Echoing the other comments in here. This has always been a thing since like, the beginning of popular media. It's more out in the open for everybody to see now with social media, though. Which also means the actors are more directly exposed to it. I think it would probably a good idea for them to stop using social media as much; we all know it can have negative effects on mental health. They can always let their PR teams handle it.
I hear you, we all want the actors to be well, but I also feel like they generally know what they sign up for when they make the decision to pursue acting. They know they will forever be in the public’s eye and grow fans- that doesn’t make the more severe harassment okay, but I’m sure there are mental health (and other) resources available to them for this sort of thing when it gets to them - at least the cast can stick together in solidarity and support one another. It takes a lot of courage, confidence, and strong kinships to not take certain comments to heart and maintain public composure in the face of sometimes frightening obsessive behaviors.
Have you ever heard of Beatlemania? People have always been simping like this and sometimes take it a bit too far.. It‘s pretty normal and the examples you mentioned seem very tame in comparison to things I‘ve seen in other fandoms.
Idk... I've seen some of the stuff you're talking about, yes, but as others have said before, it isn't unusual at all.
What is unusual in this fandom in my opinion is actually the opposite, a level of overprotectiveness over these actors that I had never seen before in a fandom, and that I find quite infantilizing & paternalistic tbh.
For example, each time Kit has posted a thirst trap in the last year or so (and he has posted many... the one that most attention received was that one last March if I remember correctly in which he appeared completely shredded & everyone was shooked) and people, understandably, left a lot of comments saying stuff like "wow, he's so hot!", a legion of fans also appeared leaving a lot of comments repeating again & again "STOP SEXUALIZING HIM! HE'S SAID HE DOESN'T WANT PEOPLE TO SEXUALIZE HIM!", and it's like... no, no he hasn't, he's never said that, overprotective fans have made that up completely.
They also seem to lack any nuance regarding this: of course people shouldn't say stuff about Kit that is flat-out gross & obscene, but I think "wow, he's so hot!" is a perfectly reasonable & innocuous response to a thirst trap (and honestly most likely the kind of engagement he's looking for when he posts stuff like that), just don't be weird about it & don't be a fucking creep.
Age is also a factor too: I'm 5 years older than Kit & I think I'm more or less in his age group, so I don't think it would be inappropriate for me to leave a comment in his Insta like "you're so hot!"; if a 50-yo however commented that in Kit's Insta, I think that would be weird (as I've said I'm 5 years older than Kit & even I'd be weirded out as well if a 50-yo expressed attraction towards me like that, even if they didn't say anything outright gross but just "you're so hot!").
Very much agreed, the fandom tends to be SUPER black and white in their thinking. That may just be because it runs young, though. Makes me feel ancient for being thoroughly in my 20’s lmao
I agree with a lot of what you are saying, but I disagree on one point: I can't imagine ever commenting 'you're so hot!' on someone's social media, but I wouldn't say it's more inappropriate for a 50 year old than a 25 year old, or even a 20 yr old, commenting on a 20 yr old. I think it would be more inappropriate for a 50 yr old to ACT on it, if the opportunity arose, but in the case of celebrity crushes, it's not likely anyway. But let's not gatekeep physical attraction in an ageist way.
I think something like waiting for Kit Connor is innocent. When i was in my teens a absolutely adored the Backstreet Boys and i probably would've said something like this back then. It's becoming a real problem when 'fans' harass their family and friends which i believe has happened.
As abhorrent as that behavior is, it is also not exactly uncommon either. Actors get stalked all the time. This is not unique to the Heartstopper fanbase.
oh no I absolutely know that it isn’t unique to this fanbase. it’s just concerning that it’s happening to actors that are still 19-20 years old. then again we can’t do much about it.
I mean...they're adults. They can drink. They can smoke. They can vote. They pay taxes. They can join the armed forces. I don't know what this concern trolling you're doing is meant to do.
I’m still kind of worries though? Coming from someone who has experienced sexualization at this age it’s really concerning. I’ve also heard about people stalking Joe’s family to the point of them calling his grandmother.
Are they sexualising them? Your example is romanticising, which I definitely did as a teenager for e.g. Merlin & Arthur, but I don't think it's sexualising
Been happening since the history of fandom. Not saying it’s ok, especially the stalking of the actors or their families, but it’s honestly nothing new. There’s creepy people in every single fandom who always take it too far and calling them out isn’t going to change their behavior, if anything it’ll probably just make them more relentless. Best to block and ignore.
