Toxic Fans & Dehumanization

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Hey You,

We hope you enjoyed our last few issues featuring industry interviews; we greatly appreciate both companies for providing great artist and industry insights. We recently had the opportunity to chat with the founders of Ampollo, so that will hit your inbox soon—keep an eye out for it. 

This week, we are turning our attention to a growing issue: Toxic Fans and the dehumanization of the artists they “love”.

How is it that some sets of fans become vicious attack dogs behind keyboards? What changed for us to get to this point? Idolization and dehumanization in equal measures.

Artists who are no longer seen as people, but as the property of fans. And fans who, in a large part, have unprecedented access no longer see doxxing, online attacks and tirades as an issue. Instead, it is a right? And somewhere, the justification is that it should be expected and accepted since they are in the public eye?

Let’s tuck into this meaty topic. Shall we?

We’re used to hearing about toxic people, but imagine that all of those people were in a big, thousands-strong group. And, just like other types of bullies, they fire each other up, and typically now, you’ll see streams of comments in a similar vein.

The characteristics are also pretty defined now. They harass and bully creators, significant others, exes, and anyone who may speak out against their favourite artists. They gatekeep against ‘new’ fans or fans with different opinions. Toxic fan groups have been known to doxx (publish people’s information online). A deep sense of entitlement to the time and private information from artists… and a deeply unhealthy obsession.

While it is not the only other characteristic, the dehumanization of the artists is also a factor. Musicians are no longer musicians; they are something different.

There are two sides to this one. First, the musicians they love ‘owe’ them music, appearances, insight into their lives, photos, and, if possible, no privacy. Second, and one we have seen in some fandoms, death threats, serious accusations and rumors, plus tireless online attacks. Leaving hundreds of thousands of horrific messages on public profiles of the ‘opposition’.

An example of this can be seen with Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and Hailey. Fans from all sides, millions of comments rained down. At one point, Gomez begged her fans to stop. In a live TikTok, she asked her fans to stop bullying his wife with death threats and stating real fans wouldn’t do this...

It didn’t stop.

How serious is it?

Not all fans are toxic—far from it. Many love the music, buy the merchandise, see the artist live, and go on with their daily lives. A regular, healthy enjoyment of what the musicians are producing, in the way we are really supposed to enjoy it.

While there used to be one or two outliers, now we have forums and groups dedicated to the more vicious side of being a fan… if you can call them fans at this point. They take it upon themselves to act on behalf of the artists, even when asked to stop. They stop at almost nothing to demean, degrade, and hurt whoever is in their sights.

These groups of people are just as likely to attack a famous person online as they are a fan who offers a differing opinion.

In terms of how serious? A non-music-related one is that a Fan Artist of Steven Universe, known as Zamii, attempted to take their own life, and one of those bullies was arrested for cyber harassment and cyberstalking. Nikki Minaj called the Barbz into action to doxx and harass several reporters. Swifties can be brutal should anyone say anything about Taylor. And plenty of fans have turned on their Idols. Madonna’s fans in-fighting and attacking her in social comments, Selena Gomez fans freely comment on her appearance and who she can and cannot be friends with… the list is endless…

@centennialworld

#selenagomez is standing up for #haileybieber following her dramatic interview on #callherdaddy, telling fans that their words matter🥺 #ch... See more

Imagine, if you will, writing, recording, and releasing music that you love. Others love it, too. But the price you pay is receiving thousands of personal attacks every day, rumors that are unquashable thanks to the speed of the internet, your private address and location constantly released, and then people turning up and invading those spaces.

For most, it is unthinkable, but the toxic fandoms turning idols into items are on the rise.

Just imagine, having to fear for your safety because of a ‘fan’. Then imagine it to be thousands.

Right now, Sleep Token’s Vessel is in the middle of having his identity revealed, again due to fans, despite pleading with fans to let it be. To the point that they released a song covering the exact topic.

Clearly impacting the music they make. And the wildest thing? It hasn’t stopped ‘fans’ from doing this. Feverish publication of information despite the request for peace. Entitlement to the nth degree, with no regard for the artist that they claim to adore.

Why has Toxic Fandom grown so rapidly?

Access.

Musicians spend a lot of time promoting their work, and we now have many many different platforms: Instagram for photos, quotes, pre-save link sharing, YouTube shorts, TikTok videos and lives.

Fans now take photos and videos and share them en masse.

All of this, these connections, the instantness of it all, directly into your hand, while you’re snuggled in bed. Slowly building a picture of the person behind the lyrics, with the pieces that you have, and fill in the gaps with whatever you want—creating people that don’t actually exist. A parasocial relationship in the making.

Then times that by millions.

Where once upon a time fans would buy a magazine and read an interview, now they can type a name into Google and get millions of opinions, photos, and more. Unparalleled access is too much for some to handle.

Reddit threads discuss people as if they aren’t real, commenting on clothing, location, personality, partners, and what they eat. They discuss theories, ‘shipping’, degrading their chosen partners, and tearing down different parts of their lives.

The result? A version of reality so warped it strips the artist of personhood.

Dehumanization, complete.

So, now what?

What do we do with all of this?

Maybe it starts with remembering that artists are people, not content machines, and not just for us alone. They are not characters in your timeline. They are people with boundaries, fears, and lives that don’t belong to us.

We can still love music, follow the artists, and connect with others who feel the same way. But if that love becomes possession, obsession, or cruelty, then it’s no longer love.

It’s control, and it’s costing artists more than we think. In some cases, we watch in awe at desperate posts and lives, double-tapping while watching living humans crumble in real-time, and then simply scroll to the next piece of content.

The internet may have brought us closer, but it’s also blurred the line between support and surveillance. If we want artists to thrive, not just survive, we need to redraw that line and leave the toxic fandoms and dehumanization behind.

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