ABSTRACT
Fan communities and ‘fan talk’ (Fiske 1992) have long been a concern of those researching fandom, from more traditional forms like fanzines and fan clubs to the newer congregational spaces of the Internet. The likes of Henry Jenkins and Nancy Baym have highlighted the way that fans, feeling stigmatized by society and the media, seek solace, community and understanding amongst others with a common interest. Engaging in fan talk offers participants ‘pleasure and relief to find others who are like them’ (Pullen 2000: 53) and discover they are not alone. For Jenkins, ‘[f]andom functions as an alternative social community’ (1992: 280), whilst Clerc argues that ‘the most primal instinct of a fan is to talk to other fans about their common interest’ (1996a: 74).
