Written by Luke Barnes
In this cinema issues article we are discussing the currently pushed idea of the toxic fan and using some critical thinking skills.
So firstly it would be remiss to say that no elements of racism and bigotry exist in fandom or that people getting doxed or sent death threats doesn’t happen as it does, by both sides frequently. There are always bad apples in every bunch, however, things are being twisted.
The first thing to address is the matter of proportion, this is that within a fandom be they left right or whatever there will be bad apples, but they are a small number, to say a whole fandom is anything based on a few people is inherently in bad faith.
Onto the next point, misuse. So people online use terms like racist and bigot like they are going out of fashion and crucially they use them incorrectly. The most common way of this is that they say anyone who says something they don’t like or who criticises something they like is bigoted. This is not only silly and degrading to the terms themselves but also it leads then for the echo chamber to echo that now the fandom are all bigoted when they may not be at all and the original inciting incident was just someone saying they didn’t like the sound design of a film.
A final thing to consider is the idea of tribalism and scapegoats, it is very nice for a studio when a film comes out and does badly to go we didn’t make a bad film the fans are just toxic. Moreover, those who like the film can just rally behind that line and not thinking critically buy into it and go yeah I really liked it so anyone that doesn’t must have another reason for not liking it, enter the they are bigots line.
Overall, whilst there is and always will be an element of toxicity in fandoms, criticising a film, casting choice, plot point or whatever is non toxic, someone disliking a film you like is non toxic, someone saying they didn’t like the costumes in a show is not bigoted or racist and you are devaluing those terms by using them so casually. The war against toxic fans by some online and by studios is not only blown up way out of proportion and enflamed by political tribalism, but also unwinnable and frankly wrongheaded. As often a lot of the people who are calling people toxic are being that themselves by going after people they don’t like online.
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