all I know about fandom I learned from you guys...

[flea]

Here's a silly thing that's been preying on my brain lately: mediafandom? Stupid name. I mean, what does "media" mean? I have read enough of y'all's meta to know it isn't the NEWS media, which is what the non-fannish first thought goes to. As I see it, mediafandom seems to describe people who entered fandom through television shows (especially Xfiles, among my acquaintance), in contrast to people who were attending scifi cons and in the zine scene before this dang newfangled technology came along. Am I wrong? But then, where does Harry Potter fit in, since that seems to be in mediafandom but he's a book? Or wasn't he fannish before there were movies? I'm so confused.

Anyway, why not simply call it television-fandom, not mediafandom, and keep me from flashing to Dan Rather all the time? Also, the pedant in me wishes to observe that every mode of communication is a medium - print, television, etc.

Who made up this name?

Your mundane friend,
flea

Comments

[veejane.livejournal.com]

Smof, like cough with an SM. You can be a smof, or be busy smoffing, or if you're really smoffy you can go to Smofcon, which is a con for people who organize cons.

Smoffy smoffy smoffy. Sounds like a six-foot blue furry beast, doesn't it? Something the toddlers adore and their parents abominate.

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

Oh god, there really is a smofcon. I thought you HAD to be joking.

I also think there should be a Whatsiscon.