HeyJaredFandom Exile
Anti-nostalgia in the form of cultural criticism. Investigating the (d)evolution of fan culture and communities, contextualizing the rise of stans, with focus on corporate strategy and group dynamics.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 6
- Latest publication
- Sep 28, 2026
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- Jul 9, 2026
Latest issues
Fandom as a Service (opens the original)
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Fandom influencers is something I’ve covered in the past, particularly the rise of formally instrumentalized street teams in the 90s. This official process has diminished somewhat as the cultural landscape has shifted. Fans are still herded and managed with action being encouraged, but when it comes to outright influencing, it’s been outsourced to those who have platforms of their own. Their fan identity is a marker that has attracted an audience for them, which means they have to maintain that
Gail (2026): More than a fan, less than a friend (opens the original)
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“I don’t like the word fan. I don’t think that I’m like that, but yet I know that’s all I am.” — GailGail (2026) is a documentary about a superfan of Canadian rock band Our Lady Peace (OLP), but even though it’s being advertised somewhat as being about the band, and the documentary was their idea, it really isn’t about them. It doesn’t even say much of anything about them, as they feature briefly on stage and in the meet and greets with Gail for less than ten minutes total. They are h
Fangirl On Top (opens the original)
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One of the things that has frustrated me about the discourse around women being drawn to gay male romance (colloquially known as slash, yaoi, BL, M/M ships) is how flat it is, and how it leaves perspectives on the table that become clearly legible when you spend time in those fandom spaces. I briefly addressed this in my post about women who are drawn to fandom and romance that centers around gay male relationships, but it was a single line, and this is a topic that deserves more discussion. The
Wattpad Refugees: Dead Dove, Do Not Eat (opens the original)
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<img alt="As requested, the dead dove cover photo! : r/arresteddevelopment" class="sizing-normal" height="315" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jN1d!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpubl
'Twilight' Widowers, 'Heated Rivalry' Divorcees and The Safety of Wanting What You Can Never Have (opens the original)
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Welcome to Fandom Exile, your destination for anti-nostalgia fandom research and cultural criticism. While I was scrolling on Twitter, I came across a video from Instagram that was being mocked and shared widely. It was a woman who said she was getting a divorce because the show Heated Rivalry made her realize she “deserves better” and she was surprised to discover she was one of many fans experiencing a wake call because of the show. Of course the Twitter spin (and a lot of comments on her post
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