was alone when I arrived but soon surrounded by a large group of women pilgrims, who'd walked from another direction, which was interesting because organised pilgrimage groups are an uncommon sight in the UK. I couldn't talk with any of them though because their guide was very LOUD and INSISTENT on having her group's ATTENTION. Fair enough as they'd signed up for it, and I'd already been blessed by a peaceful moment alone at the well (and my friend received the pilgrim token to tell her I cared about her).
4. Are there any other traditional superstitions you pay attention to? Do they work in some way?
My family didn't indoctrinate me with superstitions as I grew up so no to any magical element. But not walking under ladders, and paying attention to the weather and wild animals seems worth it, as does picking up stray pennies and buttons.
5. Would you want major magical powers like in a fantasy story? Which powers, and how would you use them?
Eep, NO! I'd probably end up as a medical experiment in a secret government research bunker. But I would like to have enough manual dexterity to palm things like a stage illusionist. I bet that skill would have all sorts of uses in addition to doing crime or stage magic....
6. And y'all? :-)
In which there are pains, trains, and author-mobiles
Mar. 12th, 2026 06:34 pmspiralsheep#GNU PTerry Pratchett
Train, funny: children cheering for their destination station at every announcement. By the third time most of the other passengers were joining in and one of the women alighting at the same place stood up to perform a celebration dance. :D
Train, naughty: 30s guy on the phone to his parents claiming he was on a train to Liverpool was actually with his friend on a train to Caergybi / Holyhead (presumably for the ferry to Dublin).
Train, weird: two guys who had watched the Winter Olympics were having a competition to see who could sing the most national anthems, and I've never heard a Welshman and a Scouser get so far through O Canada before. :D
Film, bad: packed screening and, as usual, the only persistent cougher in the whole room was seated directly behind me. Did she cover her face effectively while coughing? She did not!
ETA, Friday 13th: And today's lone cougher was sat directly next to me, between me and the guy who arrived in a mask and presumably regretted taking it off so he could sip fluids during the film.
Film, good: same full house and the biggest laugh from the entire audience in unison was for the line: "I got hit on by Victor Hugo!" :D
Train, funny: children cheering for their destination station at every announcement. By the third time most of the other passengers were joining in and one of the women alighting at the same place stood up to perform a celebration dance. :D
Train, naughty: 30s guy on the phone to his parents claiming he was on a train to Liverpool was actually with his friend on a train to Caergybi / Holyhead (presumably for the ferry to Dublin).
Train, weird: two guys who had watched the Winter Olympics were having a competition to see who could sing the most national anthems, and I've never heard a Welshman and a Scouser get so far through O Canada before. :D
Film, bad: packed screening and, as usual, the only persistent cougher in the whole room was seated directly behind me. Did she cover her face effectively while coughing? She did not!
ETA, Friday 13th: And today's lone cougher was sat directly next to me, between me and the guy who arrived in a mask and presumably regretted taking it off so he could sip fluids during the film.
Film, good: same full house and the biggest laugh from the entire audience in unison was for the line: "I got hit on by Victor Hugo!" :D
AKC Courtneyyyyyy Culture Festival #213: Takashima Yurina
Mar. 11th, 2026 07:58 amsonofgodzillaMy favourite subject is Team 4! Takashima Yurina arrived as a member of Minegishi Team 4 in 2013 at Tokyo Dome, joining Aigasa Moe, Kitazawa Saki, Shinozaki Ayana, Murayama Yuiri, Mogi Shinobu, Okada Ayaka, Kojima Mako, Okada Nana, Nishino Miki, Hashimoto Hikari, and others in the lineup of the new team. Having auditioned in 2011, Yuurin had slowly been working up support as a member of the kenkyuusei and a member of the thirteenth generation alongside many of her new Team 4 peers and at last it had started to pay off!
Yuurin's first performance in the theatre was during a revival of Aitakatta alongside the other members of her generation in 2011. A year later, after she had passed the selection exam then mandatory to fully enter the group, and became an established presence, those early performances resulting in an increased attention that led to her being promoted to Minegishi's new team. Having long been a fan of AKB48, Yuurin had initially tried out for the twelfth generation alongside Hirata Rina, Saeed Yokota Erena, Muto Tomu, Tano Yuka, and Sasaki Yukari, but had failed to pass the test. By the time the next auditions came around, she had apparently doubled down and whatever it was that had been wanting in her earlier was nowhere to be seen when it came time to decide on those selected.
With all this and a year in Team 4 under her belt, when 2014's next big concert took place, it was announced that she was being shuffled into SKE48's Team KII... only it never happened. Following a cancellation announcement, Yuurin informed us in a Google+ post that she had protested, offering the rationale that such a big move would have interfered with her studies. I think it would have been nice to believe that it was her loyalty to Team 4 that motivated her, but sadly less than a year after the abortive transfer, she announced her graduation, suggesting, maybe rightly so, that whilst being on that stage was important to her, graduating well from high school was maybe more so.
During her time in AKB48, Yuurin never managed to rank in the elections or appear in the senbatsu, but she was present on a number of B sides from Gingham Check onwards. Although she described herself as both timid and weak, it is clear that her time in AKB meant a lot to her and that those three years were an important part of her childhood. Our last news of Yuurin comes from 2024, when she posted about her work at an advertising agency, and whether she is still doing that or not, it only remains for us to wish her luck and hope that whatever is happening now, she still finds time to look back on those days between 2011-2014 fondly.
Yuurin's first performance in the theatre was during a revival of Aitakatta alongside the other members of her generation in 2011. A year later, after she had passed the selection exam then mandatory to fully enter the group, and became an established presence, those early performances resulting in an increased attention that led to her being promoted to Minegishi's new team. Having long been a fan of AKB48, Yuurin had initially tried out for the twelfth generation alongside Hirata Rina, Saeed Yokota Erena, Muto Tomu, Tano Yuka, and Sasaki Yukari, but had failed to pass the test. By the time the next auditions came around, she had apparently doubled down and whatever it was that had been wanting in her earlier was nowhere to be seen when it came time to decide on those selected.
