A day or so ago, Andrew Huang wrote:
 

        Hey! I liked this. Very clever, and well thought out.
        Now, all I gotta do is finish watching all the Ghibli movies out
there. ^_^ Thanks.
        So...what exactly, then, is your definition of an avocado?

    Hey, thanks! ^_^

    This is Raphael speaking, Sam's partner in crime, so to speak. 
Sam decided that I could do the replies for this edition (he's 
forwarding me the stuff people might write upon stumbling upon this 
little piece)...

    We had a lot of fun coming up with the personality types of the 
Ghibli Girls when they weren't "on camera", so to speak. I'm glad you 
enjoyed it. (and make sure to watch the rest of the Ghibli movies, 
too!)

    What's an avocado...? Hmmm... Our current working definition is a 
fanfic written in a whimsical style that treats an aspect of anime 
as if it were "real," and addresses the ramifications of this reality. So 
our interview of the Ghibli Girls was an avocado. And our next installment 
(watch for it next month!), which will involve Sam and I shopping for a 
used mecha, will also be an avocado. Some of Sandborn's shorter fics (such 
as the one where the "actors" of Ranma 1/2 are shown in all of their 
terrifying glory), could fall under this category, and even otaku 
self-insertion (or anime visitation) fics could be considered as such 
(although it's kind of a stretch, and some are certainly more whimsical 
than others). A mock commercial advertising the opening of an Ucchan's in 
say, San Fransisco, would definitely be an avocado, as would be a 
restaurant review column of a visit to said restaurant.

    Think of an avocado as a specific and extended type of spamfic, I 
suppose. They're not meant to be taken too seriously, and they're 
supposed to at least make you rethink your take on that particular aspect 
of the animeverse. And, in a sense, it's a mild form of otaku 
wish-fulfillment as well (wow, to be able to interact with the likes 
of Nausicaa, Kiki, and Fujiko!). Does that work?

    Take care!

---
Raphael See