Toxic fandom ?

Dear Prudence

Dear Prudence

Well-Known Member
Most fandoms are toxic. I have never really had a good experience with them. I think now that the internet is for "everyone" and not just nerds, we are seeing it more and more. I think a huge part of the toxicity is possessiveness over things that don't belong to them.

The Tori Amos fandom was so toxic, I stopped listening to her music altogether. Fans of her Atlantic era could NOT fathom that people change as they keep making creative output (as well they should), that she was making music they could no longer connect to (because they wouldn't grow up) and went after people who still enjoyed her music. They dedicated multiple online groups to mocking and harassing people, instead of just...finding someone else to listen to. On the flip side, her die-hards were harassing and bullying Native fans when Native Invader came out in 2017 for not being happy with her making money off of Native pain after being silent during Standing Rock.

When the [certain movie musical] came out, I had to deal with art theft from someone with a much bigger following than I had. This person went on to take the stolen art to a big-name animation studio. But this person having a bigger following than I had automatically made this person "correct" and the number of open threats and harassment I received is something I never really recovered from. Then there were the issues with the "anon hate" group that caused the entire fandom to implode and all of the artists in the fandom (which I wasn't even actually a part of, I just drew things and got roped into this) stopped posting art.

It's the possessiveness, the blind allegiance, the "need" to be in proximity of perceived greatness, etc etc etc
 
Dear Prudence

Dear Prudence

Well-Known Member
Speaking of toxic, the one thing I cannot abide by is people who position themselves as mentally and morally superior to others on certain park changes, but only engage/ purposely target/ harass/ bully those who are clearly neurodivergent and/ or who are Autistics (and list so in their social bios, etc.) on the "opposing" side. Like, everyone can see what you're doing. If you're so much more mentally and morally superior, why are you even bothering to engage others? You can just be secure and smug in your rightness and be quiet about it, can't you? Especially since they are almost always people to whom these conversations do not belong to 🙃 , and that they are monopolizing space and drowning out the people who actually need to be heard, of which they have absolutely no self-reflexivity that they're the part of the problem. I block people I see talk about this on either side of the argument, I just don't have the patience for it. I highly recommend blocking people. It's therapeutic, honestly.
 
Heppenheimer

Heppenheimer

Well-Known Member
Dear Prudence said:
Most fandoms are toxic.
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Pre-internet, though, we mostly only saw this with sports fans, because these were really the only groups that could meet together visibly regularly in large, opposing tribal gatherings (ie, games).

Post-internet, sports fans are still just as toxic as ever, but at least online, they seem to be slightly better behaved than, lets say, fans of various pieces of pop culture.
 
Dear Prudence

Dear Prudence

Well-Known Member
Heppenheimer said:
Pre-internet, though, we mostly only saw this with sports fans, because these were really the only groups that could meet together visibly regularly in large, opposing tribal gatherings (ie, games).

Post-internet, sports fans are still just as toxic as ever, but at least online, they seem to be slightly better behaved than, lets say, fans of various pieces of pop culture.
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Eh, maybe not refer to that as "tribal."

I like sports as much as anyone else, I don't understand the allegiance to it, or why you would get into fights with anyone over them. That being said, any futbol team that beats Argentina is my new fave.
 
Sir_Cliff

Sir_Cliff

Well-Known Member
Dear Prudence said:
Most fandoms are toxic. I have never really had a good experience with them. I think now that the internet is for "everyone" and not just nerds, we are seeing it more and more. I think a huge part of the toxicity is possessiveness over things that don't belong to them.
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I think this is probably true and it reminds me of hearing someone describe hipsters as people who like to control and police the way people consume culture and enthusiasts being those who like to share their interests with others. I feel that most online fan communities are dominated by the former. One of the interesting things to ponder with Disney park fans is why Epcot seems to provoke the most fervent policing of what the park should and shouldn't be, even from those who never experienced the park as it "should be."

SteveAZee said:
Anyone remember rec.arts.disney.parks?

I think that since it was mostly frequented by engineering types, it tended to be a little more factual and less vitriolic or filled with pixie dusters.
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Ah yes, happy memories! That did have the slightly wilder cousin alt.disney.disneyland, though!
 
Giss Neric

Giss Neric

Well-Known Member
There are literally negative tweets or posts on Instagram that is not even related in any way to Disney but then you see comments like "Thanks Chapek."
 
Dear Prudence

Dear Prudence

Well-Known Member
They're back at mocking people who are very obviously neurodivergent and I am tired. I obviously don't agree with trying to save a sinking ship, but that has no bearing on not purposely targeting and mocking people who are very clearly and obviously unwell and or neurodivergent. Like if you are so mentally and morally superior, why are you mocking people who are neurodivergent? It just makes you a scumbag, obviously.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
That thank you comment went back many years when there was a lady in Management in WDW or TWDC. that was particularly hated, for many the same reasons as the dislike of Chapek, was constantly being blamed for every bad thing that happened in the company. I don't remember her name, perhaps some others do. There was also a Blame Shanghai force at one time when budgets were cut. It ramped into a joke where those names were used to express displeasure about everything including afternoon and evening thunderstorms. It was all a semi-joke and not part of any deviant movement, mental or otherwise, it was just a bunch of fans being humorous. See how easy it is to get stupid reactions over nothing at all.
 
