#forever 12

[fanhackers]

Radio, Radio!

I almost didn’t write this post for fear that you guys will think I’m even more of an old than I even am, but a) fuck it and b) there’s a way in which everything old is new again, so bear with me.  *takes deep breath*  OK, so when I was a young fan, a lot of my fannish life happened over the RADIO.  Yes, RADIO, that–I was about to say, that weird looking box with dials on it, but you probably don’t even have a radio. (*Shut up, shut up, I can’t hear you, la la I am going to live forever!*)  But you probably listen to something like radio on Spotify, or you listen to podcasts, or you might even use an app to listen to some great legacy radio station in your area.  So imagine you had a dedicated box just for that.

Anyway, in the before-times, radio then–like podcasts now–was a way to do fandom.  Music people know this of course, but I’m both a fan and a theatre person, and man, radio theatre was the best, and fannish radio theatre even better.  Britain had and still has a really strong radio drama tradition, which is smart because it lets them produce new plays by new writers for a fraction of the cost of a staged production.  But NPR in the US used to do radio drama too–they had a show called NPR Playhouse / Sounds of Theatre which I was devoted to.  

I have two particularly strong fannish memories from this era. First,  the joy of hearing the original Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy on radio. Douglas Adams wrote Hitchhikers for radio and radio is the best way to experience it  - I mean, Zaphod having two heads and three arms is radio joke if there ever was one, and then all these poor TV and film people had to figure out how to actually get an actor with a second head. (Footnote 1).  I backtrack here to say that if you don’t know what I’m talking about, never read or saw any version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy, click on the link and have yourself a whale of a time (or a bowl of petunias of a time.) (Sorry, the whole Hitchhiker’s thing makes me instantly 12 years old FOREVER. My whole world is Hitchhikers, Star Wars, and Doctor Who– Five.) 

Moving on: the second great fannish radio experience was NPR’s dramatized version of Star Wars, which had Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels playing their original roles, and Perry King as Han Solo - Perry King, you will remember (who am I kidding, you will absolutely not remember, but anyway), became a fan-favorite for a show called Riptide, so that was okay, too. And they expanded the text! And added new scenes!  I can remember Mark Hamill giving an interview talking about how different it was to play the part for radio; he talked about how you had to sort of put movement in your voice at all times: “I’m–grunt–putting on my–harumph–jacket!” But he was great at it–obviously, since he’s become such a famous voice actor since. And it’s wonderful that podcasting has brought theatre and fandom back into the medium of sound - podcasts are the obvious new media version of all this.

Okay, so bring this back to fan studies, these personal fannish reminiscences (and awesome links—you’re welcome!)  are brought to you by Martin Cooper’s book Radio Legacy in Popular Culture: The Sounds of British Broadcasting Over the Decades (Bloombury, 2022, excerpt available at the link).  Make no mistake, this is a fannish book in its way - Cooper is interested not just in radio but in artistic works that are in some way about radio, which he regards explicitly as fanworks about radio: 

In the case of fandom it could be alternative storylines; in our case of radio listening, it can be a reinterpretation of what has been heard on the airwaves. Hence, it is plausible to think of the responses I analyse in the chapters that follow as reinterpretations and critiques of radio listening; that they have been produced by professional writers and musicians makes them less of a subculture and more of a series of transformative texts that extend the meaning and understanding of the medium of radio. They are portrayals of the everyday action of listening to the radio: of paying attention to the programmes, the discussions, the documentaries, the dramas, the daily shows and the DJs.  

Note that the book has a specifically British focus, but British music and drama have influenced fandoms all over the world. I mean, Radio, Radio; Video Killed The Radio Star; Oh Yeah (There’s a Band Playing On The Radio), Radio Clash –Cooper frames all these songs as part of a British transformative fannish response to the medium.  Radio on! 

–Francesca Coppa, fanhackers volunteer

(1) I got the chance to meet Mark Wing-Davey, who played Zaphod Beeblebrox both on the original radio show and on the BBC show--he's a big-shot theatre director now, but I honestly could not keep my inner 12 year old under control: I basically had my fists stuffed in my mouth because OMG Zaphod Beeblebrox!!! my heart!! and finally I just kind of choked out, "sorry, I can't--excuse me" and fled the dinner. *facepalm*

[aeonmnei]

— “i’m home,” hajime calls from downstairs. you glance at the clock as you put your book down, sliding your feet into your slippers. “welcome back,” you reply, plodding down the stairs with a yawn. “long game?” 

he runs his hands through his hair tiredly as he leans his elbows on the kitchen counter. “like you wouldn’t believe.” you frown, and wrap your arms around his waist from behind. “there’s leftovers in the fridge. i’ll make you a bath while you eat?” you ask, patting his hip. 

