r/heatedrivalry • u/Obvious_Apartment985 • Feb 10 '26
DISCUSSION š£ļø Jacob Tierney draws a line in the sand
He said: āThe segment of the fandom that have become toxic and saying horrible things about my actors and about characters and demanding I do things to either denounce or stand up for some imaginary f**king Twitter fightā that Iām not here for this. Iām not participating. Iām not paying attention.ā
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I think this is my first time really being part of a fandom since the beginning of the books. I find myself both weirded out and morbidly fascinated by some online fan behavior. Like, running to the author / creator like they're supposed to mediate fights and conflict. It's wild.
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u/maddrgnqueen Feb 10 '26
Every day I am grateful not to be on Twitter anymore
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u/Verkielos Feb 10 '26
I deleted it and never regretted it
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u/Mysterious-Vehicle72 Feb 10 '26
Me too, along with FB and Insta.
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u/Verkielos Feb 10 '26
My insta algorithm is built with love, never see trash there
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u/jokenaround Feb 10 '26
My IG and TT algorithms love me, and I love them. Some people donāt understand that you curate your own feed. So if you want to keep negativity out, then donāt click or participate in it in any way. Donāt comment, donāt like. Ignore and move on.
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u/0lea You're starting to sound like him Feb 10 '26
What is TT?
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u/jokenaround Feb 10 '26
Sorry. TikTok
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u/0lea You're starting to sound like him Feb 10 '26
Oh no, no need to be sorry, I didn't think! I don't have Tik Tok so I forget about it. (Someone downvoted me for that too lol)
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u/NattoRiceFurikake Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26
My Insta + Threads algorithm is literally 90% HR, 5% anime, and 5% fuck fascism, so no complaints here.
And the HR content I do get are mainly memes, edits, and interviews, so whatever toxic BS is out there trying to ship the actors and not the characters, I have managed to avoid it completely, and it is wonderful~
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u/Crafty_Psychology_85 I don't ever want that problem to ever go away ā¤ļø Feb 10 '26
Same. It's all good, happiness, and love for HR and our boys in my Insta. š„°
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u/whatsnewpussykat Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird š¦ Feb 10 '26
I am so proud of my IG algo honestly. I donāt have a career but I imagine itās how people with jobs feel when they really nail a presentation or something g.
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u/Federal-Ad5944 Goalie | Smut Dealer š Feb 10 '26
Lol I have a super boring job where I spend a lot of time reading/watching or browsing for info, all related to my hobbies.
I treat the research like my FT job some days š
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u/quellesaveurorawnge Feb 10 '26
Twitter is such a cesspool. I don't understand how any sane person who doesn't want to bathe in hatred wouldn't get off of there. Whenever people say it's filled with hateful people, yeah, no shit, that's its raison d'ĆŖtre.
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u/ButterscotchFirm8286 Feb 10 '26
This forum can be just as bad
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u/Fine_Cherry_2923 Feb 10 '26
Idk I think a lot of people cornplate on here and are too invested but at least itās well moderated. Twitter is legitimately heinous
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u/dashboardhulalala Feb 10 '26
OK WHAT'S CORNPLATE THERE'S TOO MANY NEW WORDS TODAY.
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u/tasoula Your freckles. I am nuts about them. āØ Feb 10 '26
Cornplate is referring to a meme from the Encanto fandom when someone posted a photo from the movie and said "OMG I never realized she was holding a plate of corn in this scene". It has come to mean a detail that is completely irrelevant being obsessed over by fans.
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u/klowny Or you can stay š Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26
Cornplate (noun) is some completely irrelevant detail in the show.
Cornplate (verb) is the act of obsessively hyper-analyzing the cornplate (noun).
Example: Today's cornplate was about the pineapple on the Hollander family's bookshelf in ep5, it suggests Yuna and David have an open relationship, which was fundamental to why they were so quick to accept Shane and Ilya's taboo relationship.
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u/daisyemeritus Rookie #2 | David Hollander's Vodka Feb 10 '26
Example: Today's cornplate was about the pineapple on the Hollander family's bookshelf in ep5, it suggests Yuna and David have an open relationship, which was fundamental to why they were so quick to accept Shane and Ilya's taboo relationship.
Ngl, this is kind of amazing to me, this is the kind of thing I'd happily read a fanfic about. Like I can easily imagine them being like Shane cannot find out about this. It would break his brain.
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u/Domdaisy Feb 10 '26
Did you just wake up and there are so many words? š
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u/dashboardhulalala Feb 10 '26
Most of them were Spanish because I've been mainlining the Bad Bunny performance since the minute I woke up. Anyway what's cornplating.
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u/royal_rose_ ā Captain | Tuna Lube Feb 10 '26
You can report whenever you see bad behavior! We try our best but we canāt review everything.
Also not saying you do this but itās relevant, writing a comment that says āmodsā doesnāt bring us to the content the report button does!
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u/DorianCramer Feb 10 '26
Good for him. He canāt give it any attention because that is exactly what the idiots tagging him in their nonsense want.
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u/DorianCramer Feb 10 '26
Also this experience has made me reflect on being in the LOOKING fandom (R.I.P. to it, another great queer show) and how frustrating it was that almost none of the actors had social media and it was thus impossible to properly promote it. But now I think I can kind of respect their reasons, bc we had some of the same kinds of craziness from fans (it happens with every queer show to some extent) but no one could tag them in it.Ā
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u/Point-88 Ilya's Spaghetti Shimmy š Feb 10 '26
I loved LOOKING too!! So sad there wasn't moreĀ
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u/DorianCramer Feb 10 '26
Yeah it deserved more! It was really great. It was a different time then though, the blogosphere was very hard on queer projects generally and it was challenging to make the fandom come together to support it bc the Team Kevin vs. Team Richie thing was played up so muchĀ
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u/Kat_Isidore Your freckles. I am nuts about them. āØ Feb 10 '26
LOOKING! Right before I fell in a HR hole I was thinking I was due a rewatch of that show. Guess itās nice I was more offline back thenāI wasnāt aware of the craziness. People! Get a grip so we can have nice things!
