Goncharov

Goncharov is an overnight fandom and meme surrounding a nonexistent 1973 mafia film of the same name directed by Martin Scorsese. The fandom originates from a Tumblr post by user zootycoon, alleging that they received a pair of knock-off boots with details of said fake film printed on the label. 
The Goncharov fandom is comprised of memes, fandom posts, and transformative works purportedly based off the film. Many posts describe different aspects of the film as if it were real, including characters, scenes, a plotline, a castlist, posters, and production history. Fandom members often engage in kayfabe by discussing the film as if it exists. Goncharov transformative works are considered parafandom as they are based on a nonexistent work. 
Some would argue that the fan made poster of the film in 2022 by beelzeebub is the catalyst for the current Goncharov's popularity. Since then, Goncharov and its fandom received significant media coverage and responses from notable individuals, including Scorsese, often playing along with the meme.
==Origin==
It's been noted that Tumblr posts often exist for a while before becoming memes, as is the case for Live Slug Reaction, horse plinko and the 'Colour Theory' meme. The original post by zootycoon was uploaded on 21st August 2020, and reads as follows:
 
loseremo's reblog, showing a screenshot of abandonedambition's reply of "this idiot hasn't seen goncharov", arose a mere day later.https://loseremo.tumblr.com/post/627117270398894080 -- see also On Twitter the same thing happened, with users using the same narrative when someone disagreed with the existence of Goncharov.. Posted 21 November 2022, in response to Mark Danielewski's tweet comparing the Goncharov phenomenon to his book House of Leaves.
It wasn't until around 19th November, 2022, however, more than two years after the original post, that the meme took off.
, substack post by bnet. Posted 15 September 2020.
 - Posted 18 November 2022. ( and about the OCR errors and why this made Goncharov.)
==2022 Tumblr Resurgence==
On November 18th, Tumblr user beelzeebub posted their film poster for the fake film, captioned "The greatest mafia movie (n)ever made." The post accrued 24,000 notes by November 20th, and many other users began contributing their own content, including reviews, meta by cryptid-sighting, posted 19 November 2022., fake history of the film, and fake explanations for the viral trend, (fake) explanation of the tumblr trend by mortalityplays. Followup comment providing a (fake) history of the production, distribution, and suppression of the film by brinconvenient. Posted 20 November 2022..
On November 20th, #goncharov was the top trending tag on Tumblr.Archive.today snapshot from 20 November 2022, showing #goncharov in the number 1 trending slot on Tumblr's Explore page. See also by allthingsmustpass1970.
Due to the nature of the joke, attempts were made to alleviate any harm towards folks suffering with delusions or who had had experience with gaslighting, mostly in the form of reminding users to tag their posts with #unreality.For more thorough explanation of #unreality (both in regards to Goncharov specifically and tumblr etiquette in general) see by bibliosphere.
The fandom has expanded to Twitter, with many users comparing the sites and what they like and even discussing Goncharov.
Some Twitter users also commented on the number of fan-created content for Goncharov, such as VHS tapes or books, and, of course, some have compared the amount of transformative work from this particular fandom to canon fandoms like the James Cameron's Avatar film:The comparison to Cameron's Avatar, specifically, may have become common thanks to .
===Media Coverage and Celebrity Engagement===
By November 21st, Polygon and other non-fannish publications began reporting on the craze.. Tumblr post by bisexualenglishmajor. See also . On November 22nd, @staff, an official account for Tumblr staff announcements, made a post showing some highlights of the fandom.. Post by staff, 22 November 2022. Over the next few days, even mainstream news outlets such as The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/22/style/goncharov-scorsese-tumblr.html and The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/nov/25/goncharov-why-has-the-internet-invented-a-fake-martin-scorsese-film had published pieces about Goncharov. 
On November 25th, Martin Scorsese's daughter posted a TikTok that showed texts between her and her father wherein she sends him a link to a New York Times article about Goncharov and asks, "Did u see this?" and he replies, "Yes. I made that film years ago.". Posted 25 November 2022.
==Further Development in Tumblr Culture==
By the end of 2022, "Goncharov" or "gonch" had begun to be used as a verb, meaning a collective commitment to a bit so intense that those not in on the joke buy into whatever "the bit" is. 
In May 2023, the "goncharov index" was proposed (and enthusiastically adopted) as a measure of a fandom's relative popularity or obscurity; a fandom's goncharov index is defined as the number of fanworks in that fandom on AO3 divided by the number of fanworks for Goncharov. 
