Supplemental Post 1 - Daniela Velazco

 The Andrejevic and Jenkins readings in particular through me into a real "throwback" to when I was younger and actually waited week to week for my favorite shows such as Heroes and Pushing Daisies to release new episodes. Both shows had an early demise (and in the case of Daisies, an unfair one), yet my intense love for them burned bright despite the fact that I did not have internet at the time. Instead I bought the DVDs so that I could ingest all the bonus features possible. I would use computer time at school to watch interviews on youtube (a new platform at the time!). And best of all, because I live in the c.lassiest city in America, I attended Comic Con almost every year from 2006-2013. My social anxiety flew out the door as I, an overweight and quiet fanatic, had found her people. As I finally gained access to the internet, my fanaticism grew, but it also allowed me to see a more unfavorable light of fan culture, specifically one involving cosplay. 

In "Star Trek Rerun, Reread, Rewritten" by Henry Jenkins III, Jenkins writes about how the greatest faux pas in fanfiction is "character rape", which Jenkins describes as "gross infidelity to the series" (Jenkins 487). I know this is a bit of a stretch, but what that got me thinking about one of the most disgusting things about fandoms, nerd culture, and life in general: the omission of Black and Latinx peoples. One of my favorite facets of nerd and con culture is the cosplay. Cosplay is a source of fantasy and escape, one in which the cosplayer is able to escape reality and enter the world of their favorite anime/film/series by wearing another character's shoes. I remember around 2010 or so there was a huge controversy on tumblr regarding a Black cosplayer dressing up as Sailor Mars from the popular anime Sailor Moon. The fanboys absolutely lost it. Insults were hurled at her in person and online regarding the fact that Sailor Mars "was not Black" and therefore could not be cosplayed by a Black person. It was so bizarre to me that someone who alleges themselves to be so devoted to the "authenticity" of the anime would consider a Black person cosplaying a non-Black character as "character rape", but failed to uphold the same standard when a white cosplayer would do the same. 

Jenkins piece focused on the gender differences within fandom/fanfic, yet failed to look at other important aspects such as class and race. Nerd culture, like Dungeons & Dragons dice, has many sides to it, with certain sides being ascribed more value to others. Black and brown nerds have been devalued in ways that are so illogical and bizarre that I cannot believe I still see it to this day.  I come-of-age surrounded by nerd culture; one that alleged itself to be an community where the ostracized could find solace. Where all "others" could be accepted, but even in a freeing environment such as Cons, the reality of the outside world seeps in like a poison gas. Nerds are not passive consumers but active participants in white supremacy and anti-Blackness. Thankfully Black and brown nerds are able to use online platforms such as blogs, social media, and even through podcasting to vocalize the racism we experience within our own chosen communities. I apologize if my thoughts are all over the place, but the readings reminded me of something that was so integral to my coming-of-age as well as the fact that community building is important and one of the great facets of fandoms.