One thing that genuinely annoys me in fandom spaces is when people refuse to separate fictional characters from the actors who play them.
Sometimes I like a character but don't particularly care about the actor or like them, but I still enjoy the character they played. Those things can exist at the same time.
Liking a fictional character does not automatically mean I support, agree with or even like the actor behind them. For example, I'm a Supernatural fan, and I have seen people say they like Castiel only for someone to immediately jump in with, "Oh, so you support Misha?" No. That's not what they said.
Or imagine Jared or Jensen did something people disagreed with. If someone then says they are a Sam girl or a Dean girl, that doesn't automatically mean they're defending Jared or Jensen as people. It means they like Sam or Dean as characters. Those are two different things. Sam has his own story, personality, relationships, character development and role within the story. Dean has his own story, personality, relationships, character development and role within the story. Jared and Jensen are real people with their own lives, opinions, choices, experiences and actions. They are not the same people.
The same applies to writers, directors and creators. Enjoying a show, movie, or character doesn't automatically mean someone agrees with every single thing every person involved in creating it has ever done.Of course, everyone has their own boundaries when it comes to media and that is completely fine. If someone chooses not to watch something because of the people behind it, that's their choice.
What annoys me is when people act like enjoying a fictional character automatically means endorsing a real person.
But honestly, another thing that annoys me just as much is the opposite problem is when people push the character onto the actor. I have seen fans do this all the time. People will look at Jensen and go, "Aw, he's just like Dean," or look at Jared and go, "He's literally Sam."
And sure, actors sometimes share traits with the characters they play. That's normal. But they're still not the same person. If Dean is a certain way, that doesn't automatically mean Jensen is that way. If Sam is a certain way, that doesn't automatically mean Jared is that way.
For example, if Dean was canonically the biggest romantic on earth, that wouldn't automatically make Jensen a romantic in real life. If Sam was shy, that would not automatically make Jared shy. If a character is rude, arrogant, selfish, or makes bad decisions, that doesn't mean the actor is any of those things either.
Yet I have genuinely seen people struggle to separate the two. Sometimes a character does something terrible and people end up hating the actor because of it. Other times people become so attached to a character that they start expecting the actor to behave exactly like that character in real life.
Actors are not the characters they play. Characters are fictional. Actors are real people. And yes, sometimes it can be difficult to separate them, especially if an actor has done something controversial and every time you see the character you're reminded of it. I understand that.
But at least try. Because honestly, it's exhausting seeing people get judged for liking a fictional character, or seeing actors get treated as if they're literally the characters they played.
Please separate fiction from reality.
