Reflection 3: The Fandom Menace—When Fandoms Turn Toxic

NOTE: Those of you presenting at the Adobe digital media symposium this month are excused from both Reflection 3 and 4.

The mid-2010s rise of Donald Trump as a political figure coincided with an uptick in the phenomenon of “toxic fandom”—fanbases who express their displeasure through online abuse, which is often misogynistic, racist, and homophobic. Unhappy, or raucous, fanbases predate even Hollywood. For instance, the 1893 “death” of Sherlock Holmes in The Adventure of the Final Problem, triggered such a fan outcry that public memorials were held and petitions were circulated—and it even sparked some of the first fan-fiction ever written. (Author Arthur Conan Doyle eventually relented and brought Holmes back from the dead.) In the 21st century, fandom, from politics to music, can be decidedly nastier. Thanks to the Internet and social media, fan displeasure is quicker, meaner, and, of course, anonymous. In recent years, major franchises, including Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and Marvel have been rocked by online backlashes and boycotts from small, but vocal, groups of mostly conservative white male fans. In 2018, these fans’ racist and sexist attacks led to Star Wars: the Last Jedi’s Kelly Ann Tran deleting her Instagram, and even forced IMDB to adjust its grading system after Disney’s The Little Mermaid was review-bombed because they were upset that a Black actress was cast as Ariel. And it’s not just film and television fans, these days. While rivalries between fandoms have long existed—consider sports’ many rivalries—some music camps have recently taken to attacking each other out of loyalty to their favorite artist, including Taylor Swift’s Swifties and Beyonce’s BeyHive. Why is it so hard for some people to simply be a fan? And can a modern fandom exist without devolving into tribalism? Finally, from stans to trolls, how has social media helped transform fandoms into platforms for people’s prejudices?

Include at least two of the following in your reflection:

• “How Fandom Turns Toxic” (Psychology Today)  
• “Paul Feig Says ‘So Many Trump Supporters’ Lashed Out at Female Ghostbusters, Then Trump Mocked the Reboot and ‘Everybody Went F—ing Cannibal’” (Variety)  
• “Fandom Can Be a Lot Like High School—Here's How To Avoid The Bad Stuff” (NPR News)  
• "Social Media Feeds Toxic Fandoms. Is There a Solution?” (Mashable)
  
• “Toxic Fandom: How Hollywood is Battling Fans Who are ‘Just Out for Blood’” (Variety)

Requirements:

• MLA Style, including parenthetical citations and works cited
• ≈250 words (one full page)
  

Due: Sun 11.17 (via Canvas)