Curatorial fandom worships and upholds the source text above all else, rather than deconstructing it or challenging its canonical authority. The concept was first formally articulated by a Livejournal user, obsession_inc, in 2009, as “ affirmational fandom,” and then further expanded on and redefined by Reddit user LordByronic in 2015 as “curative fandom.” The curatorial fan passionately commits details about their favorite story to memory and uses those details to fuel their understanding of the narrative. “Curatorial fandom” is a general term for the area of geek culture that emphasizes amassing as much canonical knowledge as possible, no matter how minute. Curatorial fandom and transformative fandom are two halves of a whole And the flaws within this oppressive, holier-than-thou type of fandom can also help explain just why Game of Thrones was such a disappointment to many in its final two seasons. Moreover, it’s a choice that’s ultimately bigger than Bran: Whether it was intentional or not, when Game of Thrones made room for a reading of Bran as a stand-in for male geekdom, it unwittingly revealed how flawed this type of fandom is. Ending the show with Bran in charge of Westeros codifies a male-dominated version of geek culture that reflects mainstream perceptions about fandom and aligns generally with the show’s frequent misogyny.
Within our real-world context, Bran’s ascension to rulership feels like a myopic, self-aggrandizing celebration of curatorial fandom, or the specific way in which many fans worship canon - in this case, Game of Thrones’ source material, the Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R.R. Part of the frustration stems from something beyond the world of Game of Thrones: By being named king, Bran Stark is cemented as a perfect analogue for a certain type of protector of geek culture specifically, fans (often male) who are rigidly deferent to the original lore of a story, often alienating other (typically marginalized) fans who support a more flexible approach. He’s portrayed as a “soft” counterpoint to Game of Thrones’ other, much more rugged heroes.īut to many fans and critics, including me, Bran winning the game of thrones hardly seemed like a step forward for Westeros instead, it felt shortsighted and regressive.
His abilities are entirely mental and intellectual rather than physical, as he’s lost the use of his legs.
It’s true that Bran is an interesting choice, in that he isn’t a hyper-masculine character unlike other contenders for the throne, like Jon or even Tyrion, he’s never fought in a battle. Game of Thrones’ ending left many fans disappointed with what they viewed as lazy or misguided storytelling, or sloppy writing that abandoned many of the show’s longstanding plot threads.Īmong the most hotly debated, even confusing choices the show made was the issue of who would finally rule what was left of Westeros.