An important message to fandom (please read and share):
All right, guys. Enough is enough. Fandom is a beautiful thing most of the time, but there are moments when we cross a line that we have absolutely no right to. There is this bizarre myth that we are somehow invisible to the cast and creators of the shows that we love, but the truth is that they see everything we do. They are not blind to our love or our hate. They are aware of and affected by ALL of our actions, and some of the things we do not only make us look bad but take away what little credibility we actually have (in general and especially in times like this). People don’t take fans seriously, but you know what? They never will if this is how we behave.
I understand more than anyone how much Lexa’s death hurts. I am still unable to function properly because of this, and I am in no way saying that what was done to us with the constant queerbaiting and lies was even remotely okay. I am not saying that we didn’t have a right to speak out, share our emotions, and ask for it to be fixed for us. But you know what we don’t have the right to do? Become bullies ourselves. No amount of trauma, no hurt or wrong that you have had inflicted upon you, justifies turning that back on other real people whose lives have been negatively impacted by this. Our hurt is real and valid, but so is theirs. Sending death threats, bullying people via Twitter or anywhere else (I’ve heard that even Jo Garfein is being harassed for expressing positive things about 3.07), trashing people’s wikipedia pages (Jason’s and Alycia’s), and other forms of harassment and abuse are every bit as unacceptable as Jason’s behaviour leading up to and following Lexa’s death.
It was one thing, while hurting in the immediate wake of this event, to express anger toward Jason and the writers. It was one thing to say, “Lexa deserved better.” It was one thing to create petitions to foster change. It was one thing to unfollow Jason and respectfully ask that he be removed as showrunner. (Not make derogatory comments about him in the petition page.) It is another entirely to start trending things like “Alycia wanted to come back” and “Cancel The 100” and other harmful messages that make everyone involved extremely uncomfortable (see Adina’s reactions on Twitter if you don’t believe me). How do you think it makes the cast and crew feel to see and be on the receiving end of all of this vitriol? How do you think Alycia - a private person by nature - feels to be put in the spotlight so negatively by her fans and to be @ mentioned in people’s protests? To have words put in her mouth and have people presuming to speak for her? This is not okay. This is a violation of her privacy and right to be a normal person just doing a job. A job with contracts and negotiations that are none of our business. This has been handled badly by Jason and the writers, but it does not excuse us acting as if we have any real knowledge of what happened or of what Alycia actually did or did not want. That is not up to us to decide. Speculating is one thing, but speaking FOR her is not at all okay.
Before all of this started to happen, we might have actually had a case to be made to fix Lexa’s death and have Clexa brought back for us. Now though? We are literally ruining this for ourselves with our behaviour. All of the credibility that we had as victims of this egregious error has all but vanished in the wake of these highly inappropriate actions on our part. Social media is great, but not when people forget that it exists to be seen and we cannot abuse it any more than Jason can. He needs to be held accountable, but not in this way. We will not be heard as an angry mob; we will be dismissed.
Why on Earth would the network want to work with us now? Why would JASON want to have ADC come back? Why would SHE even want to come back, after weeks of being bullied by Bellarke fans, harassed endlessly by (possibly) well-meaning Clexa fans, and now having to see herself trending worldwide about an issue that was very much out of her hands? Come on now. Think about this. Even I would not want to be involved in this anymore. It’s a PR nightmare and it’s just absurd how all of this has blown so far out of proportion. It’s a TV SHOW. Yes it affects us deeply. Yes it’s important. That is not justification to mess with people’s lives and jobs. Especially not the actors and writers we actually admire and love.
Actions have consequences. I am calling for a cease and desist of this behaviour right now. Let our voices be heard, but be respectful now before it is too late. We are hurting, but we cannot hurt other people like this in the process. I know I have been guilty of this in the past, but everything has gone way too far now and. IT. HAS. TO. STOP. We ALL need to stop this. The boycotting is ridiculous and the idea that sinking a show and destroying people’s livelihoods is even remotely appropriate or acceptable behaviour has to be gotten rid of right here and now. We are better than this. Let’s show them that, and let’s have actual change be made here. But we have to DESERVE that change, and right now, frankly, we DON’T.
2087
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