Greetings all,

where i go, will you still follow?

( co-authored by willthevvise )

❧ byler, cleradin, bravebyers, wisewheeler

❧ multichapter, 2.3k word prologue

❧ dual isekai; sir mike & mike wheeler switch places

( link )

This subfandom defending Finn Wolfhard when many people are criticizing his lack of professionalism and his disrespect toward marginalized people feels exactly like when they rushed to defend the Duffer brothers after Will stans pointed out their cheap, poor writing.

Some people called out red flags such as racism and classism being mishandled, as well as signs of misogyny and homophobia in the writing that have existed since S3, and they criticized Mike’s character for the same reasons.

And guess who turned out to be right about the duffers and their writing?

I don’t really care about the actors, and harassing them is stupid. But FW was the host, and hosts do get to review and approve skits. He even taught Nell Fisher how to say no, based on his own experience.

It may be “normal” for SNL, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay. Normalized mainstream comedy has a long history of problems, especially in the U.S.

Heath Ledger refused to present at the 2007 Oscars because of a planned Brokeback Mountain joke.

They were making homophobic and misogynistic jokes, but the gay actor and the two actresses were not there. Divine intervention, I guess?

This subfandom let those rude and bland jokes slide because of what? FW wore lipstick? Because it benefits your fantasy about Mike being fem gay? 

SNL, a show that has existed since the invention of dust and the concept of “your uncle thinks this is still funny,” decided that in the year 2026, with the entire internet screaming PLEASE DO BETTER in unison, the move was to make a joke that even vaguely brushes up against Noah Schnapp’s coming out.

not name him. not quote him. just that fun little cowardly thing where you gesture broadly and go “haha fandom stuff” while very clearly pointing at a real queer person’s real life.

sir. ma’am. ghost of Lorne Michaels. pick a lane.

because here’s the thing that’s making me feral in lowercase.

Will Byers being gay was not a fandom meme. it was not a punchline. it was years of:

• a child character being coded as different and bullied for it

• an actor being interrogated in interviews before he was even out

• the internet speculating about someone’s sexuality as if it was a sport

so why are we circling back with a laugh track.

and don’t even start with “they were mocking the internet.”

because here’s a fun rule of comedy:

if the people who were already being mocked are the ones wincing, you missed.

this isn’t edgy satire. this is that specific brand of comedy that goes:

we acknowledge queer people exist 😊

and now we will immediately make it weird 😌

what really gets me is the laziness of it. because SNL is perfectly capable of being sharp. they can be clever. they can punch up. they can dismantle power structures with a sketch and a wig.

but instead they reached for the easiest, dustiest shelf labeled:

“haha isn’t it awkward when someone is gay and the internet knew first.”

no. it’s not awkward. it was invasive.

and before anyone says “well Finn didn’t write it” or “it wasn’t about Noah specifically,” congratulations, you have discovered how plausible deniability works. the impact does not evaporate just because the joke put on sunglasses and said “not me.”

and yeah, people are allowed to joke about Stranger Things. obviously. roast the wigs. roast the upside down. roast the fact that these kids have fought God like six times and still have homework.

but when the joke starts orbiting a real person’s coming out, especially one who was a literal teenager navigating that in public, that’s not satire. that’s recycling discomfort and calling it content.

They laughed at the queer characters, knowing full well that Noah is openly gay, and this scene was very difficult for him, which was naturally BAD for him (He literally spent 12 hours under stress). They laughed at women who are in unhappy marriages, not wanting s*x, but who are forced by their partner to have s*x in a relationship. They laughed at women who, while in a coma, are SA. They laughed at Harry Potter fans for being one of the most popular fanfiction fandom. They laughed at the heated rivalry, exposing the series as just p*rn for fans of mlm ships. They laughed at the Byler, exposing their delusion, comparing Mike and Will's relationship with Ron and Harry's. They laughed at the female genetalia, exposing the female body as disgusting and ugly. They laughed at the fans of mileven, who still believe that Jane is alive and laughed at her story and the fact that she cannot communicate properly because of her terrible life. They laughed at the fans who are still trying to believe in the best and turn the terrible ending into a mystery with a sequel.

They weren't laughing with you, they were laughing at you.