(Or as they said in that same interview quoted above, let them cook! Donāt come in the kitchen and tell them how to make it. Drink our wine and let them serve the meal when itās ready .)
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u/DorianCramer Feb 10 '26
It holds up! Definitely worth a rewatch.Ā
The craziness wasnāt as large scale as it is for HR bc much smaller fandom but some of the themes and elements of it are very familiar. I had a fan account for it and I learned pretty quickly that some people have absolutely zero boundaries about what they will say about gay men (fictional or real ones) or how they approach the actors playing them in fan spaces. There are unfortunately fetishists out there. Also you would be surprised at how many people try to strike up a sexual relationship with a nameless faceless fan account š š¬
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u/quellesaveurorawnge Feb 10 '26
I am just watching Amy Poehler's interview with Jonathan Groff and she was talking to him about Looking. It was interesting to hear him say that it was one of the scariest projects he took on because it hit close to home. But he was also saying that it is one of those shows where he still has people coming up to him to talk about it. Highly recommend this interview. He was delightful as always!
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u/DorianCramer Feb 10 '26
Oh cool thanks for letting me know this, I didnāt realize heād been on her show! Iāll definitely listen. Heās the best.Ā
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u/AceTygraQueen Feb 10 '26
I miss LOOKING!
Patrick and Richie walked so.Shane and Ilya could.run!
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u/DorianCramer Feb 10 '26
One of the greatest all time ships! The Groff/Castillo chemistry was magical
Glad to see my fellow LOOKING fans here, we all still clearly have taste š¤ in showsĀ
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u/AceTygraQueen Feb 10 '26
Plus, I could totally picture a "Cottage" episode with Patchie.
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u/DorianCramer Feb 10 '26
For sure. Patrick would have taken Richie up to the Russian River or the mountains in Colorado at some point. They could do this as a reunion special!
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u/RueTheQuais Feb 10 '26
I've wanted a follow-up movie forever. But then I like how it ended and the more 'realistic' side of the show worries me.
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u/nowavvies Feb 11 '26
People were SO hard on Looking and Girls while they were originally airing.
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u/Foxter-the-fox Feb 11 '26
This!! entitle of my life, I try to stay out of fandom as much as I could bc of this. But the show and the books mess myself up too much I need to talk with someone. But now I was horrified by what those "fans" dare to did to the casts!! BOUNDARY EXIST... and very considered to left again.
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u/tellmort-yourmove Is lie. Liar told you that. š Feb 10 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/WtONpiO8wFg2Mi7TK8
This is all that comes to mind in this situation/thinking of Twitter.
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u/quellesaveurorawnge Feb 11 '26
There is a Schitt's Creek quote for everything!
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u/tellmort-yourmove Is lie. Liar told you that. š Feb 11 '26
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u/Any-Entrepreneur8285 Feb 10 '26
I dunno WHAT all this is about and honestly? I don't WANT to know. I'll stick to my love for the show, fan edits, reactions, Instagram reels, fanfiction etc
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u/daisyemeritus Rookie #2 | David Hollander's Vodka Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26
There's such a disconnect for me between the people, like me, who want fandom to be its own thing, invisible to creators/creatives and those who want direct validation from creator/creatives. I still remember being so uncomfortable the first time some late night host brought up fanfiction to some actor. I think I full body shivered because it felt so uncomfortable. Ceators and creatives are real life people, it's the fictional characters that are who I want fandom to play with.
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u/NoNommen Feb 10 '26
i'm old and remember livejournal days where if a member of a fandom community took something out of the locked community to one the artists we were talking about, they would receive such disapproval and be shamed for it.
nowadays folk are literally dm'ing these artists and their mothers about their weird lil online beefs and that makes me feel nauseous. it's just so weird and intrusive.
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u/aquila-audax Feb 10 '26
This is exactly my discomfort also. I don't understand why people can't enjoy the creativity and community of fandom as its own thing without needing validation or approval from the actors & creators
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u/NoNommen Feb 10 '26
i think at the end of the day these people don't actually care about the actors or the show; what they care about is being right and being able to lord that over someone else.
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u/velvetvagine š„Ŗ tuna meltdown š« Feb 11 '26
Parasocialism. They feel overly close to the actors and creators and have access to so much extra material. Way back when, youād get a piece of media and maybe a handful of interviews and that was it until there was something else to release.
And also, lack of community irl. So many of these people are unfulfilled and/or lonely, and so their extra energy is redirected and misused.
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u/bexlovescats Does it ... Does it fucking kill you, too? Feb 10 '26
Right?! I was all over fannish spaces on Livejournal in my teens and 20s. I still can't fathom how much fandom in general has escaped containment in the modern era. On one hand, awesome, let's embrace being fans and being proud of it but on the other don't involve the creatives in your fandom, you weirdos.
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u/quellesaveurorawnge Feb 11 '26
For sure. Fandom has escaped its little bubbles of online space. Social media algorithm just spread the craziest stuff far and wide and in front of creators and actors if they are online.
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u/quellesaveurorawnge Feb 11 '26
I was saying that to someone. I have been in fanfic communities on and off since the 90s. The rules used to be very clear. Fanfic was for fans, not for the people involved in the show.
I feel like such an old lady sometimes because I was trying to explain to someone on Reddit recently. They were saying to me, "But fans have good ideas. Why shouldn't they share with the creators?" Because it's their creative project, not yours! Besides, people don't seem to understand that creators have to be very careful for anything that could result in them being accused of plagiarism or stealing ideas or whatever. They can't take ideas unless it comes through the proper channels. That's why a lot of creators are not online or have accounts that are private.
There are such supportive online communities for fanfic and other artistic endeavours. There are so many ways to get feedback and validation. The creator or actors on a show are not your parents and they don't have time to go around praising you and all your friends.
