I got an ask message like this and I’ve also seen some other people say things this, so I just want to clarify why I disagree with saying that the responses to the PJO tv casting show who’s a “real fan” vs. a “fake fan” of PJO.
I really don’t think that racists revealing themselves with their racism is “showing who’s a real fan.” The people getting angry about the casting are not a problem because they’re fake fans or they don’t love/understand the books as well as we do. They’re a problem because they’re racist and are often willing to harass young actors for the “crime” of being an actor of color cast in a traditionally white role in a medium that is predominantly white.
People can 100% be a major fan of PJO and still be racist, and I think trying to pretend as if “real” PJO fans are somehow inherently not racist while anyone who is racist just doesn’t like or understand PJO enough, I think it just isn’t helpful to actually dealing with the racism in fandom. There’s not really anything special about being a “real fan” of PJO that would protect you from being racist. Rick himself has been racist. And idc if they love and know all the books if they’re just gonna use that love for books as an excuse to harass Leah Sava Jeffries for being cast as their favorite white blonde heroine.
Should we be trying to keep racists out of fandom spaces? Yes. But not because they’re fake fans. because they’re racist and they harm people. How much of a fan they are doesn’t matter, and it doesn’t change the actual problem, which is racism.