With all this and a year in Team 4 under her belt, when 2014's next big concert took place, it was announced that she was being shuffled into SKE48's Team KII... only it never happened. Following a cancellation announcement, Yuurin informed us in a Google+ post that she had protested, offering the rationale that such a big move would have interfered with her studies. I think it would have been nice to believe that it was her loyalty to Team 4 that motivated her, but sadly less than a year after the abortive transfer, she announced her graduation, suggesting, maybe rightly so, that whilst being on that stage was important to her, graduating well from high school was maybe more so.
During her time in AKB48, Yuurin never managed to rank in the elections or appear in the senbatsu, but she was present on a number of B sides from Gingham Check onwards. Although she described herself as both timid and weak, it is clear that her time in AKB meant a lot to her and that those three years were an important part of her childhood. Our last news of Yuurin comes from 2024, when she posted about her work at an advertising agency, and whether she is still doing that or not, it only remains for us to wish her luck and hope that whatever is happening now, she still finds time to look back on those days between 2011-2014 fondly.
Notes from a Regicide by Isaac Fellman
Mar. 10th, 2026 07:50 pmrenay posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ladybusinessA collection of thoughts about Notes from a Regicide by Isaac Fellman: ( Read more... )
Sidetracks - March 9, 2026
Mar. 9th, 2026 01:30 pmhelloladies posting in ladybusinessSidetracks is a collaborative project featuring various essays, videos, reviews, or other Internet content that we want to share. All past and current links for the Sidetracks project can be found in our Sidetracks tag. You can also support Sidetracks and our other work on Patreon.
( Read more... )
Planned maintenance 10 March
Mar. 9th, 2026 05:36 pmcondnsdmlk posting in vidukon_cardiffJust a heads up that the VidUKon site will be offline from about 08:30am UTC (04:30am EDT) to 10:00am UTC (06:00am EDT) tomorrow morning (10 March). Our web host will be down for planned maintenance.
FIC: Kamen Rider Zeztz, Kamen Rider Black - CaseX: Nail
Mar. 8th, 2026 12:12 amsonofgodzillaTitle: CaseX: Nail
Universe: Kamen Rider Zeztz, Kamen Rider Black
Character(s): Yozoru Baku, Minami Kotaro, Zero, Yozoru Minami, Nem, Fujimi Tetsuya, Nagumo Nasuka, Akizuki Kyoko
Rating: U
Warnings: N/A
Summary: Out of the corner of his eye, he kept seeing the man in black. Not whilst awake, that would have unsettled him greatly, yet always in his dreams, just around the corner of a long, dark corridor, there was a presence watching each moment unfold, the terrible speed with which each conflict with each new Nightmare escalated.
Length: 8215 words
Author's Notes: I kept making the same joke about how Black was going to be the second Rider in Zeztz, and then, because I am an idiot, I committed hard. I tried to write this as a normal episode of the show in order to make the joke work, the story diverging just after episode #5, so there is none of my typical nonsense, and hopefully I will proved to you all now that I have scope and now you will leave me alone to just write weird stuff. So dedicated was I to making this happen, that I even bugged Rei until he did mockups of the armour Baku uses in this just to shut me up. Please see the end for details. also: external link.
( CaseX: Nail )
Universe: Kamen Rider Zeztz, Kamen Rider Black
Character(s): Yozoru Baku, Minami Kotaro, Zero, Yozoru Minami, Nem, Fujimi Tetsuya, Nagumo Nasuka, Akizuki Kyoko
Rating: U
Warnings: N/A
Summary: Out of the corner of his eye, he kept seeing the man in black. Not whilst awake, that would have unsettled him greatly, yet always in his dreams, just around the corner of a long, dark corridor, there was a presence watching each moment unfold, the terrible speed with which each conflict with each new Nightmare escalated.
Length: 8215 words
Author's Notes: I kept making the same joke about how Black was going to be the second Rider in Zeztz, and then, because I am an idiot, I committed hard. I tried to write this as a normal episode of the show in order to make the joke work, the story diverging just after episode #5, so there is none of my typical nonsense, and hopefully I will proved to you all now that I have scope and now you will leave me alone to just write weird stuff. So dedicated was I to making this happen, that I even bugged Rei until he did mockups of the armour Baku uses in this just to shut me up. Please see the end for details. also: external link.
( CaseX: Nail )
Registration is open for VidUKon 2026
Mar. 7th, 2026 07:58 pmcondnsdmlk posting in vidukon_cardiffRegistration is now open for VidUKon 2026! Join us 5-7 June in both Birmingham and online for vidshows, panels and socialising. Friday programming will begin in the afternoon. As in previous years, Thursday evening will include some online-only pre-con programming to kick things off.
In-person attendance this year is £50 (same as last year!); virtual attendance also remains unchanged at £20. Optional add-ons this year are a collectable coaster (£2) featuring this year's VidUKon artwork and the physical conbook (£5).
One big change we're making this year is that we will no longer offer a DVD case with USB key as an add-on. This is due to the increasing difficulty in sourcing and assembling DVD cases each year. We know this was a nice-to-have collector's option so we will make artwork for the DVD cover available after the con should attendees wish to print out and assemble their own DVD case. Premieres will also be available as a download.
To register for this year's con, you'll need to log in or create an account at the VidUKon website. This year we're offering payment directly through the website via Paypal. There's also an option to pay using a credit/debit card (also processed by Paypal). Strangely, vendor fees for card transactions are considerably lower than for Paypal transactions, so if you prefer paying by card, please do!
We hope the registration process goes smoothly for everyone, but should you run into any issues while registering, please get in touch with concom. We keep an eye on the VidUKon channel in the Vidding Discord and you are also welcome to DM us. Alternatively, you can email us at vidukon@gmail.com or respond to this post.
The deadline to register for in-person attendance is 30 April. Online registration will remain open until 4 June, but if you'd like add-ons (conbook + coasters) you'll need to register by 15 May.
Sponsorship/donation
VidUKon has a small pot built up, so a couple of fee waivers are possible for those who would like to attend the con but who are unable to afford the membership cost. If you would like to give a bit extra to help sponsor attendance for someone else and/or support the con, you can do so during registration.