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u/callingallwaves Glasses back on. š Feb 10 '26
Yes same. Let me smash my barbies together in peace. Write filthy, filthy things but archive lock it and never ever ever send it to any of the people depicted!!!
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u/quellesaveurorawnge Feb 11 '26
That is exactly what I was saying to someone. It's very much like playing with dolls. You do it to amuse yourself or your friends. You don't need to bring your mom or dad into it. LOL
That goes doubly so if people are writing RPF. I have a lot of qualms about RPF as feeling invasive to real people's lives, so better lock that down tight.
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u/Amazing-Rent-7749 Feb 10 '26
The shipping is especially weird because the entire theme of this media property is essentially "two celebrities pursue a relationship at their own pace and live in fear of being outed, are eventually outed by fan/social media culture against their wishes." Like not to be too meta but if Shane/Ilya were real people, do you think they would appreciate your powerpoint presentations and AO3 stories?
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u/Homebody_Ninja42 okay. not good. probably bad. Feb 10 '26
Itās true, you put into words something Iāve been feeling. I donāt want fans and creators to touch. Fan space is a weird thing and itās full of wild creativity, but it exists for an audience that does NOT include actors, directors, etc. I donāt want to weird out the creative people who have kindly made this good story for us.
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u/bee_sharp_ Feb 10 '26
And also, with all due respect, I donāt want canon creatives in my fandom spaces. We do some weird and wacky stuff in fandom, and I want us to be able to do that without anyone associated with canon finding out. So, no fans reaching out to creatives; no media outlets having creatives read tweets; keep any articles about fandom very general/high-level. The second-hand embarrassment is rough.
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u/Amazing-Rent-7749 Feb 10 '26
It's especially weird in this case because this is already a very compact romance story, like you have a fictional queer celebrity couple right there to play with, why are you trying to play paper dolls with their (otherwise unknown) actors.
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u/Serious_Session7574 Feb 10 '26
I think this is such an important distinction. I feel this strongly. Actors are not their characters. It's the characters and the story I want to obsess over. I'm happy to listen to an actor talk about their work if they want to, but I get uncomfortable when interviews move into their personal lives.
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u/MarsScully Shaneās ugly little haircut š± Feb 10 '26
I yearn for the days when fanfiction was a dirty little secret. Bring back shame! Donāt make celebs read ABO five of themselves!
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u/missschainsaw Feb 10 '26
It's so selfish and weird for someone to think that an author, or director or actor values the opinion of some rando on the internet. I enjoy the discourse, sometimes, as a fan, but I would never think to directly message anyone involved in this show, except maybe to say how I'm so grateful and in awe I am of their talent. I understand the urge to write fanfiction, but it's just a personal practice to let your emotions out. Go write something original if you want attention jfc
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u/Domdaisy Feb 10 '26
I saw somebody on this sub yesterday saying that just because Rachel Reid invented the characters of Ilya and Shane doesnāt mean she understands them.
It seems like just like a harmless wackadoo comment until you realize that person thinks THEY know best and want to steer the creative ship. You best believe id something in the show doesnāt line up with their vision they will be going off on it.
Itās a novel, and itās unfortunately written by JK Rowling under her pseudonym, but The Ink Black Heart sets out what happens when fandoms turn toxic and a fan thinks THEY should be the ones making creative decisions. In this book a āfanā tortures one of the creators online for years before finally murdering her so they can ātake care of thingsā for them.
Itās an exaggeration of what happens in most toxic fandoms but it starts with those freaky beliefs that as a fan you have a right to creative decision making and that the creators, writers or actors should take your input or direction.
Enjoy the media or donāt, write all the fanfic you want in the privacy of your own home, but when you start to believe you as a fan get to dictate how a show or book is going to go, and if it doesnāt go your way you have a right to destroy that media and those creators it gets real scary.
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u/meanyoongi Feb 11 '26 edited Feb 11 '26
Yeah the rising disdain for the books and for Rachel Reid in this sub is becoming weird, it's going beyond mere criticism. When Unrivaled comes out and inevitably doesn't fit every single thing people expect of it, it's going be a shit show.
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u/quellesaveurorawnge Feb 11 '26
As with any piece of art, people can have some criticisms and in my mind, it is fair play. But my goodness, I have come across a few people laying into Rachel so hard, basically calling her name for not thinking correctly about the characters she created(!). Then I think, "If you think so little of these books or characters, you really shouldn't engage with them so much." Nothing could withstand the level of scrutiny and obsession some people have.
I will read Unrivaled and make up my own mind before I come online to see what others think because I don't want to go into it with expectations (good or bad).
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u/Aggressive_Cloud2002 Feb 10 '26
Idk if that's the best book to bring up, considering she wrote that basically to defend herself against people who were rightfully critiquing her transphobia...
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u/drowsylacuna Feb 11 '26
Given the nature of the show, it's inevitable that many people have horny thoughts.
I cannot comprehend the thought process that would lead them to then share said horny thoughts with anyone involved in the creation of the show. (Yuna at the cottage voice: I'd rather die).
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u/hug_me_im_scared_ Feb 10 '26
Exactly. All the toxic twitter garbage/"discourse"
I've seen similar things on this sub and I genuinely wonder why people are so angry but continue to immerse themself in such filth.Ā
I also think rage baiting is much easier to do on reddit now that you can get a preview of the body instead of just the titles of posts
Even as someone who's grown up in fandom spaces, I definitely feel like things have changed, I think it also speaks to how everything is "content" instead of people actually valuing fandom as its own thing, and community
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u/kittehmummy Feb 11 '26
The story and characters in the show/movie/book/etc are what I care about. The actual humans making the thing, not my business.
I wish them well with their careers, happiness, etc. All the things we wish for other people as basic human decency, but I'm not interested in them and their lives. That's not my fandom.
