The Internet has given us many wonderful things, but the attention economy it has created means toxicity will always rise to the top. Few subcultures showcase that better than Swifties, as Hunger Games actor Josh Hutcherson can attest.
In a recent profile by men’s magazine GQ, Hutcherson expounded on a range of topics that included everything from his HBO series I Love LA to how fame gave him an aversion to his own reflection. And, as the American has been famous since his teens, he certainly knows about the pitfalls of being a big name, whether it’s the endless paps trying to grab a photo or being accosted on and offline by random fans. However, it’s not rabid lovers of The Hunger Games who have caused him the most problems.
In the interview, Hutcherson discussed how he inadvertently wound up on the wrong side of Taylor Swift’s famously terminally online and often deeply problematic fans, all thanks to what he (and most normal people) would consider an innocuous comment of his he made while creating content with actor Jordan Firstman.
“I got some heat because I did a photo shoot with Jordan, and Jordan asked me something about being a [Taylor Swift fan], and I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m definitely not a Swiftie,'” he says. He meant it as neither judgement nor critique. But on the internet, simple, honest opinions about the type of music you like are not allowed. “All of a sudden it garnered this, ‘Fuck him! He’s a monster! Destroy him! He’s short! He hates her because he’s short!’ [He is 5ft 5in.] “It’s just like, whoa! I think she’s great. Her music is not my kind of music. That is why I don’t want to be online.”
In a sense, Hutcherson got off lightly. Swifties have been responsible for some truly abhorrent bullying and genuinely illegal behavior, often targeted at people with anodyne criticisms of their favourite corporate pop product. Maybe we should just burn the internet down and start again, or at least make anyone who buys every variant have to spend a few hours a day outside and away from a screen.
(featured image: Lionsgate)
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