Toxic fandom ?

[Jrb1979]

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.

I don't care who's making the decisions but they are doing a terrible job coming out of the pandemic.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I don't care who's making the decisions but they are doing a terrible job coming out of the pandemic.

I understand but one person is not making those decisions. Blaming Chapek is just a wild accusation based on the fact that most people do not understand just how huge corporations work. So far they have been hitting us with a handful of new things at a time. I don't think they are finished yet, but it is a them and not a him that is doing this. He's just there to take the heat and that is exactly what is happening. He is getting paid handsomely for taking that heat, so I'm not upset about how it is affecting him because it isn't affecting him at all. He gets told what to do and he does it.

 

[TsWade2]

Thank you for joining us Bob, how's hiding from the public eye going for you?

I am not Bob Chapek!

Heckled and booed by Cast members?

No, some weird rude guests.

Guess I have to make a leave of absence again before I make a scene.

 

[mergatroid]

I am not Bob Chapek!


No, some weird rude guests.

Guess I have to make a leave of absence again before I make a scene.

I was joking because you said they were very unprofessional. The term 'unprofessional' means below or contrary to the standards expected in a particular profession , therefore only cast members booing could be called 'unprofessional' whereas park guests can't as they don't work there. Don't worry as you're not making a scene, just describing what you saw and I was just joking about the word you used.

 

[TsWade2]

I was joking because you said they were very unprofessional. The term 'unprofessional' means below or contrary to the standards expected in a particular profession , therefore only cast members booing could be called 'unprofessional' whereas park guests can't as they don't work there. Don't worry as you're not making a scene, just describing what you saw and I was just joking about the word you used.

Okay. Thanks.

 

[Robbiem]

In my experience most fandoms and voluntary organisations end up as toxic environments. Where there is an organisation or group there are always people who try to control the agenda and create cliques. Disney is no better or worse than other groups.

I have to say for me the past couple of years have been an opportunity to reset and reconsider what matters. Taking myself out of some of those situations has made me feel so much better

 

[Goofyernmost]

I was joking because you said they were very unprofessional. The term 'unprofessional' means below or contrary to the standards expected in a particular profession , therefore only cast members booing could be called 'unprofessional' whereas park guests can't as they don't work there. Don't worry as you're not making a scene, just describing what you saw and I was just joking about the word you used.

Exactly, a guest is rude and CM would be unprofessional and rude. I wondered the same thing and thought the talk was about the CM's.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

Is Disney fandom toxic?

In a word absolutely.

This has of course risen due to the information age attributed to the internet, where people can pick and choose whatever they desire to make themselves feel miserable about and take that misery out anonymously over the internet to random strangers.

Like Space Mountain? No you can't because its not as good as Disneyland!!!

Like the fast food at any Disney Park? Oh no you don't, they cut the food budget and we are left with powdered hamburger mix and fries made out of lard.

And dare you explain your rational you're more than likely to be labeled either a troll or ignorant.

But to be fair you can't just label these wimpy keyboard tactics strictly on Disney, its anything trendy, sports, politics, a Kardashian love life, heck you want to see true ruthlessness look into the retro gaming community people get doxxed for posting bad reviews.

Disney in my opinion is a hobby, some consider it a lifestyle which is eye brow raising if you truly think about it. It should never be something someone should become "toxic" about, and if you come in actual contact with people who are I personally suggest to walk away and buy a churros.


Jimmy Thick- My next quaterly post won't be until February 2022, Happy Holiday's and smile once a day!!!

 

[GustoGummi]

The Disney Parks fandom is a hot mess because it's filled with some of the most passionate and often crazy people. I don't know, I think it would be more fun if a class system was put in place.

 

[Rob562]

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.

Proudly a RADP poster dating back about 25 years (when I discovered the fledgeling World Wide Web in college).

It was quite the tight-knit community back in those days.

-Rob

 

[NickMaio]

It is an interesting article and I do often wonder whether Disney fandom is unique in this way, or whether other fandoms are the same in their heated defence of the 'correct' way to be a fan and appreciate whatever the product. I have seen this with bands before, and it's always been a similar dynamic whereby the 'real' fans like how things were before and ridicule those who like what the band has been putting out beyond the end of that time when they were good

One thing that I have always found notable about Disney fandom is the singling out of specific executives as villains and others as heroes valiantly trying to fight the good fight. To a certain extent I think the CEO can wear this as a fairly public figure, but all the nicknames, comments about people's ability to do their job, and on their personal appearance, etc. has been pretty uncomfortable to watch over the years. Also find it a bit strange that so many seem to expect people to quit their jobs rather than develop attractions involving IP.

I say this, mind you, as someone who is fairly critical of a lot of what has been happening recently at WDW!

Ask any actor who was in the last 3 star wars films.Toxic Fandom is nothing new.....
Go back to 2001 phantom menace, some of those actors tried to commit suicide because of the back lash they experienced from the ' so called' fans.
The internet is a nasty business.

 

[Vinnie Mac]

The Disney Parks fandom is a hot mess because it's filled with some of the most passionate and often crazy people. I don't know, I think it would be more fun if a class system was put in place.

Sometimes already feels like there is a class system. The pixie dusters and the Debbie downers as some would put it.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Sometimes already feels like there is a class system. The pixie dusters and the Debbie downers as some would put it.

There is a difference between a class structure and differing opinions. It is when it gets to either side showing no tolerance for the opinions of others. Now I'm going to qualify that in that opinions that are hateful, bigoted, militant expressing violent actions against others or just expressing insulting names or implications against others personally are not something that anyone should tolerate.

Right now that is coming from external factions and is just permeating all of our culture. Saying that you don't like a policy that Disney has put in place or an attraction that is less then keeping up with the quality that is expected does not make one a Debbie Downer, in fact anyone that pays that close attention to negative theme park detail is really nothing more than a depressed Pixie Duster. Most of the population, perhaps those that don't live on these boards, are just normal people and are not part of that group. To spend a lot of time on those details means that they are all Pixie Dusters that read to much into everything that happens Disney-wise! It's closer to obsession than class structure and it is equal in both directions, dusters or downers.