As great as online spaces can be for fans to bond over shared interests, it’s no secret that they also have a darker side. Fans who feel entitled to own the identity of a franchise once considered “theirs” are not exactly a new phenomenon, asStar Warscan attest, but the use of social media has transformed what should be a fringe group of extremists into a movement in and of itself. Many of these hateful campaigns have sinceinfiltrated spaces even outsidethose normally seen as part of geek culture, withBridgertonbeing perhaps the most notable example, and they have proven actively harmful to both fans and creators alike.
For shows likeThe Lord of Rings: The Rings of Power, among others, the biggest casualties of such terrible hate speechare usually women, people of color, and LGBTQ groups, while the claims of “bad writing” make it difficult to discuss or criticize a show in actual good faith. Recently, some shows havetaken it upon themselvesto confront such a problem directly. Still, they need more explicit support from the studios, whose efforts can seem genuine but are usually misguided or inadequate. For these fandoms to survive, those involved in any formmust denounce these hate campaigns for what they arewhile also promoting diversity and new progressive voices.
Toxic Fandoms Have a Long and Shameful History
Perhaps the most important aspect of fandom is that it remains an identity for many people. When you become so invested in a specific franchise due to its characters, world building, and lore, the passion fans have for it can be a major way in which you define your own values. In the right kind of spaces,this can create a sense of belonging, with conventions and film festivals each being great examples, but few things terrify people more thanhaving those identities being threatened. This is true particularly for properties that had once been simply dismissed as “nerdy” but are now popular in the mainstream, like the fantasy and superhero genres, and go back many years. Many of the most toxic fandoms are also some of the biggest, and perhaps it’s somewhat inevitable that a large group will attract many people who use it to spread hate, butthere is often a distinctive element of bigotryinvolved that goes beyond merely disappointing fans. The issue has grown so rapidly these days thateven prominent filmmakers have taken noticeand been repulsed by them, but it’s also a problem that goes back much further than we might like to admit to ourselves.
One of the earliest examples of this playing out in real-time happened with the Star Wars prequels, which tried to appeal to a new generation in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In what must have felt like a shocking event at the time, actors likeJake LloydandAhmed Bestboth received shocking levels of hate mailfor their respective portrayals of a young Anakin Skywalker and Jar Jar Binks, respectively. While it can certainly be argued both characters were badly written,it was clearly not their fault, and projecting such vicious criticism led to tragedy later in life. In particular, Beststruggled with deep depressionin the aftermath of intense fan backlash, and it’s often said that Jake Lloyd had a similar experience. Recently, however, his motherattributed his mental health strugglesto a combination of familial issues and genetic factors, not directly caused by toxic fandoms. While it’s good to know that that was not the main contributing factor for Lloyd, the worst side of fandom remains a worrying sign for upcoming shows likeSkeleton Crew, whose diverse cast is largely composed of children.
The Internet Has Made Fandoms Into Cultural Battlegrounds
In more recent years, many fandoms have grown thanks to social media, but this also enables these hateful groups to spread, especially when done anonymously. One of the first notable examples of this in film circles occurred with the Star Wars sequel trilogy, whereKelly Marie Tranfacedopenly racist backlashfor playing Rose. Shows that prioritized diversity in their casting, likeThe Acolytedid this year, also had to deal with similar complaints about “bad writing” that was not made in good faith, but this was not confined toStar Warsalone. On Amazon,Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerhelped expand the racial diversity in Middle Earth, but at the cost of dealing withthe same bigoted complaintsas other shows. The evolution of these hateful campaignsfrom a small group of toxic fans into a movement of its ownhas also led to them targeting shows that one would not normally associate with traditional nerd culture. As a romance, it’s commonly accepted that a show likeBridgertonhas an entirely different audience than science fiction or fantasy shows, yet it, too, was subjected to this kind of vitriol for daring to cast the book character Michael Stirling asMichaela Stirling(Masali Baduza), with the character being queer as well as Black.
Another harmful notion that remains overlooked is how detrimental these attacks can be, not just to the cast and crew involved, but to industry surrounding entertainment as well. UsingThe Acolyteas a recent example,there are very valid reasonswhy the show was cancelled that had nothing to do with the racist, hateful campaigns, but the optics still allowed these hateful fans to portray it as a victory, feeling that it justified their own harassment. Similarly, the use of coded language about “bad writing” or “inconsistent canon” about these shows canmake it difficult to offer genuine criticism.
Today, even the smallest pushback against the demographics of audiences or film criticscan lead to a brutal hate campaign, asBrie Larsonfound out the hard waywhen she casually notedan absence of female critics during an interview. If franchises like these want a prosperous future, they need to not only leave these specific fans behind, butopenly denounce them, doubling down on what they want their stories to be. Thankfully, we already have a taste of just how that might be achievable.
Ahmed Best Always Deserved to Return to Star Wars
Best has proven he’s more than just the legacy of Jar Jar Binks.
The Best Way To Combat Toxic Fans Means Not Giving Into Harassment
Among general audiences and the rest of fandom, many have questioned why the major studios behind these projects have not done more to criticize those who constantly engage in bad faith, and they are not the only ones. More recently,Jodie Turner-Smithpublicly called out Disneyfor its unwillingness to help protect actors from such harm online following her role inThe Acolytethis year. The answer we received ina recent bombshell report fromVarietyexplains how many involved are clearly aware of the problem but seem to believe that denying these groups attention is the best solution. At first, that might not feel like a bad strategy, and it’s easy to see why some studios might honestly have had good intentions. Today, however, it feels like ignoring the hate has only resulted in enabling such behavior, with hate groups perceiving the silence as evidence that they are “winning.” Rather than implicitly emboldening them,fans and creators alike should be denouncing toxic fanswhen they get aggressive and spew prejudiced rhetoric.
To an extent, some shows have slowly started to catch on. As the article itself notes, theRings of Powercast loudly denounced racist Tolkien fans during their first season and saw engagement with their show actually increase, which MGM Studios TV chiefVernon Sandersembraced with pride. Notably, the series did not suffer through the same issues during its recent second season. Other shows, likeThe Boys, have gone even furtherby using the showto denounce toxic fans explicitly, dropping any remaining subtlety to get their message across loud and clear. Social media monitoring efforts and more personal security measures are certainly a good start. Still, it seems quite clear thatthe best way to overcome the darkest corners of the fandom is to shine a light on themand have that sunlight act as the disinfectant. Now that studios have admitted to being aware of the problem, it’s up to them to create a peaceful environment, one that will allow fans who love these properties to express that without the fear of reprisal that hassplit so many fandoms apartin the past several years. Without a clear effort, these toxic fans and bullies risk not only making fandom spaces intolerable but also lead to the franchises that they supposedly love fading into irrelevance.
The Acolyteis now streaming on Disney+ in the US.
The Acolyte
The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.
