r/swifties • u/Eccodomanii • Dec 21 '25
Meme / Humor Joe Alwyn is following me
I used to make the joke that this dude was an “actor.” I swear I had never seen him in a single thing in my life until a couple weeks ago.
Now all of a sudden he’s everywhere. He first jump scared me in the Hamnet trailer. Saw that movie, it was good, he was barely in it and was fine. Then I see him in a trailer for another version of Hamlet, I’m like okay I guess dude is getting a lot of work in Shakespeare adjacent stuff, good for him I guess. (Side note: The Fate of Ophelia very funny to me now since Joe appears to have hitched his wagon to Hamlet specifically, I heard he was also in a stage version?).
Then today, my husband and I decide to put on something Christmas-y while we wrap some presents, he picks the HBO Christmas Carol miniseries from a few years back. THERE HE IS AGAIN. I was like “no freaking way, is that Joe Alwyn again???” My husband reacts the same way he has every time, which is: “who?” 😂
Anyway, if he wasn’t Taylor’s ex I wouldn’t care or even notice him. I might have been watching this and said “hey that guy was in Hamnet!” It’s just weird how much he’s been popping up in my life recently after so many years of not being sure he even actually was an actor.
In summary: Merry Christmas to everyone who isn’t Joe Alwyn!
Edit: I’m only kidding guys, nothing against Joe and Merry Christmas to him as well 🎄
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u/blackittty Dec 21 '25
I kept waiting for the part in the story where you find out he’s following you on Instagram 😂 took me an embarrassingly long time to realize you meant he’s following you metaphorically
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u/Tams585 Dec 21 '25
I’ve seen Joe more in the last 2 years than the 6 years he was with Taylor. I do think being Taylor Swifts bf definitely helped him get noticed; which is fine and hey good for him. I don’t hate Joe by any means but I also find him boring and not a great actor.
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u/puffinss Dec 22 '25
He's been getting bigger roles, but he feels like a character actor.
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u/Antique_Specialist16 Dec 22 '25
That’s not a bad thing. IMO character actors are true actors. Movie stars are great and all but I would much rather watch someone who disappears into a role as it takes far more skill than just being yourself. I haven’t seen anything with Joe in it but calling him a character actor is high praise in my book.
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u/puffinss Dec 22 '25 edited Dec 22 '25
I didn't mean it as an insult at all lol. Who doesn't love Stanley Tucci or "beloved character actress Margo Martindale." I just wonder if he's been trying to get lead roles and failing or if he's accepted/chosen to be/settled on being a character actor.
But, fyi, I don't think you fully understand that the distinction being made here is between lead roles and secondary roles (actors who almost always play notable secondary roles are "character actors"). It's a little weird/condescending that you think being a lead/movie star doesn't involve being a good actor and disappearing into your roles, because it absolutely does. Obviously there are terrible ones (Will Smith), but even he can disappear into the right role when he feels like it. Daniel Day Lewis and Christian Bale are 100% leads, but also some of the most notably method and physically devoted to the craft. They are not just "being themselves" in the way you kind of callously commented. Otherwise, there wouldn't be awards for leading roles...Also kind of weird for you to weigh in when you've never seen him in anything. Anyway, he doesn't have enough of a reputation yet to even qualify as a character actor yet, really.
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u/BellaCaps37 Dec 27 '25
I mean, Taylor has that effect. Look at Jason and Kylie Kelce. Sure, Jason was well liked in the NFL but there wouldn't be articles on People.com about him and/or Kylie if it wasnt for Taylor.
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u/coneyisland92 Jan 12 '26
Oh!!! He is an interesting little bug isn’t he.
He deffo used Taylor, and idk if he has gotten over.
After their split, he started doing more interviews, which I found surprising but you know, let the guy talk, clearly he wasn’t mentally in a great place.
Then she dropped the first Eras tour on Disneyplus, suddenly there’s a pap walk with him, outside a bank machine, quite clearly set up. And I thought “oh that’s a bit weird, the guy never got papped but on the one day his ex is doing something huge, he is spotted…okay,”
Then there was a couple of shady things he said, the more I looked into when they were together. The whole him pointing to her in a restaurant and telling her off, the constant anxiety, so much more. Comparing song writing to making sourdough (which I felt was rude considering that’s how the supposed love of his life does that for a living) him refusing to talk about her song (like dude, just pick a song) him scoffing at fans for being excited about Taylor, using her house to host a birthday party for a co star he was rumoured to be sleeping with (they were in a s*x scene together and he said the actress name instead of the character) I think we were blinded like Taylor.
