PODCAST · tv
Fanthropological
by The Nickscast
Exploring the weird and wonderful world of fandoms!Every week, we deliver fandom-related "fanalysis" complete with hard data, guests, and, of course, rampant speculation!
Episodes
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Fanthropological Finale: In the End
Wow. This it… the end of an era. How do you summarize four years of exploring the breadth of human fandom? This week, we talk about the journey from the beginning to the end of Fanthropological, what we learned, loved, and hated… and so much more! ## Where can I get updates? If you want to follow...
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Fanthropological Finale: Fanthropological AUs (⅔)
As we continue wrapping up Fanthropological, we talk about several alternate universes (AUs) of topics we could have covered. Topics we would have liked to have covered * Number 5 * Z’s Choice: Haruki Murakami, or * T’s Choice: VTubers * G’s Choice: Folk Music * Number 4 * Z’s Choice: “Concept…
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Fanthropological Finale: Cover to Coverage (⅓)
If you’re joining us for the first time, sorry to say this is the beginning of the end of Fanthropological. Join us as we revisit our favourite episodes (and maybe check them out)! Our favourite episodes: * Number 5 * [Z’s Choice: Zelda](https://fanthropological.com/zelda) * [T’s Choice:...
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Are sequels good for Fandom?
Inspired by our upcoming charity marathon, the Race Against Time, we’re back to talking about sequels and how they change fandom. A fandom can live off of very little material (e.g. Reboot, Chrono Trigger) … but what happens when there is a sequel? Is that a good thing? In particular, we talk...
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Where does fandom end?
What happens 30 years after a TV show finishes? Is the fandom … over? What is the relationship between a series ending and a fandom ending? And what happens if the creator turns out to be an _awful_ person. This week it’s all over as we talk about the role and effect of endings in fandom… and in...
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Does fandom belong to the stans?
It’s all coming together people: the role of the artist, problematic works / creators, media criticism, consumerism and capitalism… and at the heart of it? Stans. As far as fandom goes, is it the stans who rule the roost? And is that for the better… or for the worse?! In particular, we talk…
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Should fandoms be political? (Yes)
Everything you consume is political; 100%! _It cannot be avoided_ and, really, that point shouldn’t be avoided _anyway_! Why then do people insist that the fandoms and media that they participate in be apolitical? This week, we’ve definitely got things to say! In particular, we talk about: * How...
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Can we cut it out with the remakes?!
Are you ready for the next… Labyrinth? _Stripes_?! Who is coming up with these remakes, and why can’t we get new material? This week, we’re talking all about the world of fandom, adaptations, reboots, and so on! In particular, we talk about: * How money is an important contributor in the...
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Do fans need to meet face-to-face?
With the world in the middle of a global pandemic, it’s time to try to answer the question, as fans, do we _need_ to meet face to face? While it goes without saying that we don’t _have_ to meet face to face… how does that change the wide world of fandom? In particular, we talk about: * The...
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Should we cry over anime boys?
Should we get emotionally attached to fictional characters? Of course we do, intentionally or not… but _should_ we? No guarantees that we get anywhere near addressing that, but we definitely dig into how and why people get attached to characters (for good reasons… and for reasons)! In particular,...
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SPOILER ALERT
Spoiler alert: You’ve been warned! We could spoil literally anything! That actor you like? They’re in this! That plot twist? Revealed! Deep lore?! … Probably? In all seriousness, we’re talking about what exactly _are_ spoilers, and how they impact people’s experience with the media that they...
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Is fandom a religion?
The signs are all there, people! Have you heard the good word (of Firefly)? May the force be with you (and also with you)! Though there’re lots of superficial connections between fandom and religion, could there be a stronger link? Some sort of… divine connection? In this episode, we’re all over...
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Fanthropological World - Philatelists’ Stamp of Approval!
