Leave Chris Alone!

I’m going to be direct upfront: do people not have anything better to do than be angry all the time? Is it not emotionally draining to “in-group/out-group” everything? I’ve seen it so frequently that I’m wondering if people need hobbies. Because attacking someone for not dogpiling on a movie, instead discussing a bigger issue, isn’t that. It’s also unhealthy.

Some context:

I’m a big fan of Bob Chipman, aka Moviebob. His personal politics are…off, but his general thoughts on movies are thought-provoking and understandable. He has the humility to outright acknowledge what he doesn’t know too, which is plenty. And while his older work hasn’t aged well, that’s because he realized later in life that he needed to stop being nasty. It’s reflected even as recently as 5 years ago.

Bob recently put out a Big Picture discussing the backlash YouTube reviewer Chris Stuckmann received for refusing to review Madame Web. I don’t blame him, as it doesn’t seem worth anyone’s time. But while I love Stuckmann’s work, even being Subscribed to him, I figured that Bob was being nice. After all, Bob loves defending the underdog, so why not Chris? That was the mindset I initially had, and I wasn’t sure what the hubbub was about.

Then I watched Chris’s video. Suddenly, I had more questions than answers. Questions like “Why were people so angry?”, or “What about Chris’s stance was offensive?”. What he said was sensible, as he not only defended the director, he shifted the blame to Sony’s never-ending quest for quick money. This was worth getting mad over? This 16-minute video?

I’m not against a good, old-fashioned rant. When done well, it can actually be cathartic. It also can drive engagement in ways praise often doesn’t give. That’s why people opt for rants so frequently, not helped by the algorithms on different platforms prioritizing negativity. But while therapeutic, rants can reinforce a hateful feedback loop long-term. It’s what got me to leave Twitter after October 7th.

I didn’t always think this way. Before joining Twitter in 2011, I was an edgy Libertarian who liked mouthing off. Twitter morphed me into someone who was more mindful, but it also radicalized me in the opposite direction. Instead of mouthing off Libertarianism, I was mouthing off Social-Progressivism. But I was still mouthing off nonsense. And it was getting me into trouble.

Now that I’m nearing my mid-30’s, and re-evaluating my life choices, I’m left wondering if it was worth it. After all, mouthing off nonsense did no favours, and I wasn’t maintaining healthy boundaries. So I stopped. And it’s made me feel better. Why’s that a problem for people?

It's not like I won’t discuss issues in film and video games. I do it constantly! But while that might be the focus of The Whitly-Verse, it’s on my terms. I’m not being paid to write anything here. I don’t get advertising revenue, and I don’t have a Patreon page. Everything on this site, including the odd collaboration with friends? It's all done for the love of the craft. Because I’ve worked under others, and I’d rather not return to that!

One of the results of breaking free from that system is seeing how toxic it can be. It reflects in how current events are discussed, and it prevents nuance or mature conversation from occurring. I know Twitter’s a toxic cesspool of partisanship, but so is YouTube. And TikTok. And Facebook. And Instagram. And-you get the picture.

All of this is to say that if Chris Stuckmann refuses to discuss Madame Web, that’s his prerogative. Remember, Chris is a moviemaker now. He knows how hard it is to work on a film in this day and age, and he wants to uplift his fellow artists. That’s admirable, and more internet “criticism” should do that. That’s why I’ve fallen out of love with Jeremy Jahns and Captain Logan, even if I’m still Subscribed to both.

Seeing how people have reacted to Chris’s decision is perplexing and upsetting. Why does it matter if a well-respected personality refuses to add to the hate? Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic exist, go there! Don’t redirect your disappointment at someone who doesn’t want to play the game! Be adults!

I’ve even become burnt out on excessive negativity! My most-popular piece, after 8 years, is a rant about a poorly thought-out fan-ship. I don’t regret writing it, but I’d prefer my in-depth piece on The Omer be #1. It’s not negative, and I poured my heart out, so why not? What would people have to lose?

I guess a lack of negativity’s the issue, which leads me back, once again, to Chris Stuckmann and Moviebob. If you want to pile on Madame Web, go right ahead. The internet has no shortage of people interested in that. But if someone else doesn’t want to, that’s their prerogative. And if that offends you? Then that’s your problem. Life’s exhausting enough without partisan anger fuelling the fire. It’s not worth it, and-algorithm be damned-it’s high time we moved on to something more important.