“When Your Fave Is Problematic”: The Impact of Hiddleswift on Hiddlestoners

Transcript

1. “IMPACT OF HIDDLESWIFT” SURVEY • Research Question: “To what extent has Hiddleston’s 2016 relationship with Taylor Swift impacted his fandom?” • Note: not impacted Hiddleston’s career • SHARED ON TWITTER, TUMBLR, AND FACEBOOK • Open May 17-June 17, 2018 • 593 responses, with the first 400 coming in within 24hours of the survey going live!
2. How long have you been a fan of Tom Hiddleston?
3. Have you ever been a fan of Taylor Swift?
4. Would you say Tom’s brief relationship with Taylor Swift in 2016 impacted your fannish behaviors (enthusiasm) within the Hiddlestoner community?
5. If you answered "yes" or "temporarily" to question 3, please select [as many as you like] from the categories below to explain: # Answer % Count 1 Stopped reading fan fiction involving Tom Hiddleston or characters he's portrayed 9.87% 46 2 Stopped writing fan fiction involving Tom Hiddleston or characters he's portrayed 3.00% 14 3 Stopped posting about him on social media 10.09% 47 4 Posted about him on social media in order to connect with other fans who were surprised about him dating Taylor Swift 11.59% 54
6. If you answered "yes" or "temporarily" to question 3, please select [as many as you like] from the categories below to explain: # Answer % Count 5 Unfollowed Tom Hiddleston on social media 3.65% 17 6 Left fan groups/lists on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. 11.37% 53 7 Joined different fan groups/lists on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. 12.23% 57 8 Returned or sold DVDs/BluRays or other merchandise related to his films 1.29% 6 9 Shifted focus to another celebrity/actor fandom 21.67% 101
7. Any additional information you would like to share about your experiences as a Hiddlestoner, particularly during and since Hiddleswift? • Anti Taylor • Media issue • Fandom issue • Human being • Lost respect • Humor
8. Any additional information you would like to share about your experiences as a Hiddlestoner, particularly during and since Hiddleswift? It seemed fake since the begining, and it was cringeworthy. He is a nice person, she is not. Only bad thing about that relationship was the media. Those two lived their lives, good for them. No scratch that. The worse was watching fellow fans lose their shit as if Tom's relationship affects them personally or as if Tom was a poor little boy with no agency of his own. In the words of Tom Hiddlestone "Only we know what we had. People make up narratives through pictures with no context" Tom dating Taylor was disheartening because it brought out a lot of ugliness within his fan community to the forefront. It showed how possessive and bitter and sexist many of his fans are, which I find discouraging. They way they spoke about (and I'm sure continue to speak about) Taylor and Tom with regards to him being with her was shocking to me and really disgusting to witness. Ultimately, I'm grateful because it has given me a happier online experience because it taught me who I don't want to associate with. I never liked her and will never like her. My thoughts and feelings on Tom have not changed. It fragmented the fandom like the drama when he was in coriolanus did. Lots of people freaking out and taking sides and trying to dictate what the "correct" emotions and beliefs are for a fan, for a feminist, for an adult, etc. It got way too serious and I had to step back.
9. Any additional information you would like to share about your experiences as a Hiddlestoner, particularly during and since Hiddleswift? I used to be a huge Hiddlestoner, but my respect for him dropped dramatically after the incident, and I'm no longer much of a fan. I was extremely disappointed with his involvement with her enough to ignore his year but not enough to hate him forever. I will always think Taylor is a toxic person and I hate heading about her so when Tom's babe came up with he's I just blacklisted their names. I'm still mad that any news article I find she's mentioned. Though the relationship was surprising, I believe Tom, unfairly, took the full brunt of the criticism from not only media, but both Tom and Taylor fandoms. I can admit I judged Tom, but in the end, it was his choice. His honesty about the situation particularly in the GQ article by Taffy shed a new light on my judgement and confirmed I was wrong to do so. I think the pure fact that because he dates someone made some "fans" turn on Tom ridiculous and the hateful things said about him was ludicrous. I think every fan just needs to keep reminding themselves that he is a human being and does not owe anyone anything. I shipped them when the video of them dancing at the MetGala came out. But then it was too fake - all the pap photoshoots, them running all pver the world with the paps, the tank top, her following him to Australia while he worked... My respect for him dimmed and I think the clincher for that was when he got sunburned at the beach with her and then had to fly back to film as Loki. Because nothing says frost giant like a sunburn!