SuperWhoLock 2.0
| Synonyms: | SuperWhoLock 2 |
| See also: | SuperWhoLock, Our Flag Means Death, Black Sails, Pirates of the Caribbean, Good Omens, What We Do in the Shadows |
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SuperWhoLock 2.0 is the term used to describe fan attempts at making a second SuperWhoLock: a massive crossover between three (relatively) popular fandoms.
The term is somewhat tongue-in-cheek and is often used as an elaborate meme, especially when in comparison with the original SuperWhoLock, which was used much more sincerely and whose fandoms actually dominated certain corners of the internet over a number of years circa 2013.
Off-hand comments about certain fandoms being the "new" SuperWhoLock are not uncommon whenever three (or sometimes more) fandoms with similar themes become popular at the same time, or have particularly active fandoms.
Potential SuperWhoLock Successors
Over the years, many combinations were suggested as potential candidates:
- Succession, Hannibal and Supernatural[1]
- Succession, Hannibal and Killing Eve[2]
- Hannibal, Killing Eve and Jennifer's Body[3]
- Supernatural, Hannibal, and My Chemical Romance[4]
However these - when made seriously - never gained much purchase.
Steven Falls Over
One of the more successful crossover triads was between Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, and Over The Garden Wall, jokingly called Steven Falls Over. The term was coined sometime before April 14, 2015, when a subreddit for the crossover was created.[5] This was immediately followed by r/StevenFallingOver, a subreddit for pictures of the character Steven Quartz Universe falling over.
Spring 2022
In March/April 2022, two possible "SuperWhoLock" successors were suggested in close succession, primarily on Tumblr (the main home of the original).
GO, WWDITS, OFMD
Good Omens, What We Do in the Shadows and Our Flag Means Death were suggested as a possible "new SuperWhoLock."
Tumblr user folklorenatural created a post on 23 March 2022 with the comment 'babe wake up the new superwholock just dropped' with photos of the shows beneath.[6]
Twitter user @grahamsdixon posted a tweet the day after, on 24 March 2022, which also featured the posters for the three shows and the comment: "this is the new superwholock"[7]. As of April 9, 2022, the tweet had been re-tweeted 2,552 times and liked more than 17,000 times.
Many re-tweets were actually arguments as to whether other shows deserved to be part of the trio, decried the very idea of a "new SuperWhoLock" or argued that the proposed replacements were better than the original fandoms because they were 'actually gay.'
A re-post of the tweet on Tumblr the next day generated 1,875 notes.[8]
Sapphic/WLW Version
Influenced by the GO/WWDITS/OFMD version, Tumblr user whattheflux suggested a sapphic version with Doctor Who (again), Killing Eve, and Gentleman Jack.[9] Later, a suggestion in the comments influenced a second post by the same user, swapping out Gentleman Jack with Astrid and Lily Save the World.[10]
Pirates
Another potential candidate was Our Flag Means Death, Black Sails and Pirates of the Caribbean, the first two being canonically very queer shows, and the third being perceived as such by some fans.
The pirate-themed SuperWhoLock 2.0 theory emerged due to a confluence of several events:
2022 HBO Max comedy Our Flag Means Death gained a following on Tumblr soon after it began to air. As its popularity continued to grow, the show's quality and LGBTQ representation became widely known.
The surge of interest in a piraty canon re-awakened the somewhat dormant Black Sails fandom, whose show aired from 2014 to 2018. Besides the similarity in period and setting, Black Sails was likened to OFMD because it also featured explicitely LGBTQ pirates (although its tone was much different from OFMD.)
On March 31st 2022, everythingispirates posted:
“our flag means death what we do in the shadows and good omens should be the new superwholock” WRONG our flag means death black sails and pirates of the caribbean should be the new superwholock except now they’re all pirate media with canonically queer people in them. like I cannot BELIEVE how soon you people forgot that jack sparrow is literally canonically gay divorced
The post was meant to troll Tumblr users and fans who did not remember much about POTC into thinking POTC had been canonically gayer than it was, but it went much further than its author had anticipated (at one time trending #1 on the site) and many took it seriously, sparking arguments.[11] As of April 9, 2022, the post had 72,809 notes.
It's also been mentioned that Doctor Who's Easter Special, set to air in April, is also pirate-themed, and has also contributed to the resurgence of pirate-themed media in fandom during this period.