Tune in to our totally real television show! On this week’s episode, Shakespeare and Nick Frye (the fandom guy) really dig into fans of stamp collecting, and the fascinating history of the hobby and unique origins of its name (philately). Oh drat, looks like Shakespeare is going back to jail again
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Is fandom a key part of our identity?
Fandom has changed a lot, and over time has gone from something on the fringe of society to the forefront. Does that also mean that fandom has moved towards a key part, an integral piece of people’s personal identity? In this episode, we dig a bit about representation and self-identification as...
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Who needs canon, anyway?
It’s fair to say that fans can take things too far, right? To the point of taking certain facts of a series and canonizing (a _biblical_ term) them, deciding which elements are ‘right’ and ‘wrong’? Or even mixing up canon and tradition and requiring long-running media to follow old rules because...
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What makes a good tabletop experience?
Combined, we’ve been playing tabletop games (let’s admit it, mostly Dungeons and Dragons) for decades, but what is it about a game that takes it from a good one, to a great one? We try to answer the question “what makes a great tabletop experience?” (And the answer _isn’t_ everyone starting on...
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Are you too old for this?
Hopefully, the phrase “Aren’t you too old for this?” has come up less and less as time goes on… but it still comes up! We dig into what it even means to be too old for fandom! * Why do people try to relive their childhood (and is it just nostalgia)? * Is it even a bad thing to be a fan of things…
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Is it ok to be a fan of bad things?
New year, new format, new episode! This week, we ask the question “Is it ok to be a fan of bad things?”. Disregarding what _bad_ means, we dig into: * Solidarity in fans of bad media * Bad media as a metaphor for life * Bad media as a references for good media And a lot more! All in under 30...
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Marvel Cinematic Universe - The Endgame of Fandoms?
How the heck do you summarize a fandom about eleven years of films… themselves spanning twenty-three movies so far?! We’ve reached the endgame of this infinity war of fandoms, folks… and it’s time to put everything in perfect balance. ## Episode Outline **Topics:** Representation in media, fan...
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Steven Universe - They’re … Space Rocks!
Here we are in the future... and talking about the lessons, culture, and fandom of Steven and the Crystal Gems! Why is it so popular, especially among other contemporary animations? _“Steven Universe is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar for Cartoon Network. It is...
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Critical Role - When People Cosplay Your OC
“Critical Role is an American web series in which a group of professional voice actors play Dungeons & Dragons. The show started streaming in March 2015, partway through the cast's first campaign” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Role](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Role) \ \…
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Minisode: Are You A Good Fan?
This subject of this week's minisode turns inwards as the Nicks ask themselves if they consider themselves a good fan and break down what being a good fan even means ## What is the Race Against Time? The Race Against Time is our annual charity livestreaming marathon where we get as many endings…
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Minisode: Are Retrogamers missing out?
Are retro gamers missing out on the newest, hippest games or are they right to dig deep into the style that they love? The Nicks dive into the breadth, depth and philosophy of getting into a niche! ## What is the Race Against Time? The Race Against Time is our annual charity livestreaming…
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Minisode: What are cons missing?
After nearly 20 years of con-going, and collectively well over 40 different conventions been attended, what kinds of things are missing from conventions (anime, sci-fi, comic, or otherwise), anyway? ## What is the Race Against Time? The Race Against Time is our annual charity livestreaming…
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Beyblade - A New Spin on an Old Top
Who would’ve thought that spinning battle tops could enchant kids and adults alike? And that the franchise has more in common with Transformers than meets the eye? Definitely not us -- listen along as we learn about the fandom that shouts “Let it Rip!” with glee. ## Episode Outline **Topics:**...
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RWBY - Questionably Animated Authorial Intent
We dig into authorial intent, the challenges of animation, and fan work (and entitlement) as we talk about Rooster Teeth’s RWBY and its fans! ## Episode Outline **Topics:** RWBY (obviously), Anime, Linguistics, the _Tales of_ series, authorial intent, dudebros, expectations and fan work ###…
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Star Wars - It's Been a Minute
# Description We hopped back into the Millenium Falcon with Alex Robinson of The Star Wars Minute podcast to get an inside look at Star Wars fandom (and to try to figure out how anyone could watch the prequels a minute at a time)! ## Episode Outline **Topics:** Phantom Menace Number, Barnacle...