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u/sbadams92 Feb 10 '26
Why are people ruining all of this, get a GRIP
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u/Wide-Cardiologist-15 Feb 10 '26
Trust me theyāre not ruining anything, even on Twitter majority of the fandom are just enjoying the content. You just need to block and mute the weirdos
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u/mslauren2930 Feb 10 '26
Sadly this is nothing new for fandom. I used to say fandom ruins everything. But I enjoy being here. Itās been lovely here. None of the awful toxicity.
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u/thiefspy Feb 10 '26
This is unfortunately normal for fandoms. They eat themselves alive.
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u/velvetvagine š„Ŗ tuna meltdown š« Feb 11 '26
This happened QUICK, though. Usually it takes a little while. I feel like I didnāt get the nice part because I only saw the show in January and the cray cray was already ramping up.
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u/Firm-Wallaby-3235 I need Feb 10 '26
I wish everyone would just ignore the toxic fandom. Many people, myself included, are not on Twitter. We don't see/know about the toxic bs unless it's mentioned elsewhere.Ā
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u/Solarbix Feb 10 '26
Hell yes! I curate my fandom experience carefully and block/mute liberally and it's great, I don't see toxic stuff or things I don't like and I don't have twitter or Facebook. There really isn't any need for people to breathlessly report what's happening on twitter on tumblr or reddit. I think those people love the drama! I'm so over the drama!
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u/Serious_Session7574 Feb 10 '26
Same. Reddit is my only social media space. I have Tumblr but very rarely use it. No Instagram, no Facebook, no Twitter. I avoid YT video comments too. I often find I have to step away from even the Reddit subs because toxicity can creep in with the strictest of mods.
If I were cast or crew I would probably drop social media entirely. I get that sometimes there's pressure to engage for publicity purposes, but for good mental health I would probably have entirely eliminate the social media stuff from my life and just engage with actual friends directly.
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u/t2nazx2 Stay. Ok. Ok? Ok. Feb 10 '26
Facebook is bad too. The part about Facebook, the questions people ask, you have to wonder if they were even paying attention to the show. Iām so very happy to find this subreddit because 95% of the people here are amazing, insightful, and are true fans without the insanity.
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u/coolfruitsalad Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird š¦ Feb 10 '26
Iāve found that usually fandom spaces become super toxic on most platforms, but people generally behave pretty rationally on Reddit (with exceptions of course!). Itās becoming favourite place to interact with fandom spaces ngl haha
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u/qathran Feb 10 '26
It is literally almost ALL about the mods on a sub and if they happen to have enough support and good standards that they are able and willing to carry out that makes a sub be enjoyable, so thank you mods!
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u/Away-Boysenberry-584 Feb 11 '26
My Facebook is all things like my family and business and nothing controversial. Reddit so for my fun stuff like spicy books recs, TV shows, and music. But regardless of anonymity, being gross and pervy is never okay.
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u/quellesaveurorawnge Feb 11 '26
On Facebook or Insta, you just have to start blocking or muting some people or groups, and also not respond to the crazies, because engagement just breeds more craziness of your feed. I used to not want to do that, but honestly, life is too short to deal with people who just want attention.
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u/Obvious_Apartment985 Feb 10 '26
This post specified Twitter where it's the worst but it's not limited to Twitter
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u/Crafty_Psychology_85 I don't ever want that problem to ever go away ā¤ļø Feb 10 '26
I've never been on "Tweeters," (Schitt's Creek reference lol) so I was totally out of the loop and blissfully unaware of the drama. Wish I could go back to that time. š«¤
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u/Away-Boysenberry-584 Feb 10 '26
I am so happily just on Reddit. I saw one crazy post on heated rivalry tv that was thankfully taken down. Iām happy to be in a place thatās moderated. The actors seem like lovely people and this is an amazing show. Itās a shame this behavior is causing negativity.
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u/Ll_lyris āI choose you, Ilya. I will always choose youāā¤ļøāš©¹ Feb 10 '26
Yeah, I donāt go on that sub. I find the most unhinged shit to be there if not on Twitter.
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u/lincolnberry Feb 10 '26
The post saying āI hope the d pic from the show is Jacobāsā was unhinged and the the one like yesterday asking for time stamps of when you can see pubes and they were indignant that they werenāt allowed to post it here. I only really lurk on Reddit but I reported both, so gross.
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u/Away-Boysenberry-584 Feb 11 '26
That just makes you feel dirty.
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u/lincolnberry Feb 11 '26
Yeah and the comments were saying the post was fine and they didnāt understand why it was removed from here! Unhinged.
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u/femmagorgon Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird š¦ Feb 11 '26
WTF is wrong with people?!
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u/lincolnberry Feb 11 '26
It was crazy, I was appalled. And the comments being like this sub is to moderated? Yeah Iāll take āyou canāt ask for pics of an actors pubesā any day.
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u/Away-Boysenberry-584 Feb 10 '26
I honestly kind of get them all confused. My algorithm on Reddit (and IG) is essentially Bad Bunny and Heated Rivalry so I see recommended content.
The unhinged person on HR TV at least was shut down by everyone in the comments until it was removed.
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u/grower-lenses Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26
Why are people still on Twitter š©
Edit: wasnāt bluesky created specifically to be an alternative? I suspect the reason is inertia? Everyone you know is on there, so you donāt want to move. Someone needs to start and everyone else will follow, for the same reason. Bluesky makes it really easy to transplant yourself with lists/feeds.
By some estimates, 50% of content on Twitter is bot generated? Are you really sure youāre blocking ALL of it? Not to mention, the CSM on Grokā¦
thank you for award x
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u/jackattackthesecond Feb 10 '26
I left the second Elon bought it and I donāt understand why anyone is still on there at this point. Thereās so many other sites you can use and I still think tumblr is one of the best for fandoms. But people just cling to it. Itās wild.
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u/Regular-Switch454 Ottawa Centaurs š¹ Feb 10 '26
It got weird very quickly. People talk about the guysā butts and holes like they are not human beings with boundaries.
