This is entirely contrary to my thoughts on the show, but I really hope the Star Vs fandom stays relatively small. Not just for the tight-knit feel (which I absolutely adore), but also because of what happens when fandoms (especially on this hell site) get big.
Star Vs is a fun, light hearted show with some great characters, fantastic writing, and the ability to punch you in the gut immediately after a hilarious gag. A lot of these things aren’t unique to the show. OtGW, AT, SU, GF, MLP, and AtLA had all or most of these elements. It’s part of what made them so good (at least for a while, some got a little stale).
But what separates this show from those ones?
The bigger a fandom gets, the more caustic it starts to become.
Infighting, political controversies, art policing, predominant headcanons and ships, these all start to boil over and taint the entire fandom. It can suck the joy out of interacting with fans. You go from worrying your theory was baseless to worrying the thought police are going to flood your inbox with pro-X or anti-Y literature. It really gets bad when those outside the fandom start chiming in without any context and it gets blown out of proportion.
What worries me is this is starting to happen with Star Vs.
Star is a wonderfully written, beautifully characterized, (and I use this without an ounce of irony) strong female character. She really does embody what I think the term should be used for. She has flaws, they’re not just superficial, and she actively works on them in the show. That said, she’s not totally useless without Marco. She can hold her own and isn’t just a plot device with boobs. She actually feels like the main character. This is rare and it’s nice to see it.
That said, shows like this tend to attract certain crowds. I’m not saying that’s always a bad thing. I understand the desire to praise a show with these strengths. What I’m opposed to, is that it feels like these groups steam roll whatever fandom they latch on to.
What I’m getting at is what’s already in this and any other fandom isn’t going to go away. Since the dawn of the internet, and long before it, people have made fanart and fan theories and fan porn. It’s just how humans are. Tearing apart a fandom isn’t going to make them go away. Upsetting the creators or dragging them into the arguments isn’t going to fix it. The best thing to do is simply ignore it, and let the artists make their art. As long as they’re tagging it with the appropriate tags, it’s only going to show up if you go looking for it.
That said, if it is getting through your censors or leaking into the “safe” tags, don’t be an asshole about it. A kind request for better tagging/hiding/etc is going to be seen as far less incendiary than hate mail, doxxing, and controversy. People generally get defensive and contrarian towards outward hostility.
If your main concern is how safe a show is for kids, the internet has already failed you. It’s not everyone else’s job to make sure kids don’t access porn/violent content/excessive cursing. If it’s in a space designated with active warnings, everything else is on those in charge of the kids. I guarantee most of you reading this looked up content you weren’t supposed to as a child.
If your main concern is that YOU don’t want to see that content, then don’t actively seek it out. Apply filters, request tags, avoid tags known to contain that content, but don’t harass someone for making something you don’t like. It only makes you look like an asshole.
I don’t want this fandom to grow because I don’t want to see it turn into another Steven Universe. Or Undertale. Or MLP. Those fandoms utterly drained my excitement for the content they circled. It’s too much work to not piss off someone and end up with a mountain of hate mail.
I want to keep loving you guys. The content is so good and the fans are (generally) so respectful of each other. Banter is just playful fun. Theories are entertained without being forced on people. There isn’t some omnipresent hivemind dictating the Proper™ way to enjoy things.
You guys are great. I adore every one of you. You’re active and excited and tolerant of each other. I hope it stays that way. At least as long as the show is running. Let’s be the example for every other fandom.