Maybe the Toxic Ones Aren’t the Fans But the Media?

Lately, the media has been publishing article after article, seemingly upset that Hollywood is reportedly pivoting away from listening to them and instead trying to listen to fans. New reports even indicate that studios are considering having “super fan” input into their projects to try and make their shows and films more marketable to the audience of specific IPs.

They are mad because they have spent years convincing Hollywood that the “toxic fandom” was why films or shows failed. Somehow, the “vocal minority” was also why tens of millions of fans in the general public didn’t watch?

That doesn’t even make sense.

The more reasonable explanation is that viewers are tired of the glut of subpar shows put out by studios like Disney, Amazon, Max, etc.

Many have tuned out from the constant barrage of political hot buttons masquerading as “entertainment.” This isn’t because people are against diversity and inclusion or even politics in general. It’s because they are tired of a show’s focus and marketing being all about these things.

Entertainment is meant to be escapism. Not everything needs to be a message.

Movies and shows are failing because the general public isn’t watching.

But you won’t hear that from the media, especially the pop culture media. Activists pretending to be journalists are “big mad” that the films and franchises they think they now own are trying to win back the general public and fans of yore. Not the “toxic fans” but the average people who just stopped watching Marvel, Star Wars, DC films, etc.

Viewership is declining for tent pole franchises.

While the media wants to blame the people who questioned the direction or decisions of Hollywood, I would argue that it has been the media the pushed fans away. The media and the poor choices by the studios.

Fans don’t like being called “toxic” for simply not liking a film or show.

Are there legitimately “toxic” individuals that do crappy things like harass or threaten actors or showrunners? Yes.
Are these people the majority of fans? No.

The media is so fixated on using “toxic fans” in their articles and painting anyone who says they don’t like something as “fanboys” that they are missing the bigger picture. People are NOT watching globally.

Not everyone who isn’t watching is straight, white, or male.

If audiences and money were there, the studios would double down on their choices and not make pointed efforts to listen to “fans” more.

Studios are realizing that maybe the people media has labeled as “toxic” are actually more representative of what the general public expects or wants. To profit the studios need to cast a wider net.

The media doesn’t want that.

Seemingly in lockstep, they are writing more hit pieces, labeling people as “toxic” because they are angry that Hollywood may listen to the fans and not them. 

It’s obvious if you read the articles.

This is what they are so mad about:

“Those who did talk with Variety all agreed that the best defense is to avoid provoking fandoms in the first place. In addition to standard focus group testing, studios will assemble a specialized cluster of superfans to assess possible marketing materials for a major franchise project.”

A big reason fans are “provoked” is the simple fact that not liking a show or movie can result in being labeled as “toxic” by the same media that is angry that Hollywood wants to listen to fans. It comes across as bullying and I’m frankly tired of it.

It’s not the minuscule number of people who take it too far and are legitimately bigoted. It’s the fact that people, in general, stopped caring about franchises due to poor quality, oversaturation, and the media’s nagging.

But this is my opinion.