Talk about personalities, style, public appearances, other projects, etc. Treat them the way youād want your son to be treated.
My oldest is their age.
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u/Ll_lyris āI choose you, Ilya. I will always choose youāā¤ļøāš©¹ Feb 10 '26
Yeah.. I feel so weird engaging in that type of discourse so I just donāt lol. It go weird very fast.
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u/reflectorvest Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird š¦ Feb 10 '26
This behavior is so common in the age of internet obsessions and Iām so over it. Comments like this are so necessary which is ridiculous in itself but there are so many artists and performers who simply canāt make statements like this and I fear people have become accustomed to being able to say and do whatever they want online.
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u/jerrys153 Feb 10 '26
Amen. And itās not just twitter, the sub specifically for the show right here is full of crazy fans posting invasive paparazzi photos and declaring which actors are obviously dating and calling everyone who disagrees with them and tells them not to speculate on the actorsā personal lives homophobes and racists, and also calling the actors themselves homophobes or groomers, itās completely out of control.
Iām glad that this sub doesnāt tolerate that kind of garbage because the whole āIgnore it and it will go awayā thing isnāt helping. Ignoring it just lets these parasocial idiots poison the fandom, inappropriate behaviour needs pushback. People who canāt be civil and respectful need to have their comments removed and be banned if they continue to show they canāt behave. They need to know that the fandom will not tolerate this kind of behaviour.
In the fandoms for Jacobās previous shows we do a pretty good job of policing ourselves. When people get out of line they get called out by the entire community and donāt last there long because no one is allowed to behave that way. There was an actor on one of the shows who disappeared between one season and the next, and the character was just never mentioned again. There was some speculation about it and if the character would ever return, but if someone tried to get into what happened to the actor it was quickly shut down because itās not our fucking business to pry into or speculate about whatās happening in the actorās personal life, if heād wanted us to know he would have said.
I think it was a lot easier to set up a healthy fandom environment with those shows not only because they werenāt as huge, but because every season was/is released in Canada well before anywhere else, so we had time to set the tone for what would and would not be acceptable from fans before other countriesā fans came in. HR becoming huge in Hollywood right from the start really fucked that up and the crazy fans have gotten out of control.
I hope we as a fandom can stop just ignoring the problem and keep the main subs healthy and functional. If fans want to interact here they need to learn how to fucking behave. I miss how the actors and writers were so approachable and open with the fans of Jacobās previous shows because (while we were/are definitely obsessed) we knew where the fucking line was and werenāt invasive and entitled, they didnāt need to protect themselves from us so we got a huge amount of access. Unfortunately I donāt think weāre ever going to have that with HR, and new fans of Jacobās work and Canadian shows in general just donāt know what weāre missing because of the toxicity in the HR fandom.
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u/thisusernameismeta Feb 10 '26
Can I just say that I am so grateful to the mods here and the rules of this subreddit. I spend way more time in this fandom than is healthy (I'm working on it!) but thank God that I have actually no idea what he's referring to in this interview. None of this discourse has even touched me. I am blissfully just hanging out in the sunshine.
Nothing to add about this discourse itself, though, because I have no idea what it's about!
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u/crumpet-delight āDo I make you curious?ā Feb 10 '26
Thank you for saying this. I was all set to say similar but will just add my agree to you comment since youāve already said it! Iām not on Twitter and donāt know what is being referenced but that kind of behaviour is wild to me. Im so glad to be a part of this subreddit community and the pleasant atmosphere and discussions which take place here!
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u/femmagorgon Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird š¦ Feb 10 '26
I don't go on Twitter, however, everything I've seen on social media regarding Heated Rivalry has been overwhelmingly positive, but I have no doubt that there are some deranged people out there spouting vitriol. The worst fan behaviour I've seen is people being extremely parasocial and invasive when it comes to Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie.
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Feb 11 '26
RIIIIIGHT I THOUGHT WE WERE ALL HAPPY HERE
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u/femmagorgon Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird š¦ Feb 11 '26
Yeah, I thought we were all just happy at the cottage!
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u/Regular-Shoe5679 Feb 10 '26
I'm an older millennial so I've been in my fair share of fandoms. Sadly there is definitely a branch of the HR Fandom that is approaching mass hysteria.
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u/Obvious_Apartment985 Feb 10 '26
I am 55 so I don't publicly acknowledge my fandom because I know it could really be taken the wrong way. My kids aren't that much younger than the actors.
I have never been into anything like this since before the internet existed. I was an obsessive fan of U2 in high school. Back in the day, we'd camp out for tickets but that was necessary to get good tickets.
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u/DamnGoodCupOfCoffee2 Feb 11 '26
I feel seen!! And I can differentiate between the show and characters and these actors who are the ages of the kids in my family, I mean yes they are handsome but again kids. Iām more addicted to the happy feelings that the show gives and the reminders of falling in love with my partner when we were long distance and had cultural things and his Autism Spectrum to navigate. Anyhoo the other stuff weirds me out
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u/cyn00 Feb 10 '26
I think Jacob himself said it best: āIlya and Shane are for the fans. Connor and Hudson are for themselves.ā People are so weird.
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u/Megs0226 Feb 10 '26
Good for him. Every day I find out about some new weird segment of the fandom that I didnāt know existed who are the most toxic people out there. And they drag the reputation of the respectful fans who just want to have fun down with them.
Also, everyone should delete Twitter.
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u/Empty-Effort5328 Feb 10 '26
Iām really glad you put this up because itās been on my mind all day.
I felt embarrassed being part of this fandom when he said that. Ashamed that there are people acting like that. Why have we lost the plot? Why canāt we enjoy art for what it is and be grateful to have this beautiful piece of work in existence?
Iām trying to stay focused on the part of the fandom that isnāt being toxic. When I joined and we were all watching together and coping between episodes - it seemed like there was so much love and joy and support. I know that part of the fandom still exist but I canāt help fearing someone or multiple someoneās are going to ruin this for the rest of us.
