We’ve talked about parasocial relationships as a one-way street, but can that ever change? Is there a way for a parasocial bond to become just a regular friendship? What would that even look like? Hear examples of how parasocial relationships became something more reciprocal, and learn whether that’s likely to be a rare event or something more commonplace. Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott And new music written &...
Jun 17, 2025•38 min
Has the internet made us all worse at relationships, including the parasocial ones? We’ll talk about the celebrity attitude scale, which measures how intensely an audience member feels about a celebrity, how the internet has changed our media diets, and how online relationships are a blessing and a curse. Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott And new music written & performed by August Hotel: @augusthotel Cover a...
Jun 03, 2025•26 min
What’s it like to be in-between a celebrity and their fans? What’s it like to have a real relationship with a famous person—and have fans think you might be an access point to that person? Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott And new music written & performed by August Hotel: @augusthotel Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com Resources from this episode: Listen to Normal...
May 20, 2025•40 min
I'm so sorry for the delay, but I promise you will have a brand-spanking-new episode in your feed in 2 weeks. In the meantime, support NPR/PBS! Support local journalism! And find ways to give back to your community around you, because this is the only way we're going to make it through. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 06, 2025•4 min
Explore how parasocial relationships may, or may not, differ across mediums. I speak with creators in music, podcasting, youtube, and musical threater spaces to hear how each of their experiences are different and yet so similar! Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott And new music written & performed by August Hotel: @augusthotel Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com Reso...
Apr 22, 2025•55 min
What happens when our minds fixate on an actor or band member or podcaster and we start to see things that aren’t there? When a fan feels so much closer to their idolized famous person than they really are? AKA, What’s the deal with parasocial relationships? Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...
Apr 08, 2025•28 min
A HUGE thank you to Marie for letting me rebroadcast this lovely conversation with her from March 2024. If you aren't already, you should subscribe to Carrying Wayward for all their excellent episodes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/carrying-wayward-a-supernatural-podcast/id1541257824 Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 18, 2025•49 min
Don't forget to send me your fan questions! You can reach out via twitter (@SadieWit), instagram (@Sadie_Wit) or my website form (sadiewit.com) Link to Jonathan's Kickstarter: www.herooftheprophecy.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 04, 2025•39 min
I catch up with costume designer Jennifer May Nickel regarding the aftermath of the Eaton fire in LA. Jennifer & JP’s gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jp-jennifer-may-nickel-eaton-fire-relief-fund?modal=donations&tab=all RA recovery fund: https://give.randomacts.org/campaign/random-acts-natural-disaster-recovery-fund/c656615 Geekscape podcaster’s gofundme: bit.ly/DustinErin Creation Entertainment’s employee, Leticia, gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-leticia-serafin-rebuild-a...
Jan 21, 2025•56 min
What started as a random question on Bluesky turned into a whole conversation about fandom conventions (and why I seem to go to so many of them). Thank you Shae for agreeing to jump online with me to chat over the winter holidays so that I could answer your question in far more depth than you were expecting. Remember if you have a fan question of your own, you can reach me on insta, X, bluesky, or my website! Curious to learn more about conventions? Here's some interesting links: https://www.hol...
Jan 07, 2025•19 min
Today, we answer Anna’s query! Solution 1: Fifty Shades of Grey is an example of fanfiction that became published as a standalone series. Serialization & Fifty Shades of Grey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzk9N7dJBec Solution 2: Some writers start in fanfiction, but have to leave that world behind so that it doesn’t influence their own, cannon writing (and accidentally steal ideas) How Tamsyn Muir* had to leave the fanfic community behind to avoid being influenced by the fic about HER sto...
Dec 24, 2024•15 min
Welcome to our experiment! Podcast editor Dr. Anna Funk steps up to the mic to ask a question that's been bubbling in the back of her mind. Listen next week for the reveal of the answer! And do you have a fandom question? Send it out way! Either through twitter DMs (@SadieWit), instagram (@Sadie_Wit), or via the webform at https://www.sadiewit.com/contact-1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 17, 2024•11 min
We're back! And with some exciting news! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 19, 2024•8 min
Alright, let's wrap up everything we've learned on endings: from the fan experience to the changes in how TV is made. And of course, we'll try to answer the question of whether we think Supernatural will ever be back for a season 16th. Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Mark Hampton: NA Rob Benedict: @RobBenedict Jeffery Bell: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068272/ Craig Titely: @CraigTitley741 ...
Sep 10, 2024•26 min•Ep. 27
Howdy Y'all! I hope to see some of you at the Austin, Texas Supernatural convention this weekend. Please don't feel shy, come say hi to me. I'll have stickers! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 13, 2024•3 min•Ep. 26
Nothing ever really dies in the land of Hollywood! Reboots, revivals, and resurrections are all possible returns of fan favorite shows. Not that fans always want more of the story... Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Kevin Grazier: @kevingrazier Matt Kelly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saintmort/ Gabe Garza: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4509179/?ref_=ttfc_fc_wr6 Paul Booth: @pbooth81 Elizabeth ...
Jul 30, 2024•29 min•Ep. 25
Spring of 2020 was a rough time for basically every industry, and television was no different. COVID-19 restrictions changed the way that television was made and what could be possible; unfortunately, this was at the perfect moment to completely alter the ending of Supernatural. 9:55 and onward contains spoilers for the last 3 episodes of Supernatural, so beware! Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearan...
