ppl mad abt empty netters is genuinely so fucking funny & mind-blowing to me. as a longtime nhl fan… respectfully, bruh 😭 like oh no, hockey culture is still homophobic & vile — in other news the sky is blue 😕
there’s a reason i didn’t bother watching their reactions & why their merch drop w zero mention of charity felt icky. and yeah — what they said before watching the show wasn’t okay. they should apologize. this exact shit is why players still don’t feel safe coming out.
but also… should you not be glad they changed their minds???
isn’t it objectively good when representation reaches people in their echo chambers and they start growing — gaining empathy, understanding, tolerance — without anyone having to sit them down and formally educate them? just: art exists → people see it → people change. that’s literally the dream pipeline.
their post-watch love for the show feels genuine. they spread the word of heated rivalry to a community of straight uncomfortable men who would've never even given it a second glance. they’re proof that allies form in strange ways, & that every person on our side is necessary. if we alienate every potential ally over some purist moral-backstory bullshit, none of this even fucking matters. some of y’all would rather crucify growth as betrayal, then act shocked when the world stays full of hate.
