Reporting from SAN DIEGO — A fan at Comic-Con International here had a message for Joss Whedon, creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer†and director of two “Avengers†movies: We want you back.
In this hyper-connected, social media-driven age, Whedon has been missing in action since spring 2015. That’s when he pulled the plug on his Twitter account.
In discussing the breakup to a roomful of his most dedicated fans on Friday, Whedon had a nuanced, complicated answer, one that speaks to the changing relationship between those who create and those who consume.
The short version: It’s not me, it’s you.
“It could be something lovely,†he said of interacting with fans via social media. “It could be something funny. It could be ‘Hang yourself, here’s a noose. When can I kill you?’ That’s less fun. That’s less interesting. Eventually, it becomes kind of a white noise. You can’t remember what the dialogue was, so you stop having it.â€
Whedon clarified that he didn’t leave Twitter because people were mean to him -- although, for the record, people were awfully mean to him. Rather, he found himself at the forefront of a new era of fan entitlement that for some creators has raised tricky questions of ownership. Just who deserves a say in the development of pop media — those working to dream it up, or those paying to keep a project afloat?
“I would like always to have a dialogue with the audience, but at the same time you can’t create by committee,†Whedon said.
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“Game of Thrones†cosplayers gather for a photo at the San Diego Convention Center during Comic-Con International 2016.
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Zombie Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton cosplayers walk hand in hand along Fifth Avenue during a Zombie Walk at Comic-Con 2016.
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Dallin Maybee, center, walks with his daughters Persephone, 5, and Penelope, 2, during the third day of Comic-Con.
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People take pictures of zombies during the third day of Comic Con.
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“Game of Thrones†cosplayers sit outside the San Diego Convention center during the third day of Comic-Con.
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Cosplay “Jurassic Park†dinosaurs parade along Fifth Avenue during a Zombie Walk event at Comic-Con 2016.
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Zombie cosplayers parade along Fifth Avenue during a Zombie Walk event at Comic-Con 2016.
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A group of cosplayers dressed as “Game of Thrones†character Daenerys Targaryen pose for photos with others at a Comic-Con 2016 meet-up at the San Diego Convention Center.
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“Game of Thrones†cosplayers Chris Setts and Hayley Smith, right, kiss after he proposed to her during a Comic-Con 2016 meet-up at the San Diego Convention Center.
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Derek Shackleton acts as a pillow for Faeran Adams, who naps after a long day of cosplaying as Lumpy Space Princess from the “Adventure Time†cartoon at Comic-Con 2016. Shackleton is dressed as Marvel comics’ Moon Knight.
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Actor Gal Gadot recognizes the crowd after the trailer for “Wonder Woman†is revealed during the third day of Comic-Con.
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Dozens of Star Wars cosplayers gather for a group photo at Comic-Con 2016 at the San Diego Convention Center.
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Dozens of Star Wars cosplayers gather in the hot sun to pose for a group photo at Comic-Con 2016.
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A cosplay Rancor from Star Wars descends an escalator in pieces as it makes an appearance at Comic-Con 2016.
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Cosplayers loosen up during a group photo at Comic-Con 2016.
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Star Trek cosplayers lead the way for make-believe Austin Powers, Dr. Evil and the Fembots during day two of Comic-Con 2016.
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Amanda McGowan as Harley Quinn, left, and PJ Williamson as the Joker, right, apply makeup to Tyler Kluska as Two-Face halfway through a long day of cosplay at Comic-Con 2016.
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Christopher Canole, 69, as Dude Vader, a Star Wars Steampunk Universe character, traverses stairs after joining in on a group picture at Comic-Con 2016.
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Quinn cosplay: Hayley Blumberg as Harley Quinn during day two of Comic-Con 2016. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times )
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Richard Saciino primps his daughter Jordyn’s costume early in Day 2 of Comic-Con 2016. Jordyn, 17, is dressed as a Pokemon training furry ram.
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A cosplayer stops by the weapons check station early in Day 2 of Comic-Con 2016 at the San Diego Convention Center.
