In this episode of Idling In The Impala, Sandra and Kasey dive deep into the fanfiction trope of Hurt/Comfort, a beloved and expansive category within the SPN fandom and beyond. They explore the many variations of this trope and the related tags commonly found in the world of fanfiction and podfics. As dedicated fans of Supernatural, they also discuss how Hurt/Comfort features in stories about the Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean, and how it influences their own creative writing. If you’re a fan of fandom, fanfiction, and all things SPN, this episode offers thoughtful insights into one of fanfiction's most popular genres.

Link to Hurt/Comfort Fanlore Page: https://fanlore.org/wiki/Hurt/Comfort

Doc with all the stats and fic links discussed in this episode can be found here.

Click here to check out fic recs from our Discord members: But we’d love you to join us in the server’s #backseat to share your recs and thoughts!

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World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

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For Those in the US: Educate and Empower Yourself, Find Ways to Take Action

Support Basic Human Rights - American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

Prioritize Your Mental Health - National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

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LGBTQ+ Charities

Switchboard LGBT UK

The Trevor Project - USA and Global

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Our podcast occasionally incorporates brief excerpts from the CW television show "Supernatural" for transformative commentary and analysis. This use falls under the Fair Use doctrine codified in Section 107 of the United States Copyright Act. The included clips are short, constituting only a minuscule portion of the original work, and illustrate specific points within our critical commentary. Our podcast does not compete with the show's market. This use promotes public discourse and understanding of the work, strengthening its cultural significance.

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Chapter Timestamps

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:20 - Our Discord got to pick the TnT topic

00:02:40 - Tackling Hurt/Comfort

00:03:32 - Do we write H/C?

00:05:17 - Thoughts from Discord

00:09:15 - Wrapping our heads around this broad beast of a tag

00:15:43 - Variations and degrees of H/C

00:21:39 - The history of H/C

00:22:55 - It’s like H/C was made for Sam and Dean

00:26:23 - Slash fics

00:29:05 - Emotional intimacy

00:31:20 - Platonic comfort

00:32:15 - Trope elements to look for in H/C

00:33:05 - AO3 stats

00:37:53 - H/C examples in our fics

00:55:25 - A peek at some of our Discord member recs

00:58:09 - Verdict on H/C

01:00:08 - Outro