✦ Is That Really Allyship?
On silence, fandom comfort, and why POC and women actors and the fans who support them deserve better.
I’ve been sitting with a question lately, and the more I think about it, the harder it is to ignore.
When people face racism, microaggressions, or targeted hostility in fandom spaces, and increasingly in media coverage and industry commentary, why is silence so often presented as the wise or responsible response?
Ignore it. Don’t feed it. Don’t make it bigger.
And every time I hear that, I come back to the same question:
Is that really allyship?
This isn’t just about fandom arguments. What’s been striking lately is how similar patterns show up across multiple spaces — fandom discourse, media coverage, commentary from journalists, and sometimes even industry voices. The language may be more polished in some places than others, but the underlying dynamic often feels familiar.
Criticism is part of being a public figure. That isn’t the issue. But criticism and identity-based hostility aren’t the same thing, and treating them as interchangeable makes it easier to dismiss patterns that deserve attention.
When people say “everyone/ every POC gets hate,” it flattens context. Not all backlash operates the same way, and not all of it carries the same weight — especially when the person at the center is someone like Hudson, who is half Korean and navigating narratives that don’t exist in a vacuum.
Calling racism or microaggressions “normal fandom behavior” doesn’t make them less harmful. It just normalizes them.
I don’t think everyone who says “just ignore it” is acting in bad faith. Some people genuinely believe silence keeps things calm or prevents escalation.
I hear that logic. I still disagree with the conclusion.
Because silence doesn’t remove the harm — it just changes who carries it.
The articles still exist. The commentary still exists. The atmosphere doesn’t disappear because someone chooses not to acknowledge it.
And when silence becomes the default response, it sends a message — whether intentional or not — about what is acceptable to ignore.
The industry argument often comes up here: that people stay quiet to protect careers, that speaking up is risky.
I understand why that perspective exists. But risk isn’t equal for everyone.
There’s a difference between someone early in their career navigating real insecurity and creators, veteran cast members, or established industry figures who already operate from positions of stability and influence.
For some, silence might feel like survival.
For others, it looks more like a luxury.
And that distinction matters.
Another pattern that’s hard to ignore is how quickly the narrative flips once fans push back.
When commentary from media or industry voices leans into dismissive framing or subtle microaggressions, it’s treated as normal discourse. But when fans — especially those who feel personally affected — respond or call out patterns, the conversation suddenly becomes about “toxic fandom.”
The focus shifts from the original behavior to the reaction.
And that double standard is exhausting.
Pushback isn’t automatically toxicity. Sometimes it’s simply people refusing to accept that harmful dynamics should be treated as inevitable.
Speaking up rarely changes the minds of the loudest critics. But that isn’t really the point.
Public responses shape culture. They signal what behavior is acceptable and what isn’t. Most people in fandom and media spaces aren’t the loudest voices; they’re observers learning what gets tolerated.
Silence communicates something too.
And when silence keeps being framed as the responsible choice, it’s worth asking who that responsibility actually protects.
This isn’t about demanding perfect statements or constant public performances. It’s about recognizing that allyship isn’t defined by avoiding discomfort.
Sometimes it’s simply choosing not to look away.
Maybe speaking up doesn’t change everything. Maybe it doesn’t stop every article or every hostile comment.
But maybe that isn’t the point.
Maybe the question isn’t whether speaking up fixes everything — maybe it’s whether we’re comfortable letting silence say enough.