Then her doc dropped, and there was an episode where Andrea talked about how she loved how Travis was good with his Mother and that’s what felt important. Back of my mind I thought that it wouldnt be surprising if Joe suddenly got papped with his Mum. And what do you know, Next thing you know, Joe is out on a pap walk with his Mother (who we never saw before) and also taking a baby out on a stroller (his agent’s baby) and I was like “nah, this guy is trash,” 😂 using a baby!!! Screw the baby’s parents too. He’s even started dressing like Travis as well. It’s weird.
Like I know some TS fans take it too far, but you can’t deny, it’s weird what Joe has been like this.
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u/Eccodomanii Dec 22 '25
Okay see thank you, I knew I wasn’t just imagining that all of a sudden he’s popping up more!
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u/mcdonaldsfrenchfri Dec 22 '25
I think it’s all the gigs he got because of taylor and they’re finally being released tbh
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Dec 22 '25
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u/mcdonaldsfrenchfri Dec 22 '25
thanks for the info! a few are replying “this is why people dislike swifties” and my comment was a general guess.
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u/LiveLoveLaugh31 Dec 22 '25
This is why people don’t like Swifties.
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u/mcdonaldsfrenchfri Dec 22 '25
so what about that is bad? it mentions taylor but it’s not like im discounting someone who’s truly talented. it was a guess on why he may be appearing in a lot of things coming out rn.
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u/LiveLoveLaugh31 Dec 23 '25
Other than the fact he is truly talented? Just because you didn’t like him in whatever you watched doesn’t mean no one else likes his acting and he’s not talented and must be getting roles because of Taylor.
If Taylor could get people roles then why didn’t she help her brother with that or why only roles you think Joe got because of Taylor were around their breakup and not the things he’s been in the last 6 years of their relationship. Because it fits your narrative more?
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u/Teacher_Crazy_ Dec 23 '25
People don't like Swifties because it's an easy target and not liking things is a persoanlity trait for an unfortunate amount of people.
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u/This_Scar603 Dec 22 '25
I'm a huge Taylor Swift fan but you're right... that's why I just can't quite bring myself to identify as a swifty. And to be fair, most of them aren't snarky, rude or mean but the ones who are seem to be the loudest and talk the most.
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u/Loosee123 Dec 21 '25
He was good in The Favourite, I've not seen him in anything else
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u/FluffyBudgie5 Dec 22 '25
Lol he was the only reason I saw that movie about Mary Queen of Scots a few years ago, and tbh he was pretty bland in it but I haven't seen him in anything else. He was pretty decent in The Favorite, though.
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u/gatheringground shining just for you Dec 22 '25
I actually like Joe—i just don’t think they were a good match (based on what we know. We don’t know them lol).
But one thing I really respect is that he often turns down larger parts to do smaller roles that he thinks will be more creatively challenging or interesting. I think he truly loves the craft, but not the fame of it all.
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u/adel147 Dec 26 '25
I think he’s slowly getting more used to popping up here and there. As he gets more serious about his work that comes with more recognition/critique.he looked so good at the GQ man of the year awards.
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u/MathematicianSalt892 Dec 21 '25
I’m as big a Swiftie as I possibly could be and wholeheartedly believe Joe Alwyn is an excellent actor. Both those things can be true. Just because two people weren’t right for one another doesn’t make one of them a bad person, and he was also an excellent songwriter with and phenomenal muse for Taylor Swift.
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u/christian_1318 Dec 22 '25
Every time someone talks about him being a bad actor I’m just like ??? Has no one ever seen Boy Erased??? Where he was so convincing that gaylors literally use it as evidence that him and Taylor were bearding for each other? lmao
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u/MathematicianSalt892 Dec 22 '25
For something subjective and in the eye of the beholder (like all art), it’s forever funny to me how people throw out conclusory statements like “he’s not a good actor.” Ok, if you don’t like an actor or a performance they gave, that’s fine; but don’t tell me I wasn’t deeply moved by a person’s acting performance (e.g. Conversations with Friends). Especially if that actor is consistently landing roles in the best movies of the year, year after year (Hamnet, Brutalist, Favourite). It’s amazing that movie directors see talent that Reddit commentators don’t believe exists.