hajime groans softly, his hands on his face. “that sounds great,” he murmurs. “sorry i came home late again.” “s’okay,” you assure him, rubbing his back. “i’ll wash your hair, too.”

you sit outside of the bathtub on a stool, lathering his shampoo in your hands as he leans his head back. “lean forward just a bit, my love,” you urge. he complies, letting you run your fingers through his hair in a comfortable silence.

he takes a deep, ragged breath as your hands move to massage the knots in his back and shoulders. you furrow your brows in concern. “does that hurt?” you can see the bump of his spine as he leans his head forward. “no,” he mumbles, and he relaxes, letting out a shuddering exhale. “no. feels nice.”

after a few quiet moments, you press a small kiss between his shoulder blades. “love you forever, haji.”

[quackle]

OH MY GOD............

[welcometogrouchland]

♫ I do what I want/Crying in the bleachers and I said it was fun/I don't need anything from anyone ♫

(ID in Alt) you guys ever think about your own posts and get upset?? Anyway Damian Wayne I love you I'm so sorry your life is like that

[donutdrawsthings]

I'd like to imagine the Doctor running into Donna later in life and still fearing she'll recognise him, before realising he's regenerated a bunch........ And then she recognises him because he's wearing the face of someone SHE helped save 💀

[kagoutiss]

study of my favorite scene from twilight princess

[wistfulwatcher]

EMILY & HOTCH DANCING in 7.24 RUN

[decaffeinatedpartymuggoop]

Percabeth love story from Annabeth’s pov is so funny cause like.

In book 2, she’s thinking “oh, me and Percy will do the chariot race together. It’ll be so fun!” Only to have Tyson, who she doesn’t like at the time, third wheel her planned alone time.

Then you get to the 3rd book. Okay, we’re recruiting 2 new demigods. Their at a dance? Oh, me and Percy can dance. Have a nice romantic moment, maybe even confess.

He runs off to deflect from Thalia’s plan and she falls off a cliff.

We’re at BOTL now, Percy finally asked her out on a date. Well it’s not a date date but the point still stands. AND their seeing a movie. Perfect for a first not date.

He shows up with a red headed mortal. The school is on fire. The mortal, Rachel, writes her number on his arm.

Okay, okay, some failed attempts. Buts it’s all right. She still has more chances.

Nope, no she doesn’t. He’s in a volcano, he could die. She should probably do something before it’s too late. She kisses him and runs off, hoping he survives.

He doesn’t, oh wait he does. It’s been 2 weeks? Where was he? Oh, on an island? With who? CALYPSOS island? Your kidding.

Mhm, he hasn’t brought up the kiss. He want a mortal to led HER quest? Her first ever quest? Maybe she was reading into this wrong. Does Percy NOT like her?

Well, he must not. He spent the whole school year AND summer with Rachel. She kissed him, has spent the last 2 years trying to confess her undying love. He’s about to DIE. His souls is going to be REAPED. But he spends a year away from her. Oh yeah, there’s also a war going on.

A kiss for luck? Tradition? Okay, maybe she was freaking out for nothing. Percy likes her. She’s not gonna kiss him though. He spends a year away from her? He has to earn her affection, thank you very much. He won’t die, hopefully. She’ll kiss him then.

He’s not dead! They won the war! Yay, yippie, fire works. She gives him a kiss and they go underwater. Four years of hard work, but at least it paid off.

[revalito]

of those we keep in the dark

[polilyen]

Leadership, etiquette, innocence.

[romanvaloakadrbenz]

For the love of everything that is terrible in my life, how did this random blonde man from the Netherlands take over my life???

[scuderiakarts]

thinking about pierre telling charles he has to win for anthoine and pierre using one of charles’ helmets for his tribute helmet in monza and pierre having a picture of himself and charles on his motivation board and pierre telling charles to give them something to celebrate in monaco and charles saying pierre winning in the monza is the only thing that could make him smile

[mxmade-up]

Thank you speedoru for not dragging on the painfully obvious family relations for multiple seasons

[loverdude]

Autism hungry feed it special interest from 7 years ago

Don't repost/use 4 anything 🥤 COMMISSION INFO

[delineate-creates]

Day 11: Wander

Wandering…sneaking…it’s all semantics, really…

[favouritefi]

if you're here for that pervert plate i purchased ages ago that plate is DEAD it is SHATTERED the letters have FALLEN OFF the image you saw of that desirable plate is the last captured memory of me enjoying it. and it was NOT FOOD SAFE. hilarious piece of art, very bad plate.