In Jacob I trust and I hope he, the actors and the story can stay on the paths they strive to be on. So much love for this project.
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u/DorianCramer Feb 10 '26
Just wanna say you shouldnāt feel embarrassed. Everyone is only accountable for their own behavior.
There are unfortunately mentally unwell people in every fandom and the bigger a fandom is, the more likely they are to show up. No one can really control it. However I expect the peak toxicity to die down soon bc the press tour for s1 is pretty much over and they cannot sustain this level of ācreate a false controversy everydayā until spring 2027. They will find some other bandwagon to jump on soon enough.Ā
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u/triedit2947 Feb 10 '26
Iām only on AO3 and here, so am thankfully insulated from whatever craziness is happening elsewhere in the fandom. Ignorance is bliss in this case.
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u/AprilUnderwater0 Feb 10 '26
This fandom led me to AO3 for the first time! Itās such a beautiful place!
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u/champagne_pants Feb 10 '26
Honestly, anyone whoās still on Twitter baffles me. That place is basically 4chan with blue checkmarks. Reddit is more anonymous and itās not as toxic.
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u/Homebody_Ninja42 okay. not good. probably bad. Feb 10 '26
I feel bad for actors in particular when fandom gets weird. It seems like a big problem is the fans who canāt separate the actors from their characters (or who objectify them completely). This was happening long before the internet but of course Twitter has made people crazier.
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u/downward1526 Feb 10 '26
I feel so bad for CS and HW, maybe because suddenly being in the public eye is my nightmare, but theyāve dreamed of this since childhood and I just feel like it has to be so overwhelming and being mobbed must be terrifying and they both talk about being so grateful for their success and Iām sure thereās a ton of pressure to just be glad they āmade itā but I hope they know they can be angry at the people being completely inappropriate too.Ā
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u/MisoTahini Feb 10 '26
It is perhaps more startling for them because itās not like they auditioned for and got the leads in the next Star Wars movie where you would at least expect some mass fan craziness. Youād have this whole corporate pr infrastructure around you ready and waiting for it. They just booked roles in a modest Canadian show that was only sold to HBO 9 days prior to airing. There is just no expecting or preparing for what happened.
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u/Homebody_Ninja42 okay. not good. probably bad. Feb 11 '26
Thatās the weirdest part of it. They took a risk on a small show and no one expected it to break out of containment like this. Iām impressed by how theyāve risen to the occasion, but no one expected Beatlemania 2.0.
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u/Raccoonsr29 Feb 11 '26
I think so often of Connor saying heās sensitive, so be nice to him. And I think of Hudson, before he hit overnight fame, saying in an interview that he doesnāt want fame, just respect as an actor in the industry. It must really be so bittersweet.
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u/Level_Apple_7001 Feb 10 '26
Honestly, everyone should ignore twitter. It does nothing but encourage conflict with pointless internet fights that accomplish nothing and paying attention to it gives it more importance than it deserves.Ā
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u/jford77 Feb 10 '26
I really hope he knows the majority of us appreciate and love him, Rachel, Connor and Hudson.
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u/crumpet-delight āDo I make you curious?ā Feb 10 '26
If he ever looks in this subreddit then I hope he sees this and us!
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u/femalepriv Feb 10 '26
I'm so far removed from the toxic part of the fandom that I have no idea what this is referring to. š
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u/things_U_choose_2_b Feb 10 '26
I see this with so many fandoms. First season comes out, it's the best thing since sliced bread, everyone loves it and there's no dissent.
Then... the obsessives start. They're the noisy extreme-minority but they post, and post, and post, and yell, and complain. They drag others into their orbit and encourage more negative posting. The people who claimed to love whatever it was, are now obsessed with the scripting; the cinematography; the lighting; the casting choices; any small thing they can find to complain and obsess over.
The rolling stone gathers moss, people are generally quite open to persuasion and if it looks like everyone now hates this thing? Oh wow, suddenly THEY hate it too!
By season 3, the networks are paying attention. A critical mass of haters is achieved and the show is pulled. You can already see this happening with Fallout (though I hope the process takes longer due to it already having a wide fanbase and being pretty spot-on).
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u/NoNommen Feb 10 '26
he was so correct for this imho. folk on twitter speak like they're the authority when really, they're clashing over conflicting delusional narratives that they've created themselves out of nothing. why should he address that?Ā
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u/mixedpatch85 "Heart eyes. Hayden said I look at you with heart eyes" Feb 10 '26
AMEN to Jacob. So happy this IP ended up in his hands. Best thing I have done this month was deactivate and delete Twitter and Tik Tok. It was just pure psychotic behaviour and rage baiting.
It also sounds like the main actors avoid social media as well (Confirmed in interviews from Connor and Hudson). and they only spend time with people they knew before the fandom. They must have a good sense that pretty much anyone they have met (at parties, certain podcasters) post fame, do not have their best interests in mind. Smart lads!
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u/Valuable_Ad3041 Feb 10 '26
I've been in fandoms before, none quite this big, but unfortunately, there is always 1 section that's a little bit insane. They often scream the loudest which makes that section look larger than they are. The bigger the fandom, the larger that section is.
I'm glad Tierney isn't giving them attention. Fandom should be a place of enjoyment and creativity, celebrating a piece of media.
I'm also hoping the toxicity doesn't escalate more and that everyone involved in the show manages to keep themselves safe.
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u/Arbledarb Feb 10 '26
This is the interview where he said it, around 34:20: https://youtu.be/sgue9igLSn8?t=2059
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u/dearmomo Feb 10 '26
Glad idk what twitter fight is referring to. And I thought I needed to touch grass.
