Xenite Retreat by Melanie Corzo (cc)

I’ve been fascinated with pop culture from a young age.

I remember collecting every pop culture magazine I could get my hands on. Back in the early 00s, there was a limitless supply to choose from and there was nothing I loved more than going to a news agency after school and browsing all the magazines.

I wanted to stay in the know. I wanted to understand what people liked. What they wanted to wear. Who they wanted to see. Not just in Australia, but overseas.

During the same time, I became immersed in the Xena: Warrior Princess fandom. I was drawn to the show after catching an episode on TV and googling it. What I ended up finding was a huge community of people who followed the show. I wasn’t the only one who wanted to know more, discuss more and watch more of this show.

This led me to visiting Los Angeles to attend the Official Xena Convention. Since then, I’ve travelled to the Xenite Retreat in Lake Hughes, CA, which is a gathering of Xena super fans who love the show but mostly, love the community the show has brought together. The true impact these pop culture shows can bring is incredible so don’t be surprised if you see one or two posts about this 90s action Tv show on this blog and others (Buffy, anyone?).

I may not collect as many magazines as I used to but not much other than that has changed, if anything, my love for pop culture grew. To many, pop culture and celebrity culture may seem superficial, unnecessary and merely a distraction. However, I want to delve deeper than that through this blog. Pop culture serves its purpose, not always negative, sometimes positive and even impactful. For some of us who have felt displaced in this heteronormative society; watching gay celebrity icons was where we felt accepted.