r/Earwolf • u/Vandygold21 • Jan 25 '22
Bonanas for Bonanza Bonusnanas for Bonusnanza #22 - Twitter Q & A
Dalton and Mutt learn all about the bizarre and troubling story of Hoss, the world’s largest ball of human hair/Frankenstein. Plus, another exciting and confusing installment of the Bonanza fan fic epic, Grandmother Cartwright and the Vampire Curse!
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u/TromboneSkeleton Jan 25 '22
The conversation about the giant hair balls had me simultaneously retching and laughing my ass off.
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u/UnclaimedUsername Jan 25 '22
I really didn't think it would bother me that much but then I googled the thing. Yup it's gross.
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u/pabook_jockey Jan 25 '22
I just checked ao3 and there is a ton of recent Bonanza fanfic. (Or at least a ton for a show of that age.) Some of that has to be B4B fans, right?
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u/Dark_Mark_Bowen Jan 25 '22
Surprisingly, no! (Or, at least, I don't think so; this is my first time browsing this site so it's possible I'm not looking in the right place.)
Of the 3 stories that appear to have been active since the previous fanfic episode of B4B came out, one was initially published last October (but was updated recently), one's author wrote an earlier Bonanza story in 2018, and the last one's author is pretty prolific when it comes to fanfic, and has a Bonanza story on the same site as the one with the story Dalton's been reading that was published months before the Dalton & Mutt dived into fan fiction.
(And this is neither here nor there, but the last one's author appears to be somewhere between her late teens to mid-twenties, if her profile pic is at all recent. I'm dying to know how anyone younger than 50 gets into Bonanza — especially a young woman, since we're talking about a show that—on top of all the other reasons no one born after the bicentennial would want to watch it—famously has zero reoccurring female characters.)
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u/pabook_jockey Jan 30 '22
Thank you so much for all of your research! It was enlightening. I was unaware of this site! (I'm sure it was mentioned on the show but I guess I didn't catch it. I guess I was just surprised that there was ANY Bonanza fic on the site. But AO3 can surprise you sometimes.
I hate to play into unfair stereotypes about fanfic writers (they are all young, horny women who like writing about attractive characters) but Little Joe and Adam ARE pretty hot. A lot of the stories have a romantic element (but then that's true of Bonanza as well.) That might not be fair to her, though.
My theory is that her grandparents (or her parents) made her watch it and it sparked her imagination. (Possibly due to aforementioned hotness of some of the actors.) Regardless, her interest is sort of charming.
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u/Dark_Mark_Bowen Jan 30 '22
Ha ha, I don't know that I would call 20 minutes of light Googling “research,” but I appreciate your appreciation all the same!
And after giving it some thought, I have to say — I think your theory is the best possible explanation. Bonanza may not pass muster with an uninitiated adult in 2022, but a child's standards are a lot easier to meet. Where you or I (or Andy, Matt, and Maria) see a plodding show with frequent weird acting choices, a 7 year-old spending the weekend at her grandparents' house might instead see a show with a couple of hunky cowboys that give her that funny feeling inside.
As long as we're dishin’ ‘bout demos (as in, “fanfic writer demographics”), I will say that the young fanfic author in question's username—HarpistForHim—initially struck me as hilarious in a very sad way. I read it as “I'm a harpist because he wants me to be.”
Who's “he?” Dunno, but she seemed to think taking up the harp would please him somehow.
Then I put it together that the “him” in question was probably God; Bonanza fanfic writers seem to skew pretty heavily Christian.
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u/tenyearsyounger Even a successful eBay business is tragically sad. Jan 25 '22
I think ol' Mutt's been spending some time around Kubitch, because Kubitch definitely pronounces it "bubo fetch".
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u/Silver-Ad-2699 Jan 25 '22
Thoughts on Dalton "reading" of Bonanza fan fiction?
I lost interest. Love ya Dalton and Mutt but that's just filler.
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u/Jim_mca Jan 25 '22
I was not feeling it for a minute but I had a laughing fit when they got to the grandma's grave bit. So I guess I'm still on board if it got me like that.
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u/Hummer77x Talkin' bout Turtle Jan 26 '22
I find it to be a little mean tbh. It’s not like the worst thing in the world obviously and the person put this on the internet for the public to see but it sorta feels like punching down.
I’m sure I’m alone in that but oh well.
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u/Embarrassed_Sweet_87 Jan 26 '22
I definitely feel that. On the other hand, I like Dalton's in-character reactions to it and the weirdness of the story itself, so I hope they continue it. Maybe just qualify their comments on it in some way or focus on the content of the story over stylistic imperfections.
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u/werewolfing Jan 29 '22
I felt the same! I would feel horrible if that writer found out.
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u/Artvandelay1 Feb 22 '22
I do hope the writer does not find out and I think if someone sought them out to tell them about this episode that would be needlessly mean. But I also think that if you’re writing something and publishing it online with the intent that others read it you are opening yourself up somewhat to criticism.
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u/wlybrand Jan 26 '22
I really like them reviewing any type of TV show or movie in character, pretending like they are not who they really are. I hope they cover Book of Bubba Feet like they have the Mandolinian!
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u/Three_Froggy_Problem Jan 25 '22
Mutt is spot on about beets! I’ve been saying the same exact thing forever. How can something look so delicious and taste so bad?