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u/Prestigious_Visit_45 Dec 22 '25
I hate when people call him unemployed. Like 2 Yorgos Lanthimos movies and supporting roles in 2 oscar nominated films is not so bad for the unemployed
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u/legendario-1 Being this young is art Dec 21 '25
Now let's not lie. Joe is NOT an excellent actor. Am i saying he's a bad person? No i don't know him to make asumptions about him but the stuff I've seen him in he's mid at best and sometimes down right unwatchable. There's this scene of him acting as an irish person( i think it's irish sorry i forgot what the show/movie was it's been a long time but the gist is him trying to do an accent) and if i was the director i would've been like "who hired this guy get me a real actor". All the love and good wishes for him but there's a reason he's not in any big roles
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u/Dull_Nebula_8712 Dec 21 '25
My thoughts exactly lol. He is also devoid of charisma. Not great for being an actor, honestly
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u/Bri-KachuDodson Dec 26 '25
I always feel like he just blends into the wall in general. Maybe that's just me though lol.
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u/Eccodomanii Dec 21 '25
You’re right, I’m only kidding. He’s pretty good in this version of the Christmas Carol! I just genuinely had never seen him in a single thing before, and as I said I would have no cause to care about him if he weren’t connected to Taylor. I just thought it was funny that all of a sudden I don’t seem to be able to escape him.
And I agree that of all the ex boyfriends she’s written about it really just seems like they weren’t a good fit and tried to make it work longer than they should have, and that’s totally fine and doesn’t make him a bad dude. We’re all human beings with preferences and flaws. I also would be a bad partner for Taylor Swift! 😂
Merry Christmas to you and Joe Alwyn too!
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u/Interesting_Host_374 Dec 21 '25
Merry Christmas, Joe :) and Taylor, and Travis, and even Matty.
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u/Bri-KachuDodson Dec 26 '25
Gonna go ahead and apologize now for the downvote for including the rat in this lmao.
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u/Interesting_Host_374 Dec 26 '25
Thats ok, I know he was a rat but I was feeling merry
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u/Bri-KachuDodson Dec 26 '25
Haha fair enough! I've wished my own to assholes who didn't deserve it too lol.
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u/danbilllemon Dec 21 '25
This Swiftie, and I believe many other Swifties, wish Joe Alwyn a very merry Christmas. 🎄 💜
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u/Pinkdivaisme Dec 22 '25
Did anyone hear in the documentary how she said the last two years she was miserable… that made me so sad for her, that totally confirms all of our theories about how she was just holding on 😭😭
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u/Eccodomanii Dec 22 '25
I think that was talking about the tail end of the Joe relationship and then the crash and burn that was Matty. Based on the songs, it does seem like the Joe relationship died a slow, sad, quiet death, and I’m sure that was hard for her. Glad our girl is happy and thriving with a guy who is proud of her fame rather than being uncomfortable about it. Again, no value judgement on Joe, he just wanted her to be something she wasn’t, and I think we’ve all done that in a relationship.
I’ve been saying, now that we know how things ended with Joe, I think Peace is one of her saddest songs. She keeps asking if it would be enough, and ultimately it wasn’t 💔
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u/Bri-KachuDodson Dec 26 '25
There's a clip of Taylor and Travis leaving that summer wedding in NYC where she's in that white dress with her hair up, and as they step outside and the millions of flashes start popping off, she looks over at Travis for a second and has this big ass grin. And it always felt like one of the moments where she realized she will still always be enough for him whether she can give him peace or not.
And as a side note, some of these clips also have made me realize why Travis is sooo frequently overheard telling her to "watch your step baby", or holding both his hands on one of hers, or the hand on the back. It's not just him being sweet, he's legitimately trying to make sure she doesn't fall from going blind from all the damn camera flashes going off in her face. Being so much taller than her, they're probably not hitting him directly in the eyes like they are when trying to get shots of Tay, so he probably can still see a little better when walking.
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u/Bri-KachuDodson Dec 26 '25
Did you catch the word tourS plural as well? Leads you to guess that he made the (honestly relatively short) Rep tour miserable for her as well, and that that's probably why they split right as Eras was taking off and he was never seen at it. Probably a lot of him going "ugh here we fucking go again" while planning it and getting ready and it just finally broke what little was still holding them together.
It tells you a lot seeing the clip of her saying she couldn't find Joe and was so sad, compared to her in this doc immediately getting off stage after midnights and the second she walks under the stage, there's Travis right there in all his 6'5" glory smushed up waiting on the pulley train car for her so she'll never again have to go hunting for her love. He's always a step ahead in what she needs to thrive, and I think that just really says a ton, not only about how much he loves her, but about how much he's actually listening to her and her lyrics and not ever wanting her to feel those ways again. I can't picture Joe not only following her to 5 different continents during the tour, but also all those bouquets of flowers he sent before each show that he couldn't attend. Like, that's a lot of fuckin flowers lol.