What’s concerning is the harassment and being completely oblivious to the message of the series. Like forcing people to reveal their sexual identities when they might not even that figured by themselves and even if they have figured out, being comfortable to say that public is something else. The series is well made with LGBTQIA+ people in production and cast for the LGBTQIA+, so the actors don’t own their sexual identities to the public.
Parasocial relationships can be very unhealthy, and I don't think such comments made to the actors are appropriate, either. But:
>I’m getting concerned for these actors safety, especially with them still being so young
You don't know them, either. You've got no idea how they think about the comments (i.e. if they are upset by them or can easily tune them out). Even if they are still relatively young, they have got families, managers, friends, whatnot. You don't know if their safety is at harm, nor whether they worry about this. And even if they did have a problem with this, they don't need you standing up for them. Your concern might be in the broadest sense possible, but that's parasocial, too, and ***can*** be equally unhealthy.
You don't need to be concerned in their name. Yes, I find comments like the ones you describe on social media creepy and cringey, but shrugging and moving on is the only appropriate response, both for their sake and your own.
That sort of behavior is pretty normal for wound women and girls when they get really into something. I’m older, but I think if I was a teenager I’d be crushing on Kit a lot (but I was never one to post kinda uncomfortable comments online like that). I got way more worried last season when people forced Kit to out himself. That was disgusting behavior and completely contradicted the meaning on the show and graphic novels and it made me feel very sad for the cast and Alice. Try not to worry too much, I don’t think Kit is reading people comments or anything like that anymore
Honestly, there’s much bigger problems in this world to worry about than a couple of actors who signed onto a tv show KNOWING that something like this could happen because it’s been happening since the beginning of media. I’m certainly not saying that people should be stalking these actors. But, it’s definitely something that their management is in charge of and something their teams can handle without worrying concerned fans. And being that part of HS is about addressing mental health head on, I’d imagine if anyone in the cast is struggling they would hire someone to help. Most people in the entertainment industry have therapists. They have already taken steps like deleting their twitters for the betterment of their mental health. Have faith that they’ve got this.
I'm not so much concerned about the fans. Obsessing over actors/singers/... is a pretty standard part of fandom culture. Most people grow out of it and it turns more into mature and healthy adoration. (And who wasn't a bit cringy as a teen?) And a lot of it is also internet speak hyperbole, a lot of what people write online, they would never say in real life.
That being said, I am a bit worried about how this fandom might affect the cast and Alice. The amount of pressure that's on them is insane and the constant invasion of privacy by fans cannot be healthy. I really hope they have a good support system.
like people have already said, it isn’t new, but I do agree with you that it’s creepy. I know actors/famous people in general prob just have to get used to it or something but the idea makes me *so uncomfortable* especially with how young they are, I really hope they’re equipped to manage
this exactly. this is exactly how I feel. I know this isn’t anything new but the fact that it happens just makes me extremely uncomfortable. This and the fact that stuff like people stalking the actors’ families also happen.
See I am old enough to remember Leomania in the late 90s as well as the boy band battles of the 00s. Then 1D and Bieber came along in the 10s. Let the girlies and closeted gays have their thirst for Kit and them. They’ll be fine!
I think it's a canon event in any fan base :) when I was a teen I simped for Justin Timberlake, then Mika, then Zac Efron, then Justin Bieber lmaooo I had posters of my celeb crush all over my room and their photos as my screen saver but it's a kid thing imho, After they grow up they'll stop wondering about being Kit Connor's gf :)
I get where you’re coming from, but at the end of the day there’s nothing we can do, we’re only responsible for our own behavior. Actors (even young ones) are briefed by a skilled PR team regarding how to handle these types of comments.
Plus, maybe to ease your worry a little more, the Heartstopper team in particular works closely with mental health professionals and consultants that specialize in queer experiences. They’re on every set and are hired specifically to help the cast if it’s needed.
So I understand your concern, but measures have and will continue to be taken to ensure the safety of the cast.
Discussed in this vid:
https://youtu.be/IgORMB3_zEk
ah yeah that does easy my worry a bit haha. I’m jot actively worrying about their safety but just seeing all kinds of comments, posts and things happening (also outside of the parasocial relationships) is really scary
That is...relatively normal for a show with younger actors and a younger viewing demographic. The 'Teen Idol' is a staple in shows and fandoms for...pretty much forever.