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A costumed Rachael Brees of San Diego sings to Jake Franco, 5 months, during the second day of Comic-Con.
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Jolynn Drott, left, gets in place at the Disney Princess meet-up during the second day of Comic-Con.
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Attendees watch as knights duel outside of the San Diego Convention Center during the second day of Comic-Con.
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Snow White and the Evil Queen pair up during the second day of Comic-Con.
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Elizabeth Sutra, 8, of San Diego fixes her Darth Vader helmet during the second day of Comic-Con.
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Riley Nykaza, 8, sits in the shade as she waits for the Star Wars meet-up to start on the second day of Comic-Con.
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Bay Area residents Lex Lopez, left, and Kaitlin Brawley relax and eat nachos during the second day of Comic-Con.
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Ted Vanliew, 58, of Worcester, Mass., sits in the middle of his comic book collection inside of the exhibition hall during the second day of Comic-Con. Vanliew has been collecting comic books for 29 years.
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Nathaniel Allenby of Los Angeles, center, walks around the exhibition hall during the second day of Comic-Con.
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Dawn Richardson, 40, of Vancouver, Canada, waits in line at Starbucks during the second day of Comic-Con. Richardson was dressed as Bucky Barnes from “Captain America: Civil War.â€
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A cosplayer stands outside of the San Diego Convention Center during the second day of Comic-Con.
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Zombies walk near the Abigail yacht -- a tie-in to the show “Fear the Walking Dead†-- during the second day of Comic-Con.
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Attendees shoot at zombies during a “Walking Dead†attraction onboard the Abigail yacht during the second day of Comic-Con.
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Jolynn Drott, left, and Kaylynn Wolfe pose for a picture during a Disney Princess meet-up on the second day of Comic-Con.
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Cosplay artist Linda Nguyen poses for photos in the midst of a busy hall during Day 2 of Comic-Con 2016.
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Cameron McGowan qho, dressed as Quartz from the cartoon show “Steven Universe,†gathers herself on a hot Day 2 of Comic-Con 2016.
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Jurrasic Park T. rex roam the San Diego Convention Center at Comic-Con 2016. The cosplayers in the dinosaur suits are Kayla Saunders, Kylie Saunders and Kendall Dodd.
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Jurrasic Park T. rex ride an elavator to the second floor of the San Diego Convention Center at Comic-Con 2016. The cosplayers in the dinasaur suits are Kayla Saunders, Kylie Saunders and Kendall Dodd.
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Auburn Rutledge (Hillary Quinton) and Nick Mollberg (Joker Donald Trump) roam the halls during Day 2 of Comic-Con 2016.
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Professional entertainer Hillia performs outside the convention center during the first day of Comic-Con 2016.
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Jose Davalos Gomez, dressed as Hades from the Disney version of “Herculesâ€, pops false teeth into his mouth before heading back into the exhibit hall.
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A woman wears Yoda on her back during the first day of Comic-Con 2016.
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Attendees sit in front of an illuminated Marvel sign during the first day of Comic-Con 2016.
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A Comic-Con-related street demonstration sponsored by the SyFy cable network adds a little life to the Gaslamp District.
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Nicholas Prior, 23, walks around the outside of the convention center during the first day of Comic-Con 2016.
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A woman stands in a makeshift Captian America toy box during the first day of Comic-Con 2016.
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Attendees participate in a virtual reality experience at the Conan Con booth during the first day of Comic-Con 2016.
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A life-size bust of “Breaking Bad†character Walter White during the first day of Comic-Con 2016.
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Chris Toupence, left, shows Faith Holman the proper technique for jumping onto an inflatable during the first day of Comic-Con 2016.
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Steven Wong, 38, of Los Angeles rests during the first day of Comic-Con 2016.
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Isabel Villasana, 12, rock climbs outside of the San Diego Convention Center during the first day of Comic-Con 2016.
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Tony Chung, 27, laughs while sitting in a life-size Hot Wheels car during the first day of Comic-Con 2016.
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People leave the convention center during the first day of Comic-Con 2016.
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A street demonstration sponsored by the Syfy movie “Sharknado†makes its way through the Gaslamp District.
