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Stan wars raged out of control in May.
Taylor Swift fanstried to cancel Burger Kingfor a tweet poking fun at her songs about ex-boyfriends.
Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande fansunited against Tekashi 6ix9inefor the suggestion that their collaborative No.
1 single Stuck With U cheated its way past his comeback track Gooba, which landed at No.
These cases are notable because they are all easily avoidable.
Fandoms are fierce, dedicated, and organized.
Their loyalty works two different ways.
Megan Thee Stallion and BeyoncesSavage remix reached No.
Showers of adulation from thousands of loving admirers can go to an artists head if theyre not careful.
They can get a little too cozy, and they can get themselves in a lot of trouble.
What they wanted, it seemed, was worship.
Conditioning them to want it was, perhaps, a mistake.
That kind of heat isnt easily quelled.
Rev the kids up, and they only stop when theyre tired.
Now, toxicity in music fandom is a years-old practice.
The internet is a unique playing field and a fertile breeding ground for misinformation and targeted harassment.
With so many voices and opposing ideas occupying the same space, its hard to parse truth from fiction.
Suddenly,everyonehas time.
This does not bode well for anyone who speaks in error or out of turn orwithout a filter.
People watching your moves from afar create a profile in their heads, like detectives.
Both performers seem trapped in gilded cages.
Outside the castle walls, the wolves are hungry.