Reactions
Pushback
Many fans do not enjoy the idea of a SuperWhoLock 2.0, pirate-based or otherwise.
About the 2022 pirate-based iteration (OFMD), some claimed: "no, this is not a new SuperLockWho, we are living our own story."[note 1]
Others simply wanted to leave the very concept of SuperWhoLock behind, due to its bad reputation:
"Superwholock 2.0"
Well if this didn't give me psychic damage.@PoRiverJamBand tweet, March 30, 2021
If we get superwholock 2.0 I am officially deleting myself from the internet@rcosmo3 tweet, Sept 10, 2021
no no u guys don't get it we want to AVOID superwholock not create another one
"superwholock 2.0 🤪🤪" those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it@GOLDRUSHCAS tweet, March 29, 2022
No offense but everyone calling ofmd part of a superwholock 2.0 makes me not want to touch the show with a ten foot poll It can be the best show ever made but if everyone’s gonna associate it with a new superwholock I don’t want to watch it y’all are so annoying stay away from me@mantodeas tweet, March 30, 2022
"wwdits/ofmd/go is superwholock 2.0".
ma'am spn sent a gay angel to superhell and sherlock made a lesbian fall in love with him. don't compare that homophobic trash to wwdits/ofmd/go.@AussieRavenclaw tweet, March 30, 2022
elytrians: why do we WANT there to be a “new superwholock”? was one not enough for you people? because as someone who has used this website as my primary social media for more than 10 years, it was more than enough for metoaarcan: The website’s becoming habitable again, we need another nuke.
elytrians: okay that’s fair actually
nonasuch: What’s the thing about periodically firing a rifle in the air to keep property values down in your neighborhood? That’s Superwholock
Tumblr post & replies, April 4-5, 2022, 28k notes as of April 11 2022
as someone who spent ages deep in Tumblr trenches (2010-2021) and thus qualifies for a veteran discount, you can't make me do "the new superwholock" again@anchorsh1p tweet, April 6, 2022
Imagine telling someone on 2014 tumblr that in 2022 there’s gonna be a new superwholock (our flag means good shadows or smth) but with actual canon queer characters and writers that don’t actively hate you. Dan and Phil are actually together. Oh and misha collins is freaking bi
[...]
And when I call it new superwholock it was in an ‘imagine if the most popular shows on tumblr were actually good and had queer rep’ (doccy who excluded) not wwdits, ofmd and go are similar to superwholock.[12]
– @IzzyHandenjoyer (April 2nd, 2022)
Notes
References
- ^ "spiderrpcrker reblog blackfvre — i can feel a new superwholock forming..…". 2021-11-16. Archived from the original on 2022-04-25.
- ^ "river on Twitter: "in order to play the role ..." 2022-03-20. Archived from the original on 2022-04-25.
- ^ Tumblr post by sitcomtropes, Oct 10, 2021 (6,000+ notes as of April 9, 2022)
- ^ https://twitter.com/intheflatfieId/status/1338250701575602176?s=20&t=Z8VbCTerp-bkN8IGS0aHPw
- ^ https://www.reddit.com/r/stevenfallsover/
- ^ "folklorenatural – babe wake up the new superwholock just dropped". 2022-03-23. Archived from the original on 2022-04-25.
- ^ "grahamsdixon on Twitter: "this is the new superwholock …". 2022-03-24. Archived from the original on 2022-04-25.
- ^ Tumblr repost of @grahamsdixon tweet, by violetheart77: "We Can Be Stupid All Night! — What say you, tumblypoos?". 2022-03-25. Archived from the original on 2022-04-25.
- ^ "The name's Flux, what the Flux. — Can I propose a wlw version of new 'superwholock …". 2022-03-24. Archived from the original on 2022-04-25.
- ^ "The name's Flux, what the Flux. — New superwholock wlw edition just d…". 2022-03-25. Archived from the original on 2022-04-25.
- ^ "your words surround you like fog — please for the love of god stop re…". 2022-04-02. Archived from the original on 2022-04-25.
- ^ "Peter ( no.1 Izzy Hands enjoyer) on Twitter: "Imagine telling someone…". 2022-04-23. Archived from the original on 2022-04-25.