October 14-16, 1988: The Blake's 7 Slash Wars Build Fandom's Fourth Wall

Down and... safe? This week, V and Emily are joined by fandom scholar Lena Barkin (The Fanthropologist) to discuss an event that should, really, be as notorious in fanfiction culture as the Anne Rice debacle or Cassandra Clare kerfuffle: the Blake's 7 Slash Wars. This seismic, terrible fanwank is technically still ongoing, but hit its heyday forty years ago as the cast and crew of Blake's 7 hit back at fans -- like, specific, named fans -- who dared to write Blake/Avon slash. This supersized episode looks at the dangers of parasocial relationships, why fandom and media celebs should never cross the streams, and the nature of slash in the landscape of the 1980s. Lena brings an important POV as someone who is actively in Blake's 7 fandom today -- and is a slasher. Who do you think is the real villain of this story? Let us know in the comments wherever you're listening!SourcesFanlore: Timeline of the Blake's 7 WarsPromoTGI Femslash - Our favorite fan convention, TGIF/F, is happening soon! The con is back on February 18-21, 2027, in Los Angeles, and registration is open now. The convention is limited to 100 attendees, so make sure you register soon to experience a wonderful, intimate, friendly con full of like-minded femslash lovers as you make friends with fellow queer fans, dance the night away to vids at Club Femslash, participate in the one-of-a-kind Fic Battle, and attend fascinating panels. You can get more information and register for your spot at http://www.tgifemslash.com. We'll be there, and we hope you will, too!A Date with Dateline - Kimberly and Katie are professional true crime TV experts with no formal training but evidence lockers filled with snark and uninformed opinions. Katie watches Dateline in hopes to learn how to prevent her new husband from murdering her for the life insurance money, and Kimberly watches so she’ll know what to say when Keith Morrison interviews her about her best friend Katie’s murder. (Note, this is V's legit favorite podcast ever!)Smooch Fest - Are you a pop culture enthusiast and a romance fan? Do you live for a swoonworthy scene? Is the moment when two characters kiss your favorite part of a movie, tv show, or book? Then you might want to check out, Smooch Fest, a podcast about kissing! Smooch Fest is a celebration of the most iconic kisses in pop culture hosted by Lena Olson (Writer, Producer, and Smooch Connoisseur). Each episode, she’s joined by guests to discuss much-loved smooches from Titanic, Heated Rivalry,