English

Noun

mediafan ‎(plural mediafans or mediafen)

1. (fandom slang, sometimes pejorative) A science fiction fan primarily interested in film and/or television.
   • 1998 June 9, Grant Watson, “Re: Godzilla - What a Turkey”, in aus.sf, Usenet, message-ID <357d206b.15155455@news.iinet.net.au>:

     Your post is looking suspiciously like one of those litfan vs mediafan debates that are so incredibly stupid and pathetic and do nothing more than irritate people.

   • 2000 August 24, Matt G. Leger, “Re: TV science fiction [was Re: Beware of Slanted Fedora Cons!]”, in rec.arts.sf.fandom, Usenet, message-ID <B5CA7EDE.A18D%mattleger@SPAMSUX.earthlink.net>:

     And I do know the difference between actors and the characters they play, unlike the usual mediafan stereotype (see GALAXY QUEST among many others).

   • 2006 April 5, Penney, Lloyd, “ChatBack”, in Vegas Fandom Weekly, volume 2, number 17 (whole number #71), page 20:

     I've never been starstruck by some of the actors I've met over the years, unlike so many local mediafen who fawn and grovel.

   • 2014 January, Williams, Neil, “Letters of Comment”, in Space Cadet, volume 12, number 1 (whole number #25), page 7:

     Point is we weren't a pack of "mediafen barbarians", we were real, live, young litfans (and hardly any of us read any fantasy, were SF fans); but we were from the burbs and we were unfannish.

Usage notes

Where a person is specified as a mediafan it is often in opposition to being a litfan (fan of written science fiction) within science fiction fandom.