As mentioned in my last article, I wanted to speak on toxic celebrity culture and how fans engage with it, especially those on Stan Twitter. In today’s article, we will be talking about how fans react when a celebrity does something “problematic” or when a celebrity’s past problematic actions are brought back to light. Now, let me say this right off the bat: I DO think celebrities should be called out for the harmful, offensive acts they commit toward people, especially those of marginalized communities. Celebrities hold a lot of impact in our society and we should hold them accountable for the harmful rhetoric they possess, just as we would with those in our day-to-day lives.
As someone who has actively been on Stan Twitter since January of this year (and observing the community for a few years now), I have noticed a considerable amount of individuals do not take this topic seriously. Whenever concerns about what a celebrity has done are brought up by communities who were hurt, there tends to be a number of pushback by individuals who were not offended. Those who were not offended try to give the celebrity a pass or excuse their actions, which is something fans should not do because by doing this, more issues are created.
I have also noticed that fans who call out celebrities for their harmful actions receive harassment from those who weren’t offended or hurt, especially if the former are of marginalized communities. These fans will receive disgusting amounts of verbal harassment and physical threats – some have even been doxxed. For those of you who don’t know what doxxing is, it is basically when an individual leaks a person’s private information on the Internet with malicious intent. It’s an illegal practice that has become so normalized on Stan Twitter and it’s horrifying.
These are the number one issues I have noticed on Stan Twitter when it comes to holding celebrities accountable for their hurtful actions. Fans should NOT respond with hate and targeted harassment whenever their favorite celebrities are called out for their harmful actions. Instead, they should listen to the hurt communities, understand why they were hurt in the first place and amplify their voices. Attacking fans with concerns only creates more issues and silences their voices, which is something that should not be done. No one is exempt from criticism, even if they are a celebrity.