This week on the Stack & Smash podcast we sit down via telephone with our friend Chris Gore. You may know Chris from a wide variety of things, most notably he was on G4TV’s “Attack of the Show” every Tuesday reviewing that weeks DVD/Blu-Ray releases on a segment called “DVDuesday.” Others may notice him from stand up or hosting panels at conventions across the country.
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I wanted to say thank you for publicizing the Chris Gore/Wondercon panel situation. When I saw the panel descrip on the 20th, I asked him several pointed questions, which was enough to get me blocked by him later. He has a "new" panel now, btw that includes much of the old description (and panelists) as before but is now titled "When Fans Create and Become Creators."
I’m glad I was not along in speaking out over those two days, and I’m really proud of all the people who spoke up during and after. And I’m really glad Wondercon shut down the panel.
As for the new one, here’s the home page for it and the description reads:
It could be argued that J.J. Abrams' upcoming Star Wars movie is actually a very big fan film. J.J. Abrams is long known to be a fan of Star Wars, and he certainly didn't create the universe, but he does get to play in the sandbox. So how does a fan grow into a creator? What examples exist in fandom of fans becoming successful creators? Can fanfic writers transition into working professionals? Join Chris Gore (Film Threat, G4TV's Attack of the Show), Adrianne Curry (cosplay queen, America’s Next Top Model), Mary Forrest (The Biloon-Forrest Project podcast), Tommy Bechtold (ABC’s The Middle), Matt Keil (G4TV’s X-Play), Jon Schnepp (Metalocalypse, The Death of Superman Lives) and more for a lively discussion. In addition, one panelist will write a piece of fan fiction based on audience suggestions that will be read aloud for the finale.
So, I’m pretty okay with that. If they want to discuss fanfiction in the light that many people have had their fanfiction validated by the general public (Abrams, whedon, anyone who’s written for sherlock holmes) or about crossing stories from the realm of fanfiction into the realm of the public as original fiction, I find that acceptable. Nothing is being touted as “weird and wild” and no one in the private realm of fanfiction has to worry about non-fanfiction folks invading our spaces and taking off with our work to make fun of it in public
I'm probably late to the party but I just now discovered that whole fiasco about the Fanfic Theatre at Wondercon and it is ridiculous. As a person who has spent YEARS writing fanfiction, let me say this:
Anything and everything you post online for the entire world to see IS SUBJECT TO CRITICISM, MAY IT BE CONSTRUCTIVE OR MAY IT BE VICIOUS AND BRUTAL. People have no obligation to be polite about your work, whether they’re your employer or your reader. People have the goddamned right to pick it apart, make fun of it, read it outloud on Youtube, or whatever the hell they want to do with it. As long as they're not personally attacking or harassing you, they CAN attack your work.Â
People do it all the time, not just with fanfic, but with any narrative in any medium. You CANNOT be mad about that, and you cannot expect me to take you seriously as a writer (not just fanfiction, but writing as a whole) if you honestly are going to be this outraged over people not liking your writing. Have you people never taken writing or English classes in school? Did you throw a tantrum like this when the teacher marked down everything you did wrong?Â
All the people who threw a fucking tantrum over Fanfic Theatre need to get over themselves. This isnt' the same as bullying people for their weight, body type, race, etc when they wear a costume to a convention. This is criticizing something people wrote and posted for the public to see. THIS IS PERFECTLY FUCKING OKAY.Â
Grow up, children. You want to become better writers? This is part of the job description so you may as well learn how to laugh at yourself.
I’m seeing some stuff from Chris Gore (and some others) about how this Fanfic Theatre panel at Wondercon is supposed to be a “celebration of fan fic” and I’m here to call complete BULLSHIT on that.
If it was a celebration of fanfiction (or fannish culture), you wouldn’t be advertising that you’re reading the “weirdest and wildest” fanfiction. You’d be reading pieces that really moved you when you read them or pieces, or that are so beautifully written that you spent time marveling just at the word choice or the quality of the descriptions, or that are so spot-on with characterization that they might as well have been a part of the original source. You’d be advertising a discussion on the creation of fanworks and the culture of fandom.
There is a major difference between celebrating fan works for being the amazing, creative expressions of self, culture, and other exploration that they are, done by a huge demographic of people around the world... and collecting a panel full of “comedians” to read “the weirdest and wildest” fanfiction you were capable of dredging up.
Fuck you. Don’t piss on fanfiction writers and tell us it’s rain.
I'm more worried about the effects this might have on the mental health of people in the fandom. I had quite severe anxiety last year, and though I'm mostly ok now, one of the things that has stayed with me is the fear of people knowing it's me who wrote things, which is basically rooted in a deeper fear of being mocked. When interviewers first started using fanfiction as material to make stars uncomfortable I had panic attacks and deleted all but two of my stories. That's why I'm worried.
Yes, that is a huge part of this problem. People in your situation or similar situations should be able to feel relatively safe creating and posting fanfiction within fandom spaces, because fandom in general is accepting and attempts to be respectful because we understand the nature of fandom and the demographic of those who comprise it. of course there are outliers, but we typically try to discourage, disapprove of, and speak out against those.
You should be able to feel safe here- at the very least safer than in the real world. And stuff like this panel can make people feel exactly the opposite.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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A little while ago, the web group I created with a buddy of mine, "The Movie Fools", welcomed its first celebrity to our podcast. Said celebrity also has a podcast, and has just released the episode which features our sitdown.Â
I present to you, the internets, with the podcast that features our voices with that of Chris Gore's. Freaking amazing stuff, give it a go!
Released: 11/08/11, Running time: 1:02:14, Recorded live in Los Angeles Â
This very first episode of PodCRASH, with ThatChrisGore, Chris introduces his producer Shawn Marek and then explains the premise of PodCRASH. Basically, he’s too lazy to do a podcast, so he just appears on other people’s podcasts.  This week he crashes Proudly Resents, hosted by Adam Spiegelman.
Crashed Podcast Info:Â
“Proudly Resents,” is a podcast about cult films and interviews with the people who make them, and love them!Â
Find out more: http://proudlyresents.com/ | @ProudlyResents | Facebook
Listen, download or stick PodCRASH in your ear(s): iTunes, Internets, also available onStitcher, and also the Original Unedited Version.Â
Say what?: “You pee three times more than the average person….” “Have you ever been to Mexico? … Have you ever been in a car accident? … Yeah I can’t find your kidney”. “Toilet poo poo homo butt”Â
Let’s get outta here! The audio heard at the end of this episode was from, "Kick Ass."
Podcast references: Buy Chris Gore’s Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide (here), Info about Film Threat (here)(here), Vineland Drive-In Movie Theater (here), Fantastic Four, Ralph Cormen (here)(here)
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