Headcanon vs. Fanon

[azurelunatic]

I see that fanlore redirects from Head Canon to Fanon, and I think this is basically inaccurate.

I think the two things are very similar, but there is a nuance of distinction.

Fanon is a widely shared form of headcanon, but headcanon does not have to be shared with anyone else. Headcanon is yours, no matter how many other people share that belief. There is no implication of consensus as there is with fanon.

I also think that acknowledging that something is head canon when talking about it, when you find it implied by the show but never actually spelled out, is useful and helpful when interacting with other people. Explaining your headcanon helps clarify the lens that you view the show through to someone else, and acknowledges that you're probably not bringing the same things to the canon or interpreting canon stuff the same way.

Headcanon, like fanon, can fit into the cracks that canon does not explore, can amplify things just barely touched on in canon, or can completely contradict canon but in ways that make more sense (at least to you).

Comments

[elf]

I could see headcanon as a form of fanon, a one-person fanon. I see they have that mentioned, but it probably deserves an entire section pointing out the nuances. (I may add this; it won't be tonight. I could even add links; I've known "my headcanon" memes to bounce around the DCUverse fandoms.)

While headcanon may not be shared with anyone, the concept of headcanon is a widely-accepted bit of fanon, so I could see it not getting a separate listing, at least for now.

[azurelunatic]

The mention is in fact small enough that I entirely missed it, so an entire section would be Very Useful. (Another reason why I wrote this: to have a rant specifically pointing out the distinction possibly for citation purposes.)

[ephemera]

I'd agree with you - headcannon and fannon might serve similar purposes, but there;s a distinction between shared understanding, and someone's personal understanding of the character/show/universe. (Even if the nugget in question is both fannon and headcannon, it can be relevant to know that I embrace this element of fannon, which is almost never so universal as to be a safe assumption)

[azurelunatic]

I think fanon involves the expectation that the other party will be at least vaguely familiar with the concept, and headcanon involves the expectation that they might *not* be.

[enemyofperfect]

The other distinction I see between the terms is that headcanon is more explicitly self-aware. It's pretty well built into the concept of fanon that it can and sometimes will be confused with actual canon, but I think headcanon that doesn't know it's headcanon would probably just be called an assumption or a misunderstanding. Or is that just me?

[azurelunatic]

Not just you. I think the name helps shape that awareness, even if it didn't start out that way.