If you'd like to attend the con but are unable to afford the membership cost, please get in touch with us at vidukon@gmail.com to find out more about this. (You do not need to disclose anything about your personal circumstances in order to qualify).
Equally, if folks would like to pay registration for friends, they can do so using this option. Just flag it to the con email so that we can double-check details and register the extra attendees.
Important dates
19 April – deadline to submit to Vidder’s Choice, Premieres and the themed submissions show
30 April – deadline to register for in-person attendance
15 May – deadline to register for online attendance + add-ons (conbook; coasters)
4 June – deadline to register for online attendance only
5-7 June – VidUKon \o/
We hope to see you at this year’s con!
FIC: 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi - Stephen King's 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi
Mar. 7th, 2026 08:05 amsonofgodzillaTitle: Stephen King's 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi
Universe: 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi, Kamen Rider Zi-o, Akumaizer 3
Character(s): Ohara Asako, Iwadate Mosuke, Hanako, MJ-kun, Tokiwa Junichiro (Takeda Rinichi), Munakata Masaki, Chibibara, Yuko
Rating: U
Warnings: N/A
Summary: To the children, the town was their whole world. Ohara Asako, once the daughter of a local neighbourhood barber, now a member of the Alchemys Union's Investigation Department is chasing the trail of counterfeit Chemy cards, yet as she uncovers a plot that overshadows her future she is forced more and more to confront the secrets of her past. "Stephen King's 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi will overwhelm you... Characters so real you feel you are reading about yourself... scenes to be read in a well-lit room only." - Los Angeles Times. "A great book... a landmark in American literature." - Chicago Sun-Times. "The Moby-Dick of horror novels." - Los Angeles Herald Examiner.
Length: 1209, 1099, & 865 words
Author's Notes: Like doubling down on a joke you've told yourself that no one else finds funny. also: external links 1, 2, 3
( 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi )
( 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi, Kamen Rider Zi-o )
( 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi, Akumaizer 3 )
Universe: 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi, Kamen Rider Zi-o, Akumaizer 3
Character(s): Ohara Asako, Iwadate Mosuke, Hanako, MJ-kun, Tokiwa Junichiro (Takeda Rinichi), Munakata Masaki, Chibibara, Yuko
Rating: U
Warnings: N/A
Summary: To the children, the town was their whole world. Ohara Asako, once the daughter of a local neighbourhood barber, now a member of the Alchemys Union's Investigation Department is chasing the trail of counterfeit Chemy cards, yet as she uncovers a plot that overshadows her future she is forced more and more to confront the secrets of her past. "Stephen King's 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi will overwhelm you... Characters so real you feel you are reading about yourself... scenes to be read in a well-lit room only." - Los Angeles Times. "A great book... a landmark in American literature." - Chicago Sun-Times. "The Moby-Dick of horror novels." - Los Angeles Herald Examiner.
Length: 1209, 1099, & 865 words
Author's Notes: Like doubling down on a joke you've told yourself that no one else finds funny. also: external links 1, 2, 3
( 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi )
( 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi, Kamen Rider Zi-o )
( 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi, Akumaizer 3 )
Shallow ‘Wuthering Heights’ thoughts
Mar. 7th, 2026 12:12 pmcaramarieI went to ‘Wuthering Heights’ last night, spontaneously, and enjoyed myself. Cried copiously at the end (as well as the montage after Cathy’s marriage). Although I also appreciate the woman in the audience who on the very final shot said, ‘What the fuck?’ Indeed.
I haven’t read the book, so have no feelings about the film as adaptation. I do apparently think that period-breaking is okay, but NOT with plastic dresses. No plastic please.
Also, getting rid of Heathcliff’s beard was a mistake. Pre-timeskip with long hair and beard = hot; clean-shaven and short hair = not. It’s not like I’m even into beards! Or so I thought -_-
I haven’t read the book, so have no feelings about the film as adaptation. I do apparently think that period-breaking is okay, but NOT with plastic dresses. No plastic please.
Also, getting rid of Heathcliff’s beard was a mistake. Pre-timeskip with long hair and beard = hot; clean-shaven and short hair = not. It’s not like I’m even into beards! Or so I thought -_-
"Yuri on ice."
Mar. 5th, 2026 06:49 pmsonofgodzillaI promise these are the last two little fics I will post about this for now. As an indication of how on it I am right now, I've literally put in the dates for every big skating competition in my calendar and I very excited about the ISU Junior World Championships this week, and I have been quietly listening to the streams with one ear throughout these past two days. Again, I don't know anything about figure skating really, but I looked through the roster and realised that Hong Kong and Japan are both sending athletes to this competition and I started thinking... one day these kids might actually be at the Olympics, and wouldn't it be really great to be able to look back at that and think "Oh, I remember when they competed in 2026." So far, from the men's short programme, my favourite has been Nikita Sheiko of Israel, and from the women's programme, I thought New Zealand's Renee Tsai should have ranked higher, but I was obviously supporting Hong Kong's Ariel Guo. I felt like I was suddenly seeing behind the curtain seeing the lady who makes the flower crowns for athletes at almost every one of these big events, and learning that Thailand's Phattaratida Kaneshiga now trained in Niigata, and Japan's Oka Mayuko came from the same clique as Chiba Mone. It's kind of scary for me to reflect on how young some of these kids are, it's kind of crazy seeing Italain pair skaters gliding across the ice to Ghibli music also. I feel like I'm learning a lot about how pop culture bakes into people's lives lately; the people who chose these pieces for the free skates, I'm sitting here watching and listening and trying to understand how these songs informed those choices, what they mean to them, what they're trying to tell me.