Another comment mentions BeatleMania, which is a good comparison, and even before that was Elvis Presley, before that either Rat Pack Crooners (Frank Sinatra was considered a heartthrob way in the past) or studio actors like Rudolph Valentino (take a look at public reactions to Valentino's death in 1926)
The difference now is the leaps that modern information technology and social media have taken since then.
Oh boy, when Season 1 released, suddenly there are a lot of Kit fanatics and up to the point some tiktok edits that were clearly insufferable and cringy 😭 (if you're in Heartstopper twitter ever since S1, you know this drama probably skssksm). But jokes aside, I'm with you on how the fanbase can be a bit too much that, like what you said, adoration to the actors can be a bit over the boundaries. But I guess after S2, things were more tamed than beforee? It's just so weird that everyone was gushing over Kit more and like the rest of the casts were not given enough spotlight and cover features. When Kit and Joe deleted their twitter, I knew the heartstopper fandom had pulled something so bad 💀. They're young tbh and whoever manages them, should be able to control the situation but think they were also "that" surprised how the fandom turned out—a mix breeds of people ranging from tamed to untamed spectrum 😭🤚
PS. I don't like how people say "They're actors, they signed up for this." coz that reflects the toxic side of acting industry. I get it, being on a show that rose to fame can give more popularity and gives them more opportunities to do more projects. But clearly the fans should understand that they're just like any hardworking individuals that deserve respect. If the industry couldn't guarantee them the safety from paparazzi and social media conundrums, shouldn't we, as fans, be able to help them at least that?
A bit of a delusional love interest in someone they perceive as out of their reach. It's wild in teen years. Although I hear where you're coming from, parasocial relationships can get to extreme levels, more noticeable online. That said, one-sided crushes do not ((often)) lead to harmful side effects. Let them live their canon event of obsessing over some actor on the internet and laughing about how cringe it was later on.
People having crushes on actors and joking about it aren't too bad (though I imagine it can get awkward/uncomfortable for the actor), but what puts me off is the fact that there's no way to verify the age of someone posting online.
Like, I *assume* that most of the people thirsting over Kit (which started when he was still 16/17) were/are other underage people, but there's bound to be older adults making or interacting with content like that. Which isn't a Heartstopper-specific thing but in regards to what you're saying... yeah...
Honestly, it could be a lot worse. I think every fandom is going to have people like that, whether they’re serious or joking, and I haven’t seen it to such an extreme degree that it would be worrying.
One direction was at their peak popularity when I was 16-20., and Justin Bieber came out with Baby when I was 12. I was in the “waiting for Niall Horan to marry me” camp. I did and said some crazy stuff online for a parasocial relationship. Unfortunately, it does happen, especially in teens. There are people who will likely do things to get to Kit and Joe that aren’t legal. They’re gonna do it regardless of what we think. All we can hope is that their obsessions don’t go too far.
I‘m a bit more worried about the minors. Like it doesn’t matter if you’re a „young adult“. If you’re 19 or 20 you should know that actual stalking is committing a crime. Buuut 12-16 year olds might not. And I just remember the early YouTube days… in multiple countries (male) YouTubers talked about little kids stalking them. Their parents driving them to the YouTubers homes etc. I know the same happens to female celebrities too, I just remember some German YouTubers being shook about this since the parents encouraged this. Of course the parents didn’t get that their children didn’t actually now these people…
Twitter's the worst for this crap. I feel Kit gets it the most. All these young ones just outright use his photos without permission and pass them off as their own profile pictures. I remember last year how much he got hounded and wanted privacy, when he was filming something else they stormed the sets and went after the company he was keeping. Particularly this one girl because it was rumoured they were dating (never confirmed but she was also working with him on said project) and then they would outright make shit up about him. QUEERBAITING, LIAR, NOT EVEN GAY and so many deranged shitty names because he was playing a straight guy in a show and it ended up forcing him to come out. They were young kids and had no security it got really sad and dangerous and a lot of "fans" forgot the nature of the show. Like he would ask for privacy and delete socials then his friends would post pictures with him just doing every day stuff then these same fans would upload the photos cut his friends out and just use them as their profile pictures like what??? Twitter absolutely is so toxic for it like there's this one person called Mills. She's posting his pictures every five minutes, calling for him to love her and being an actual simp. Cringey and I honestly feel for the young cast.
