Fandom Made Me with Sabrina Cartan

How can Swifties change the world? On this episode of Fandom Made Me, host Sabrina Cartan talks to India Abrahams, the 11-year-old CEO and founder of Beads for Good, and her mom, social impact expert Tara Abrahams. Inspired by the Taylor Swift fan tradition of trading bracelets at The Eras Tour concerts, India creates and sells bracelets and donates 50% of sales to She’s the First, a nonprofit organization that makes sure girls everywhere are educated, respected, and heard. Sabrina chats with India and Tara about how Taylor Swift inspires them to fight for girls’ rights globally, how India became known as “The Tiny CEO,” and how fandom and social impact has brought them closer together as mother and daughter.Follow India’s work at @indiabeadsforgood on instagram.Visit India’s shop at beadsforgood.com. Learn more about fan activism at fandomforward.org.

What do movies teach us about our feelings and values? On this episode of Fandom Made Me, host Sabrina Cartan is joined by Alex Steed, co-host of the popular movie podcast “You Are Good.” Alex geeks out about being a Kevin Smith fan as a teen in the 90s, how movies like Clerks and Chasing Amy relate to labor rights and the growing anti-work movement, and how early 90s message boards were a hotbed for early fan activism. Plus, a side rant about what Stranger Things gets wrong about 80s nostalgia (even though we love it). 

We are so back! On the season 2 premiere of Fandom Made Me, Sabrina Cartan talks about fixing philanthropy with Amy Schiller, author of The Price of Humanity: How Philanthropy Went Wrong–and How to Fix It. Known on the Internet for her pop culture takes such as “Beyonceder” and a viral Atlantic essay on American Girl dolls, Amy answers some of our most pressing questions, namely, why don’t average and working class Americans consider themselves philanthropists? Together, they delve into the little-known history of working class philanthropy and how small dollar donations funded the Statue of Liberty, ensuring the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, and how a “giving wage” can change the way we live. A devoted Mariah Carey fan, Amy proposes a special Christmas-themed philanthropy project for Her Majesty, the Queen of Pop. 

It's the Season 1 finale of Fandom Made Me! Host Sabrina Cartan invites author and USC Professor Henry Jenkins to reflect on Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, his widely celebrated book that changed the way we think about the relationship between media and fandom. Together, Henry and Sabrina talk about what's changed in the 17 years since the book's release and cover some hot media tips, such as: the Barbenheimer phenomenon, whether AI is a form of transformative work, white supremacist violence in fandoms like Star Wars and gaming communities, fan reactions to Netflix's password sharing ban, how piracy is a missed market testing opportunity for studios, and how fandom can be a form of diplomacy when media is a soft power. Follow Henry's blog: http://henryjenkins.org/Follow Fandom Forward:http://fandomforward.org/Support us on Patreon:patreon.com/fandomforwardFollow Sabrina on social media:instagram.com/sabrinacartantwitter.com/sabrinacartan

Award-winning filmmaker, philanthropist, and social activist Dr. Abigail Disney joins host Sabrina Cartan to discuss the latest Fandom Forward campaign, Be A Hero, inspired by her latest film on the labor movement at Disney Parks. The two explore the magic of Disney fandom, how Disney fans are uniquely positioned to engage in shareholder activism, and what Bob Iger and his colleagues fail to understand about entertainment consumers in 2023. Abigail shares what the Disney brand and characters mean to her as a granddaughter of Roy Disney and grandniece of Walt Disney, plus how Lynda Carter's iconic portrayal of Wonder Woman empowered her as a tomboyish girl growing up in the 1970s. Sign Fandom Forward's "Be a Hero" petition to Walt Disney Company shareholders:https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/be-a-hero-change-the-rules-to-support-disney-workers/Learn about Mickey au Camp de Gurs:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_au_Camp_de_GursFollow Abigail on social media: @AbigailDisneyFollow Sabrina on Instagram and Twitter: @SabrinaCartan Follow Fandom Forward on Twitter, TikTok, or Facebook: @fandomforwardFollow Fandom Forward on Instagram: @thehpallianceSupport our Patreon:patreon.com/fandomforward

