Why sometimes the fandom ruins popular verses.
April 1, 2022I think we have seen it all at one point or another. Someone pretending to be a celebrity’s spouse on social media. Someone literally assaulting a celebrity at a Comic-Con or even death threats about fictional characters. Fans are a wonderful thing. They keep a project going. They keep actors employed. Some writer’s rooms, like CBS’s SWAT & CBS’s GHOSTS, look to the eager fanbase for ideas and inspiration, while others try to ignore it altogether.
But it has gotten quite ridiculous, and I doubt it will stop anytime soon. But as fans, people just need to be better. Polite. Respectful. I was actually chatting to a friend the other day about this as she is in the same line of work–and it baffles us both why people get so obsessed with people.
Some people have actually turned away from a movie or television show altogether because of how awful the fandom was. Granted, there are two sides to every coin. With every toxic person, comes a kind person. But it really is starting to become a little too much these days.
Let us not forget, at the end of the day–that is a normal person. The writers. The celebrities. The creators. This is their job. It is not their job to be harassed and attacked in person or online. I particularly see this a lot on Twitter, and it’s really heart-breaking.
They are fictional characters. The deaths, twists, and plotlines–have nothing to do with the actors. And it doesn’t make it okay to attack writers either. Can’t we all enjoy it for what it is? Entertainment. Spamming a person every two seconds asking where a certain character is, or getting into ship wars (pairing other characters together and fighting over it), is honestly hurting what you are trying to support.
So remember, ask yourself—should I be tweeting this? Should I be doing this? It is always good to find perspective while still loving the subject matter.