Metafandom (glossary term)

Metafandom is a term that has had several different meanings in fandom over time and across different communities. Some people use it as an expansion of meta -- that is, non-fiction writing about fandom (which can be analyzing the source text and/or the fandom around the text).. Tumblr post by nobodysuspectsthebutterfly, 2013. Archived 2 January 2020. This meaning is the source of name for the prominent Livejournal comm metafandom.see the Fanlore page. 
On Tumblr by at least the 2020s (possibly earlier?), "metafandom" came to refer to fans or fandom activity that was primarily engaged in fan content and not interacting with the source material the fanworks arose from. Many large fandoms develop a metafandom contigent, because people will follow fan creators they like into the new fandom, or because they start seeing a lot of content for a new fandom when it becomes popular. "Second-degree fandom" is another term used for this type of fan or fanac (see Second-Degree Fandom). More recently, "sideways fan" is another term.
A similar meaning seems to have arisen independently in Baseball fandom. 
Particularly with serial fandoms such as long-running TV shows or manga, a common development is that as the story goes on fans may become unhappy with or disinterested with new developments, and stop keeping up with the source material, but still engage with fandom content or memes. Particularly exciting events in the original fandom may draw people back into the fandom who had been ignoring it for years -- for example Destielgate with Supernatural fandom, kind of an example . or the confirmation that Dabi is a Todoroki for BNHA fandom. [BNHA Chapter 362 Spoilers] Actually I was thinking Bakugou's apparent death in Chapter 362 of the manga might be a clearer, more recent example (~August 2022). I saw a ton of people saying things like "I haven't paid attention to BNHA in years but this is hilarious, might read this chapter". TODO: find some examples. There isn't necessarily a distinction between these returning fans and the metafandom/second-degree fandom that never engaged with the source material in the first place, but sometimes people draw such distinctions.
*, also from November 2020
Sometimes, the metafandom becomes so big, active, or develops away from the source material such that it basically becomes a separate fandom from people engaging with the source material. Many feel that this has happened with Worm fanfiction,. Posted to R/Parahumans by u/ethicalhamjimmies on 18 October 2018. Some other dicsussions on that subreddits: to the point that some communities of Worm fanfic readers and creators are proud of their disconnection from the canon story and discourage people from reading canon.
Some fans who become engaged through metafandom may worry about contributing to fandom without being "properly" familiar with the source material. Example discusison:
Some may encourage these fans to engage with the source material before creating their own fanworks, while others think its fine to make works based on one's fanon-only understanding of a fandom.
==Second-Degree Fandom==
Second-degree fandom refers to a subset of fans who primarily or exclusively interact with fan works, rather than the actual canon source that is nominally the focus of that fandom.
Second-degree fandom may be contrasted with "first-degree fandom", comprised of fans who are concerned with the original source material.
===Second-Degree Fandom Community and Discussion===
Many "first-degree" fans consider second-degree fans as "fake fans", and express negativity toward second-degree fans for being ignorant of the thing.
Some second-degree fans accuse first-degree fans of gatekeeping the free enjoyment and creativity of fandom experience.
Some first-degree fans are fine with second-degree fans, but are frustrated that the general community space becomes so clogged and muddled with broad-stokes fanon, to the point that "canon-faithful" fan works and discussions are difficult to find.
Some users on r/FanFiction advertise that they're willing to sample fan fiction "fandom-blind", meaning that they are interested in reading fan fiction even from unfamiliar fandoms.
Some people have humorously compared second-degree fandom to Plato's allegory of the cave.
*https://divineandmajesticinone.tumblr.com/post/663567637068038144/thats-what-being-on-tumblr-is-like
*https://normal-horoscopes.tumblr.com/post/663512997489180672/my-headcannon-for-frisk-undertale-is-that-theyre
==More Fan Comments==
==Examples==
=== Fanworks ===
* by pendragonsgallery, 2022
* uQuiz by fortheloveofchuck: , 2021
** with accompanying explanation: Six possible answers. I don't know anything about anime. 
=== Fandoms: ===
* a noted portion of Worm fanfic readers, as discussed above
*The sizeable Hazbin Hotel & Helluva Boss fandom has been called "a fandom based on 30 minutes of content", due to the relatively small amount of canon compared to its prolific body of fan work tributes, as of 2021.
*Apparently, the creator(s) of the fan game HetaOni discontinued the work due to feeling that the fan game fandom was eclipsing the Ao Oni and Hetalia fandoms.
*The Accidental Warlord and His Pack
**possibly also Dreaming of Sunshine and Snipers solve 99% of all problems are examples of fics that generate their own second-degree fandom?
*As of 2021, a considerable share of Batfamily, DP × DC, and Maribat fan work creators are mostly familiar with the Batman mythos through fan works and general pop culture references.
==Meta and Further Reading==
*Fandom Ghost: Created Out Of Wholecloth By Fanon
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Glossary