I’m sure you’ve all read that Kelly Marie Tran deleted her instagram this past week and, although not confirmed, the decision was prompted by the amount of abuse that had been sent her way.
I’m not here to argue over Star Wars The Last Jedi. Personally, I enjoyed the film and Tran’s character arc was refreshing for me and I can only speak for MY experiences of the film. I know that there are a lot of people who did not enjoy the film nor the CHARACTER she played - which is fine. I’m not here to change your mind about enjoying a film - that’s not even the problem. I can even agree there were parts that could have played out differently. The problem is when actors are targeted by hateful, toxic members of a fandom that so many enjoy.
There is a difference between critiquing a film and character and attacking/abusing an actor. It’s a pretty big difference. One makes you look like a decent human and the other makes you look like a giant arse.
Tran is just the most recent in a long line of actors who have removed themselves from the toxic nature of social media. Daisy Ridley, who played Rey, left instagram after The Force Awakens release. Leslie Jones took a break from twitter after tonnes of abuse was hurled her way for the Ghostbusters reboot. And this is directly related to the hate directed to them. Remember constructive criticism is fine but being a dick is not.
This is problematic. This is toxic. This is dangerous. People can get hurt.
I’m often reminded of the saying “if you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all” which I feel is due for a come back. It doesn’t mean that you can’t have opinions but people really need to start understanding the difference between characters and actors. I mean, it’s really not that hard to say “I didn’t like that character” rather than “that character was the worst thing ever and now this actor has personally ruined my entire childhood...” I mean, honestly, that last one - if a single character in a film has that much power over your childhood you may need to rethink your priorities in life. And that extends to attacking people in the fandom who do not share that opinion.
As a woman who games, enjoys all sorts of nerd related stuff I have waded through a fair amount of crap. Luckily, I’m not famous and so I’ve never had hate directed my way. (That I know of...I mean, I can be pretty oblivious to things but I’ve also never really put myself out there.) But I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it plastered on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and much more. I’ve gotten to a point where I just have to avoid comment sections because, without a doubt, there will be some horrible comment that often proves the point that the author was trying to make.
Have we fostered a culture where it’s perfectly acceptable to post hateful, hurtful things directed at a person because there is a screen and often oceans between us? Have some of us lost empathy?
We have so many talented people out there who have had to shy away from interacting with their fans due to this toxic vitriol sent there way. It becomes toxic when posts that support the fandom are hijacked by people who want to push their opinion as if it is the only right opinion.
What I guess I’m trying to say is that we need to look at the words and energy that we put out in the world. What kind of negativity are we leaving out there for others to see? How many fans are going to shy away from having discussions for fear that what they like or didn’t like is going to be met with hate? I’m pretty sure there’s a quote that mentions something about hate leading to the dark side... but then again, according to some people I’ve met, I’m just a fake geek girl who doesn’t know any better...
So I leave you with a challenge - don't feed the trolls if you can help it. Don't be a troll. And remember - being nice is actually kinda fun!