Do-What?

I've been reading all the recent posts linked from metafandom about the role of academics in fandom and about a lack of academic discussion of race, class, and religion in fandom. These two posts in particular were interesting; you should read them yourselves as I may err in paraphrasing or commenting on them: http://www.livejournal.com/users/nostalgia_lj/825452.html and http://www.livejournal.com/users/jenavira/568912.html?style=mine.

These posts and the resultant comments bother me, and I've been trying to determine why. I agree with the general thrust of the posts. I also think that race, class, and religion are areas which my fandom (BtVS/Ats) has hesitated to explore. I do think that the primary concentrations of most meta commentary on the shows, my own included really, are issues of sexuality and gender. I too would like to see more work done on race, class, and religion, especially since the Buffyverse has some interesting things to say about all three. (I am aware that some people are interested in and are writing about these issues. For example, the su_herald's last post linked to a discussion of souls in the Buffyverse, which I have not yet gotten to read, but I'm sure will prove interesting.)

( Academics and Fandom )

Finally, I was really surprised by some of the very vehement anti-academic comments to alixtii's post. I know, Lorraine is very naive. I didn't even know fandom existed until about ten months ago, so I suppose it shouldn't surprise me to discover that people are REALLY divided about the appropriate way to approach it. This leads me to ask, for those of you on the flist that don't identify yourselves as academics, how do you feel about the academics on your flist that post their latest musings about the fandom? Does it ever piss you off? Do you find them pretentious and irritating? Do you sometimes/always/never read these meta posts? How would you describe your general attitude toward the intersection of academia and fandom?