Is fandom scaring away top talent?

[-JKR-]

Yes, it is.
And fandom is dumber and more toxic than it has ever been.

 

[Mandon Knight]

Yes, it is.
And it's more toxic than it has ever been.

The accessibility to be toxic is greater yes, but the actual level has always been there.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Listen, I'm pretty much a fan of all the major franchises (except for Harry Potter and Jurassic Park) but there's something really rotten in the Star Wars fan community above all the others. It's really troubling, and I don't blame talent from steering away from it now.

 

[-JKR-]

Listen, I'm pretty much fans of all the major franchises (except for Harry Potter and Jurassic Park) but there's something really rotten in the Star Wars fan community above all the others. It's really troubling, and I don't blame talent from steering away from it now.

It's everywhere. Just take a look around these boards. It's infuriating how extreme and increasingly dumb and childish things have gotten.

 

[Mandon Knight]

It's everywhere. Just take a look around these boards. It's infuriating how extreme and increasingly dumb and childish things have gotten.

Yet, it's permitted & tolerated to the point of encouragement in some parts.

 

[samsnee]

I only see this really happening on this scale with Star Wars.

Star Wars is arguably the only truly universal franchise that unites multiple generations. As such, the morons in fandom get louder because there are more of them and the job is going to get tougher and tougher.

I recently read an article where the actor who played Jar Jar contemplated suicide after the how much hatred his character got. I can't imagine what it would have been like if Twitter existed back then. Lucas, to his credit, saw all this coming, which is probably why he sold. He even said when TFA came out that it was a movie that the fans would like, knowing that it was because it hewed so closely to the original Star Wars.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

I recently read an article where the actor who played Jar Jar contemplated suicide after the how much hatred his character got.

Really? I could maybe understand that if it had been a live-action performance Not belittling the guy's pain - if he felt it he felt it.

 

[wampa1]

Lucas, to his credit, saw all this coming, which is probably why he sold.

"Why would I make any more, when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?"

 

[samsnee]

Really? I could maybe understand that if it had been a live-action performance Not belittling the guy's pain - if he felt it he felt it.

https://variety.com/2018/film/news/jar-jar-binks-ahmed-best-star-wars-suicide-struggle-1202867677/

Before there was “The Last Jedi’s” Rose Tico, there was “The Phantom Menace’s” Jar Jar Binks. Fans claimed the CGI bipedal alien rabbit ruined the franchise long before Rose Tico actress Kelly Marie was hounded off Instagram, and what should have been a dream come true for Jar Jar actor Ahmed Best quickly devolved into a nightmare.

On July 3, Best tweeted a picture of himself holding his son as the two overlook a harbor on a cloudy day. In the tweet, he revealed it was the spot where he once contemplated committing suicide to avoid the backlash Jar Jar and “The Phantom Menace” were enduring.

 

[Vaibow]

The evidence for scaring people off is right there. I will tell you right now if I ever hit the life lottery become a big name director, I won't engage in social media at all. Nothing good comes of it. The thing is, these idiots now have an outlet to bully filmmakers. Idiots like this were always there, but now they have toys and can harass the people they hate. I will just never give people that outlet.

But if fans want top talent working on these films, they need to stop acting like complete morons and get lives.

This is it, lay off social media. Any job comes with it its problems. For every moron there will be 5 who love the work.

Look at Bay - ruined Transformers to a lot of people, but look at the box office and toy sales - says different.

If a director truly believes in his work, he or she couldn't give a damn what cosplayers say.

 

[Ozbridge]

At least Ahmed Best recovered and his life turned out all right.

Whereas Jake Lloyd's life (who was 10 at the time) turned into a tragedy.

 

[samsnee]

At least Ahmed Best recovered and his life turned out all right.

Whereas Jake Lloyd's life (who was 10 at the time) turned into a tragedy.

Most child actors do. Look at Macaulay Culkin or Corey Feldman. So it’s not a surprise what happened to Lloyd. At least he was in JINGLE ALL ZE WAY!

 

[Ozbridge]

Most child actors do. Look at Macaulay Culkin or Corey Feldman. So it’s not a surprise what happened to Lloyd. At least he was in JINGLE ALL ZE WAY!

I think you're offensively minimizing his suffering; both by considering it normal and mocking his dialogue.

 

[samsnee]

I wasn’t minimizing his suffering. I was saying that what happened to him, while tragic, isn’t unusual in Hollywood for child actors.

As for mocking the dialogue, I was referencing a popular thread on this board.

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=260672&highlight=jingle

 

[Jh7058622]

It's everywhere. Just take a look around these boards. It's infuriating how extreme and increasingly dumb and childish things have gotten.

Truth.

 

[BatLobster]

Yeah, it's gotten bad. It's gotten REAL, real bad.

I don't know to what extent it's scaring people off, but honestly could you blame someone for not taking a gig? If you've got an established career, is it honestly worth all that baggage just to take on one of the big IPs? I'd have to imagine that there's a temptation there to just be like "nah, I'm good. I'll stick to original movies."

Of course you're always subject to criticism whenever you put your art out there, but it's gotten to the point that directing a Star Wars or a Batman movie is like running for public office, which is just insane. And obviously the introduction of social media to the mix makes it that much worse.

I hope Matt Reeves is able to stay out of the fire. I'm glad it hasn't scared him off, it honestly does take big b*lls to take on one of these monster franchises in this day and age, where expectations are always sky high and the conversations around them turn mean-spirited so quickly.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Stephen King perfectly captured the obsessed fan who’s “franchise” doesn’t go the way they think it should...

[YT]HrRSo3a1ZYU[/YT]

 

[TheVileOne]

I think you're offensively minimizing his suffering; both by considering it normal and mocking his dialogue.

Conan O'Brien made an entire career out of mocking Jingle All the Way.

 

[writer0327]

Honestly this is what those toxic fans want anyway.... how did Alfred put it?

 

[MadderMaximus]

Stephen King perfectly captured the obsessed fan who’s “franchise” doesn’t go the way they think it should...

[YT]HrRSo3a1ZYU[/YT]

Exactly what I thought of.

 

[Drizzle]

At the time of their Marvel hire, Branagh is most definitely the most experienced/biggest get. Coogler was a great get, but his filmography pre-BP was WAY less extensive than Branagh's. Branagh's been directing films for decades.

People always forget about Joe Johnston. He's been directing as long as Branagh has and he's been in the industry even longer than that doing effects work. Granted, for the most part, his films aren't as highbrow as Branagh's but he's still a Hollywood veteran. I actually think Captain America is his best film out of the ones I've seen.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

People always forget about Joe Johnston. He's been directing as long as Branagh has and he's been in the industry even longer than that doing effects work. Granted, for the most part, his films aren't as highbrow as Branagh's but he's still a Hollywood veteran. I actually think Captain America is his best film out of the ones I've seen.

CA:TFA is my favourite of all the Marvel movies. I also think he did a very good job with The Wolfman, especially considering how late he came to the project.

 

[Black Narcissus]

Adam Wingard quit twitter after all the fan hate over Death Note. Gal is called a baby killer everyday on her replies instagram/twitter, but she seems like the type who has other folks handle her account for her tho. lol

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Gal is called a baby killer everyday on her replies instagram/twitter, but she seems like the type who has other folks handle her account for her tho. lol

Why is that? Because of her Israeli military service?

 

[Teelie]

The fandoms these days are absolutely toxic.