Everyone has been very kind to me whilst I'm going through this and beating myself up for no reason about simply liking something that my friends like. I feel very self-conscious in "sports circles," having been a deeply unatheletic child, but I really fell in love here and it was only when a wiser, kinder friend phrased their own enjoyment of sports as being about narratives, as being about the hope that "your guy can win against the other guy"—I'm paraphrasing here—that I began to forgive myself a little for being here. The clarity of that statement just really resonated with me, it made sense to me. Through dance and movement, I felt like I understood the stories that skaters during the Olympics were trying to tell and that really hit me heard. I love storytelling, guys, I love exploring different ways of telling stories and... well, the Olympics felt like a masterclass in telling stories for me. I also love the fact that the pairs skating has moves with names like "death spiral" because instantly that makes me feel right at home. I do, however, promise to post something else soon, I again have a bunch of things that I've just stockpiled, and I recently watched all of 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi, a Toei tokusatsu show from 1976, and I really, really liked it, it stayed in my head for a long longer than I thought it would, becoming a quiet favourite of late.
On Monday, I stumbled across the collaboration between KATE Tokyo's lipstick brand, Lip Monster, and Kamen Rider for an advert featuring Amane Tensho as Mikazuki Nayuta, previously from the Girls Remix specials, and I was really blown away by it. It felt like Kamen Rider and I felt it did not compromise on the idea of Nayuta being both feminine and really, really mad with her lot in life. I feel these brief ten minutes recontextualised the character and ignored certain aspects of Girls Remix in order to allow her to stand on her own, and I'm really okay with this. I think everyone knows that I didn't enjoy the Girls Remix specials and I'm really, really over director Sakamoto Koichi's "quirks," so... yeah, I'm good with this, there's a specific moment in which I feel Amane Tensho's real life family connexions influence how you are supposed to interpret her character and I'm absolutely fine with that too. I never thought Kamen Rider would try and sell me lipstick, but here we are.
Everyone has been very kind to me whilst I'm going through this and beating myself up for no reason about simply liking something that my friends like. I feel very self-conscious in "sports circles," having been a deeply unatheletic child, but I really fell in love here and it was only when a wiser, kinder friend phrased their own enjoyment of sports as being about narratives, as being about the hope that "your guy can win against the other guy"—I'm paraphrasing here—that I began to forgive myself a little for being here. The clarity of that statement just really resonated with me, it made sense to me. Through dance and movement, I felt like I understood the stories that skaters during the Olympics were trying to tell and that really hit me heard. I love storytelling, guys, I love exploring different ways of telling stories and... well, the Olympics felt like a masterclass in telling stories for me. I also love the fact that the pairs skating has moves with names like "death spiral" because instantly that makes me feel right at home. I do, however, promise to post something else soon, I again have a bunch of things that I've just stockpiled, and I recently watched all of 5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahogumi, a Toei tokusatsu show from 1976, and I really, really liked it, it stayed in my head for a long longer than I thought it would, becoming a quiet favourite of late.
On Monday, I stumbled across the collaboration between KATE Tokyo's lipstick brand, Lip Monster, and Kamen Rider for an advert featuring Amane Tensho as Mikazuki Nayuta, previously from the Girls Remix specials, and I was really blown away by it. It felt like Kamen Rider and I felt it did not compromise on the idea of Nayuta being both feminine and really, really mad with her lot in life. I feel these brief ten minutes recontextualised the character and ignored certain aspects of Girls Remix in order to allow her to stand on her own, and I'm really okay with this. I think everyone knows that I didn't enjoy the Girls Remix specials and I'm really, really over director Sakamoto Koichi's "quirks," so... yeah, I'm good with this, there's a specific moment in which I feel Amane Tensho's real life family connexions influence how you are supposed to interpret her character and I'm absolutely fine with that too. I never thought Kamen Rider would try and sell me lipstick, but here we are.
Fandom Trumps Hate Auction!
Mar. 4th, 2026 01:12 pmlikeadeuceI've entered the "Fandom Trumps Hate" auction this year. How this works is offering to create fanworks to people who pledge charitable donations. I'm offering fic, and I'm open to pretty much any fandom that I'm familiar with (ask if you're not sure). My auction page is here with more information!
In which there are nature and the study thereof
Mar. 4th, 2026 05:07 pmspiralsheep- Birbs, 19 Feb 2026: as I scattered bird food an acrobatic female Dunnock flew cms in front of my legs to perch just inside the hedge but her male follower had to brake suddenly and veer off into the snow.
- Reading, February 2026 part 2 of 2: finished book 26, still no dnfs this year.
19. The Fossil Woman, by Tom Sharpe, 2020, 5/5
The best biography of professional palaeontologist Mary Anning imo.
20. The Stone Book Quartet, by Alan Garner, 1978, 5/5
A children's, historical-ish, composite novel (or collection of short stories). As good as the first time I read it (and garnering much the same reactions from me).
23. Physics for Cats, by Tom Gauld, 2025, 5/5
Another excellent collection of science-themed cartoons (or short comics): "And then, as suddenly as he'd appeared, the masked botanist was gone, leaving the townspeople with only an enriched knowledge of local flora and fungi to remember him by."
24. The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, by India Holton, 2021, 5/5
A comedy, fantasy, romance novel, which does what it does as well as it can.
25. A Year with Gilbert White, the first great nature writer, by Jenny Uglow, 2025, 5/5
( Shorter: it's Jenny Uglow so it's a good biography. )
pg67: Each hanging catkin is a long cluster of around 240 minuscule flowers, formed the previous summer; the slightest breath of air makes them shiver, wafting dusty yellow pollen to another tree, sometimes quite far away. The female flowers appear as a green bud, but though each one contains up to fourteen flowers, only the styles poke out - delicate, brilliant red tubes no longer than a millimetre or two - with a sticky stigma to catch the wind-blown pollen. From these, the clusters of hazel nuts grow. A strange, elaborate magic.
pg334 found poem (so many, lol):
My well rises.
My hedges are beautifully tinged.
Wood-larks sing sweetly
thro' this soft weather.
No swallows.
26. Drawn to Nature, Gilbert White and the artists, by Simon Martin, 2021, 5/5
An art exhibition catalogue but published as a normal format hardback book.
( Contents under cut. )
- Reading, February 2026 part 2 of 2: finished book 26, still no dnfs this year.
