Edited by: Mohan Rajagopal
“Fanfiction is trash”, “It’s bad writing”, “All fanfics are basically smut”, “How do you even follow those convoluted plotlines?”—these are only some of the disparaging remarks I’ve heard about fanfiction. If you go on Twitter, you’ll find many, many more. As it turns out, there are an insane number of haters of fanfiction, those who think that it’s a dark, freaky corner of the internet that should never see the light of day. Naturally, I chose it for my English Literature thesis topic. The fact is, despite what the self-proclaimed critics say, fanfiction is immensely popular. It is one of the most widespread and active cultural phenomena revolutionized by the advent of the internet, and yet, it is barely recognized as such. Judgements against fanfiction aren’t unbiased and they come from a place of gendered hierarchy that is invisible (or unconscious) to us.
In my academic pursuit, I’ve found that research about fanfiction is hard to come by unless it’s in a sociological or psychological context, and even then its scope is limited. I often feel as though I am studying something ‘lesser than’ or ‘lowbrow’ when my peers are working on the classics and hot button topics like environmentalism, caste and gender. It’s as though because fanfiction is popular, it’s common or not worthy enough of critical examination.
This disinterest or even animosity towards fanfiction is not restricted to academia. It extends into popular discourse as well, engendering debate on social media about its quality, usefulness, and ethics. In a world where capitalistic originality is revered, fanfiction falls to the wayside as plagiarism at best, total annihilation of the author at worst. In this atmosphere of hostility, reading or writing fanfiction becomes an act of shame or guilt. For many, it is a dirty secret that stays hidden in the deepest recesses of their minds only brought out under the cover of darkness.
Most naysayers see fanfiction’s bad rep as a function of ‘good’ literature and ‘bad’ literature, that which should be read versus that which deserves to be put down. But these qualitative categories are subjective in that they do not adequately encompass the value of fanfiction for its participants. They are not without their own set of biases or prejudices about what constitutes literature that is worth reading. These pre-judgements about fanfiction are extremely gendered where ‘good’ writing conforms to masculinist modes of expression, leaving the ‘bad’ to the feminine.
To start with the most obvious proof of gendered value ascription, women and people from the queer community make up the majority of those who participate in fan culture. This tells us right off the bat that mainstream entertainment or media that is considered to be among the higher forms of art are lacking in some amount of appeal to a very specific and large audience. More than that, fanfiction is an extremely embodied form of writing. It is, more often than not, very personal and is concerned with emotion, the movement of bodies, and the relationships cultivated between them rather than the overall plotline or narrative. This immediacy or viscerality that characterizes fanfiction is in stark opposition to the ‘objective’ or ‘rational’ manner of expression that is honoured in contemporary commercial media. In fact, this embodiment of what is considered the feminine mode of writing is also present in other genres like romance or certain kinds of fantasy. These too suffer from a reputation of being ‘bad’ or ‘trash’ literature and these too are primarily read by women.
What makes fanfiction unique, however, and what the haters do not take into account, is the aspect of community and solidarity that comes from being a part of fan culture. This is something that transcends the self and is also essential to it. Fanfiction allows its proponents a democratic space for expression and connection, and a feeling of belonging that spans the globe. It is self-affirming and very much needed. The power of fanfiction lies here and this is what is so scary to those who attempt to tear it down.
Am I saying that all fanfiction is enjoyable to read or that every single piece of writing is awe-inspiring? No. Like every genre, fanfiction has its hits and its misses. A skilled or experienced reader will know how to dig up the diamonds in the rough. All I’m saying is that the genre as a whole is treated disparagingly because of a predetermined and gendered value system that does not take into account the needs and desires of a huge section of consumers of media. Fanfiction is an important part of many lives and it is hidden away because of this aesthetic judgement. We must rectify that and the first step is being cognizant of our own biases and transcending them. So, if you aren’t already an avid consumer of fanfiction, maybe you should give it a go. You might just surprise yourself!