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A Rebuttal To The New Yorker: No, Fandoms Are Not Becoming As Toxic As Politics
The New Yorker. Fandoms. Politics. Which of these phrases do not belong? It should be obvious. When the mainstream talks about fandom, they talk about the pop culture icons that are more prevalent. We rarely hear about the niche stuff that makes people smile politely or call us “cute” for finding joy.
The New Yorker posted an article with a question about if fandoms are becoming more toxic. The author talked about a Nicki Minaj fan who got harassed, doxxed and fired for a tweet she made about the lady’s music. They mention how Game of Thrones fans got furious about the show’s ending and petitioned to have a different filming scenario. Also, Russian trolls apparently took up arms against the new POC cast members in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
I’ve been in fandom since I was eighteen or nineteen, thanks to the Internet. Before that, I read and posted fic as a teenager for a few years, before my computers crashed and high school interfered. My friends helped me get through grad school, and a few stressful times. I’ve celebrated them getting married, having kids, publishing books, or achieving their dreams. One who is a great fanfic writer is now building a career in a separate field and loves every second of it.