19. The Fossil Woman, by Tom Sharpe, 2020, 5/5
The best biography of professional palaeontologist Mary Anning imo.
20. The Stone Book Quartet, by Alan Garner, 1978, 5/5
A children's, historical-ish, composite novel (or collection of short stories). As good as the first time I read it (and garnering much the same reactions from me).
23. Physics for Cats, by Tom Gauld, 2025, 5/5
Another excellent collection of science-themed cartoons (or short comics): "And then, as suddenly as he'd appeared, the masked botanist was gone, leaving the townspeople with only an enriched knowledge of local flora and fungi to remember him by."
24. The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, by India Holton, 2021, 5/5
A comedy, fantasy, romance novel, which does what it does as well as it can.
25. A Year with Gilbert White, the first great nature writer, by Jenny Uglow, 2025, 5/5
( Shorter: it's Jenny Uglow so it's a good biography. )
pg67: Each hanging catkin is a long cluster of around 240 minuscule flowers, formed the previous summer; the slightest breath of air makes them shiver, wafting dusty yellow pollen to another tree, sometimes quite far away. The female flowers appear as a green bud, but though each one contains up to fourteen flowers, only the styles poke out - delicate, brilliant red tubes no longer than a millimetre or two - with a sticky stigma to catch the wind-blown pollen. From these, the clusters of hazel nuts grow. A strange, elaborate magic.
pg334 found poem (so many, lol):
My well rises.
My hedges are beautifully tinged.
Wood-larks sing sweetly
thro' this soft weather.
No swallows.
26. Drawn to Nature, Gilbert White and the artists, by Simon Martin, 2021, 5/5
An art exhibition catalogue but published as a normal format hardback book.
( Contents under cut. )
In which there are books and looks in a Darkwood review round-up
Mar. 4th, 2026 04:01 pmspiralsheepA mild horror-themed post for you to skip. :-)
- Cute Ceriodaphnia water flea (wikipedia) cosplaying as a screaming ghost in a nice comfy empire-line patchwork dress.
- Another Daphnia water flea (wikipedia) ghost planning to lay her eggs soon... somewhere very near you.... ;-)
- Reading, February 2026 part 1 of 2: the Darkwood series.
18. Darkwood, Darkwood 1, by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, 2019, 4/5
The author is better known for her contributions to Horrible Histories and various topical satire shows including The Now Show so she's well equipped to write a satirical fantasy novel critiquing anglophone western culture, as it slithers towards the far right, through the medium of a "middle grade and up" novel reclaiming populist fairytale motifs. The motivations that cause many ordinary people to accept creeping fascism are explored through fear of difference, and an army marching to the rhythm of "Something must be done. Something must be done." The main characters include step-parents who're doing their best, girls who do maths and engineering, boys who do witchcraft; and Snow, the White Knight, who has been "living as a Dwarf" for years. Snow and Buttercup, the Cake Witch, share some Very Special Smiles. I additionally enjoyed the in-jokes about the Bin Men who must have offerings left out every Monday night, and gossiping Mother Goggins (Postman Pat shoutout), and the many humorous one-liners and puns, e.g. chapter titles: The Spider Who Came in from the Cold; and Run, Forest, Run. The plotting and pacing of the ending didn't fully work for me (the fascists are mostly talked out of their fanatical murderous hate and That One Guy who can't be talked around seals his own fate so Our Heroes keep their hands clean and their hats white) and the cliffhanger for the second book was as irritating as such ploys always are so 4/5.
21. Such Big Teeth, Darkwood 2, by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, 2020, 4/5
The fascists continue to back down, and chat, and walk away, and fail to be convincingly murdery enough, so the protags can survive encounters and stroll away with unambiguously clean hands. And when the fash with comparatively high tech weapons, including a flying boat, set an ambush they bring melee weapons instead of bows which is wholly unrealistic. Their elections, during which blustering male "orange" candidate stands against a mumsy female "green" candidate (who is very much a lesser EVIL in this book - the use of "green" here being the one truly bum note from a UK point of view), are as rigged as democracy in our world. And fear of the Other is used to justify fascist control as always. Apart from my few quibbles the writing is funny and the protags have their hearts in good places. A transgendered werewolf is added to the main characters.
22. The Glass Coffin, Darkwood 3, by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, 2021, 4/5
( One paragraph cut for spoilery details. )
A consistent 4/5 for each novel and the whole series.
Warning for irritation to people who have to deal with real-world fascists and know they can't be talked around (see western politics).
- Cute Ceriodaphnia water flea (wikipedia) cosplaying as a screaming ghost in a nice comfy empire-line patchwork dress.
- Another Daphnia water flea (wikipedia) ghost planning to lay her eggs soon... somewhere very near you.... ;-)
- Reading, February 2026 part 1 of 2: the Darkwood series.
18. Darkwood, Darkwood 1, by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, 2019, 4/5
The author is better known for her contributions to Horrible Histories and various topical satire shows including The Now Show so she's well equipped to write a satirical fantasy novel critiquing anglophone western culture, as it slithers towards the far right, through the medium of a "middle grade and up" novel reclaiming populist fairytale motifs. The motivations that cause many ordinary people to accept creeping fascism are explored through fear of difference, and an army marching to the rhythm of "Something must be done. Something must be done." The main characters include step-parents who're doing their best, girls who do maths and engineering, boys who do witchcraft; and Snow, the White Knight, who has been "living as a Dwarf" for years. Snow and Buttercup, the Cake Witch, share some Very Special Smiles. I additionally enjoyed the in-jokes about the Bin Men who must have offerings left out every Monday night, and gossiping Mother Goggins (Postman Pat shoutout), and the many humorous one-liners and puns, e.g. chapter titles: The Spider Who Came in from the Cold; and Run, Forest, Run. The plotting and pacing of the ending didn't fully work for me (the fascists are mostly talked out of their fanatical murderous hate and That One Guy who can't be talked around seals his own fate so Our Heroes keep their hands clean and their hats white) and the cliffhanger for the second book was as irritating as such ploys always are so 4/5.