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer - We All Sound Like Teenagers From the 90s
This week, the Nicks tackle iconic 90s nerdy show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They'll talk about the emergence of genre television, what Buffy means as a Strong Female Characters & how the whole world now sounds like 90s teens! Here are some of the sources we used for the episode: [The Importance…
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Transformers - Trukk not Munky and other things Ruined Forever
Anthony of the [Transformers University podcast](http://tfu.info) joins us to clear the air about what Transformers fandom is actually like… and about how the fandom may be held together with duct tape. You can here our original take here:...
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The X-Files - When the Internet Wanted to Believe
# Description In 1993, special agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder began their quest for irrefutable proof of the existence of the paranormal and popular culture has never been the same. ## Episode Outline **Topics:** the importance of fan-fiction to the X-Philes community, the strength of the...
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My Hero Academia: Avengers Ensemble!
This week, this Nicks have a look at the hot new (3-year old) shounen anime that's sweeping the world - Boku no Hero Academia! They'll talk about the strengths and weaknesses of ensemble shows, what the superhero craze looks like reflected through and Japanese mirror and whether or not anyone...
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Power Rangers - Yo evil. I'm a Power Ranger. BIZAM!
What is it about the show that has managed to keep it relevant for over thirty years, even far from its home? And what exactly is the appeal of the show? Is it the lo-fi, retro-ness of it through a nostalgia filter? All this and more on this week's episode! ## Episode Outline ### Fandom Facts *…
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Minisode: A Premonition
This week, we take a departure from our regular fandom discovery and examination, and instead, travel to a bold, familiar new (old?) world. More importantly, we give a small taste of an exciting new podcast we'll be launching in May! ## Where can you find us? Pretty much everything we do is...
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Minisode: 20+ Years of Conventions with Sid
We chat with special guest friend Sid about his over twenty years of convention experience, including how conventions have changed, positive experiences, and dealing with WTFery. If you want to learn more about Victim Services of Waterloo Region, check out [https://vswr.ca/](https://vswr.ca/), or...
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Vaporwave - The Internet’s Muzak
# Description In 2013, two short years after it first appeared on the internet, Vaporwave was declared "dead". And yet, it still lives and has spawned a brood of micro-genres (Simpsonwave, Zeldawave, Glo-Fi, Mallsoft) in 2019. And what about the fans? Somehow, we try to tackle what this music is...
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Pathfinder - Further Listening with Caleb & Christian from Pathfinder Academy
# Description To expand on our episode on Tabletop Gaming, G & Z sit down with Caleb & Christian from the Trailblazer Network (home of Pathfinder Academy and Trailblazers) to talk about how they got started with Pathfinder over D&D, their experiences as both players and GMs and some of the...
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Digimon - Digital Marketing
This week on the show, the Nicks take a look at the fate that's befallen Digimon & its fans! Is it always doomed to trail in the shadow of Pokemon or is it underappreciate genius ahead of its time?? ### Fandom Facts * Digimon has spawned 7 anime series, 16 movies, 8 manga series, 43 video games,...
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Harry Potter - Back to Hogwarts with the Real Weird Sisters
# Description We return to Hogwarts to chat with the Real Weird Sisters about why *Harry Potter* is so important to fandom in general and **still** so popular. This episode is a follow up to our (very) early episode about the series [here](https://fanthropological.com/e/3632cca54d92c4/). And who...
