The Snyder Cut & Toxic Fandom - Campus Newsletter
The Snyder Cut & Toxic Fandom
by Jarod Baughman-Stubbs
To anyone with a passing knowledge of the “goings on” of entertainment journalism, the hashtag "#ReleaseTheSnyderCut" is hardly something new. Today the world of ‘Nerd Culture’ stood still as the impossible happened. The bus ads, fly overs, and aggressive social media campaign paid off. The Snyder Cut is happening. Aside from the obvious excitement for seeing this unbelievable project be made, what does this mean for the future of Fandom?
The Snyder Cut Movement made its name on the internet by being staunchly loyal to Zack Snyder and using unconventional methods to call attention to their cause. From the aforementioned bus ads and airplanes at San Diego Comic Con, the hashtag never died off starting the day Justice League released in 2017. While the fervor and hype is in some ways commendable, there is a serious question that needs asked about what it means to validate these demands. For years “Snyder Cut folks” have berated WB employees for this cut of Justice League. Countless Twitter users with the hashtag in their bio have gone after fans of the MCU claiming that the success of Infinity War & Endgame was born from ideas and themes blatantly stolen from Zack Snyder's original vision for his own DC Cinematic Universe. The level of dedication is something that demands indictment. Not because it's a series of ‘fans being fans’, but because the constant push is indicative of the aggressive campaigns championed by The Fandom Menace in response to the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy. Undying hashtags, constant bullying with a relentless need to shoehorn the movement into online discourse.
The question at the center of all of The Snyder Cut is: Are we rewarding bad behavior?
In my opinion, yes we are, and it started with The Rise Of Skywalker. All "Written and Directed by Reddit" jokes aside, the version of TROS that we got was one of the most reactionary pieces of media put to film. Angry about Rey's power in the Force? Well, luckily all it takes is hundreds of videos labeled "REY IS A MARY SUE SJW" to strip her of her arc of being the heroic nobody and make her the granddaughter of Palpatine. Did "Jake Skywalker" ruin your childhood? He will now catch the lightsaber that he threw away. Not a fan of Rose? No biggie! We can brush the only Asian character in the main ensemble to the side so is to appease the The Fandom Menace. The end result of that experiment was a movie that pleased very few. The dedicated fans of the new trilogy felt cheated as though they were foolish for being attached to the story told in the previous two entries, and the folks who decided they hated these new movies, didn't have a sudden change of mind because they were pandered to. Make no mistake, all individuals have every right to like or dislike a movie for whatever reason, but the lesson learned was loudly screaming at film makers and studios will have results.
After years of toxic discourse and flames of discontent stoked by Snyder himself, WB had announced the Snyder Cut and we are left to wonder what will happen next. What example does this set for the future of WB? Will David Ayer get to release his version of Suicide Squad? Do we have the power to strong arm every studio and every director to put out a version of a movie we think we will like better? Is it fair to create an environment where enjoyment of something is now in question because it's not "the maker's vision" or the real thing? The arguments made by Snyder's faithful are inherently conspiratorial. Accusations of Disney paying off critics and that WB had it out for the grieving Snyder family both are prominent talking points in the movement. Is this to be endorsed too? What happens if it turns out that Snyder's JL is simply not good? Snyder's track record is spotty at best, with critics discrediting him more often than not. Not to mention, Batman V Superman didn't make the money it was expected to. Perhaps, WB reworked the film to avoid the previous pitfalls of Snyder's leadership. It's not a great position to be locked into, but that doesn't mean it was born out of malice or that there was a plot against him. If the Snyder Cut is released and it still doesn't perform well among fans, what comes next? Do they still call “foul” against WB and claim it still isn't what they promised? Does the ire of the masses target Snyder for letting them down? This situation can only become more fraught if the film doesn't perform.
I want to make one thing very clear, I like the movies Snyder made. They are far from perfect and I don't consider him a master of his craft but I'm happy to see the Snyder Cut and happy to see the movement end. This being said, to not address the potential fallout from this continuing trend of strong arming studios into giving us the stories we "deserve", is disturbing and so are the potential ramifications of validating this behavior. It is on the fans to maintain a welcoming culture that allows for healthy discussion on the stories we love, but when studios decide that cult-like behavior and harassment is okay, we give all the power to the worst kind of fan.
Published by © 2020 The Nerd Academy Podcast
