Wasn’t gonna post about this, but ran into Shador haters again… and I just need to say something.
Shador - Shakes & El Matador - ever since it became really popular among Supa Strikas fans, has faced a huge amount of hate. Not only towards the ship itself, but sadly also towards the people creating content for it. And haters are haters - you know the drill: manipulation, painting shippers as the worst people, making up “facts”, blowing things out of proportion, twisting every idea or mistake by fans against them… A classic case of internet hate.
We know the new show focuses mainly on Shakes’s past. He’s 16 there - a teenager, not an adult. The season shows how he joined the team while the rest of the characters were already there. So what did the haters do with this? You can guess. (Irony intended.)
They took the fact that Shakes is underage in this storyline and twisted it into a fake “fact” that El Matador is around 30… just to turn the ship into… a ped****lia. Yes. Exactly. You’re not reading this wrong. Both I and many other fans started getting flooded with messages about this, while public anti accounts started posting as if this was absolute truth, painting both the ship and us shippers as the worst possible people.
Of course, this isn’t the only reason I’ve been less active in the fandom recently… but I know for many others, this was the final straw. Does hatred for a ship really lead people to such horrifying steps? Sadly, yes. Is it because most of them have a different ships with Shakes? Of course. Are most of them kids? Obviously. But among them are also adults who fuel this spiral of hate much more deliberately - mainly on platforms like Tumblr and Pinterest. And now I’ve noticed many brand-new fans immediately believe this “fact.”
And it frustrates me so much, because this ship means far more to me than it might look. It shaped my growth as a person and even helped me fulfill my dreams. Though that’s more personal… But it’s also simply unacceptable to me- as an adult, and as a teacher. It’s just awful. Even if I can deal with internet hate, those words still linger at the back of my mind… like they would for anyone.
I remember the creators never cared to give exact ages of the characters - I guess they didn’t expect this kind of toxicity among their fans. They left it open so everyone could imagine them in a way that feels right.
Honestly… I have nothing more to say about this. I don’t know where kids - and even adults - get the idea that they have the right to invent such lies and spread them online. Against people who just want to enjoy the fandom in peace, and love what they love. So let me end with this: don’t take fandom “facts” about characters as if they were absolute truth. It’s just a show. You can do whatever you want with the characters as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.
To wrap things up a bit more lightly so fans can smile… we all know this is happening because you’re fully aware of the amazing chemistry and potential they have. Hands off Shador, bastards. ❤️🔥
Oh and for those wondering why I’m absolutely against drawing a ship like Skarra & Shakes - for those who think I have a problem with other ships… you’ve just discovered the main reason. It’s not about the characters or the ships themselves. It never has been.
