When psychologist Lynn Zubernis started watching the TV show Supernatural in 2005, it was mostly to be able to discuss it with a friend of hers who loved the show. Then, when she got to season two, it was like a lightning bolt hit.
“I said to my daughter who was in the room, ‘Oh my god, this is the most amazing show ever.’ To which she said, ‘Mom, you've been watching it for a year. Are you okay?’”
Lynn had become a fan — and as her love for the show blossomed, she didn’t just connect with fellow Supernatural lovers and discuss the narrative. She dove into the subject of fandom academically.
Guest host Anisa Khalifa talks with Lynn, who is a professor at West Chester University and the co-author of “Fangasm: Supernatural Fangirls,” about how evolution has influenced our tendency to become fans and the mental health benefits that fandoms provide. And Candice Lim, co-host of ICYMI, Slate’s podcast on internet culture, joins the conversation to reflect on the way the internet has shaped fandom communities.
Anisa also talks with her co-hosts of the podcast Dramas Over Flowers. Anisa, Paroma Chakravarty and Saya (who goes by an alias online) discuss Korean television series, or K-dramas, on their podcast. Coming to Embodied, Paroma and Saya reflect on the ways the fandom has established their friendship and the responsibility they feel to call out issues in the fandom. Paroma is a professional audio engineer and student of storytelling based in India, and Saya is a bookseller in the UK.
Special thanks to Shawn Taylor and Alex Kormann for contributing to today’s show!