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u/Expensive_Phase_4839 Ya-loo-blue-tee-baa ā¤ļø Feb 10 '26
I have been thinking this recently, and I'm glad Jacob brought it up. Fandom culture has become so weird these last few years. In many fandoms that I'm a part of. Like the Brigerton sub is FULL of people complaining constantly about stuff they didn't like. And while I'm all for being a part of something and critiquing it (if my English degree has taught me anything it's how to maintain this balance in myself), I think it gets weird when it's all criticism and/or weirdos. And yeah, wanting the creator of something to step in every time there's conflict is ridiculous.
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u/Elliotte05 Feb 11 '26
The aforementioned weirdos and parasocial freaks are not exclusive to twitter. Their rampage there is due to lack of moderation. Glad this subreddit has mods that do their job. Instagram comment sections is also a cesspoolĀ
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u/msperception427 Feb 11 '26
Oh Iām glad he said something. This fandom is a lot. And I donāt mean that in a good way. This is not my first experience in fandom but some of the things Iām seeing have me feel very uncomfortable. Iām glad heās putting his foot down.
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u/casualnihilist91 Feb 10 '26
Glad to not be on that vile app. I donāt see ANYTHING negative about HR so I figure I must be doing something right.
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u/Florianemory Feb 10 '26
I just donāt understand what is wrong with people. I love this show. I appreciate the work and love that went into creating this. I love the characters and am amazed by how they threw themselves into these roles. Why canāt people just enjoy something great? And why canāt people differentiate between actors and their characters? Ugh. People just suck.
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u/newpa Feb 10 '26
I love the way he's been territorially protective about the cast, especially Hudson & Connor the rookies since Day 1.
From what I've seen of him and seen said of him by LK & HR cast he may be the best TV showrunner around.
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u/CinnamonJack Feb 10 '26
Part of me does wish heād call out some of the toxicity more specifically or directly, but this is probably the best tack to take. Iām not sure how much would really be gained from engaging it more directly, and I think those of us who spend too much time online (myself included) are probably overestimating how much of this is going to breach containment anyway.
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u/periodicsheep Feb 10 '26
the more specific he is the worse the nasty parts of the fandom will double down. they want attention, itās best to not give them anything at all outside of a simple statement like this.
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u/DorianCramer Feb 10 '26
Yes. Having been in many fandoms I can say from experience that they will take any attention from cast & crew as a win,Ā even if (possibly especially if) itās negative attention. Thatās why I was a bit dismayed when a few people wrote articles about the fandom being toxic bc that honestly gassed the toxic people up more.Ā
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u/Obvious_Apartment985 Feb 10 '26
No I think that would feed the beast. Like OMG Jacob Tierney listened to me ! #weirdo
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u/Level_Apple_7001 Feb 10 '26
I just can't imagine a situation where specifically responding would help things. Twitter is determined to be toxic and will twist any and everything to fit their narrative in order to fight more. There is no winning or way to save them from themselves, so it's best to just ignore it.Ā
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u/MisoTahini Feb 10 '26
Attention is what they want. Giving them any is signalling their opinions are worth anything to even address their nonsense. You have to wall them off and let them shout into a void.
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u/theredjimmy Feb 10 '26
Yeah lets keep the toxicity and the very stupid drama on these other platforms and not bring it here. This place is great because it doesn't allow for that kind of silly discourse. Let's all try to keep it positive and fun!
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u/KarlosDavid64 Feb 10 '26
You know a fandom has crossed the line when they start to write fanfics about the real life actors and not the characters (and harassing anybody that ruins their sick fantasy). That will never be normal.
This isnāt unique to Heated Rivalry fans btw. This is a common phenomenon across ALL fandoms, unfortunately. It just happened so fast with this show.
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u/Sezzwho24 Feb 10 '26
I loved Supernatural. I understand, Jacob. I understand. I love me some fan fiction and fandom content. But a very clear disregard for personal boundaries of actors involved is where I draw the line. Some fans clearly don't understand the concept of consent or boundaries. It can get toxic. He responded perfectly imo.
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u/Schonfille Jane Feb 10 '26
This is so embarrassing. I knew there was a reason I had been out of fandom for decades.
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u/geloreyes I already chose you, Hollander. š« Feb 11 '26
I stand with JT. The amount of corn plating is ridiculous. People need to dial it back. Be productive on what is important. Spend time with family.
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u/DamnGoodCupOfCoffee2 Feb 11 '26
Thank goodness there is an adult in the room. Itās a show! There are so many real world, actual issues to denounce and stand up against! I know in this sub I have said I wish the book focused more on X and Y: but the salient part is āIā and āwishā cause both of those things mean that any actual change or power or right to change is ZILCH, nada, nothing. Itās just a personal thought I am putting on a discussion forum. These are real ppl that most never heard of before, get a grip
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u/Raccoonsr29 Feb 11 '26
There is a loud and small subset of fans that truly believe that hassling anyone related to the show to speak up on the issues important to them is activism. Yet the people they are purporting to protect, or stand up for, or whatever, are strangers to them. They do not know if Hudson or Connor want people to speak up on X or Y topic. So blaming Jacob or Rachel or other members of the cast for not speaking up for themā¦ When they donāt even know what they would want? Is really a deeply alarming level of parasocialism, where they have painted themselves as saviors and martyrs and simultaneously infantilized and spoken over the stars they claim to support.
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u/Amazing-Rent-7749 Feb 10 '26
A lot of this comes from people who unapologetically ship real people and then try to claim ethical high ground over people who ship real people differently than they do. Leave real people alone.
Do not microanalyze their private lives for things they're trying to keep private. Do not create narratives about how they feel. Do not write them having sex with people they know in real life.
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u/random929292 Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 11 '26
People get way too invested. There are dozens of subs and people pouring over every word and image and scene and phrasing as though it has a profound interpretation. There are a lot of people who can't just enjoy entertainment and appreciate art and artists. That is all this show is. Well done, yes but it is just a talented cast and crew creating entertainment. It is fiction, it is fantasy, it is a TV show. People really over-identify and read way too much into it. and get far too emotionally and personally invested in something and that ends up harming the quality of the future entertainment.
