556 | K-Queer Regionality and Digital Affinities: Queer Identity in K-pop’s Transcultural Fandom

In this week's episode, hosts Ryan Baxter and Mark Ambrogio interview Jasmine Proctor, a PhD candidate in Media Studies, in Western's Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS).  Jasmine ("Jazz") is interested in how queer K-pop fan communities negotiate gender and sexuality through transcultural networked fan labour across digital platforms.  Ryan and Mark ask Jazz about the emergence of K-pop and the interesting phenomenon of K-pop's mass appeal to a North American audience.  More broadly, they discuss fandom, popular music, and popular culture.   Jasmine also discusses the PhD program in Media Studies and helpful ways of de-stressing, including running, listening to music (of course), and reading. For further information on Jasmine's research:  Jasmine Proctor Profile  Jasmine's doctoral supervisor is Dr. Norma Coates, cross-listed between FIMS and Western's Faculty of Music. Recorded on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 Produced by Mark Ambrogio, with help from Ryan Baxter Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)