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berlynn-wohl · 4 months

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okay so I was watching a video about videos and decided to write about writing (specifically, fanfic)

Typically I don't share my thoughts on fandom as a subculture and how it's changed because I don't have the stomach for the kind of things that can happen when one posts their opinions on social media. But I'm gonna give it a go today because I watched this:

You don't have to watch it, I'll tell you the thing that got me: it was about how on YouTube, people are likely to be fans of specific channels, and if you subscribe to one, you could probably, if asked, discuss what you like about that channel/creator with others. But the way TikTok's feed works (turning you into a passive consumer of an endless stream of short videos), it's more difficult to differentiate who the creators are, even when you subscribe to them. You're more likely to just say, "I'm a fan of TikTok" (...or "I'm addicted to TikTok"). This is evidenced by the fact that at a recent VidCon, TikTokers who had millions of views and hundreds of thousands of subscribers faced empty lines at the meet-and-greets, because their content was just part of a blur of content their subscribers passively put their eyeballs on every day.

And I had a thought: Has AO3 done this for fanfic? Of course AO3's content cannot be passively consumed; you have to enter search terms and use filters to find what you're looking for. But once you have entered such a search, you could well be faced with thousands of results, which you begin consuming by opening tab after tab after tab. If you were not in fandom before 2012, I cannot stress how ludicrous this amount of fanfiction is. Before AO3, unless you were in a MASSIVE fandom (like HP or LOTR), you eagerly awaited the arrival of new fics because there just weren't that many -- and even if you were in a massive fandom, if you shipped one of the less popular pairings (or preferred Gen), you still could not necessarily count on even one new fic a day that was to your tastes.

And in those days when fics were fewer and farther between, and when fandoms were more siloed, you got to know fanfic authors. You recognized their styles. When someone posted a new fic, you were excited because you knew what you could expect based on what you already enjoyed about that author's talents and inclinations. In a small fandom I was in long ago, where only about ten people wrote fic, we once sat around and brainstormed which popular music act's vibe corresponded with which each author's style! (I was The Clash.)

Compare that to now, where many readers in fandom have the opportunity to just click-read-click-read-click-read, not just as a reward at the end of a long day, but on the bus or anywhere. I don't think it's a coincidence that fics get fewer comments than they used to, and there's far less discussion of individual authors. There's no incentive to linger on something even if you enjoyed it, when the next fic is waiting in another tab.

Now perhaps it's better that the structure of fanfic culture has changed such that we have less potential for BNF drama. But it also means that whenever I see newcomers to a fandom asking for recs, most of the responses are "Have you read [the fic with the most kudos and comments on AO3]?" It's not just that this response is a bit superfluous, as the newcomer has probably already sorted the AO3 results by kudos/comments -- to me it also indicates that folks get so much fanfic from The Fanfic Website and so little community from The De Facto Fandom Platforms that it becomes difficult to remember individual fics, what you enjoyed about them, or how an individual author's style might make them a better match for a certain reader. (Yes, I am aware that AO3 has histories/bookmarks for people to refer back to, but when one accumulates 1000 bookmarks and then someone asks for a rec, most likely the bookmark holder is only going to remember, off the top of their head, That One Crazy Outlier Fic That The Entire Fandom Lost Their Shit About Seven Years Ago.)

I dunno, this is all I got in the way of thoughts. I'm not saying I want to go back to the way things were 10 or 20 years ago, but I sure do wish I could a-la-carte it a little, you know?

#fandom

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leetotters · 3 years

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sassy quips

note: this was so much fun writing. credits to the funny tiktok audios and instagram videos i saw to write this short fic! the writing in italics is the 'youtube video'. i need a better title for this

warnings: tom and reader are together ofc, cursing, sassy/funny!reader? lmao

tom holland x reader, tom holland and co x reader(platonic lol)

summary: harrison stumbles upon a youtube video containing funny/sassy moments between y/n and the holland brothers(including harrison)

Tom and Harrison's loud laughs could be heard from the living room, the boys were currently doing an Instagram live, claiming it was the perfect time to do one since they were bored and Tom hadn't interacted with his fans in the longest while.

You yawned walking into the room finding Tom's phone propped up on the blue fruit bowl, showing his screen the lasagna Sam made earlier. "Hey guys" You spoke, jumping over Harrison's giggly body on the carpeted floor to seat yourself on Tom's awaiting lap.

"Hey love, sleep well?" Tom asked, brushing the loose hair that rested on your forehead before pecking the space between your brows. "Yes" You sighed, turning your attention to Tom's live.

You skimmed through the comments, laughing at some funny ones and awing at the ones stating you were pretty and all boosting your confidence, "Someone asked why is Harrison laughing" You read aloud gaining the blonde's attention.

"I found a video on YouTube and it's hilarious" He grinned pushing his phone so it was in front of your face. You twitched your brows up when you saw the title.

'Y/N and the Holland Brothers funny/sassy moments'

"Oh my, no way" You grabbed his phone, clicking the video. "Wait" Harry took the phone, connecting the YouTube video to the television before handing it back to you. "Now everyone can see" He explained, plopping down on the sofa with a bowl of pretzels.