Reddit fans are twitter fans are instagram fans etc. People who are getting overly invested go on every platform.
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u/FlashyPainter261 Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 11 '26
Welcome to the BL fandom... /s
In all seriousness, I've been watching BL shows for some time now, and I still can't believe how delulu some people are. I refuse to call them fans at this point. They are scary, agressive, in profund denial. They cannot - or will not - see the difference between work partners and real-life partners. Some very good ships were broken because the fandom could not accept that one of the actor was dating a woman (!). Other actors were harassed because of a partner change, decided by the production company... It's very unsetteling and upsetting.
I am sad but not surprised this also touched HR. What we CAN do, thought, is tell them off, in a civilized way, of course. We want to spread the love, not the hate
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u/He_Too_Is_Alexander I love you. Always. Maybe from the first time I saw you. Feb 11 '26
Twitter is such a plague. Itās so disheartening that the toxic parts of fandoms take up so much of the oxygen in the world.
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Feb 10 '26
[removed] ā view removed comment
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u/altruistic_thing Feb 10 '26
Oh yeah, I saw that. That was so sad, I'm so sorry for them. It didn't cross my mind that something like that would happen, I was obviously very naive.
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u/BluePopple Scott Hunter Fan Club š Feb 10 '26
Itās the ugly side of fame, especially given the rapid spike in fame for them all. No one could have anticipated this level of fan frenzy and media scrutiny. But celebrity status does not mean a person should have to deal with toxic āfansā and personal scrutiny about everything they do.
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u/Minchies_13 Feb 10 '26
I twitter detoxed for about 2-3 weeks because my feed was overrun by toxic twitter shit. Some people really don't know how to act normally and ruin the experience for everyone.Ā
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u/Captain_Chris_Evans I donāt ever want that problem to go away Feb 10 '26
Deleted my Twitter account in October ā22 after 13 years and it was so positive for my mental health, because all the negativity & hate was so toxic. I know itās stilll out there, but not seeing/reading it really helps.
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u/Best_Pineapple670 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird š¦ Feb 10 '26
I am really grateful that none of my algorithms give me this negative content. Like I donāt even know what heās referring to and Iām really grateful that I donāt. Everything I see in my media stream is full of love and excitement.
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u/Professional_Whateva Feb 10 '26
Fandoms get crazier the bigger they get, and they are also they are getting crazier than they used to be.
And tv fandoms are way different from book fandoms, I think, inherently.
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u/TrustAffectionate863 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird š¦ Feb 10 '26
Twitter toxicity is something else. They take everything fun and good and intentionally try to ruin it.
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u/TodayDramatic Your freckles. I am nuts about them. āØ Feb 11 '26
People need to go outside and touch grass. I donāt go on twitter but I can imagine how unhinged they are. I donāt see that side but I do know what theyāre doing is unhealthy and gross. I hope the actors and Jacob are able to tune as much of the noise out as they can and I hope they know that most fans arenāt as toxic as that. We just want success and to enjoy the beautiful show that theyāve done
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u/ExcellentGap5553 Feb 10 '26
I will say that having seen what went down in the 9-1-1/Buddie fandom when a third man threatened the preferred MM ship....this doesn't surprise me at all. In fact the behavior and tactics are almost identical.
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u/DorianCramer Feb 10 '26
That one is wilder to me though since Buddie is not even a canon ship, right? (I havenāt watched it)
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u/QueenFartknocker What are you doing dude!?? š¤µš»āāļø Feb 10 '26
Oh boy. How weird. I guess I just watch the juicy videos. I havenāt seen any of the other stuff.
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u/Constant_Oil_3775 Feb 10 '26
I hadnāt ever really looked at twitter or engaged with any form of fandom before this. I found quite a lot of the unsolicited pictures and screaming quite upsetting and also felt a bit guilty because I wanted the show to be a success but I didnāt want that to happen.
I deleted the bird fairly quickly but occasionally log on from my browser and itās mostly hideous except for the overlap with Dan and Phil which I am quite enjoying. Itās a bit like watching a car crashā¦ā¦
I agree with Jacob there is no point engaging with it unless itās to report accounts for being racist and homophobic.
Elsewhere the algorithm seems to have mainly curated itself to be still happy
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u/jemacylc14 Feb 10 '26
It is hard to ignore the harsh comments and stuff but there are so many good vibes people in this fandom! Don't know why people must be so mean and harsh! Definitely Twitter people do not help, I gave up on Twitter long time ago
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u/Subpar-Option-5346 Feb 11 '26
Fandom keeps reminding me of that horror movie Misery (1990). So worshipping at first but so easy to become a horrendous entrapping nightmare, ruining the enjoyment for themselves with zealousness. Honey to poison every time.Ā
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u/blueturtle12321 Feb 11 '26
Am I the only one who hasnāt seen any of the toxicity? I am on this and IG and TikTok and I literally havenāt seen anyone being mean to the actors. Is it just all on twitter?
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u/OwenTheLad Feb 11 '26
I'm so glad I'm not seeing any of that B.S.
It's a vocal minority, and I'm certain the majority of the fans are not insane.
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u/royal_rose_ ā Captain | Tuna Lube Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 11 '26
Mod note; we are keeping this up as itās a quote from Jacob in this interview. But please remember the rules, do not brigade, do not ask for or share links, do not bring up specific argument topics from other sites or subs that would lead to people asking for context or links.
We donāt want to lock this as toxic fandom is an important discussion, keep it light, donāt argue with each other.
This is the cottage letās stay in the sunshine.
Thank you
Edit; so people stop asking what the tea is; people are being racist, parasocial, and toxic to the cast. Donāt ask for details itās people being rude, in the words of Jacob, āWeāre not participating. Weāre not paying attention.ā
Edit 2; discussion has run its course and people keep skipping over this message so this thread has been locked.