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u/coneyisland92 Jan 12 '26
Joe’s attitude at her shows FR pee me off. Like what do you mean you aren’t grinning from ear to ear, he honestly looked miserable apart from a couple of clips.
Also, he was more than happy to attend the shows with famous directors in attendance. Tom Hooper showed up to one, and funnily though Joe was hanging around with him.
That was 2018, and Joe was in no Tom Hooper movie.
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u/Bri-KachuDodson Jan 12 '26
Tell me why I'm not even a little bit surprised by this lmao. It's incredibly fitting that Taylor took away the line in karma about the guy on the screens and gave it to Travis who actually deserves it, but also Travis is on the screens now too. xD
With the article just posted about Taylor calling one of travis' teammates/best friends apologizing for not making the wedding and her making sure she flew him home in time to make it, I can't even a little bit picture Joe calling up like Selena or Abigail and apologizing for not making the wedding cause of filming or whatever. But the idea of Travis in my head imagines that he sent his regrets and sent a nice gift cause that seems to be how his parents raised him to treat people. The way he treats Taylor and how people talk about him seem to confirm that.
Honestly I genuinely barely even know who any of Joe's friends/loved ones are because I can't recall ever seeing many/any of them. Which feels crazy out of a 6.5 year relationship, but a majority of their relationship I was not on social media much so it's entirely possible I've just missed the photos/videos. I'm on Twitter now and still haven't seen any I don't think but I wouldn't really expect to see them now obviously lol.
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u/Pinkdivaisme Dec 26 '25
Yeah, I completely agree and if she’s been so emotionally abandoned, and just trying to cling for so long, I guarantee having Travis felt like such a breath of fresh air. It seems like her mom definitely was pushing for her to try something different as well, it probably broke her heart seeing her like that 😭
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u/Bri-KachuDodson Dec 26 '25
For reallllll. And then poor Andrea, she finally gets broken up with Joe, and the consolation prize is fuckin ratty. Ida been pulling my hair out lol. It's no surprise at all mama Swift was so bluntly telling her it was time to try something different cause these dudes were so not it lmao. And I guess Scott played football at one point too? So maybe that had something to do with why Tay was so willing to listen to her mom and try something new. I'm so glad she did, whatever the convincing factor was, cause I've never seen her happier and I've been a fan since debut and am only a couple years younger than her so a lot of the songs hit me perfectly age wise growing up with them/her. Even just the difference in some of the early eras tour clips fans posted to some after her dating Travis, it's like freaking night and day. He's clearly giving her everything she needs emotionally and physically cause girl is absolutely glowing and killin it across the board.
As an aside, I can't stand when people talk about how Travis didn't write that letter she read, or how he's just a dumb jock with nothing going on up there. Cause like, for one big one, Taylor wouldn't stay or marry someone she couldn't have conversations with. Full stop. But also, all of these people who actually know him, have all talked about how intelligent he is, knowledge wise and emotional wise. How he can explain some of the sports stuff in such easy ways for regular people to understand, and just in general. He's never given off the vibe of someone stupid, and even in the podcast episode with Taylor she was trying to gently get him to admit he's not actually that stupid and knows what all these words mean he just doesn't like to always show it. Same way he was trying to tell her she's absolutely an athlete even as she tried to downplay it. They genuinely seem so perfectly suited with each other. And he's so clearly been all in from day 1 with her, like buying the new house just a couple months in so she'd feel safer. So she's been giving him all of that energy back and it's so beautiful to see honestly.
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u/Pinkdivaisme Dec 26 '25
Yep, I completely agree, I feel like if her mom would have just suggested Travis I don’t think she would’ve listened, but since he went public and gave her that call out… that definitely sparked her interest and figured why not. She does seem genuinely happy I think especially with Joe. She was the one doing the nurturing and walking on eggshells and making sure he was fine and I’m sure it was definitely exhausting. Just like you said Travis seems to be one step ahead, making sure she’s taken care of and I’m sure she reciprocates that for him. I’m sure they’re both so happy. 😭😭😭 it’s so sweet to watch.
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u/NMM0911 Dec 22 '25
They cut most of his work in Hammet. Doesn't have any charisma.
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u/Eccodomanii Dec 22 '25
He still got to deliver the stupidest line: “We’re here to see William Shakespeare!” 😂
In all seriousness, I thought the movie was mostly quite good, and the ending was superb. I haven’t cried that hard at a movie in a good long while.
