English

Noun

fanwank ‎(uncountable)

1. (fandom slang, derogatory) Explanations invented by fans (of a film series, television series, etc.) to gloss over mistakes in continuity.
2. (fandom slang) Elements added to a television program or similar entertainment that appeal to avid fans but are of little interest to outsiders.
   • 2012, Leora Hadas & Limor Shifman, “Keeping the Elite Powerless: Fan-Producer Relations in the 'Nu Who' (and New YOU) Era”, in Critical Studies in Media Communication, Taylor & Francis, DOI:10.1080/15295036.2012.676193, page 7:

     What they favor is good old fanwank: continuity references, old monsters, and overcomplicated explanations of trivial plot details. If these are perceived as the voice of fandom, then catering to the fans means producing texts that the general audience would find at best boring, at worst impossible to watch.