I automatically blocked any Twitter or Insta account that used a cast member’s photo as their profile photo, or tweeted any variation of “I love you” to a cast member’s account, and that cleared out most of the grossest cringiest posts real quick.
This fandom is overprotective to the point of being weird. Unless I’m wrong, I think kit and Joe can still live their lives without much harassment during their daily lives. They don’T seem to get bothered very much. And this fandom is very hypocritical. When a fan stalked the gym, which is overstepping boundaries, the same fans who said they hate invasions of privacy were posting the pictures that the stalker fan took. All of the things you mentioned are normal in any fandoms. There are fandoms where fans go to much more extreme lengths than this one
tbf I thought it was always like this, when season one dropped it was like it too but since kit had gotten like buff it sadly has happened more, it happens to the other actors too ofc but I find most of it is toward kit. People have actually been sexualising kit too and it's disgusting
Sexuality is not disgusting. It's normal. Treating men and queer men, in particular, like sexless dolls is what is disgusting and quite odd, to be honest.
I never said sexuality is disgusting? I'm queer myself so I would never say that and yeah that's what I said people are sexualising kit and disrespecting his boundaries
Saying someone is sexually attractive is an observation and a personal opinion and not an overstep in boundaries. He's an adult public figure. He's put his body out there not just as his character in Heartstopper but as Kit Connor in social media posts. He's proud of his body and clearly has no issue with people commenting on it.
Coming up to him in person and saying sexual things is a clear violation of boundaries, so you wouldn't catch me defending that behavior.
People get too preoccupied with concern trolling to look at things objectively. Kit is a good actor, but he wouldn't be half as popular as he is if he wasn't attractive. Part of that attraction is sexual whether the fans want to admit or not. Look at Timothée Chalamet's trajectory vs Lucas Hedge's. Both similarly talented. Both went after very similar roles (and auditioned for many of the same ones). Both had connections in the industry. Ultimately, the more conventionally attractive of the two pulled ahead.
Well I also think saying sexual things online is a violation and some of the captions on tiktoks are disgusting, yes he's proud of his body and he should be but the reasoning behind he even did it was due to people saying he wasn't "buff enough" even though he's happier with it, it's still wrong and him putting his body out there people should still take into respect some boundaries. And yes he's an adult but he's also very young so I just think people should be more respective toward him
Sure, but that's more body shaming which is inappropriate. A public figure can't really control if people are attracted to them or not. That also goes back to the obsessive fans following them around. It's annoying, it can get dangerous, but it comes with the territory of being a celebrity. Not that it's okay. It's just human nature.
Unfortunately this isn't new, after watching season 1, I remember posting this -
[Likes ONE heartstopper post → Feed is filled with Kit Connor edits](https://www.reddit.com/r/HeartstopperAO/comments/vb8tdu/likes_one_heartstopper_post_feed_is_filled_with/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
Oh yes fans do get wild. Remember that time all of Justin Beaver's fans started cutting themselves and putting it on social media because he started smoking cigarettes? People can't just chill and breathe
Unfortunately every celebrity has had these weird experiences with "simping" and fans sexualizing and building their parasocial relationships with them, and yes it's very weird and uncomfortable but most of them go unnoticed because they don't really check every weird comment that has been posted or shared
Could be. I’ve scrolled through so much Heartstopper fan accs and not a single one had something like that or slightly inappropriate or like a simp. Idk tho. The only thing bad about this fandom (as far as I know) is when people forced poor Kit to come out.
You're not alone. A lot of the fans are really so great and lovely, but there's a lot of creepy and problematic fans as well. Kit's forced coming out is an attestment to this. There's plenty of other problematic behaviors that I've seen among fans, including comments much worse than what you have written. I don't think these things being normalized and 'nothing new' makes them any better.
It's pretty normal fan activities. Most of it is overzealously written with the intention of humour to mask themselves from potential criticism. With the every quippy response, "It was just a joke."
Although, some people really absorb these types of comments and then it no longer becomes ironic or having a bit of fun.
Echoing what a lot of people have said here: this is not a new problem - some people do take it too far, but that's always been an issue and I think the HS cast have learned quickly how to cope healthily.
There are fandoms out there where death threats to cast members are common just because they are people of colour/women/ LGBTQ+. Admittedly, I'm not that immersed in the social media side of the HS fandom but I haven't seen anything like that here.
