Статья Syfy’s Response to The Magicians Finale is Strange

[themagicianssyfy]

Вся сводка новостей про отношения фандом-авторы в одной большой статье. Со ссылками, фактами, ответами и приветами. Словом, обо всем, что творится последние две недели и о том, как канал и криейторы реагирут /точнее пытаются не реагировать/ на критику. Статья на английском, но очень даже легко читабельна. Пара выдержек:

О публике, которая в этом задействована:
Social Media was not consumed by teens mad that their favorite character had died. No, instead it was adults, young adults, and people who use media as an escape from our chaotic world and political climate, who were upset. Stories were told about how the show had been an escape for so many, only to upset people by giving an ending that reinforced multiple negative ideas, especially in our current social climate.

The backlash was multifaceted and covered a broad range of topics. If you went on Twitter you might see people discussing the Bury Your Gays trope, or you might see mental health discussions, and discussions of choice and personal agency. All of these discussions involved various aspects of The Magicians Finale, from Julia losing her divinity without being able to choose, to the fact that many of the character threads and storylines were dropped in favor of a “heroic,” “ambiguous suicide” of the main character.

О реакции шоураннеров:
The showrunners did not and have not shown any kind of remorse for the public outcry. In fact, what Sera Gamble and Henry Alonso Myers released, was a typical PR statement. The above Twitter thread is an example. Fans weren’t happy with that statement, but it was co-showrunner John McNamara who really angered fans with his response.

John seemingly did not take the PR angle, and instead fanned the flames by saying, “I echo @serathegamble and @alonsomyers. To those who found the season finale cathartic, thanks for letting us know. To anyone for whom it brought pain, we hear you. I’m profoundly grateful for the whimsical, dark places #TheMagicians takes us. Peace to all.”

Fans particularly took offense to the way John used the term “Whimsical,” which by definition is characterized as “playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way.” They began to fire back, asking if mental health struggles or the lives of LGBT at-risk youth were really “whimsical,” and called him out on an inappropriate way of phrasing his statement.

Об удалении каналом критических статей:
In any case, the sooner Syfy realizes that this discussion isn’t going away, the better. Also, they should be mindful of the fact that acknowledging the fans, and understanding their viewpoints, isn’t the same as agreeing with them. We can agree to disagree, but invalidating the concerns of people will only serve to make them angrier.

Nothing goes away on the internet, and contrary to popular belief, people won’t forget this. Why? Because this is yet another example of networks not caring about the message they send to the viewer. This is another case of viewers rallying behind a show, only to have their hearts stepped on by insensitive, tone-deaf showrunners.