And I’m not even talking about large criticisms where you entirely dismiss their favorite treat as trash.
You can post just a couple of misgivings that are deeply couched in reassurances that you really loved the show overall, but it doesn’t matter. You’ll still get downvoted to hell, and a bunch of weirdos will come out of the woodwork to vehemently disagree with you on each and every point, line by line, arguing as if they’ve been born ready to die on this exact obscure molehill.
I guess they just really want you to say that their media is perfection incarnate, and that’s such a bizarre mindset. They’ve always been like this, but I tend to pick up on it so much more often now because I can’t help but compare that behavior to how people interact on Hexbear. Here we actually take care to charitably engage with each other’s thoughts, something redditors are apparently incapable of regardless of how low stakes the topic of discussion is.
Consoomers base their own identity around the products they consume. When you criticize something they like you’re criticizing them.
It gets worse when parasocial relationships are added to the mix with media. Now you aren’t just criticizing the product they are consuming (and thus criticizing them as a person) but you’re also criticizing their friends that live in their TV!
Ledditors aren’t okay folks.
Yeah I genuinely think these people are just bots at that point. Making any kind of negative remark about new Trek on /r/StarTrek is like a bannable offense.
Which is especially weird because being overly critical of a stupid show is fundamental to being a trekkie
Basically we like Star Trek because it isn’t stupid and when it is but the spirit is there - clowning on it is fun. But nu Trek lacks all that, it’s just by definition corporate slop with no meaning, no message, and of very poor quality at that.
Aside from Picard I don’t have any major issues with nu trek. Disco season 1 was bad but it got better, I didn’t care for it much but get why others liked it. Lower Decks rules and Strange New Worlds had been doing a good job as well
When social media revenue comes from advertising, the owners have an incentive to make the platforms amenable to advertisers. Or even to offer a favourable environment for a price. Not to mention astroturfing by the shows’ marketing teams, etc. Social media looks organic. It’s anything but, as you say. There’s no way that they’ll leave the good press to chance.