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Dressed as Darth Vader, Jason Stafford tours a South Park-themed attraction in the Gaslamp District.
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Meagan Topmiller, center, of Temecula fixes her wings before exploring the San Diego Convention Center with her husband, James, left, and Hadyn Topmiller, during the first day of the Comic-Con International convention at the San Diego Convention Center.
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Philip Brown, center, heads to the second floor of the San Diego Convention Center during the first day of the Comic-Con International convention. Brown was dressed as Jafar from “Aladdin.â€
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Tito Santos, a San Diego Police Department sniper, stands guard over Comic-Con International 2016.
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Security guard Mario Heredia covers the replica “Wonder Woman†invisible jet after providing a brief preview in the Gaslamp District near Comic-Con at the San Diego Convention Center.
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Miss M Jay, left, hangs out outside the San Diego Convention Center during the first day of the Comic-Con International convention. Jay was dressed as the Black Cat.
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San Diego Councilman Todd Gloria, center, welcomes people to Comic-Con in front of the San Diego Convention Center.
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Audience members listen as Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick and other stars answer questions during a panel discussion for the movie “Trolls,†during the first day of the Comic-Con International convention at the San Diego Convention Center.
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Women dressed as “X-Men†characters wait to have their picture taken during the first day of the Comic-Con International convention at the San Diego Convention Center.
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Malcolm Young, 16, and Chloe Dunbar, 16, of San Diego play “Pokemon Go†during the first day of the Comic-Con International convention at the San Diego Convention Center.
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A Pikachu plush doll exchange during preview night at Comic-Con 2016 at the San Diego Convention Center.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Increasingly, some can’t bear to even listen to the committee.
This month, “Ghostbusters†star Leslie Jones took her own temporary leave from Twitter, writing that she was in “personal hell†after being hit with a barrage of racist and misogynist remarks from those who were still upset that the film had been rebooted with a female-led cast. “I didn’t do anything to deserve this,†Jones wrote. “It’s just too much. It shouldn’t be like this. So hurt right now.â€
And even when not leveling personal attacks, fans today are more apt to make requests — or demands, depending on your point of view.
Online-driven campaigns have called for changes to the sexuality or race of popular characters. Make Captain America gay, some fans argue. Give Elsa (from Disney’s “Frozenâ€) a girlfriend, cries another contingent. Of course, it needs to be noted that when companies or artists do push for more inclusivity in genre entertainment, they are met with a deafening level of resentment (see the anger over the female-driven cast of “Ghostbustersâ€).
Other times, specific plot choices will be targeted, such as Whedon’s decision to stage a romance between two superheroes in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,†or the killing of a character on a popular television series. Sometimes, fans will just lash out at an author for not finishing a book (see “Game of Thrones†author George R.R. Martin).
While some instances are rooted in a genuine and important desire to see more diversity in popular entertainment — a greater representation of LGBT characters or minorities, for instance — they’re still illustrative of the growing desire of fans to have a bigger say in their entertainment choices.
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Cosplayer Donna Jacques as Tippi Hedren in “The Birds†at Comic Con 2016.
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Cosplayer Rhoderic Cajiuat as the Penguin.
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Suicide Squad cosplayers Robert Delacey-Marchand as the Joker and Natalia K-Seale as Harley Quinn.
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Cosplayer Kyle Tolmie as Deadpool.
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Cosplayer Damien Mentz as Steampunk Buddy Christ, an original design.
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Cosplayer Loretta Vampz as fetish Cat Woman.
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Cosplayer Michael Mayo as a Dead Pool Sock Monkey.
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Cosplayers Chewy’s Angels, from left, Ashley Bailey, Catherine Fisher and Jacquie Ogle at Comic-Con 2016.
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“Game of Thrones†cosplayer Melanie Smith poses as Cersei Lannister at Comic-Con 2016.
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“Game of Thrones†cosplayers Amy Stone as Karsi and Christopher Kay as Tormund at Comic-Con 2016.
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Cosplayer Ludella Hahn as DC Comics’ Fire at Comic-Con 2016.