The popularity of the Goncharov meme has inspired other fandoms to take part in similar exercises of unreality. For instance, a post made by user steveandscraggy on November 29, 2024 encouraged fans of YouTubers Dan and Phil to collectively "gonch" a nonexistent video in which the two hard-launch their relationship in a video called "Basically We Are Gay for Each Other" (BWAGFEO). The original poster declared it to be: "my Goncharov."https://mouthsfullofsharpteeth.tumblr.com/post/768625020566159360
==Canon Overview==
The supposedly canon elements of Goncharov are built upon the collaborative nature of its conception. The elaborate fiction of its narrative content may contradict each other, and the details are often inconsistant as a result.
===Characters===
*Goncharov (aka Lo Straniero) - Lead character, supposedly dead at the end of the film
*Andrey “The Banker” Daddano - Goncharov places him under guardianship, referring to Andrey as a reminder of his betrayal of Katya's father
*Katya Goncharov née Michailov - Goncharov's wife, she fakes her death at one point on film
*Valery Michailov - Katya's brother
*Katya's father - killed in the boathouse at the beginning of the film (not yet named)
*Joseph "Ice Pick Joe" Morelli - Tragic figure. Usually dead by the end of the film
*Sofia Modigliani - a Lesbian girl protected by Katya (recently some users are giving the surname "Daddano" to Sofia, creating a possible link between her and Andrey)
*Mario Ambrosini - supposed plot villain
*Maura O'Byrne - immigrant worker just trying to get by but ends up in the middle of everything
*Fruit Stand Worker - a gentle old gentleman with white hair who is apparently present in the scenes with the homoerotic moments of either Goncharov/Andrey or Katya/Sofia
===Shipping===
*Goncharov/Katya
*Andrey/Katya
*Goncharov/Andrey
*Goncharov/Andrey/Katya
*Katya/Sofia
*Mario/Katya
*Mario/Joseph
===Memorable Scenes & Moments===
*Beer Bottle Scene
*Bridge Scene
*Poker Scene
*Boat Scene
*Anchovy Scene
*Fruit Stand Scene
*Clocktower Scene
*Bedroom Scene
*Dressing for Dinner Scene
*Hallway Scene
*Cigarette Lighting Scene
===Themes & Tropes===
*Clock Symbolism
*Bird Symbolism
*Fruit Symbolism
*Betrayal
*Political Commentary of various kinds
*Homoerotic Subtext between Goncharov and Andrey
*Homoerotic Subtext between Katya and Sofia
==Fandom Reactions==
==Controversy==
===Content Warning for Unreality===
Since the central motivation/joke of the 2022 was acting as if a real movie called Goncharov was created in the 1970s, when in fact it was not, there was much discussion on tumblr about how to handle the contradiction -- basically, how to participate in the joke without shaming people who got confused, or triggering fans who deal with psychosis and delusions. "Tag your unreality" became a bit of a slogan among some segments of the Goncharov fandom. by bibliosphere. Others pushed back against this, saying that the pressure to tag posts comes with its own downsides.. Posted to Tumblr on 26 November 2022. While there was disagreement within the fandom, overall many fans felt welcomed by the treatment of the joke, and it was favorable compared to previous social media "fakes" such as "sharks are smooth"., by headspace-hotel. Posted 8 December 2022."Sharks are smooth" was sparked by a Twitter conversation but gained viral and staying popularity on and .
===Goncharov as a Reflection of Fandom's Whiteness===
Some fans have pointed out that as an entirely imaginary canon invented wholesale by fandom, the fact that the main cast of the film is entirely white is telling. 
==Fanworks==
===Fanart===
*Goncharov/Andrey clock fanart by princepsed
*Goncharov scene studies by shouty-y
*Katya Goncharov by runfreebirdrun
*Barbie in Goncharov a fusion art by 1percentcharge
*Do you hear the ticking, Goncharov? by ambystomas
*, Goncharov/Andrey fanart by elena-illustration
* fanart by ChachaTortuga
* by perplexingly
* by haematicartwork
* Goncharov poster by cursedtrekedits, featuring characters from Star Trek TOS
* by dur-a-queer
*Goncharov <3 by filibusterfrog
* by foervraengd
===Fanfiction===
* by flowers4flowers, a Katya character study
* by dadvans, a Hockey RPF fic in which one player pranks the rest of his team by claiming that Goncharov is a real movie.
===Gifs===
*comfort movie. ❤️ GONCHAROV (1973). — dir. Martin Scorsese. by goncharoffs for pscentral
* (reblog), gifset by castanierprosper
*each tick of that clock echoes in my head and then hear only the silence between them (first and second part of sotya gifset by wistfulwatcher)
*Goncharov (1973) 'clock edit by nicostiel
* gif set by nicostiel
===Graphics===
*Watching Goncharov at Youtube by skylessnights
*GONCHAROV (1973) Dir. Martin Scorsese graphics by shivjoys
*the trouble is, you think you have time by amitasumann
===Meta and Further Reading===
*Should we add Goncharov to Scorsese's filmography?
