Why?
This project was created to combine two groups who we feel very far from, but have much to learn from: ancient women and fangirls.
How?
I approached this project with the mindset that I typically use for Classics research. I thought this was fitting, because Classics research often requires you to synthesize multiple primary sources that are both conflicting and lacking key information. This was an excavation in online pop culture history! It was also a challenge to myself as a student, because I chose to not read any secondary sources until after my version of events (both for the Snapewives and the ancients) was finished. So, the timeline presented in both sections is entirely my own, crafted from what I learned during the research process!
My biggest struggle with this piece was deciding how to present the 3 main leaders of the Snapewives: LadyDarkness (Conchita), Snapemaniac (Tonya) and Rose. I was torn on whether or not to use their real names. Ultimately, I chose to alternate between their screen name and real life name, as all three women have chosen to speak publicly with their first names about the Snapewives. I did not want to deprive them of that opportunity to represent themselves authentically.
Additionally, I touch on some sensitive topics regarding their real-life experiences in this piece. I include these not to create spectacle, but to encourage empathy in you, the reader. In order to craft my ultimate argument, I needed to present a holistic picture of the lives that led these women to create this community.
What Next?
I understand that evaluating pop culture fandom under the framework of religion can make us uncomfortable or feel offended. However, it is also true that the experience these women had was religious. I encourage us to step away from what we feel "can" and "cannot" be religious, and rather focus on the lived experience of it.
After all, for ancient people, religion was fandom. They saw plays about gods and decorated their homes in paintings and altars depicting them. Their pots and pans depicted popular scenes of these plays and myths. Religion, entertainment, and art morphed together to form their cultural conscious. Maybe a poster of Severus Snape isn't so different from a pot depicting Hercules/Herakles after all.
Get back to the Snapewives!
Learn about Me
Or, Travel Back in time?
