Gendering Robots: A Class Discussion

The next research project I hope to work on looks at how people make sense of robots. I am particularly interested in how people apply gendered assumptions and attributions to robots or artificial agents, and how apply those assumptions then impact how people engage with robots. In a sense, robots have become another medium as […]

This Jedi’s Reaction to The Force Awakens: An Autoethnography in Fractured Fandom

I didn’t go see Star Wars: The Force Awakens when it was released in theaters. I couldn’t bring myself to. And this is coming from someone who saw — willingly and enthusiastically — each of the prequels in midnight openings. I saw Phantom Menace numerous times in the theater — even while doing an internship […]

Categorizing Fractured Fandom

Defining Fractured Fandom According to the discipline of fan studies, at this point in history, being a fan is considered a positive for any individual. Being a fan helps people discover their identities, and to determine what they like and do not like. Being a fan helps people find friends, establish communities, and develop a […]

An Autoethnography of Collegium – Day Two

Day 2: Sunday, June 22nd On the topic of mass… I am still uncomfortable joining in on the spiritual sessions and Catholic Eucharist ceremonies that are scheduled for this colloquium. I feel like an intruder, an interloper, a negative presence. There is nothing that anyone here has said or done that has made me feel […]

30th Anniversary of Ghostbusters

This blog post was inspired by a request to comment on the 30th anniversary for an article on the momentous event. You can find the entire article that utilized my quotes here. What is reflected below is an expansion of those thoughts. I was a young girl when the movie came out — only 6 […]

Sexist Tensions in Geekdom: Why? Just, Why?

The title of this blog post could well have been “______ Tensions in Geekdom: Why? Just, Why?”, but I think that would’ve messed with the URL and broken the WWW. Honestly, tho, “sexist” could just as well be “racist” or “ageist” or “homophobic” or any other “-ism” relevant in our divided and catalogued world. It […]

The Study of Gendered Media Engagings (Part 3): Why It Matters

This is the third part of my dissertation’s first chapter. The first part was on defining gendered media engagings. The second part was on defining gender. Why studying gendered media engagings matters Thanks to the work of scholars such as Dallas Smythe, we are aware of the central role of advertisement in most media industries (Smythe, […]

Learning to Slash

Ever hear of slash? When I went to graduate school, I was not aware of slash. But I came to learn about it, be fascinated by it, and even did my own. Slash is a genre of fiction written by fans of a particular media product (i.e. television show, movie, comic book, religious text, etc.): […]