ramblings on fanfic and the incoming mainstream attention

I'm kind of curious as to how Fifty Shades of Grey is changing the way people see fanfic. I've always been fascinated by the ways in which outsiders talk about 'us,' whether it's dismissive or fascinated or just plain wrong (and all of those things are quite common). If you're looking for some of the stuff that gets posted by outside sources, the otw_news links roundups are usually pretty good, and this week's roundup is what triggered this post.

Pre-Fifty Shades in the more mainstream outlets, the sexual aspects of fanfic tended to get de-emphasized in favor of talking about shipping, AUs and whatever else, but now I think there's a struggle to understand that this stuff may have a huge crossover appeal, and that it's not just those women who can and will enjoy it.

I know M and ninhursag and I have have had some conversations about our frustration that Fifty Shades of Grey is the thing that crossed over so hugely, because it sounds like it is kind of shitty and offensive, more so than usual. Still, I want to see this conversation happen. I want to see people grapple with their assumptions about us and what we do.

There's still a lot of getting-it-wrong all over the place, but, as gross as it sounds, there's now a financial stake in getting-it-right, and it's changing the tone of the conversation. I don't know where it's going, but I'm still curious about it, all the same.

Anyone have any other interesting articles on this stuff? Thoughts? Opinions?