To the disappointment of many fans, Star Wars actress Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico) has deleted her Instagram posts and gone dark on the platform. Fans are speculating that the blackout was caused by months of racist and sexist harassment. Is it a rash jump to assume fandom backlash finally pushed Tran away from social media interaction? Maybe, maybe not. We do have several high profile examples of celebrities chased off social media by fans that care perhaps too much, including Tran’s co-star Daisy Ridley, who also deleted her social media presence after enduring hate from wrathful fans.
We won’t truly know what actually caused Tran to disengage unless she issues a statement or explanation. (Which she does not owe us, by the way.) But make no mistake — this is not just another case of a few bad apples overreacting to their beloved franchise going in a direction they dislike.
These specifically gendered and racialized attacks have been ongoing targeted efforts that extend far beyond a few fans wanting to have their way. And that’s why Star Wars fans young and old, new and seasoned, and indeed any participating member of any fandom need to do the rest of us a favor: stop laying the blame for toxic fandom culture at the feet of a few “bad fans”.
Fandom can certainly be beautiful for us misfits looking for a home, a group identity. Participating in fandom has largely shaped my life for the better by giving me a safe home and friends. But what happens when you are an outcast among outcasts? Fans on the margins can tell you this has never been easy. For all the talk of diversifying and becoming inclusive, fandom subculture is still failing. A lot of this stems from a lack of accountability amongst fans that often manifests as blaming bad fans for ruining it for everyone while painting the rest of the fandom as perfect and welcoming. The bad news? That’s not always so.
I’ve been mixing it up in Star Wars circles for a good portion of my life span. At this point I’ve seen the best, the worst, and the Jar-Jar Binks. I’ve seen fans get to the extreme low point of writing violent hatefic about a child actor, which makes Twitter abuse look like a mercy. Almost. I wish this was all hyperbole but it is legendary science fact. But in the time that I’ve participated in SW fandom or any fandom at all, I’ve come to learn a very hard truth: there is no such thing as a bad fan.
The dichotomy of “good fan” and “bad fan” only exists to make the dominant class feel better about themselves. Of course there are our friends, the supportive fans, the ones that set up accessible meets and improve convention spaces so we can all have a good time. But there are also racists, misogynists, transphobes, homophobes, bigots. There are people who simply don’t like new ideas and directions. There are people that will perform outrage in the public sphere then engage in problematic behavior behind doors. Pretending these people aren’t equally representative of fandom is damaging.
They are enabled (maybe emboldened) by silence and systems of oppression already set in place, not only by mainstream culture but the rules of fandom participation. Rules that say it’s okay to harass the real account of a fictional person. Rules that say that as an ally you’re allowed to speak over marginalized folks if it’s for their own good.
I’m relieved to see pushback and support for Tran but it can’t just end with Twitter thread rants. If Star Wars fans really want to turn this around, show support, and generally get its house in order, it will be critical to do some internal examination and grapple with the overarching issues that fuel fan entitlement. Miss me with backflips over easy targets. Do the work of unpacking your own internalized prejudices, boost the voices of marginalized creators, and directly engage with the purveyors of harmful behavior. Push for more meaningful inclusion. In essence, it’s time to stop taking cues from the mainstream and do what sci-fi nerds do best: create a world that is better than the one we’ve left behind.