Hi! I actually follow you both on twitter and bsky, but that is not what the ask is for. I just want to share some thoughts why some radiobelle shippers still want to latch to Viv and give her a benefit of a doubt, like they still defend her, despite being obviously 'her' the reason of fueling ship war. Maybe because they are a long-time hazbin fan and Alastor fan? I understand they don't want to be doompilled, but it is so frustrating knowing that they ship 🌈🦌, but they still support Viv. Like just because she liked a 🌈🦌 fanart doesn't mean she could be forgiven about her starting the ship war, or that she like charlastor again. I wish people (esp 🌈🦌 fandom) should stop latching on Viv and stop supporting her, and just follow the rule of Death of The Author.
rey as if i didn't know you you're objectively correct on every take but ANYWAYS
i try to have a little grace when talking about the dynamics of this fandom because i am new to it, i didn't get into the series until season one had JUST finished. i've only seen the wreckage from prior fights and scandals, and i recognize that for all my vitriol towards viv (which is well-founded, i'm letting myself have that!!!) the series wouldn't exist without her so ... monkeys paw / genie's wish / etc etc etc
i've made this observation before (in private, to my friends, behind locked doors) but fandom has taken a really sharp turn over the last few years, and there's a parasocial element to it that is getting (or frankly, already gotten) wildly out of control. there used to be a boundary between creator and fan that just doesn't exist anymore - creators are now so accessible, that any fan can kind of just waltz into that space and make their own observations, draw their own conclusions, voice their own demands.
i don't say this as a criticism of charlastor fans, but more out to fandom in general: that there's this kind of desperate plea to creators to indulge us, to service us, to give us what WE, the fan, want. creators could have visible preferences and favourites and it didn't necessarily impact the fans because the creator still focused on the work itself. the overall story is going to happen, and you as the fan are welcome to partake in it, but you have no control over what happens.
and that just ... doesn't exist now. viv doesn't know how to write, so a solid portion of what comes from her is either nonsense, or fan theories she's stolen and worked into the plot. the overall fandom is attached to reading her every move like the oracle at delphi reading the Mystic Haze. she knows this, which is why she keeps doing things to whip people into frenzies - it gives her power and it makes her feel special, and the fans end up cannibalizing each other.
i'll speak for myself but i have never followed viv, or any of the official accounts; i don't put any value into their input (barring one or two fanarts or whatever that amir has reposted, wherein i let him live for another day). i had the foreknowledge going in that i didn't want their vibes in my space, and i could make that separation. i think for a lot of others, and perhaps many charlastors, is that they've been in the trenches since the beginning. they've defended viv from unfair criticism, they've tried to show they're not the toxic mob people keep labeling us as, and that's just where they're at now. i don't blame them for it or condemn them; it's just not a sentiment i share.
ultimately, i think this whole debacle is a good indication that viv doesn't have the fandom's interests at heart, that if we want good food (regardless of ships!) we need to make it ourselves, and we need to build and maintain community with other fans who share our interests and keep boundaries. and we need to block viv on bsky I SAID WHAT I SAID -
