We’ve seen it time and time again: The vocal minority has the power to ruin online fan discourse. Paul Feig, currently juggling the Ghostbusters haters, is no stranger to the dark side of fandom.
As if Paul Feig didn’t already have enough on his plate, with Ghostbusters fans and non-fans alike pre-emptively condemning his all-female reboot, he now also has to clarify a quote taken out of context by the New York Daily News.
Via The Mary Sue, the publication quoted Feig as saying, “Geek culture is home to some of the biggest a**holes I’ve ever met in my life, especially after being attacked by them for months because of this Ghostbusters project.”
But now, Paul Feig has come forward to state that these quotes were actually taken from a 2015 interview — in other words, they’re not a response to the recent slew of hate he’s faced following the release of the Ghostbusters trailer.
Related: Everyone’s in love with Chris Hemsworth in new Ghostbusters featurette
Feig has released a lengthy Twitter comment in which he clarifies a stance on geek culture, admitting that yes, there are a**holes in fandom, but not the ones offering “true concerns and worries” about the reboot:
In case you have trouble opening my last link, here is my text in picture form. Thanks. pic.twitter.com/9NbvUU4AiL
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) May 9, 2016
Rather, says Feig, “I am talking about those that write misogyny and hate and threats.”
He goes on, “as a lifelong geek and proud member of the geek community … I abhor bullies,” adding, “but they are simply bullies who in no way represent the vast majority of wonderful, thoughtful people who make up our geek community.”
He ends with a plea that we shouldn’t let these bullies “hijack the conversations and debates we all love to engage in,” and affirms that he doesn’t consider the misogynists and spiteful haters “true geeks.”
Clearly, the loud minority’s responses to the Ghostbusters reboot have been absurdly negative and vicious, and so far, Paul Feig has handled them with nothing but grace (if obvious exasperation).
The Mindy Project‘s Mindy Kaling even chimes in here to offer her support for Paul Feig, writing:
@paulfeig I'm annoyed you even have to deal with this. Everyone who has met you for like even two seconds knows your kindness. Blech
— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) May 9, 2016
It is important to reiterate that Paul Feig isn’t slamming those with genuine concerns, but rather those that dismiss the Ghostbusters reboot out of turn simply because the lead characters are women, or viciously tear it down under the guise that they don’t like reboots (which, if that were the true reason, those same people should surely be downvoting The Force Awakens, Jurassic World, Independence Day: Resurgence and Jumanji as fervently).
One thing is criticism and reflection on a piece of entertainment’s wider cultural impact. Quite another is hate and vitriol directed at one particular fandom/person, for no good reason (because there’s never a good enough reason for bullying and death threats).
So let’s follow Paul Feig’s example and use fandom for the power of good, not evil.