I have been coming across a lot of troubling articles relating to pop culture lately. Instead of seeing articles that praise "Batwoman" finally being represented on screen, I learn that the actress portraying her has quit Twitter due to the backlash of it. Instead of people excited to see what a live action "Teen Titans" could be like, Anna Diop was all but chased off of Instagram. This has led me to the conclusion fans are ruining the very thing we hold dear. The fandom has become a disease that is spreading, and that is not okay.
I have talked briefly in the past about how some fandoms such as "Star Wars" can have a bit of a toxic following, but that toxicity is spreading to other genres now. These actresses are just the latest in a long line of people who have done a comic book, fantasy, or sci-fi film and tv that have been harassed like this. Earlier this year Kelly Marie Tran deleted her Instagram page because of the backlash she got from "The Last Jedi."
Obviously, there is no way to satisfy everyone, and I can be a fan that is occasionally hard to please. However, that is in no way a reason to bully anyone, and that is what these "fans" are doing. Bullying. It doesn't matter if they are celebrities, directors, actors, musicians, or millionaires, bullying is and will always be wrong. I have heard the argument that they are artists and performers and should learn how to handle criticism, but I don't buy it. Criticism comes positives and negatives, and it is supposed to be objective. "I hate Ruby Rose as Batwoman because she is not Jewish," is not criticism. Just because you dislike the casting of a film or tv show does not give you or anyone the right to harass a person regardless of how famous they are.
That also does not mean you have to like the casting choice of everyone or certain characters in any way. Personally, I line with several people in not being a huge fan of the "Titans" trailer that was released. I think there was poor casting on all parts, but I have not seen the actual show yet, so there is really no way to tell who is talented in it and who isn't. Plus, I know for a fact that each and every actor is that show will give a way better performance than I ever could. I do not mean to say I have a better moral compass than anyone else. I just wanted to use myself as an example that shows you don't have to like everything Hollywood does with your favorite comic.
I know that can be hard as well. I know there are lots of these characters that fans are extremely passionate about it, and I know when you are passionate about something, it is easy to critique and overly judge it because you love it and want it to be perfect. The truth is that it will never be perfect because things always have to change when being put into film and tv. That doesn't mean it will not be good. Any comic fan out there knows Hugh Jackman is too tall for the comic Wolverine, but his performance is great and so are his movies. Keep an open mind, and there could be some surprises that come out of it. The new movie or tv show could flop as well, but do not take it out on the people involved. The actors and crew really wanted to make something good, but sometimes mistakes are made. That is still no reason to bully someone.