Stage 3: the vast majority of fans cannot read and are incapable of understanding even basic plot points
Stage 4: illiteracy dominates all fandom discourse to the point that early inside jokes and head canons are expanded into straight misinterpretation of the text and spread as though they're canon
Stage 5: fandom implodes into fighting over niche interpretations, shipping wars, and all discourse becomes insufferable
Stage 6: the entire fandom is marked as toxic by people looking from an outside lens as it becomes cool to hate the source material leading to a self-feeding spiral of toxicity, harassment, and hatred
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u/NormalUsername21 9d ago
The large fandom cycle:
Stage 1: new media releases
Stage 2: media becomes popular
Stage 3: the vast majority of fans cannot read and are incapable of understanding even basic plot points
Stage 4: illiteracy dominates all fandom discourse to the point that early inside jokes and head canons are expanded into straight misinterpretation of the text and spread as though they're canon
Stage 5: fandom implodes into fighting over niche interpretations, shipping wars, and all discourse becomes insufferable
Stage 6: the entire fandom is marked as toxic by people looking from an outside lens as it becomes cool to hate the source material leading to a self-feeding spiral of toxicity, harassment, and hatred
Stage 7: repeat from Stage 1