networkpro

networkpro

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
In the Parks
Yes
Goofyernmost said:
That thank you comment went back many years when there was a lady in Management in WDW or TWDC. that was particularly hated, for many the same reasons as the dislike of Chapek, was constantly being blamed for every bad thing that happened in the company. I don't remember her name, perhaps some others do. There was also a Blame Shanghai force at one time when budgets were cut. It ramped into a joke where those names were used to express displeasure about everything including afternoon and evening thunderstorms. It was all a semi-joke and not part of any deviant movement, mental or otherwise, it was just a bunch of fans being humorous. See how easy it is to get stupid reactions over nothing at all.
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Meg -asaurus Rex Crofton!
 
THEMEPARKPIONEER

THEMEPARKPIONEER

Well-Known Member
Disney World and all things Disney should be a step away from politics and I’m afraid it’s going the complete opposite. Where loosing our beloved Disney World as we know it more and more each day. Disney and these sites should never have their hands in social causes it’s a place where none of that stuff matters. It’s about friends and families, a step away from the real world even on here should be that to.
 
T

TsWade2

Well-Known Member
To me, as a longtime Disney fan, I'm kind've feel embarrassed seeing fans hating on Bob Chapek for some weird reason. I think this hate on Bob Chapek gets really out of hand. I've heard Bob Chapek got heckled and booed last month at WDW. That is unprofessional! I'm not saying everyone should like Bob CHapek, nobody has to like him, but this overwhelming hate on Bob Chapek has to stop. But, I'm afraid I can't control the fandom.
 
GustoGummi

GustoGummi

Active Member
TsWade2 said:
To me, as a longtime Disney fan, I'm kind've feel embarrassed seeing fans hating on Bob Chapek for some weird reason. I think this hate on Bob Chapek gets really out of hand. I've heard Bob Chapek got heckled and booed last month at WDW. That is unprofessional! I'm not saying everyone should like Bob CHapek, nobody has to like him, but this overwhelming hate on Bob Chapek has to stop. But, I'm afraid I can't control the fandom.
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Thank you for joining us Bob, how's hiding from the public eye going for you?
 
mergatroid

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
TsWade2 said:
To me, as a longtime Disney fan, I'm kind've feel embarrassed seeing fans hating on Bob Chapek for some weird reason. I think this hate on Bob Chapek gets really out of hand. I've heard Bob Chapek got heckled and booed last month at WDW. That is unprofessional! I'm not saying everyone should like Bob CHapek, nobody has to like him, but this overwhelming hate on Bob Chapek has to stop. But, I'm afraid I can't control the fandom.
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Heckled and booed by Cast members? :D
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
TsWade2 said:
To me, as a longtime Disney fan, I'm kind've feel embarrassed seeing fans hating on Bob Chapek for some weird reason. I think this hate on Bob Chapek gets really out of hand. I've heard Bob Chapek got heckled and booed last month at WDW. That is unprofessional! I'm not saying everyone should like Bob CHapek, nobody has to like him, but this overwhelming hate on Bob Chapek has to stop. But, I'm afraid I can't control the fandom.
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And the worse part is that they ignorantly think that all the decisions come from him. Add to that we really don't know how what is happening now is absolutely negative. There are so many armchair theme park experts in the fandom universe. They know it all. They know what will work as a business and what won't as they go back to their regular job of asking if we want fries with that.

I am negative lately, but only about how it personally affects me. I will not think for a minute that The Walt Disney Company is run by one powerful person. It hasn't been that way since December 1966. I may speculate on what I think is good or bad for the company, but if you add up all the hours I have spent in a theme park it amounts, at tops, a month, of my 73 years. In other words, I am not an expert. I only know what I like or what, in recent times excludes me from experiencing something that was always important to me. But, such is life. We have to play with the cards we are dealt. Only time will decide if decisions being made today have a positive or negative affect on the future of WDW or any other part of the company. Whatever happens Bob will be blamed for something because of what affects us personally and in actuality he is being judge internally by the company he is the face of. The decisions are agreed upon by it's governing board of directors. They are the place where the buck actually stops. I have never blamed Bob (either one) for changes. Now after a few years of positive input to the board and Chapek has gained their complete confidence, as Iger did, then perhaps we can blame him. Right now he is in high pressure training which is why Iger hasn't yet retired to his island in the Caribbean.
 
W

WishIWasRetired

Active Member
TsWade2 said:
To me, as a longtime Disney fan, I'm kind've feel embarrassed seeing fans hating on Bob Chapek for some weird reason. I think this hate on Bob Chapek gets really out of hand. I've heard Bob Chapek got heckled and booed last month at WDW. That is unprofessional! I'm not saying everyone should like Bob CHapek, nobody has to like him, but this overwhelming hate on Bob Chapek has to stop. But, I'm afraid I can't control the fandom.
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Bob is the face of Disney right now and this is how Disney fans are going to show there displeasure about what is happening to the way things are being run.
 

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