Making Sense of #ConformityGate
Hey folks!
This is a Patreon special just for you guys. It's not a fully researched, tightly scripted essay or anything; it's just me working through something in real time.
If you've been online this past week you've probably seen ConformityGate: the Stranger Things fan theory that the finale was fake and a secret episode would drop on January 7th. Which is today, and thus far it hasn't. BUT the day isn't over yet!
I haven't watched Stranger Things. I'm not an expert on this fandom. But I DO recognize the shape of this thing from my TJLC days, and I wanted to try to make sense of it in terms of why this theory emerged, why "queerbaiting" might not be the right analytical frame, what Netflix's marketing strategies have to do with it, and what it tells us about how fans process disappointing endings.
This is exploratory. I'm thinking out loud. I don't have all the answers and I say so. But I hope it's interesting anyway!
As always, thank you so much for your support. It's what makes it possible for me to do slower, weirder work instead of chasing algorithmic trends. You're the best. <3