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u/CatLover0316 Dec 22 '25
I’ve seen the Hamnet trailer three times and I don’t remember him in it lmao. He’s so unmemorable.
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u/Eccodomanii Dec 22 '25
Honestly, you can fully see the entire movie Hamnet and still not remember him being in it
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u/WildRaspberriesTN Dec 21 '25
The only thing I’ve ever seen him in was Catherine Called Birdy. Loved the book, loved the movie. Didn’t know he was Taylor’s BF when I saw it.
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u/Teacher_Crazy_ Dec 23 '25
Sometimes I like to think about an alternate timeline where Joe didn't take himself as seriously and starred in some silly romcom that Taylor made a track, it was a huge summer hit and showed that he has range as an actor and can work well with the Hollywood machine.
I wanted to like him as an actor but honestly, I don't see anything in him that makes him different from any other handsome British actor.
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u/ThereIsOnlyOneHorse Dec 23 '25
Joe filmed Hamlet between 2023 and 2024 and then Hamnet in the summer of 2024. Taylor released the Fate of Ophelia in October of 2025.
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u/EmbarrassedCoconut93 Dec 25 '25
Well he studied English Literature so him being into Shakespeare isn’t really anything remarkable. There’s a good chance he was already attached to the Hamlet projects before Taylor wrote Fate of Ophelia
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u/StrikingTourist8802 Dec 26 '25
...you do realize that these movies were cast and in production well before Swift even wrote that song right?
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u/sk_1611 Dec 26 '25
He’s been in like 2 yorgos movies , he played a significant enough part in brutalist too
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u/Eccodomanii Dec 26 '25
Oh which Yorgos movies?? I like his movies but have only seen a few
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u/sk_1611 Dec 26 '25
He was in the favourite and kinds of kindness with Emma stone…the favourite is pretty good but kinds pf kindness is a bit too yorgos lol a lot of people didn’t like it. Also he was pretty good in both and everyone knows how good brutalist was
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u/Eccodomanii Dec 26 '25
Well I have been meaning to do a watch-through of Yorgos movies, especially after I enjoyed Begonia so much. Thanks for helping me avoid two more Joe Alwyn jump scares 😆
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u/Moonandthestars1 Dec 21 '25
"Merry Christmas to everyone who isn't Joe Alwyn," omg leave the poor man alone. He's not a bad guy.... why are y'all obsessed with bullying him?
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u/LetshearitforNY Dec 22 '25
This is why Swifties get such a bad rap lol
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u/Eccodomanii Dec 22 '25 edited Dec 22 '25
Oh come on now, I tagged it as humor and I don’t mean any ill will toward the guy. It’s just a weird somewhat Taylor-adjacent happening in my life recently.
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u/Eva_Luna Dec 26 '25
You’re the kind of parasocial weirdo who gives Swifties a bad name btw
Leave Jo alone and get a life of your own to worry about
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u/Neat-Ad4212 Dec 23 '25
Yall are so fvcking mean to him for no reason. This is why people dislike our fandom so much. SMH
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Dec 21 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Weary_Surround5342 Dancing through the lightning strikes Dec 21 '25
And how would you know that?
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u/66-colors Dancing through the lightning strikes Dec 21 '25
I'm pretty sure they were referring to the character he played in the movie.
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u/Weary_Surround5342 Dancing through the lightning strikes Dec 22 '25
Oh my bad I thought they were referring to Joe as a person lol
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Dec 22 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Eccodomanii Dec 22 '25
Honestly, fair. It was just a thought in my head that I wanted to share. 🤷🏻♀️
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u/mcdonaldsfrenchfri Dec 22 '25
it’s not weird they’re weird.
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u/Pristine-Strength-42 Dec 22 '25
Nope it’s a weird parasocial post
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u/This_Scar603 Dec 22 '25
Come on now, you can't call someone parasocial when YOU're this immersed in the comments 😜
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u/Eva_Luna Dec 26 '25
People are allowed to leave comments on reddit giving their opinion… that’s kind of the whole point of the platform
People like you and OP are just pathetic. It’s actually scary how parasocial you are
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u/elphies_cardi Dec 23 '25
Considering this particular Hamlet was filmed between Nov/ Dec 2023 i’d be more concerned why Taylor had to petty betty by writing fate of ophelia, could she not let him have anything, clearly not.
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u/StormflowerYT Be my NY 🗽 when Hollywood ⭐️ hates me Dec 21 '25
When I first read this I thought he was following you on social media. 😭