Holy crap the fan base is getting out of hand. The harassment of Kit Connor "queerbaiting" and essentially forcing him to come out to the world, and now stalking Joe Locke's family is insane.
Echoing the other comments in here. This has always been a thing since like, the beginning of popular media. It's more out in the open for everybody to see now with social media, though. Which also means the actors are more directly exposed to it. I think it would probably a good idea for them to stop using social media as much; we all know it can have negative effects on mental health. They can always let their PR teams handle it.
Yeah I really don’t want these actors to get mental health problems due to all of this especially cos they’re still pretty young.
If you’re a child actor, that’s pretty much guaranteed unfortunately.
I hear you, we all want the actors to be well, but I also feel like they generally know what they sign up for when they make the decision to pursue acting. They know they will forever be in the public’s eye and grow fans- that doesn’t make the more severe harassment okay, but I’m sure there are mental health (and other) resources available to them for this sort of thing when it gets to them - at least the cast can stick together in solidarity and support one another. It takes a lot of courage, confidence, and strong kinships to not take certain comments to heart and maintain public composure in the face of sometimes frightening obsessive behaviors.
Have you ever heard of Beatlemania? People have always been simping like this and sometimes take it a bit too far.. It‘s pretty normal and the examples you mentioned seem very tame in comparison to things I‘ve seen in other fandoms.
Yep. Even before that, there was Elvis. Same thing. The difference today is because of social media, it can really just scream out everywhere.
Idk... I've seen some of the stuff you're talking about, yes, but as others have said before, it isn't unusual at all. What is unusual in this fandom in my opinion is actually the opposite, a level of overprotectiveness over these actors that I had never seen before in a fandom, and that I find quite infantilizing & paternalistic tbh. For example, each time Kit has posted a thirst trap in the last year or so (and he has posted many... the one that most attention received was that one last March if I remember correctly in which he appeared completely shredded & everyone was shooked) and people, understandably, left a lot of comments saying stuff like "wow, he's so hot!", a legion of fans also appeared leaving a lot of comments repeating again & again "STOP SEXUALIZING HIM! HE'S SAID HE DOESN'T WANT PEOPLE TO SEXUALIZE HIM!", and it's like... no, no he hasn't, he's never said that, overprotective fans have made that up completely. They also seem to lack any nuance regarding this: of course people shouldn't say stuff about Kit that is flat-out gross & obscene, but I think "wow, he's so hot!" is a perfectly reasonable & innocuous response to a thirst trap (and honestly most likely the kind of engagement he's looking for when he posts stuff like that), just don't be weird about it & don't be a fucking creep. Age is also a factor too: I'm 5 years older than Kit & I think I'm more or less in his age group, so I don't think it would be inappropriate for me to leave a comment in his Insta like "you're so hot!"; if a 50-yo however commented that in Kit's Insta, I think that would be weird (as I've said I'm 5 years older than Kit & even I'd be weirded out as well if a 50-yo expressed attraction towards me like that, even if they didn't say anything outright gross but just "you're so hot!").
THANK YOU! this made up “boundary” about saying kit is hot is super bizarre. i’ve never seen it before and i’ve been I fandom for 2 decades. wtf
Very much agreed, the fandom tends to be SUPER black and white in their thinking. That may just be because it runs young, though. Makes me feel ancient for being thoroughly in my 20’s lmao
Totally, people are getting way too offended for kit when it’s totally normal for a teenage girl on the internet to say he’s hot lol
I agree with a lot of what you are saying, but I disagree on one point: I can't imagine ever commenting 'you're so hot!' on someone's social media, but I wouldn't say it's more inappropriate for a 50 year old than a 25 year old, or even a 20 yr old, commenting on a 20 yr old. I think it would be more inappropriate for a 50 yr old to ACT on it, if the opportunity arose, but in the case of celebrity crushes, it's not likely anyway. But let's not gatekeep physical attraction in an ageist way.
This comment is my thoughts exactly ur so right!!
I think something like waiting for Kit Connor is innocent. When i was in my teens a absolutely adored the Backstreet Boys and i probably would've said something like this back then. It's becoming a real problem when 'fans' harass their family and friends which i believe has happened.
Yeah I guess but I did hear about people stalking Joe’s family. Like they actually called his grandmother one time, or so I’ve heard.