21. Such Big Teeth, Darkwood 2, by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, 2020, 4/5
The fascists continue to back down, and chat, and walk away, and fail to be convincingly murdery enough, so the protags can survive encounters and stroll away with unambiguously clean hands. And when the fash with comparatively high tech weapons, including a flying boat, set an ambush they bring melee weapons instead of bows which is wholly unrealistic. Their elections, during which blustering male "orange" candidate stands against a mumsy female "green" candidate (who is very much a lesser EVIL in this book - the use of "green" here being the one truly bum note from a UK point of view), are as rigged as democracy in our world. And fear of the Other is used to justify fascist control as always. Apart from my few quibbles the writing is funny and the protags have their hearts in good places. A transgendered werewolf is added to the main characters.
22. The Glass Coffin, Darkwood 3, by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, 2021, 4/5
( One paragraph cut for spoilery details. )
A consistent 4/5 for each novel and the whole series.
Warning for irritation to people who have to deal with real-world fascists and know they can't be talked around (see western politics).
AKC Courtneyyyyyy Culture Festival #212: Nakamura Mai
Mar. 4th, 2026 05:25 amsonofgodzillaSTU48's brand new single is released to-day! What do you mean you didn't realise STU48 were still releasing singles? As established, I have spent a lot of money this week, but I still ordered both copies of Sukisugite Naku because last year's single, Kizutsuku Koto ga Seishun da really made an impact on me. The centre of this new single is not, however, Takao Sayaka, but rather the third draft's Nakamura Mai.
Arriving in 2017 alongside NMB48's Abe Wakana and AKB48's Omori Maho, the third draft went into effect in 2018 and MaiQ made her first appearance with the relatively new group. She is there in the senbatsu for STU's second single, the delightful Kaze wo Matsu, and since that moment, despite not even being in the group's first generation, she has been a regular feature in every release since, acting as one of three centres in 2022 for Hana wa Dare no Mono? alongside Takino Yumiko and Ishida Chiho; outside of B sides and stage performances, however, this is MaiQ's first time as the centre of a new single, and whenever this happens in one of the smaller 48 groups, the provincial 48 groups, I immediately look to see if it is a consolation prize for that particular member's graduation. Good news, everyone! It doesn't look like that's the case here!
For the longest time, it has felt like MaiQ's apotheosis to centre has been on the cards. From as early as 2018, with the release of AKB48's NO WAY MAN, she appeared with other members of the sister groups aged under 19—including former NGT darlings Kato Minami and Takakura Moeka—on B side Ohayo Kara Hajimaru Sekai, a song which to, my mind, has more heart than the A side it accompanies, offering more of a glimpse of the flavour of what the provincial groups might become.
Despite being in the draft pool together, MaiQ and Oki Yuka did not become friends until they both joined STU, a missed opportunity that they soon made up for, the two of them often referred to as OkiMai by fans, both of them setting the tone for what STU would be as Okada Nana returned to her main activities and the group was left to stand on its own. Against all odds, the girl who inherited her nickname from school due to her lips, making her apparently like the titular Obake no Q-Taro, has become one of the most familiar faces in the group, and this centre position for the new single feels long, long overdue. Congratulations, MaiQ! 🎉💖
Arriving in 2017 alongside NMB48's Abe Wakana and AKB48's Omori Maho, the third draft went into effect in 2018 and MaiQ made her first appearance with the relatively new group. She is there in the senbatsu for STU's second single, the delightful Kaze wo Matsu, and since that moment, despite not even being in the group's first generation, she has been a regular feature in every release since, acting as one of three centres in 2022 for Hana wa Dare no Mono? alongside Takino Yumiko and Ishida Chiho; outside of B sides and stage performances, however, this is MaiQ's first time as the centre of a new single, and whenever this happens in one of the smaller 48 groups, the provincial 48 groups, I immediately look to see if it is a consolation prize for that particular member's graduation. Good news, everyone! It doesn't look like that's the case here!
For the longest time, it has felt like MaiQ's apotheosis to centre has been on the cards. From as early as 2018, with the release of AKB48's NO WAY MAN, she appeared with other members of the sister groups aged under 19—including former NGT darlings Kato Minami and Takakura Moeka—on B side Ohayo Kara Hajimaru Sekai, a song which to, my mind, has more heart than the A side it accompanies, offering more of a glimpse of the flavour of what the provincial groups might become.
Despite being in the draft pool together, MaiQ and Oki Yuka did not become friends until they both joined STU, a missed opportunity that they soon made up for, the two of them often referred to as OkiMai by fans, both of them setting the tone for what STU would be as Okada Nana returned to her main activities and the group was left to stand on its own. Against all odds, the girl who inherited her nickname from school due to her lips, making her apparently like the titular Obake no Q-Taro, has become one of the most familiar faces in the group, and this centre position for the new single feels long, long overdue. Congratulations, MaiQ! 🎉💖
In my defense,
Mar. 3rd, 2026 08:59 pmgoodbyebird+ Very much had a plan to tidy my bedroom 100%, but then my dryer was like, "nah I'm not going to function" and I derailed completely. There's a couple more things I want to try to see if I can get it sorted, but if not I'll have to call for a repairperson ugh.
...so today I'm focused on cleaning the visible parts of my apartment instead lol.
+ Actually had lunch with a few of my friends today. It's been a while. Like, I didn't manage to meet a single one of them properly before Christmas even. How they all put up with a shut in like myself all these years, I just couldn't tell you. We tried a new noodle place, the food was excellent, I tried a marinated egg for the first time, and we were all laughing and enjoying ourselves.
One of my friends had helped clear out an apartment a couple of days ago, and when she saw the official and un-official guides for The X-Files in the donations box, she decided to grab them for me instead. Very sweet of her, and funny considering she did not know I'd just started watching s1 again.
+ Since AO3 seems to be fairly unstable atm I got some requests to do a new round ofao3_isdown, so come on over.