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Vintage Superman and Batman cosplayers John Whitt, left, and Greg Carlson do the Batusi dance at Comic-Con 2016.
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Cosplayers Kristen Hatcher as Marvel comics’ White Queen Emma Frost and Todd Schmidt as X-Men Ice Man Bobby Drake at Comic-Con 2016.
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“Game of Thrones†cosplayer Rosei Goldsmith as Septa Unella at Comic-Con 2016.
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Cosplayer Peter Vazquez as a zombie fisherman at Comic-Con 2016.
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Cosplayers Nick Mollburg as Joker Donald Trump and Auburn Rutledge as Hillary Quinnton at Comic-Con International 2016 in San Diego.
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Cosplayers Dalila Pantoja and Raymond Rodriguez play Day of the Dead characters at Comic-Con.
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Cosplay artists James Graham and his son, Noah, play Lando and Chance Chronos, Star Wars Steampunk Universe characters, at Comic-Con.
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Cosplayer Tyler Kluska as Two Face from Batman at Comic Con 2016. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Joseph Phillips as a Clone Wars Star Wars character.
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Cosplayer Charles Thornton is dressed as his own version of the Joker, Clown Prince of Crime.
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Cosplay artist Linda Nguyen as Maleficent at Comic-Con International 2016.
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Cosplayer Matthew Edrick as Beaker from the Muppet Show at Comic-Con in San Diego.
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Cosplayers Daniel Klein as an Andorian, right, and Katelyn Sobotka as a Trill at Comic-Con.
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Jared Schnitker attends Comic-Con as Super Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
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Cosplayer Brigette Ellison as Smaug from the Hobbitt at Comic-Con.
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Jose Davalos Gomez as Hades from the Disney version of “Hercules†at Comic-Con International 2016.
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Dylan Leas, 4, as Captain America at Comic-Con International 2016.
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Adam Johnson as Mr. Meeseeks, left, and Jen Johnson as Rick from the “Rick and Morty†cartoon at Comic-Con International 2016.
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From left, Casy Hayes as Alistair “Mad Eye†Moody from the Harry Potter series, Arieanne Bewarder as Harley Quinn, Saemlinh Inmany as a Jakk’s Toy Batman and Stephanie Inmany as Harley Quinn.
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RathDavid Hy as Hulk Hogan, left, Wendy Dick as the referee and Jon Wright as Randy Macho Man Savage at Comic-Con International 2016.
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Amanda Reynoso as Mangle, a character from the video game “Five Nights at Freddy’s,†at Comic-Con International 2016.
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Todd Schmidt as Silver Surfer at Comic-Con International 2016. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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A collection of Disney villains at Comic-Con 2016 at the San Diego Convention Center: Valerie Watrous, left, as the evil Queen from “Snow White,†Keikei Day as Mother Gothel from “Tangled,†London Clark as the Queen of Hearts from “Alice in Wonderland,†and Rachel Day as Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty.â€
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Peter Kenney is the Ice King from the television cartoon “Adventure Time†at Comic-Con International 2016.
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Robert Meyers as Whirlwind and Brett Yen as Arnim Zola, both Marvel Comics characters at Comic-Con 2016.
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Blair Strong as Daisy Domergue from the movie “The Hateful Eight†at Comic-Con International 2016.
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The Goldern Girls are, from left, Jaime Tojos as Blanche, Carlos Velarde as Sophia, Frankie Obregon as Rose and John Niets as Dorothy at Comic-Con International 2016.
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Lego X-Files characters from left are Haley Tracy as agent Dana Scully, David Tracy as agent Fox Mulder and Eric Downing as an alien at Comic-Con International 2016.
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Leah Thomas is Diva Plavalaguna from the movie “The Fifth Element†at Comic-Con International 2016.
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Shelly Brown as the Fairy Godmother, right, and her daughter November Brown as Cinderella at Comic-Con International 2016.
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Manuel Nieves Ferrer as the Green Goblin from “Spider-Man†at Comic-Con International 2016.
