#destielgate

I am posting a preview of a meta essay I have in the works! The title is "The Superlock Legacy: On The Johnlock Conspiracy, Destielgate, and Conformitygate 

In the 2010s, two of the largest and most notable fandoms on Tumblr centered on the television shows the BBC’s Sherlock and the CW’s Supernatural.  Both programs, part of the Superwholock trinity, had flourishing fan cultures of meta and theorycrafting along with vibrant shipping communities and many excited fans.  Portions of these fandoms - many of whom were queer teenagers and young adults, dedicated substantial time and energy into the belief that the ships Johnlock (John Watson and Sherlock Holmes from Sherlock) and Destiel (Dean Winchester and Castiel from Supernatural) would provide valuable representation.

The years dragged on, and ultimately fans’ hopes were dashed.  Many at the time were not familiar with the marketing tool of queerbaiting, the process by which creators hint at and tease the possibility of queer representation to attract fans who are queer and/or support slash ships without any intent to deliver.  While the outcomes were ultimately different, as we will explore, both Sherlock and Supernatural are now seen as notorious examples of shows that queerbaited their audiences.  

When all was said and done, the dissatisfaction in each community fostered the belief that their beloved show could not have ended this way.  Surely, after all of their dedicated time and energy in fandom, this could not be the true way things end.  These fans leaned on separate theories and ideas- the Johnlock Conspiracy and Destielgate- to hold onto hope for a better resolution and to explain what had happened.