I feel like we don’t really acknowledge the absolutely unhinged levels of moral superiority people hold over fans of ofmd. Like I’m not gonna get into specifics but it’s so completely bonkers to me that people will see enjoyment of MUCH more problematic media and skip along their merry way… But then when a show with a diversity of skin tones, sexuality, gender, ability, AND writers gets popular, suddenly you’ll have people practically telling you to get a red hot poker up the ass if you dare to still like it when it’s not the most virtuous bastion of media to every exist.
Yadada yada yada that Sarah Z video asking why we hold diverse media to a much higher moral standard than we do anything else
Most of the reasons people give for hating OFMD or its fans don't make sense or have solid evidence proving them false.
They say 'OFMD fans are evil for only caring about raising money for their stupid show while ignoring Palestine' (or other serious world issues). Yet they ignore people pointing out the dozens of fundraisers for different charities/ good causes (inc for Palestine) that OFMD fans have made. At least 6x more money was raised by fans for different charities so far than to pay for ads to renew the show.
They say 'OFMD is bad because Taika got a cast member fired from S2 for supporting Palestine'. Yet they ignore that the heaps of evidence proving that claim false (Source). Unfortunately, a lot of OFMD hate stems from hating Taika and making baseless assumptions about him. Often, this is a result of racism and/ or antisemitism.
They say the show is queerbaiting, without ever watching it because they're so used to ships involving middle-aged men being queerbait that OFMD must be dismissed as queerbait too. This show is a romcom about two men falling in love. They kiss on screen four times, hold hands, confess romantic love to each other, and have sex. There are also several other canon queer characters/ pairings, including another gay couple getting married on screen.
Posts with misinformation about how the show and its fans are evil can get 10k+ likes with all sorts of deranged threats against fans and the cast in the tags. People who post or spread the misinfo never accept their mistake or apologise when proved to be spreading a lie.
Non-fans nitpick the show to death. It's bad for (insert subjective reason). It's problematic for (something that didn't happen in canon). It's not serious enough (it's a romcom). It's too serious in places (the show has death in the title). It doesn't stop!
I understand not liking a show because its not to your taste, but the level of genuine hatred aimed at the show/ fans makes no sense. It's a very well-made show with a lot of good messages behind it, a very diverse ensamble of characters and a diverse cast/ crew making it. Because the show has multiple well-written queer, neurodivergent, disabled and non-white characters; it resonates with people who also have these traits. The fandom is very diverse.
I think people are desperate for some sort of moral justification to dislike OFMD. They want to upset fans without feeling bad about it. They're cruel and bitter, and for what? Are they mad that OFMD got more popular than their favourite show? Do they think the show/ its fans are cringe for being proudly diverse, so should be shamed into conformity? Or?
I’m still always amazed by the “it’s racist” and “it’s queerbaiting!” takes because…like…the show with the diverse cast where racists get murdered or maimed? The show with the canon gay couple upon whom the entire show is focused? That…that show?
