The JohnLock Conspiracy, fandom eschatology, and longing to belong

The JohnLock Conspiracy, fandom eschatology, and longing to belong is a 2018 academic article written by Bo Allesøe Christensen and Thessa Jensen. It was published in Transformative Works and Cultures No. 27: Tumblr and Fandom, which was guest edited by Lori Morimoto and Louisa Ellen Stein.
==Some Topics Discussed==
*origins of TJLC
*autoethnography and research ethics in fan communities
*Tumblr's infrastructure
*antifans
*secular eschatology
*group dynamics
==Excerpts==
==Fan Discussion & Reactions==
===Tumblr===
On Tumblr, many TJLCers expressed their frustration with Christensen and Jensen's article.
The article was also criticized by some fans as overly jargonistic and poorly written.Post by witch-lock. Published on July 5, 2018. Retrieved on July 6, 2018.Post by suzhou. Published on July 6, 2018. Retrieved on July 7, 2018. 
====Allegations of Bias====
Specific criticisms lodged against the article included perceived bias (on various grounds) against TJLC and its proponents:
====Perceived Factual Inaccuracies====
Additionally, the accuracy of Christensen and Jensen's timeline of TJLC was challenged. Their article had attributed the origins of TJLC to a Tumblr post from January 26, 2014; while Christensen and Jensen anonymized the post for the purposes of their article, the author's actual identity was widely discussed on Tumblr.Post by garkgatiss. Published on July 6, 2018. Retrieved on July 6, 2018. The first post in the TJLC tag on Tumblr is dated January 6, 2014. The acronym's creation by Tumblr users joolabee and graceebooks dates to around the airing of "The Sign of Three" on January 5, 2014. Loudest-subtext-in-television's influential meta post Trust in Gatiss: Operation Johnlock is Go was published on January 7, 2014; while it does not make use of the TJLC phrase or acronym, it is often cited as a foundational text.Post by quietlyprim in a reblog on the tjlc Tumblr. Retrieved on July 6, 2018.Post by graceebooks. Retrieved on July 6, 2018. One comment on this post specifically criticized the editing process, and called for a retraction:
====(Mis)characterization of Social Dynamics====
While Christensen and Jensen ultimately contended that TJLC does not constitute a cult"Although we see TJLC as a secular eschatology, it differs from Hills's notion of a cult (2002, 131–71). According to Hills, a cult is dependent on the text to be interpreted and speculated about. For TJLC, there is no speculation regarding the certain outcome of the text. Everything must be interpreted and discussed with an eye to the endgame: JohnLock. This is only possible through the development of a clear belief system that enables all members to see themselves as true believers—or that permits fans to point out nonbelievers." Christensen and Jensen, https://dx.doi.org/10.3983/twc.2018.1222., much commentary on TumblrPost by wizphobe. Published on July 5, 2018. Retrieved on July 6, 2018.Post by garkgatiss. Published on July 5, 2018. Retrieved on July 6, 2018.Post by obsessivelollipoplalala. Published on July 5/6, 2018. Retrieved on July 6, 2018.Post by astudyinsavage. Published on July 5, 2018. Retrieved on July 6, 2018. reacted to the description of TJLC as a secularized eschatology, as predicated on the assertions that it "contains apocalyptic elements" and "needs radicalization" to persist.Christensen, Bo Allesøe, and Thessa Jensen. 2018. "The JohnLock Conspiracy, Fandom Eschatology, and Longing to Belong." In "Tumblr and Fandom," edited by Lori Morimoto and Louisa Ellen Stein, special issue, Transformative Works and Cultures, no. 27. https://dx.doi.org/10.3983/twc.2018.1222. Retrieved on July 6, 2018. Many of these criticisms comedically rebutted Christensen and Jensen's depiction of TJLC group dynamics.
====Research Ethics and the Role of Acafans in Fandom====
Additional criticisms were lodged regarding the research methodology and ethics of the article.Post by the-signs-of-two. Published on July 6, 2018. Retrieved on July 7, 2018.
One Tumblr user, reblogging an early post about the article, initiated a discussion of the article's academic context:
Another Tumblr user added their perspective on the article and acafans more generally in a reblogged post, mentioning that their own article on Johnlock and TJLC meta would be published in forthcoming edition of Transformative Works and Cultures:
The original poster responded to myladylyssa's comment:
myladylyssa responded:
===Pillowfort===
On Pillowfort, there was a brief discussion of the article in the 221B Baker St community, after user Alessnox shared a link to the article:June 2018 discussion. 221B Baker St community on Pillowfort. Retrieved on July 6, 2018.
==The Article is Updated==
At least one TJLCer reported contacting Transformative Works and Cultures with criticism of the article's timeline of TJLC - specifically, to share evidence that TJLC (as a term and concept) predated the anonymized post originally cited as the "impetus" for its creation.Tumblr post by gark-gatiss. Posted on July 6, 2018. Accessed on July 14, 2018. On July 13, the same user posted an update to Tumblr:
In the tags, gark-gatiss continued: "#despite the fact that i provided them with a post that both predates hers and has 10x more notes #there's nothing for it lads #we just have to document our own history." Earlier in the month, the same user had posted a of the original text of this section of the article, which can be compared with the updated text as of July 14, 2018.
==References==
Category:2018 Academic CommentaryCategory:Slash Academic Commentary
Category:The Johnlock Conspiracy
Category:Sherlock Academic Commentary
Category:Spirituality & Fandom