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Mycology - Psilocybin There Done That
### Fandom Facts * Relative to Mushrooms (general), not a lot of folks are looking up information on magic mushrooms (Psilocybin), [or even mycology](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F052sf,%2Fm%2F057v5,%2Fm%2F09l4w) and are getting more interested in mushrooms over time…
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Escape Rooms - Behind the Fandom with Errol (Room Escape Divas)
We're locked in again for another 60ish minutes to better understand fans of escape rooms, this time with escape room enthusiast Errol ([Room Escape Divas](http://www.inversegenius.com/roomescapedivas/)). A follow-up to [our previous episode on Escape...
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Rush - The Geddy Lee Division
After more than 40 years, what keeps fans interested in the band (and why on earth is there convention for them)? ## Episode Outline **Topics:** RushCon, Female fans in Progressive Rock, Ayn Rand, Fan Loyalty, Geddy Lee, Lyricism ### First Impressions #### Z: This is difficult for me to really…
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The Office - Peak White Guy Butthurt Feelings
The Office is a phenomenally popular show and fans can't seem to get enough, even after its 9 seasons ended in 2012. Is it the best show ever made or a moment in time that's shown itself to be problematic? ## Episode Outline **Topics:** The Office, Sitcoms, Long-Running Shows, Problematic...
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Fortnite - Flossing as a Third Space
The explosive growth of fortnite is undeniable, but is it because it's the latest battle royale / minecraft mashup, or because it is a place where folks (especially kids) can actually hang out? ## Episode Outline **Topics:** Fortnite, Video Games, Youth Culture, Growing Up, Battle Royale Games,...
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Fanthropological - Episode 100 Spectacular
It's season 10 and well past our 100th episode! Why not celebrate by looking at fans... of Fanthropological? We cover trivia of all 99+ episodes in an all-out battle to knock-the-other-Nick-out... or at least see who is the biggest Fan in Fanthropological. **Sources** - [ReMix: Sonic the Hedgehog...
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Minisode: Do Creators Matter?
What do you do... when the work you love is created by a racist? Or when a work is misogynistic? We dip our toe into the new criticism to talk about the role between creative works, their creators, and fans in fandom... and hopefully aren't problematic ourselves along the way! It's the holidays,...
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Minisode: Should Fans Be Critical?
Do fans really vote with their dollars, in terms of endorsing creator behaviour? And can fans just enjoy a thing without projecting criticism (positive or negative) onto it? We're going to try to argue one way or the other (well, we'll definitely succeed at the arguing part). It's the holidays,...
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M*A*S*H - Time Capsule of a Mainstream Fandom
Where is the fandom today, and would they even want a M*A*S*H reboot? What would that even look like? We're giving you the best care anywhere* (as far as a podcast goes) on this week's episode! *Please consult with your physician for any actual medical care you may need. We are not doctors. ##...
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Pro Wrestling - It's All "Fake"
Why do people care so much about whether or not wrestling is fake? And what is it about pro wrestling that reels fans in? All this and more on this week's episode with our own resident expert, G! ## Episode Outline ## Fandom Facts ### [Last Episode's](https://fanthropological.com/earthbound)…
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Earthbound - Definitely Not A Cult!
How does such a small franchise maintain a strong fanbase almost thirty* years later? And just what is it about fuzzy pickles and odometers that reel people into the games in the first place? ## Episode Outline ### Fandom Facts **History and Origins:** > The Mother series ... consists of three...
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The Simpsons - Worst Episode Ever
The Nicks dive deep into personal nostalgia (that's good), the divide between fans (that's bad), the different shows that the Simpsons has been (that's good), and more for this long running (that's bad) media franchise! Can I go now? ## Episode Outline ### Fandom Facts **History and Origins:** >...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Fanthropological have?
Fanthropological currently has 160 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Fanthropological about?
Exploring the weird and wonderful world of fandoms!Every week, we deliver fandom-related "fanalysis" complete with hard data, guests, and, of course, rampant speculation!
How often does Fanthropological release new episodes?
Fanthropological publishes regularly with 160 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Fanthropological?
You can listen to Fanthropological on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Fanthropological?
Fanthropological is created and hosted by The Nickscast.
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