+ I've been fiddling with the idea forfannishtarot and running a Make Your Own Fandom Tarot event for a good long while now, gathering some quotes and such here and there. I think it would be such a rewarding way to deep dive into the tarot and also your own fandom(s) and fannish inclinations. Like, who or what would The Fool be to you in your chosen fandom? I think it'd be an excellent way to internalize a bunch of significators, etc. But I am not getting that started until I have a bunch more prep under my belt lol. I'd basically have to amass six months of posts beforehand, to make room for work schedules, travel, the occasional downtime/brain crash.
But it would be SO cool. I just hope some people will join in.
+ My Dune tarot will be arriving tomorrow, and I'd love to play with it a bunch. Let me know in the comments if you want me to do one of the book's spreads for you.
...so today I'm focused on cleaning the visible parts of my apartment instead lol.
+ Actually had lunch with a few of my friends today. It's been a while. Like, I didn't manage to meet a single one of them properly before Christmas even. How they all put up with a shut in like myself all these years, I just couldn't tell you. We tried a new noodle place, the food was excellent, I tried a marinated egg for the first time, and we were all laughing and enjoying ourselves.
One of my friends had helped clear out an apartment a couple of days ago, and when she saw the official and un-official guides for The X-Files in the donations box, she decided to grab them for me instead. Very sweet of her, and funny considering she did not know I'd just started watching s1 again.
+ Since AO3 seems to be fairly unstable atm I got some requests to do a new round of
ao3_isdown, so come on over.+ I've been fiddling with the idea for
fannishtarot and running a Make Your Own Fandom Tarot event for a good long while now, gathering some quotes and such here and there. I think it would be such a rewarding way to deep dive into the tarot and also your own fandom(s) and fannish inclinations. Like, who or what would The Fool be to you in your chosen fandom? I think it'd be an excellent way to internalize a bunch of significators, etc. But I am not getting that started until I have a bunch more prep under my belt lol. I'd basically have to amass six months of posts beforehand, to make room for work schedules, travel, the occasional downtime/brain crash.But it would be SO cool. I just hope some people will join in.
+ My Dune tarot will be arriving tomorrow, and I'd love to play with it a bunch. Let me know in the comments if you want me to do one of the book's spreads for you.
Swedish newspaper article
Mar. 3rd, 2026 01:08 pmpar_avion posting in viddinghttps://www.dn.se/kultur/fan-edits-har-blivit-filmbranschens-nya-maktfaktor/
”Fan edits” har blivit filmbranschens nya maktfaktor
Thanks to naye for posting on bluesky! Translation via google translate.
“Fan edits” have become the film industry’s new power factor
– Fan edits are created out of genuine commitment, rather than a commercial purpose, and then they can certainly be perceived as more credible than traditional trailers, says Lovisa Jönsson from the PR agency Jung.
In July 2025, the anonymous TikTok account Areq posts a video collage of scenes from the boxing movie “Creed.” In the clip, punches are thrown wildly to the beat of the music, while blood and sweat spurt.
The clip has over 215 million views at the time of writing. Less than a week after it was posted on the platform, the number of viewers of the film increased by 29 percent on Amazon Prime, according to data from Luminate.
Areq is an example of a growing group of TikTok creators, often fans, who make so-called video collages, or “fan edits,” of series and films for fun. The phenomenon has its origins in fan fiction, where fans use characters and settings from existing works to write a new story.
Several film studios have recognized the explosive power of fan logic and have now started to hire fans to drive their marketing efforts.
The film studio Lionsgate has recruited a dozen or so fans to make TikTok clips under the film studio’s banner. The company’s TikTok page now has around a hundred clips from films like “Twilight” and “Divergent.” All of them are bursting with references and Generation Z jokes that only a die-hard fan can understand.
In an interview with Variety, Lionsgate's head of international marketing, Briana McElroy, says that fan edits are a "love letter from fans" and that it is free marketing.
- If we are going to have a conversation with fans online, we have to speak their language, she tells Variety.
Streaming giants such as Netflix, Hulu and Paramount+ also publish clips on their Tiktok channels with clear inspiration from fan logic.
Fan-edited video collages from the ice hockey drama "Heated Rivalry" have been streaming on social media since the series was released in late 2025. The clips have reached both existing fans and attracted new viewers.
Some of the fan community's most viewed clips are edited by fan Melanie, 25. In one of the clips, countless sex scenes and hockey matches flicker past in one minute and thirty seconds. That clip has received over four million views.
When DN reaches her, she wants to remain anonymous, she wants to protect her privacy on the internet but is happy to talk about the phenomenon. Since she was 17, she has spent countless hours editing such videos, about everything from One Direction to Harry Potter and Marvel.
– Fan edits are their own art form. It is a way for a fan to tell a story or describe how they themselves interpret a series through their own lens. It is noticeable in the way they edit, in what order they place the clips or which song they use, she says.
Unlike a traditional trailer that is directed and tailored by a film company with the aim of reaching as large an audience as possible and generating revenue, fan edits lack a financial drive and are born out of pure desire and love for a series or film.
– It is created out of genuine commitment, rather than a commercial purpose, and then they can certainly be perceived as more credible than traditional trailers, especially for Generation Z, says Lovisa Jönsson from the PR agency Jung.
She points out that fan-produced content is spread organically on platforms like Tiktok and that it can reach target groups that do not usually watch traditional trailers. This provides a large distribution at a low cost.
– When marketing arouses emotions and is perceived as authentic and genuine, it tends to be more effective. It is a quick way to spread content and can create hype that makes more people feel that they “have to see” a certain film or series, says Lovisa Jönsson.
It is not only within the world of film that fan logic is being valued. For example, the artist Miley Cyrus hired superfan Olivia Rudensky to be responsible for her digital marketing and fan contact. Rudensky was recruited because she ran one of the star’s largest fan accounts, according to Forbes.
In the book “Blank Space”, the American author W David Marx describes how fans have shaped the popular cultural landscape. According to him, they have been crucial in consolidating the position of international artists. He writes that: “At a time when the media landscape has become increasingly fragmented, fans have contributed to strengthening the cultural power around a few top artists.”