Actor and writer Mara Wilson (Matilda, Mrs. Doubtfire, Welcome to Night Vale) joins host Sabrina Cartan to geek out about her favorite foreign teen dramas, My Mad Fat Diary, SKAM, and Dance Academy. Mara and Sabrina discuss how these shows (and a few movies, including the classic Grease) shaped their impressions of teendom vs. what they actually experienced. Through this lens, Mara explores the good girl vs. bad girl trope, the central theme of her new Hollywood memoir, Good Girls Don’t.  Fandom Made Me is a biweekly podcast from Fandom Forward, featuring interviews with activists, leaders, and writers on the pop culture that shaped them. Fandom Forward (formerly the Harry Potter Alliance) is a 501(c)3 organization that turns fans into heroes by using the power of story and popular culture to make activism accessible and sustainable.Follow Mara on Instagram and Twitter: @MaraWilsonFollow Sabrina on Instagram and Twitter: @SabrinaCartan Follow Fandom Forward on Twitter, TikTok, or Facebook: @fandomforwardFollow Fandom Forward on Instagram: @thehpallianceSupport our Patreon:patreon.com/fandomforwardLearn more about fan activism:Fandomforward.org 

In this special 4th of July episode, America’s #1 burger scholar George Motz joins host Sabrina Cartan to geek out about food and how a dish can become pop culture. George explains how his career as an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker led to his work in burger scholarship and the creation of the Food Film Festival. Inspired by his father’s love of jingles, George recalls his favorite vintage food commercials of the 70s and 80s, and breaks down what’s next for the hamburger as an American icon. Follow George on Instagram @motzburger or visit his website: https://www.georgemotz.com/ Follow Fandom Forward on Twitter or Facebook: @fandomforward Follow us on Instagram: @thehpalliance Support our Patreon:patreon.com/fandomforward

Feminist activist and writer Veronica I. Arreola joins host Sabrina Cartan to talk about Buffy the Vampire Slayer through the lens of leadership. A hardcore Buffy fan since the 90s and advocate for Latinx students, staff, and administrators at the University of Illinois Chicago, Veronica talks about how Buffy shapes the way she approaches leadership, and how the Scooby Gang's collaborative spirit can inspire us all. Recently elected as Councilor for Chicago's 24th Police District, Veronica shares her vision for future police accountability and how Chicago citizens can play a role in the development of public safety policy. Read Veronica's blog, Viva La Feminista:http://www.vivalafeminista.com/Follow Veronica on social media:https://www.instagram.com/veronicaeye/https://twitter.com/veronicaeye/Read Veronica's new children's book, J is for Justice: An Activism Alphabet: https://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/book/9781503765818Fandom Forward turns fans into heroes. We use the power of story and popular culture to make activism accessible and sustainable. Through experiential training and real life campaigns, we develop compassionate, skillful leaders who learn to approach our world’s problems with joy, creativity, and commitment to equity. Learn more about fan activism at fandomforward.org. Support us on Patreon:patreon.com/fandomforward

White collar crime and corporate governance expert Jen Taub joins host Sabrina Cartan to geek out about Succession ahead of its series finale. Jen puts on her law professor hat and shares what's realistic (or not) about the C-suite at Waystar Royco, and she and Sabrina explore the qualities of a great CEO. They share their favorite Succession moments and characters, predictions for the finale, and what Succession can teach current and future viewers about greed, wealth, and corporate America. Plus, Jen learns about the art of fandom shipping. Follow Jen on Twitter and Substack:https://twitter.com/jentaubhttps://jentaub.substack.com/Read Jen's books:https://bookshop.org/contributors/jennifer-taub