There’s a few things that make the ATLA fandom the perfect storm of fandom bullshit it currently is. The widespread immaturity and impulsive behaviour we see in shipping wars seems to be pretty typical of shows with younger audience, but it’s also made worse by a substantial number of older fans who are too blinded by nostalgia to accept different perspectives of the show.
This nostalgia ties into the pattern we’ve seen since 2020, where people will unknowingly allow their headcanons to supplant their memories of the actual show, and proceed to get angry at anyone who contradicts their specific take. Overly generous readings of the text, and the insistence that ATLA can do no wrong on a messaging level, leads people to vehemently deny any critiques of the show that engage with its orientalism. This is not even mentioning how feminist critics get raked over the coals for questioning the way certain female characters were handled.
There’s a strong vibe of self-righteousness that’s connected to all of this. IMO, that attitude is exactly what emboldens certain fans to attack other fans at will and justify it by invoking “media literacy” as if they genuinely understand what those words mean and aren’t just throwing them around to bolster their flimsy arguments.
