From: AprilValen
Subject: Re:  [VP] Fandom "terms"

In a message a VP member wrote: 

> Ugh, now I have to admit to more of the "fan-speak" that I 
don't yet
> understand.  What exactly do you mean by fandom

I guess the way I see and understand it is that you can be a 
"fan" of something, a sports fan, a comedy fan, an Elvis fan, but 
when you begin to actively participate in a way that relates to 
what you're a fan of, that changes things.  

The fandom that we most often talk about is media fandom, which -
- as Flamingo pointed out -- grew out of Star Trek fandom, which 
in the mid sixties grew out of Science Fiction fandom. (don't 
they call it first fandom, Flamingo?)  There were Science Fiction 
conventions and fanzines, although they never paid their writers 
to appear, as professional Trek or media cons pay the actors and 
they took a certain pride in making their zines look as "fannish" 
as possible, i.e. homemade, mimeo- produced.  Their zines usually 
had articles about certain SF or fantasy books and some original 
fiction.  

When Star Trek came along, and then got cancelled, its fans 
desperately wanted more of it.  So the early Trek zines created 
new adventures for the characters to go on -- there were zines 
centered around many of the individual characters, some were 
adult or mature in subject matter, others for people of any age.  
When a zine had variously themed stories, it was called a 
genzine.  If it specialized, it was a Kirk/Spock (though the 
slash did not yet connote a sexual relationship) zine or a 
Klingon zine (aliens from the Trek universe) or a Vulcan zine, 
etc.  

Gradually people began to speculate on just how deep Kirk and 
Spock's relationship was and a few brave souls began to write and 
share stories in which they became lovers. Eventually shortened 
to K/S, the term came to mean stories in which Kirk and Spock 
were lovers... then other fandoms arrived on the scene -- as I 
said in an earlier post, I believe SH fandom is the first non-SF 
related media fandom (as in fandom that is structured the way the 
fandoms I'm discussing is).  

It didn't take long for writers to do stories about Starsky and 
Hutch where they were more than friends and they used the slash 
mark to indicate that kind of story.  Then other pairings had the 
slash mark in between their name, people started being more open 
about producing and selling these zines and the term "slash 
fandom" came about.  

Earlier on, it seemed to mean, "are you into a slash fandom?"  
"No, I see Bodie and Doyle as just good friends."  Often, there 
would be a split between fans who viewed their characters as 
buddies and those who liked the slash stories.  Now, there is a 
whole fandom based around the concept of slash itself.  People 
are into "any two guys" as long as they are slashed.  And when 
there is no slash in a zine, it's now called a gen zine, that 
term having evolved from being a "general subject" zine.

	As far as being "in" fandom, in my mind the participation is 
what makes you a member of a fandom.  When I watched Trek on tv 
and liked it and talked about it with friends at school, I was a 
fan -- but it wasn't until I attended my first con, started being 
penpals with other fans, writing and reading fanzines that I was 
"in fandom."  Fans travel great distances to see other fans -- or 
their favorite show's actors at a con -- they spend  money on it, 
buying zines and memorabilia, and above all, the communicate.  
The net has allowed a great many more people to find us, but as 
Flamingo said, not everybody gets a mentor who brings them along 
and explains things this way.  I love the fact that fandom is an 
evolving entity and that our language is evolving too.  

Fandom enriches our lives, it's our escape from reality (which is 
a lot safer and saner than drugs -- but almost as expensive), our 
support group, our creative outlet.  In the best sense, fandom 
brings people from all walks of life together in a common 
interest.  In the 70's, there was a goal -- to get Star Trek 
back.  That's changed, but we still want "more" of our favorite 
shows so we talk about them, and write about them.
So, I say, fiawol*, neo, don't gafiate**!

Martha

*(Fandom Is A Way of Life)
**(Getting Away From It All -- ie, leaving fandom