Abigail De Kosnik and Jinyi Li on how fandom helps connect us in troubling times

In this episode, we welcome Abigail De Kosnik, an Associate Professor and Director of the Berkeley Center for New Media and the founder of Fan Link, and Jinyi Li, the technology chief of Fan Link, to discuss their groundbreaking platform connecting fandoms with education and activism. Abigail shares how Fan Link fosters media, racial, and gender literacy through creative fan-driven projects and real-world action, empowering fans to make a difference.The conversation also examines the differing fandom strategies used by Democrats and Republicans in the recent election. Abigail and Jingyi explore how fan communities can influence political narratives and inspire collective action, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of fandom and politics.Here are some of the references from this episode, for those who want to dig a little deeper:About our guest:Abigail De Kosnik | Research UC BerkeleyAbigail De Kosnik Introduces Fanlink - News/Research - Berkeley Center for New MediaFandom + Piracy: Fandom & Race Panel - Events - Berkeley Center for New Media Interesting Facts and Fan Events mentioned:Leslie Grace Says the 'Batgirl' Cancellation Felt 'Like Deflating a Balloon'The 27 Club: A Brief HistoryThe School for First Ladies Is Now in SessionThe Herald on the 2017 Trump Inauguration TV listing as Twilight Zone episodeHunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping film castDragon ConSan Diego Comic-ConJapan ExpoNew York Comic ConOsaka Comic Con Hannibal People mentioned:Braver AngelsCongressman Hakeem Jeffries – Proudly Representing the 8th District of New YorkBernie Sanders Official WebsiteStormy Daniels Official Website Academic Essays Mentioned:New Audiences, New Textualities: Anti-Fans and Non-Fans - Jonathan Gray, 2003 Hillary Clinton fans fandom and fan politics in the Philippines, Series, Films, and Podcasts mentioned:When Harry Met Sally… IMDB, “I’ll have what she’s having” [YouTube clip]Groundhog Day IMDBHannibal on PrimeRuPaul’s Drag Race on WOW Presents Plus and Paramount+The West Wing on MaxThe Apprentice on PrimeListen to Call Her Daddy on SpotifyWatch Friends on IMDbWatch Survivor on CBS, IMDb, and NetflixWatch The Bridge on IMDb and Apple TVJoe RoganCheck out our previous Episode 94: Curious Conversations Across the Divide with Mónica Guzmán ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Share your thoughts via Twitter with Henry, Colin and the How Do You Like It So Far? account! You can also email us at [e-mail]:“In Time” by Dylan Emmett and “Spaceship” by Lesion X.In Time (Instrumental) by Dylan Emmet https://soundcloud.com/dylanemmetSpaceship by Lesion X https://soundcloud.com/lesionxbeatsCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/in-time-instrumentalFree Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lesion-x-spaceshipMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/AzYoVrMLa1Q––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––