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Alberto Hurtdo as Chef Louis from “The Little Mermaid†at Comic-Con International 2016.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) “It’s a thing. It’s not a bad thing. It’s a thing,†said author and screenwriter Neil Gaiman, who was at Comic-Con to promote an upcoming adaption of his novel “American Gods.â€
“It’s the thing that kept ‘Star Trek’ going. It’s the thing that brought back ‘Doctor Who.’ Fans are still creators. Fans demand and make things happen. Mostly, that’s great. But it can tip, and when it tips, it goes into strange places where people feel that by having watched a TV show or bought a book, they feel that you owe them something huge for having done that. Watching the level of crazy that can sometimes happen is hard.â€
Gaiman would know. In 2009, he wrote a blog post defending the work ethic of Martin, noting that the “Games of Thrones†writer was not employed by fans. “George R.R. Martin is not working for you,†Gaiman wrote in response to a fan who wondered whether “the audience has too much input when it comes to [scrutinizing] the actions of an artist.â€
It’s a topic that’s being grappled with by creators at this year’s Comic-Con, as well as the fans attending the convention.
... That’s why the genre has the connection and the power and the audience that it does – because there’s that ownership and there’s that participation.
— David Ayer, director of ‘Suicide Squad’
“It is what it is,†said David Ayer, director of Warner Bros.’ upcoming villains-gone-crazy film “Suicide Squad.†“It’s the Roman arena. It’s thumbs up or thumbs down. The crowd votes. Hopefully, my movie doesn’t get executed in the sawdust there. But that’s why the genre has the connection and the power and the audience that it does – because there’s that ownership and there’s that participation.â€
Still, he adds, “my hope is that we can just push the envelope a little bit and challenge people.â€
If so, he may want to prepare for a backlash.
Just ask Jennifer Hepler, author of “Women in Game Development: Breaking the Glass Level-Cap.†The game developer previously worked for Electronic Arts-owned BioWare, where she was a writer on such blockbuster games as “Dragon Age: Inquisition†and “Dragon Age II.â€
Her home didn’t always have bulletproof glass windows. That development occurred after she contributed to “Dragon Age II.†As one of its core writers, Hepler was singled out for the inclusion of LGBT-friendly characters in the game. Some very vocal hard-core game fans were not happy.
Hepler was on maternity leave when the harassment started.
“All of a sudden, I started getting strange emails from people offering me support in this difficult time,†she recalled. “I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ Somebody eventually told me that someone had posted something on [the online forum] Reddit that called me ‘the cancer that was destroying BioWare.’ When I first heard about it, I tried to laugh it off, but it got crazy very quickly.â€
How crazy?
“I was pretty scared,†she said. “There were some pretty awful threats made. There were threats made against my children that were just horrifying.
“I got bulletproof glass in my house. I unlisted my phone number. I quit my Twitter account. I just tried to lay low. I’m lucky that worked. I don’t know if it would work now. The mobs have become more empowered. It’s a frightening situation out there.â€
Even a hero of the medium isn’t immune.
Whedon came under attack last year for the romance between Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner/Hulk in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.†The two shared an emotional exchange in the film, with both characters lamenting their inability to have children, and Black Widow was viewed by some as wanting a rather trite, domesticated life.
Whedon reflected on the incident when spotted in the lobby bar of a San Diego hotel. He said the relationship with fans had changed dramatically from when he was working on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer†in the late ’90s and early ’00s.
“Now that everybody can reach you directly, if you happen to be on social media, there is definitely a sense of not just ‘We know better,’ but also ‘We should have the right to dictate.’ That’s mean, but I was sent lots and lots of -- not death threats -- but more just polite inquiries as to why I have not died or killed myself yet, all because of Natasha and Bruce having a romance.â€
Whedon said that he was working on something original and that it was “relaxing†to not have to worry about fan opinions. Still, despite the “Ultron†experience, Whedon cautioned against completely tuning out the concerns of the audience.