"Ready?" You inquired, pressing the play button on the phone when the boys replied with an amused 'yes'. Tom flipped the camera so the live could also see the video being displayed on the flat screen.

The music of the YouTube channels intro played, the classic aesthetic sound and the accounts name saying to subscribe before the title finally showed up. 'Y/N and the Holland brothers funny/sassy moments part.1'

"I am single" You wistfully spoke, your lips forming into a pout taking a sip of your orange juice before continuing. "And you're single" You pointed at Tom making him get a sense of hope that you're finally catching on that he likes you. "And well that can only mean one thing" You closed the cap of your juice, Tom smiled waiting excitedly for your answer.

"Nobody fucking wants us yo what the fuck" You dropped your head dramatically on the marble counter. Tom rolled his eyes, resuming the task he was doing before you barged in.

"Why you do him like that Y/N" Harrison voiced, his words stuttering from his loud laughs. "Tom was practically waiting for you to ask him out" Harry added bursting out into laughter as well. Tom and you just chuckled remembering that was days before he actually choked up the courage to ask you out.

At that moment you wanted to rip Tom's head off, who gave this foolish boy the idea of buying chickens? you questioned yourself while trying to stealthily grab the egg that rested under the hen. The boys were right behind you, outside of the coop cheering you on whilst you collected the eggs. "You can do it" Harrison clapped, swaying his head side to side. "You can do it" Sam danced along bumping his hip with Tom. "You can do it" Harry encouraged. "You can do this" Paddy sang, grinning when he heard you let out a loud huff. "You can do thi-"

"Shut the fuck up" You yelled glaring at Tom. "We're just encouraging you" They defended. "No! You almost made me drop the egg" You whispered yelled hearing the hen starting to cluck.

Tears welled in all of your eyes, chortling at short clip, "You all are so annoying" You playfully rolled your eyes, earning a light pinch from Tom. "Oh please we were encouraging you!" They spoke simultaneously making everyone erupt in another fit of laughter.

Paddy ran up the staircase, trying his best to conceal his giggles as he ran into your and Tom's shared bedroom. "Y/N get out of the house, it's on fire" Paddy exclaimed, dropping down on the floor and rolling his way towards you to make his so called prank more believable. "Well tell the fire hold up, because I'm doing some important shit here" You replied not even caring that the younger boy was crazily rolling on the floor. You gave Paddy a weird look before clicking the resume button on your phone vibing to the song once more.

"Paddy really started rolling" Tom wheezed through laughs, genuinely finding it funny that his brother really thought he could prank you, he knew nothing came between you and your music vibing time.

"Hey did you call our neighbor Mrs. Johnson a bitch?" Harrison inquired, seeing the scene earlier where you flipped off the old lady for some odd reason. You looked up at Harrison from your spot between Tom's clingy arms, "Yeah! She changed her Wi-Fi password" You huffed, cuddling Tom again because you were pissed off. "Yo you can't be- that bitch changed the Wi-Fi password?!" Harrison gasped. "Guys Mrs. Johnson changed her Wi-Fi pass" Sam groaned walking into the room. "Y'know we have our own Wi-Fi right?" Tom chuckled honestly finding the situation rather stupid. "Her Wi-Fi is faster Tommy, no offense" You patted his chest.

"I'm so happy we got it back" You spoke up, the boys agreeing by nodding their heads. "Please you all are so dramatic" Tom uttered scrolling through the incoming comments and hearts on his live. "We shouldn't have given him the password" Harry grumbled softly only for you and Harrison to hear.

It was Saturday, and on this day it only meant one thing in the Holland household, dance night! The legendary sound of 'Watch Me' filled the neon colored living room, you skipped over to Sam knowing the song was one of his favorites. And well what happened next was uncalled for, when you were about to 'whip' you accidentally punched Paddy in the face.

"Okay so explain to me what happened" Tom asked holding the pack of peas against Paddy's swollen face. "Y/N punched me in the face" The teenager whined, his words muffled. "Bitch? No I didn't, I tried to whip and he was in my way" You held your hands up, stepping back, grinning when Sam voiced 'She's right, he was in her way Tom'

The screen blanked off, the channels end card appearing, the same aesthetic sound played but was drowned due to the laughter emanating from the room. "I told you'll it was hilarious" Harrison held his chest trying to calm down. "Wait there's a part two" Harry pointed to the video next up.

'Y/N and the Holland Brothers funny/sassy moments part 2'

"More?!" Tom and you shouted not wasting a minute later to click on the YouTube video. "The live is officially chaotic" You glanced at the phone screen, seeing the comments full with laughing emojis and other ones portraying the way you 'punched' Paddy. Boy it's going to be an eventful evening you thought, stealing a pretzel from Harry and leaning back on Tom's chest getting comfortable.

"Hey people, we're back" Sam and Paddy called out from the kitchen. Oh yes an eventful evening indeed.

#tom holland #tom holland x reader #holland and co #harrison osterfield #harry holland #sam holland #paddy holland #lee writes short fics

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