*Are works on AO3 based on Goncharov fanfiction or original fiction?
*homoerotic subtext between Goncharov and Andrey in the final scenes of the film with the addition of the clocks and their symbolism in the plot by wondersmith-and-sons
*essay on how Scorcese made a "remake" of Matteo's Italian version of the film (and that the number in front of his name is the Italian censorship visa)
*Goncharov statistical analysis by toastystats
* by cryptid-sighting
*, (fake) explanation of the tumblr trend by mortalityplays. Followup comment providing a (fake) history of the production, distribution, and suppression of the film by brinconvenient. Posted 20 November 2022.
* by bambamramfan, November 2022 -- critizing people who write film reviews based on trailers & social media buzz and encouranging people to watch Goncharov for themselves [yes this is the joke]
*, post by astrovagrant with followup posts by sic-semper-hominibus and bear-sphere
* by notcaycepollard
* by smithens
*untitled explanation of fanon by aroaceofthesea
*Time, Movement, and Sexuality: Clocks and Opera in Scorsese's Goncharov by dogdayafternoon1975
*why did you people come up with russian names for what is supposed to be a movie set in italy. OP by wherestoriescomefrom, replies by several people (Nov 20, 2022)
* by thelaurenshippen, (fake) review of a person's experience seeing a live screening of the film and a followup talk by the costume designer.
*The Fanfic Writers' Craft episode, "Humour (Or, Are Goncharov Fanfics Crackfics?)"
*The Fic List episode, Appendix 2: Never Designed to Be Contained [Goncharov]
===Fan Music and Filksong===
*Goncharov score masterpost, 'a OST list' by thisisnotjuli
* by caramiaaddio
* by if-only-the-angels-could-prevail
* by lostlovepunk
* by nicewizard
* by dungeonmastersconsortium
* by levuna
* by trupowieszcz
* by mapplejuice
* by unscharf-an-den-raendern
* by the-frosty-mac
* by hex-of-els
* by rismrus
* by arcanistvysoren
* by shits-getting-weird
* by avatar-of-the-vast
* by the-frosty-mac
* by madame-karenina
* by piano-flute
* by aurumauru
* by reptilemodernism
* by idiopathicsmile
* by badgraph1csghost
===Memes===
*goncharov memes for your consideration by currentlyonstandbi
* by pharasgf
* by insertingcringename
* posted by foxgirlluna, summarizing Goncharov with screencaps from the manga Yotsuba&
* by cupidsbower, reblogged by the actress Lynda Carter
*, a play on a particular notes-begging post that had success on Tumblr earlier in November. asking to get 666 thousand notes; it spawned similar posts (), parodies, (), and discussion (.
* by zukoandtheoc, a pun on Blorblo From My Shows
* by mean-vampyre, featuring Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica from Riverdale (and have a several level of updates after the original post)
*, by dogsofcorn -- meme about Tumblr's creation of the Goncharov fandom
* by turnpikeghosts, a video summarizing the last week of Goncharov set to the Can-Can (a video format which is itself a meme on tumblr)
===Short Films and Trailers===
*FULL MOVIE: Goncharov (2022) by Madphantom
*Goncharov (Theatrical Trailer, 1973) by Casper Blanco
*GONCHAROV (1973) Trailer - Criterion Collection by plathie
*Goncharov (1973) Official Trailer by aguntoaknifefight_vids
*Goncharov (dir. 1973) - 20th anniversary film trailer, remastered version. by darce
===Zines===
*Hands of Time
*Goncharov is the Future by 23 Dogs in a Trenchcoat
===Other===
*Goncharov DVD case
*Follow the rules, be kind with the fandom
*you took your eyes off Tumblr for five minutes and you missed Goncharov, so let me explain
*fanartists and tumblr movie theorists being contacted and interviewed by news reporters
*From Netflix's JWHJ 0715 (Documentary) by apas-95
*Goncharov VHS Behind the Scenes
* about a Goncharov that imitates the style of his book House of Leaves.
* by youre-only-gay-once, (fake) news article claiming that a television adaption starring Misha Collins is in the works.
* by @francescascorsese, a tiktok showing her father Martin Scorsese's reaction to Goncharov
* uQuiz by thefiresontheheight
* (probably fake? Empire Magazine article about the fandom)
* by queenofsovngarde, 2023
==Resources and Links==
*#goncharov tag on tumblr
*Goncharov (1973) dir. Martin Scorsese - beelzeebub tag on AO3
* on Letterboxd, and a collecting several (fake) reviews from the site
* by thisisnotjuli posted on Tumblr
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Goncharov
Category:2022 Memes