Slashbash

This is not to be confused with a "slash basher" which is a fan who attacks the genre of slash, or hassles fans who write or enjoy slash.
A slashbash is a repeated slash house party held regionally in fan homes. 
While sometimes fans would gather repeatedly at a single home, more often the parties would rotate through several homes and several regions to allow more fans to attend. Most slashbashes would meet monthly, but a few would spread out the events on a quarterly basis.
Slashbashes are potluck affairs, with fans bringing food and drink to share. Fanzine and fan art collections are displayed, videotapes (and later DVDs) of TV shows swapped, and songtapes and fanzines loaned. On special occasions, round robin writing will take place. Vidders will also display their new songvids to the group. In the early years of slash fandom, men were not typically invited, however that too would depend on who was hosting the party and the local fan group's comfort with the presence of men in slash fandom.
The size of the slashbash group will vary from as few as six fans to as many as 50.
As mailing lists and the Internet took over fandom, slashbashes waned as fans were able to get their social and fannish needs met online without having to leave their homes. Still, smaller groups still meet and one of the oldest running slashbash groups (formerly known as the Blake Bash) still meets as of 2012.
In the 2010s online fans do organize face-to-face fannish gatherings and meetups, but do not often use the term slashbash. Its use may have originated geographically with U.S. west coast fandom, but has been in use in London UK since approximately 2000. (See aethel's extremely unscientific dreamwidth poll, May 2015.)
==Examples of Usage==
*"We started having monthly meetings--disorganized except for picking a time and place (having most of us on e-mail did make it easier to make sure we weren't duplicating potluck items. ;-) We started, very casually, buying as a group; someone would say, 'Is anyone buying this?' Or, 'I'll buy this unless someone else is planning to, or I'll buy this if you'll buy that...' Slashbashes after cons were a chance to show off our loot, and make arrangements to share."" Source: Sandy Herrold (1994)
*"This weekend was our monthly local slashbash -- a ten+ year tradition. Somewhat randomly, we went around the room talking about our current top one or two fandoms... and we've never had fewer BSOs and shows in common. Never. Two anime fans, two popslashers, a couple of pirate people, a Lotr, a Lotrips...."Stargate and SV -- you know, classic slashable shows" was all alone in a room of outliers." Source: Sandy Herrold (2003)
*Alert! Nick Lea is on tonight's CSI ep. If anyone's interested I am taping this and will gladly bring it to the next slashbash :)" Source: stageira (London, UK, 2004)
*" I need to feel that closeness to Jack and Ennis again, I am too far removed. I don't want to watch it alone after the viewing at the slashbash in Chicago, I hope watching it will bring back that "lovesick" feeling." Source: (2006)
*"I was thinking of having a slashbash at my place. I know I'm miles from anywhere, but I'm friendly and will provide hours of entertainment (mainly by wandering around trying to remember where I put anything). There was the slashbash at Mandragora's and then the con, and you know, dammit, I miss slashbashes. We should have more of them. There will be squeeing and music vids and arguments about which ten BSOs you would take to a desert island (because just one would be ... difficult *g* And two might end up leaving you feeling left out :-) There will be too many snacks and not enough chairs and much giggling and innuendo and chat about things utterly unrelated to slash, tv or fandom. And you're all welcome :-)" Source: Temaris (London, UK, 2007)
*"We had a bite to eat at Pizza Hut ....before retiring to her place for drinks and more slash chat and watching B7 vids on Youtube. 'Twas a bit of a mini-slashbash, and great fun." Source: royalmarruage (2008)
*"Had a great weekend, starting off with a slashbash at Tem's and it was much fun and great to see many friends. So much cake!" Source: (2013)
*Slash Bash in Sweden 2006: "All right, so there are so many people talking about meeting up in the US, talking about slash. There are conventions everywhere and most of them are in the States. I would like to do something similar for European fans. A small gathering for slash-fen in my home is the goal. Wanna join? It won't cost you anything, besides the trip to Sweden, and 500 SEK (ca 50 Euros or $60 US] in the food & drink-fund. :-)"
Category:Slash Fandom
Category:Offline Spaces