If one is sexy, two is even sexier: Dialogue with slashers on identity and the internet.

Slash has been a part of female fandom since the first pairings of Kirk and Spock in fan magazines, and perhaps earlier.  The internet has expanded this practice, making it commonplace among female fans and reaching mainstream popular and academic discussions.  Understanding the mores and motivations for this particular type of fan consumption and production remains an area of debate.  Oftentimes in dialogues about people, which is one way of describing what is a research study, the people studied are not included to speak for themselves.  From interviews and surveys I have conducted, I shall add how these women see themselves to this dialogue.  A structured conversation with 10 slashers led to several main points about how they see slash and their love of it, how the internet facilitates this activity, and what they would say to non-slashers to spread understanding of their passion.  The focus of this discussion is on the role of the internet in slash, the construction of identity for slashers, and a dialogic research method and a foundation upon which to foster understanding of this sub-subculture.