I’ve seen a lot of posts about whether the Heated Rivalry fandom has uniquely toxic elements or just typical Big Fandom Problems.
I think it’s kind of a third thing: it’s a giant fandom for something that was expected to have a niche fandom. And that doesn’t mean the problems themselves are worse but it does mean they are waaaaaaay more visible.
Harry Potter had major studio backing, which meant it had giant PR companies and agencies working to create a buffer between the actors and the world, and also killing some of the stories about fandom before they were printed. (And failing sometimes. Remember when a Hardy Potter fan stabbed another one in the eye at ComicCon over a seat-stealing argument? I sure do!) Game of Thrones had the full weight of HBO’s prestige marketing and PR teams to back them up and do the same. And in both instances, they were prepared for the property to blow up.
PR agencies don’t just set up interviews. They get stories and gossip items placed, and they also kill stories and gossip they don’t want out there. Sort of like control rods on a nuclear reactor (where the nuclear reaction is the very specific messaging you want about the property).
Heated Rivalry, on the other hand, was expected to be niche, which meant absolutely none of those things were in place before it aired. And Crave definitely doesn’t have major film studio or international cable network budget. The show also got a level of PR pickup that a lot of major properties would kill for, helped by the fact that the actors and Jacob Tierney are apparently a lot of fun. (I can’t find the article now, but apparently entertainment journalists were calling each other saying “You’ve gotta get in on this!”) It’s essentially the exposure a top-tier property gets, but with a publicity management budget slightly larger than a student film.
There is one new element to all this. Add in the way AI bots are used to amplify the most negative and heated reactions, and how social algorithms are designed to make the most inflammatory takes and tales the most visible, and you’ve got yourself a toxic stew!
I don’t think HR fandom is uglier per se, but I think the ugly aspects get way more visibility, and much broader visibility, than in older big fandoms.
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