Jul 16, 2024•34 min•Ep. 24
Look, this is the episode we all knew I was going to do. I can't talk about endings without talking about the different perspectives on Supernatural's finale. Lynn Zubernis joins me for a conversation on the last season, the last episodes, and how different fans interpreted the ending vastly differently from each other. Spoiler Warnings! Want to avoid all spoilers? Use these timestamps to skip them completely: Well... in this conversation you wont be able to. Lynn and I discuss multiple aspects ...
Jul 02, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 23
Not all shows end. Or, at least they don't conform to what we tend to think of as an ending. This episode is an exploration of three short vignettes. Oh! And no need to worry about a spoiler during this episode! Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Mark Hampton: Maggie O'Connor: @maggie.in.the.middle Katie Hampton: @ElSassyPants Rebecca Williams: @augustaquarius Paul Booth: @pbooth81 Elizabeth M...
Jun 18, 2024•35 min•Ep. 22
I’m taking a short break to get caught up on writing the scripts for the second half of the season. But, I didn’t want to leave your podcast playlist empty, so I decided to share this conversation I had back in early May with writer, cartoonist, and TV director Ben Edlund! Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie Additional Links of I...
Jun 04, 2024•51 min•Ep. 21
TV creators face the unique challenge of not knowing how long a particular show will last. Knowing if you’ll have 13 episodes or 13 seasons can radically alter how they’re able to approach the end, but it's a rarity to know when a show has reached the end of the road. *NOTE: Steph Dizon is no longer employed with Creation Entertainment* Spoiler Warnings! Want to avoid all spoilers? Use these timestamps to skip them completely: ALF: 6:07-7:07 The Flash: 17:33-20:52 The Avengers: 23:05-23:44 Agent...
May 21, 2024•32 min•Ep. 20
Does it matter if the show is more episodic vs narrative for how the ending is perceived by the fandom? How much does a show have to set up in earlier seasons to earn its payoff at the end? Let’s talk about TJLC, or The JohnLock Conspiracy in BBC’s Sherlock fandom, and the Chekov’s gun that was the premise for How I Met Your Mother. Spoiler Warnings! Want to avoid all spoilers? Use these timestamps to skip them completely: How I met your mother: 8:51-11:50 Sherlock: 17:25-19:07 **CLARIFICATION**...
May 07, 2024•32 min•Ep. 19
**CLARIFICATION** First, in this episode I said that Banana Fish has the highest percentage of works tagged fix it. Although Toast did their best to pull a representative sample, we still can’t say Banana Fish is definitively the top show in this metric. There could well be other fandoms with even higher percentage, but that weren’t captured in that review. Second, I misspoke and implied that tag wranglers on AO3 add tags to works. That’s not accurate. Wranglers organize tags and sometimes creat...
Apr 23, 2024•28 min•Ep. 18
I have a little theory about TV endings. Good endings are fondly remembered, bad endings kill fandoms, and divisive endings make them stick around forever (to argue!). So, am I actually right? Let’s find out… Spoiler Warnings! Want to avoid all spoilers? Use these timestamps to skip them completely: Avatar the Last Airbender: 7:37-8:30 Dexter: 11:16-11:40 Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Have thoughts on TV endings? I want to hear them! https://docs.google.com/fo...
Apr 09, 2024•29 min•Ep. 17
New season, new topic! This season, we’re talking about how television shows bring their stories to a close, and how that affects the fandom. We’ll talk about great endings and terrible endings. Shows that got to go out on their own terms and shows that were canceled, only to later be revived in a new format. And of course, there will be discussion about the ending of Supernatural. A LOT of discussion. Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Have thoughts on TV endings?...
Mar 26, 2024•26 min•Ep. 16
I was so excited to meet Gabe at San Diego Comic Con last summer! He graciously agreed to an interview for this little podcast, all about his experiences writing for The Winchesters. Tell me your thoughts on shows ending: https://forms.gle/d2KGqChpietazZh29 Definitely stick around to the end where he answers some fan questions that I collected! Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Thanks to Gabe Gonzalez for sharing his time and insights. You can find him at IMDB, as...
Feb 06, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 15
While I assumed costume designers would have a heyday with Halloween, it turns out costumers just want to dress others up - not themselves. At least, that’s according to costume designer Jennifer May Nickel. For this bonus episode, I’m bringing you a conversation with the costume designer from Gotham Knights! Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie Additional Links of Interest: Jennifer May Nickel:...
Oct 31, 2023•40 min•Ep. 14
What’s it like to be on the other side of fandom, when you’re not the famous one? And how does having a famous family member affect a non-fandom business? Family Business Beer Co CEO Gino has seen it all. It turns out when fandom and ‘normies’ mix, you get all sorts of stories. Stay tuned for a unique contest at the end! Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Competition Details: Send your best, your weirdest, your most creative fanart to the brewery. Remember, to be c...
Oct 17, 2023•30 min•Ep. 13
SPN Family shows up to help picket for fair contracts for both the WGA (writers guild of america) and SAG (screen actors guild). Oh, and a small personal update. Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Eric Kripke: @therealKripke Kaelee Rhiannon Ben Edlund: @ben_edlund Misha Collins: @mishacollins Valeria Dean Shanda: @shandataber Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk Music written & ...
Sep 12, 2023•18 min•Ep. 12
The first season may be over, but we aren’t done yet! In this first bonus episode, hear some of the voices from across the season tell their stories of how they discovered Supernatural and what hooked them on the show, and the fandom. Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Shontill: @abeautifulswan Lynn Zubernis: @FangasmSPN Liz Hand: @__ellie Alana King: @_AlanaKing_ DitchLilyTiger: @DitchLilyTig...
Aug 01, 2023•31 min•Ep. 11
