The Scoop: Fanfiction gives readers the chance to explore their deepest fantasies, including their sexual desires. The creators of Fangasm put an entertaining spin on erotic fanfiction by reading it on their podcast with accompanying comedic commentary. Their hilarious delivery makes the material more approachable for listeners while providing a forum to enjoy their favorite fandoms in fun, unexpected ways.
Most people would agree that sex can be a little silly at times. Forgetting the adventurous or unconventional, even vanilla sex can have awkward, messy, or downright funny moments. These missteps may feel mortifying and shameful to a person not yet settled in their sexual confidence. But as people gain more experience about their sexuality, they learn to find levity in sex. The ability to laugh off those awkward moments in the bedroom is not a sign of immaturity but rather a mark of the confidence that comes with being comfortable in your sexuality.
People usually gain sexual confidence from experience. But people are surrounded by images and information on what happens in the bedroom. Many young people learn about their sexual preferences, fantasies, and desires through music, film, and literature that discusses sexual content in some capacity. Fanfiction works can also provide space for sexual discovery.
Written by fans of popular television and film, fanfiction creates new lore around already existing characters. Not all fanfiction is sexual, but much of it is. And for many young adults who feel alone as they try to figure out their sexuality, it can be a resource to learn about different forms of sex, fantasy, and even find a community of other readers and writers.
The creators of the Fangasm podcast, Allie LeFevere, Lyndsay Rush, and Danny Chapman, are friends who enjoy discussing sexual fanfiction content with a comedic spin. After all, much of the sexual content, though hot to its readers, can be objectively somewhat absurd. The three wanted to create a space where listeners could safely hear about fanfiction that might spark some curiosity for them within the comfortable vessel of a comedy podcast.
They didn’t want Fangasm to be audio-porn but rather a comedy podcast encouraging fun and creative sexual exploration. “We use levity — not to make light of any topics surrounding sexuality — in order to make them accessible and entertaining and hilarious for everyone,” Allie said. “Laughter truly is the great unifier!”
Hot and Humorous
Fangasm is right at the sweet spot of sexy and silly. The team loves to get into the gritty details of the most erotic fanfiction. They’re drawn to stories that bring the author’s characters into vibrancy, including their fantasy world within their sex lives.
“What we really love is how fanfic authors bring ships to life within and beyond their fandom,” Danny said. “It’s so much fun and sexy to ask ‘what is sex like for these characters and their world’ and see authors create new sex spells or magical settings. It’s also amazing to see authors take characters out of their world — finding sexual tension between Reylo in the power dynamic of an Instacart shopper and delivery person.”
For anyone unfamiliar with fanfiction vernacular, a “ship” is a relationship that fans of a particular lore support. “Reylo” is a ship between Rey and Kylo Ren of the Star Wars universe.
The podcasters and their fans enjoy the sexy elements of fanfiction, but they find it more exciting and thought-provoking to approach them from a comedic standpoint. Even for listeners who want fanfiction for sexual purposes, listening to it humorously can make the experience more palatable on a morning commute to work or in the background while completing chores around the house.
“We are first and foremost a comedy podcast, and that’s the reason we started this whole shebang—sometimes we end up getting painted as an NSFW podcast-only when humor really is the fuel and throughline behind the project,” Lyndsay said. “Much of the other stuff is an amazing bi-product of this podcast, which is why this whole experience has been such a joy!”
Support For Queer Fantasy
It’s no secret that mainstream media is lacking when it comes to queer representation on screen. As recently as 2008, Glee made national news — some of which was sharply critical — for showing a gay teenage relationship on cable television. While it has become easier for Hollywood to portray queer relationships than it once was, these pairings are still few and far between. That’s why many queer readers and writers have turned to fanfiction to find the romantic and sexual affirmation and representation they desire. In fanfiction, queer folks can explore all of their fantasies and identities in a way that goes beyond what they would ever see in a movie theater.
The Fangasm team doesn’t shy away from showcasing queer fanfiction stories on their podcast. Not only do they reinvent mainstream stories in a fun way, but by reading these fanfiction works on their podcast, Fangasm gives exposure to a rainbow of stories and the types of people and sexualities they represent.
“As far as fanfics that play with gender identity and sexuality — we absolutely love them and have read a ton on the pod!” Danny said. “Some popular queer ships we discuss include Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy (Season 3 and Season 5 of the pod — Season 3 is called ‘The Cock Critiquer,’ and it’s probably one of our funniest), Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes (Season 17), Captain Marvel and Valkyrie (Season 18), just to name a few.”
Fanfiction writers are particularly adept at identifying romantic tensions that primary-source writers may not have consciously created. This tension is prevalent in queer ships, in which straight writers may not even notice the dynamic they’re writing between two same-sex characters. In fanfiction, fans get to expand on existing dynamics to give life to little-explored romances and provide greater representation in the process.
Explore the Fanfiction Community With Fangasm
The world of fanfiction offers fans a safe and supportive environment where they can explore their fantasies. Its collaborative nature makes it an excellent place for fans to connect and establish a community. This is true of online forums for sharing fanfiction, and it’s also true for fans of the Fangasm podcast. “We have a very active online community,” Danny said. “We have 16+ FB groups and counting! One of them is called PEN15, and they actively support and collaborate with each other.”
Just as Danny, Allie, and Lyndsay have created friendships through their shared interest in fanfiction, their listeners can find camaraderie through a shared love of Fangasm.
The Fangasm community offers its fans a nonjudgmental place to find others who share their love of fantasy and romantic or sexual interests. Fanfiction material can help them imagine new fantasies and desires, while the community they find in fanfiction spaces can help them feel less alone. These shared interests may even spark a romantic connection among singles or help them feel more comfortable expressing their sexual wants and desires to partners they meet in real life. By exploring their fantasies comedically, listeners can grow more satisfied with their sexualities, all while having a good laugh.
“It’s so important for listeners and fans of particular stories, books, and movies to see themselves represented in the content they love — especially since the original text slyly often nods to unrequited love and tension,” Danny said. “Fanfic allows those hidden ships to set sail…and, in our case, dive into the water headfirst to get wet!”