“You can’t draw a line exactly,†he said. “If we could, we would have. Sometimes, an advocacy group will say, ‘This character has to go through these things, because that’s what we went through.’ Sometimes, that’s stuff you did not know about and that is stuff you need to honor. But sometimes it’s ‘Yes, but I am telling a different story.’ Every story is different. Everybody’s version of the same story is different. At some point, it has to come from inside your gut. Your gut is not on social media.â€
Now years removed from her online harassment, Hepler is still trying to make sense of it. She notes that players not interested in “Dragon Age II’s†gay romance could easily avoid it.
“There’s a sense of entitlement and ownership that people have of media,†she said. “The thing that exemplifies it to me is this idea of ‘You’re ruining my childhood.’ Your childhood is over.
“You can’t retroactively ruin it by going out and making a new piece of media for somebody else’s childhood. That is the battle cry you hear a lot, that somehow by making something new and making something for the next generation is going back and ruining people’s childhood somehow. It’s a huge sense of entitlement. ‘This was important to me. How dare you change it?’ â€
Full Coverage: 2016 Comic-Con International »
In one sense, fan entitlement is nothing new. Famously, Arthur Conan Doyle tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes, revisiting the character only after fans wouldn’t let him quit. But experts say the tone has shifted.
“I don’t think a majority of fans of ‘Game of Thrones’ want to kill George R.R. Martin. It’s definitely just a small vocal subset that issue death threats,†said Paul Booth, an associate professor at DePaul University in Chicago who studies fan culture. “But I also find it hard to believe that this sort of mentality happened years ago. I don’t think anyone threatened to kill Conan Doyle if he didn’t bring Sherlock Holmes back.
“We live in a culture of hyperbole. Everything is the most thing or the greatest thing. Everything is exaggerated. The discourse online has followed that. It’s not ‘I like this movie.’ It’s ‘This is the greatest thing I have ever seen and anyone who disagrees is wrong.’ It’s a perversion of the fannish protection of an object.â€
On the Comic-Con floor, attendees expressed dismay over fan outrage and harassment. But many still want their voices heard.
“I don’t really see any issue with fans asking, ‘Hey can we see this?’ or ‘Hey, can we change that?’ So long as it’s not changing the core values of what the character believes in,†said Nicole Andelfinger, 27, of Los Angeles. “If a creator decides they want to pursue what the fans are asking, all the more power to them, but we also can’t necessarily ask every creator to see our vision. They have their own vision.â€
When to listen, and when to turn off the noise, isn’t a science.
“You do see people trying to sort out what is the difference between the people who say, ‘Keep ‘Ghostbusters’ male,’ and the people who say, ‘Give Elsa a girlfriend,’ †said Hepler. “I think the difference is the ‘or else.’ I think a lot of people would like to see Elsa have a girlfriend or see Captain America have a boyfriend, but that usually isn’t couched in the threatening terms of ‘Or else I’ll never see it again and harass everyone who worked on it.’ But it is part of the same sense of ownership over media that people feel.â€
I think the more representation there is, the easier it will be for everyone to have different things happen to characters without people being as angry.
— Sarah Schechter, an executive producer on the CBS series ‘Supergirl’
Sarah Schechter, an executive producer on the CBS series “Supergirl,†said the solution is more — more diversity, more inclusion and more characters that reflect under-represented groups.
“I’ve had some friends who have been on the receiving end of hate campaigns, and it’s very troubling for them,†she said. “They do genuinely just want to tell stories to entertain people and uplift them.
“I want there to be more female superhero shows, so it isn’t just one representing. I think the more representation there is, the easier it will be for everyone to have different things happen to characters without people being as angry. Some of the fan engagement is really gratifying. That means they care about the characters. That’s ultimately what every writer, actor, producer wants, but of course, it’s upsetting when people get upset. It’s very tricky.â€
In the meantime, maybe we can all just talk it out.
“You can express your opinions,†said Chris Hardwick, host of AMC’s “Talking Dead†and architect of the geek lifestyle site Nerdist. “But walking up to someone and telling them rationally why you did or didn’t like something is different than walking up to them and hitting them in the face with a frying pan. Those are two different things.
“We’re culturally addicted to outrage at the moment. We need to be more addicted to conversation.â€
Staff writer Josh Rottenberg contributed to this report.
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