Why has fandom become so toxic? | Boing Boing

2022-07-15 20:33:41 By : Mr. Pole Jing

It's getting difficult to like anything. Or rather, it's getting difficult to be a vocal fan of anything. In recent years, every aspect of entertainment has become as polarized as our political discourse. With warring encampments of fans waging flame wars on Reddit and Twitter, declaring yourself an admirer of something—usually science fiction—is tantamount to enlisting for active service.

I'm old enough to remember a time when meeting a person that shared an interest in comics or television was an enjoyable experience. Being a fan of something, while personally fulfilling, can often be a solitary endeavor. In the good old days, meeting a fellow fan in the wild alleviated that sense of alienation. Now, with the advent of the internet, it usually prompts aggression and annoyance. What changed to make fandom so toxic?

In the video linked above, Star Trek YouTuber Trekspertise provides his assessment of the issue. Correlating fractured fandoms with religions branching into various sects, Trekspertise attempts to humanize both sides of dueling legions of fans.

His latest scandal led to the resignation yesterday of two key government ministers, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson today sees more walking out the door: 7 cabinet ministers and 20 aides, as of 3 p.m. local time. Many published letters of resignation, remarkable in their uniformity. The departures come even as he tries to… READ THE REST

Watch Seinfeld Online is a website solely dedicated to streaming Seinfeld for 24/7. It's free to watch and has no features for rewinding or fast-forwarding. From the time I spent using the site, it seems there are no commercials or advertisements. If you're a big Seinfeld fan with nothing but time on your hands, you… READ THE REST

I walked into my pro wrestling fandom without any illusions of legitimacy about the "sport." I didn't become a wrestling fan until I reached the world-weary age of 13. So much of wrestling's cartoony presentation in the late 80s and early 90s kept me at arm's length, and it wasn't until the product garbed itself… READ THE REST

Whether you're working remotely or in the office, your resources can make a world of difference. No, we're not talking about quality coffee, a steady supply of snacks, or a decent chair (although those could certainly make long work days pass by much quicker). We're talking about the actual apps you use to get the job… READ THE REST

We understand that life has gotten a little stale now that the excitement for summer has worn off. Now we're just in hot, hot heat, and everything is less fun and a lot sticker. So if you're looking for laughs that won't cause heat stroke, bring the joy inside or out with this awesome Air NEO Selfie Camera Drone,… READ THE REST

These days, it could seem like you've been spending all your hard-earned cash on essentials like gas, food, and even toilet paper. And while you need to buy this stuff, current high prices mean having to cut back on other fun stuff, which is hardly something you want to do over the summer. While you… READ THE REST

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