Sci-fi/fantasy/comic book fans have a special connection to their favorite characters and stories, as they’ve often grown up with them and turned to them during hard times. Sometimes this connection can develop into an unhealthy feeling of ownership or entitlement. It’s these emotions, combined with the worst kind of racism, misogyny and homophobia that leads to actors and artists being harassed when they join these franchises.
“Star Wars” frequently has issues with toxic fans attacking actors online, as John Boyega, Moses Ingram and Amandla Stenberg have all found themselves dealing with racist trolls. When this online harassment occurs, Lucasfilm’s parent company, Disney, doesn’t usually comment on the situation. Well, one of the star’s of the latest “Star Wars” series, “The Acolyte,” is tired of the silence.
Jodie Turner-Smith, who plays Mother Aniseya, criticized the entertainment giant for not supporting her on-screen daughter Stenberg in “a very public-facing way” as she dealt with a barrage of online attacks.
“They’ve got to stop doing this thing where they don’t say anything when people are getting f—-ing dog-piled on the internet with racism and bullshit,” Turner-Smith told Glamour UK. “It’s just not fair to not say anything. It’s really unfair.”
Ultimately, she wants the people who are the most financially invested in these franchises to make it clear that this behavior is is not part of the real fandom..
“It would just be nice if the people that have all the money were showing their support and putting their feet down,” she said. “Say this is unacceptable: ‘You’re not a fan if you do this.’ Make a really big statement and just see if any money leaves.”
It’s usually money that keeps corporations from speaking up and taking a firm stand. However, the “Queen & Slim” star feels that won’t be the case here “Because people of color, and especially Black people, make up a very large percentage of buying power. They might find that it’s actually more lucrative for them, but everyone’s using ‘woke’ like it’s a dirty word.”
Toxic fandoms aren’t a new concept. When Michael Keaton was cast as Batman, fanboys lost their minds. They couldn’t believe “Mr. Mom” and “Beetlejuice” was going to play the Dark Knight. Now, he’s widely considered one of the best on-screen versions of the character. It’s an exhausting, endless hamster wheel of complaining, predicting how awful it will be, then realizing it’s awesome.
These so-called “fans” are so attached to their idea of what their favorite universe should be, a studio calling them out isn’t going to make much of a difference. It usually comes down to other fans and stars of the franchise shaming them for their behavior. Ewan McGregor defending Moses Ingram and “The Lord of the Rings” stars standing up for “The Rings of Power” cast has a lot more impact than a corporate statement.
We’re not saying studios should continue to stay silent. At the very least, actors of color can feel like they’re not twisting in the wind, defending themselves alone. And maybe if enough studios condemn racist and misogynist online attacks, it will give a few of these jerks pause to reconsider their actions.
As much as we all love these universes, we’re talking about spaceships, light sabers, superheroes and dragons. It’s not the life or death scenario you think it is.