Conversations with Jem Jebbia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jem Jebbia.

Hi Jem, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started making sports history videos as a hobby during the pandemic- I was doing my doctoral dissertation research and struggling because the libraries and archives weren’t open. Making these videos was a way to share my passion for history with a community of fans and not feel too discouraged by the delay in my academic work. I started to find that this sports fan community wanted to help me in my academic work- people would message me and tell me I could interview their parent or grandparent about my dissertation (which was about religion in California’s Central Valley). It was really inspiring to hear from actual people, more so than simply reading in the old newspapers and books. As we came back to “real life” I found a passion in learning about the anthropology of fandom and how sports fans play an essential role in creating subcultures around the world. Today I make videos about the “game day” experience and history- mostly the history of fan culture and material culture. I also just finished law school and hope to be a family lawyer for athletes.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest hurdles has been choosing “life” over studying late into the night- I love my academic work, and I love my content work. Sometimes, I feel like I am being made to choose between the two, and many people still don’t believe content creation is a “real” job. However, the moments of triumph have guided me. For example, someone who watches my videos helped me get an internship with a really prominent law firm.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I would call myself a content creator who aims to make everyone feel welcome in sports fandom- especially women. I feel lucky that growing up, my dad helped me play sports and learn about them, because sports knowledge is a huge source of cultural capital. As I have been a law student and now a lawyer working for a private practice, I also make videos about legal issues in sports and historical landmark cases in sports. I am most proud of creating a welcoming community. For example, I am a MLB Threads Community Champion because I create conversations among a mostly- women baseball fan community. The community members tell me they feel refreshed in a place they can be fans on their own terms.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My advice is always to get yourself to places where the people you want to meet are. I’m pretty reserved, but I find if I can attend an event, go to a party, or even go to a game and strike up some conversations, I find I have things in common with many more people than I imagine. One thing I continue to work on is asking for help too!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baker_raiderette/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-jem-jebbia-412309290/
• Threads: https://www.threads.com/@baker_raiderette
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jemthebaker