Fan-produced video collages set their first milestone in 1975 when Kandy Fong made a slideshow featuring the space officer Spock from the science fiction series “Star Trek”. The slideshow was set to music with the Spock actor’s interpretation of “Both sides now”. At the time, it was shown at various fan conventions, but since then they have been exhibited at museums in both Queens and Vancouver.
When YouTube became established, fans began publishing video collages there. As Instagram and Tiktok consolidated their role, fans have instead moved their creations there and through the spread of algorithms, some of them reach a huge audience.
Sweden is no exception. Here, fans of reality series such as “The Traitors”, “The Game” and “Paradise Hotel” have made their own compilations, where they highlight certain participants, among other things. Among other things, there are several collages about the “Best in Test” program host David Sundin, with carefully selected clips from the competition program, set to music by Arctic Monkeys’ “505”.
During the new film adaptation of “Doktor Glas”, the production launched a Tiktok account. Some of the content is clearly modeled after how fans usually edit their fan clips. Lovisa Jönsson at the PR agency Jung, however, believes that there is a risk when production companies follow the fan logic.
– When companies start to commercialize fan edits and use them in strategic marketing, authenticity can be lost, which is the very basis for the impact. To succeed, they must continue to be created on the fans’ terms, she says.
”Fan edits” har blivit filmbranschens nya maktfaktor
Thanks to naye for posting on bluesky! Translation via google translate.
“Fan edits” have become the film industry’s new power factor
– Fan edits are created out of genuine commitment, rather than a commercial purpose, and then they can certainly be perceived as more credible than traditional trailers, says Lovisa Jönsson from the PR agency Jung.
In July 2025, the anonymous TikTok account Areq posts a video collage of scenes from the boxing movie “Creed.” In the clip, punches are thrown wildly to the beat of the music, while blood and sweat spurt.
The clip has over 215 million views at the time of writing. Less than a week after it was posted on the platform, the number of viewers of the film increased by 29 percent on Amazon Prime, according to data from Luminate.
Areq is an example of a growing group of TikTok creators, often fans, who make so-called video collages, or “fan edits,” of series and films for fun. The phenomenon has its origins in fan fiction, where fans use characters and settings from existing works to write a new story.
Several film studios have recognized the explosive power of fan logic and have now started to hire fans to drive their marketing efforts.
The film studio Lionsgate has recruited a dozen or so fans to make TikTok clips under the film studio’s banner. The company’s TikTok page now has around a hundred clips from films like “Twilight” and “Divergent.” All of them are bursting with references and Generation Z jokes that only a die-hard fan can understand.
In an interview with Variety, Lionsgate's head of international marketing, Briana McElroy, says that fan edits are a "love letter from fans" and that it is free marketing.
- If we are going to have a conversation with fans online, we have to speak their language, she tells Variety.
Streaming giants such as Netflix, Hulu and Paramount+ also publish clips on their Tiktok channels with clear inspiration from fan logic.
Fan-edited video collages from the ice hockey drama "Heated Rivalry" have been streaming on social media since the series was released in late 2025. The clips have reached both existing fans and attracted new viewers.
Some of the fan community's most viewed clips are edited by fan Melanie, 25. In one of the clips, countless sex scenes and hockey matches flicker past in one minute and thirty seconds. That clip has received over four million views.
When DN reaches her, she wants to remain anonymous, she wants to protect her privacy on the internet but is happy to talk about the phenomenon. Since she was 17, she has spent countless hours editing such videos, about everything from One Direction to Harry Potter and Marvel.
– Fan edits are their own art form. It is a way for a fan to tell a story or describe how they themselves interpret a series through their own lens. It is noticeable in the way they edit, in what order they place the clips or which song they use, she says.
Unlike a traditional trailer that is directed and tailored by a film company with the aim of reaching as large an audience as possible and generating revenue, fan edits lack a financial drive and are born out of pure desire and love for a series or film.
– It is created out of genuine commitment, rather than a commercial purpose, and then they can certainly be perceived as more credible than traditional trailers, especially for Generation Z, says Lovisa Jönsson from the PR agency Jung.
She points out that fan-produced content is spread organically on platforms like Tiktok and that it can reach target groups that do not usually watch traditional trailers. This provides a large distribution at a low cost.
– When marketing arouses emotions and is perceived as authentic and genuine, it tends to be more effective. It is a quick way to spread content and can create hype that makes more people feel that they “have to see” a certain film or series, says Lovisa Jönsson.
It is not only within the world of film that fan logic is being valued. For example, the artist Miley Cyrus hired superfan Olivia Rudensky to be responsible for her digital marketing and fan contact. Rudensky was recruited because she ran one of the star’s largest fan accounts, according to Forbes.
In the book “Blank Space”, the American author W David Marx describes how fans have shaped the popular cultural landscape. According to him, they have been crucial in consolidating the position of international artists. He writes that: “At a time when the media landscape has become increasingly fragmented, fans have contributed to strengthening the cultural power around a few top artists.”
Fan-produced video collages set their first milestone in 1975 when Kandy Fong made a slideshow featuring the space officer Spock from the science fiction series “Star Trek”. The slideshow was set to music with the Spock actor’s interpretation of “Both sides now”. At the time, it was shown at various fan conventions, but since then they have been exhibited at museums in both Queens and Vancouver.
When YouTube became established, fans began publishing video collages there. As Instagram and Tiktok consolidated their role, fans have instead moved their creations there and through the spread of algorithms, some of them reach a huge audience.
Sweden is no exception. Here, fans of reality series such as “The Traitors”, “The Game” and “Paradise Hotel” have made their own compilations, where they highlight certain participants, among other things. Among other things, there are several collages about the “Best in Test” program host David Sundin, with carefully selected clips from the competition program, set to music by Arctic Monkeys’ “505”.
During the new film adaptation of “Doktor Glas”, the production launched a Tiktok account. Some of the content is clearly modeled after how fans usually edit their fan clips. Lovisa Jönsson at the PR agency Jung, however, believes that there is a risk when production companies follow the fan logic.
– When companies start to commercialize fan edits and use them in strategic marketing, authenticity can be lost, which is the very basis for the impact. To succeed, they must continue to be created on the fans’ terms, she says.