All the toxic fans raise your hands!

How would one choose to define art? By its very nature art is meant to be subjective. Therein lies the sheer ability of it, to be interpreted differently as per our perspective and worldview. The year is 2018 and we have seen art in various forms take leaps and strides due to technology be it in movies, gaming or any other format. People seem to be enjoying this brand-new space of content that has been created.

Consider the success of Marvel, which has nearly perfected the formula of pleasing the crowd and also making a billion dollars along the way for each one of their movies. They cater to their fans and yet offer something slightly different. This has to be as comics are one medium whose stories have been told again and again and therefore there always has to be the factor of that ‘something new’.

Such content has created fans worldwide. Marvel has its own raging fan base, so does its competitor DC. And this is just movies when it comes to gaming and even books, fans everywhere are now latching onto every word, action and scene. What happens when the makers fail to please the ever-fickle crowd? Chaos! The term that has arisen is called ‘Toxic Fan Base’, fans of a particular show, game or movie, who cannot bear to see their favourite art not be portrayed in the manner that they want to. With the help of social media, their unheard voice has suddenly become a lot more vocal.

The impact of the fan base spewing hate and bile towards people trying to tell a story has made popular storyteller decided not to take up projects. Rian Johnson, the director of ‘The Last Jedi’, faced immense backlash after the release of the movie. And just for being friends with him on social media, the director of ‘Mission Impossible - Fall Out’, Christopher McQuarrie, who was considering a Star Wars dropped the idea after being dragged into the argument when he was just as he himself put it “an innocent bystander”.

These so-called fans are creating problems even before they have a chance to exist. In a tweet, James Mangold made a public statement warning people that directors would quit taking up blockbuster projects if the fans were so rabid and scrutinised every move. He said that it was already quite a burden to make a blockbuster and the added scrutiny of fans who disapprove of every decision will eventually drive all the talent away. “If you feel that is the case, if u feel the film makers are just corporate tools and powerless, then why bitch at us? In the case of @rianjohnson and @chrismcquarrie, i assure you these cats are not “owned”. They actually fight your battles behind the scenes” (sic), he tweeted.

It’s not only the directors but even actors who are facing an immense backlash. Recently at Comic Con, the trailer for ‘Titans’, a new series from DC on its streaming network, made its debut. People on social media made such vocal and abhorring comments on the actress Anna Diop who plays Starfire.

She faced such racist comments that she ended up deleting her social media accounts. The time has come to question and put a check on the violent nature of fans and punish those who make derogatory comments against people just because they do not align with their image of something should be.