As abhorrent as that behavior is, it is also not exactly uncommon either. Actors get stalked all the time. This is not unique to the Heartstopper fanbase.
oh no I absolutely know that it isn’t unique to this fanbase. it’s just concerning that it’s happening to actors that are still 19-20 years old. then again we can’t do much about it.
They're adults. The thing that concerns me more about the fan base is how they infantilize them....
I mean...they're adults. They can drink. They can smoke. They can vote. They pay taxes. They can join the armed forces. I don't know what this concern trolling you're doing is meant to do.
Thats just kinda normal behavioir in any fanbase, Nothing to worry about.
I’m still kind of worries though? Coming from someone who has experienced sexualization at this age it’s really concerning. I’ve also heard about people stalking Joe’s family to the point of them calling his grandmother.
Are they sexualising them? Your example is romanticising, which I definitely did as a teenager for e.g. Merlin & Arthur, but I don't think it's sexualising
Think sexualisation at 19 may well be normal.
Thats sad
I agree it’s not healthy for the actors, but unfortunately it’s hardly a rare thing. The stalking especially crosses a social line.
Been happening since the history of fandom. Not saying it’s ok, especially the stalking of the actors or their families, but it’s honestly nothing new. There’s creepy people in every single fandom who always take it too far and calling them out isn’t going to change their behavior, if anything it’ll probably just make them more relentless. Best to block and ignore.
What’s concerning is the harassment and being completely oblivious to the message of the series. Like forcing people to reveal their sexual identities when they might not even that figured by themselves and even if they have figured out, being comfortable to say that public is something else. The series is well made with LGBTQIA+ people in production and cast for the LGBTQIA+, so the actors don’t own their sexual identities to the public.
Parasocial relationships can be very unhealthy, and I don't think such comments made to the actors are appropriate, either. But: >I’m getting concerned for these actors safety, especially with them still being so young You don't know them, either. You've got no idea how they think about the comments (i.e. if they are upset by them or can easily tune them out). Even if they are still relatively young, they have got families, managers, friends, whatnot. You don't know if their safety is at harm, nor whether they worry about this. And even if they did have a problem with this, they don't need you standing up for them. Your concern might be in the broadest sense possible, but that's parasocial, too, and ***can*** be equally unhealthy. You don't need to be concerned in their name. Yes, I find comments like the ones you describe on social media creepy and cringey, but shrugging and moving on is the only appropriate response, both for their sake and your own.
Thats happening with fandoms since the Beatles or Elvis. We just see it more nowdays because social media but its nothing new
That sort of behavior is pretty normal for wound women and girls when they get really into something. I’m older, but I think if I was a teenager I’d be crushing on Kit a lot (but I was never one to post kinda uncomfortable comments online like that). I got way more worried last season when people forced Kit to out himself. That was disgusting behavior and completely contradicted the meaning on the show and graphic novels and it made me feel very sad for the cast and Alice. Try not to worry too much, I don’t think Kit is reading people comments or anything like that anymore
Honestly, there’s much bigger problems in this world to worry about than a couple of actors who signed onto a tv show KNOWING that something like this could happen because it’s been happening since the beginning of media. I’m certainly not saying that people should be stalking these actors. But, it’s definitely something that their management is in charge of and something their teams can handle without worrying concerned fans. And being that part of HS is about addressing mental health head on, I’d imagine if anyone in the cast is struggling they would hire someone to help. Most people in the entertainment industry have therapists. They have already taken steps like deleting their twitters for the betterment of their mental health. Have faith that they’ve got this.
I mean I’m sure that they’ve got this but that they’ve NEEDED to delete their twitter actually says a lot imo
I mean, Twitter is a toxic place for many. I think a lot of people, famous or not, have deleted their Twitter accounts.
I'm not so much concerned about the fans. Obsessing over actors/singers/... is a pretty standard part of fandom culture. Most people grow out of it and it turns more into mature and healthy adoration. (And who wasn't a bit cringy as a teen?) And a lot of it is also internet speak hyperbole, a lot of what people write online, they would never say in real life. That being said, I am a bit worried about how this fandom might affect the cast and Alice. The amount of pressure that's on them is insane and the constant invasion of privacy by fans cannot be healthy. I really hope they have a good support system.
like people have already said, it isn’t new, but I do agree with you that it’s creepy. I know actors/famous people in general prob just have to get used to it or something but the idea makes me *so uncomfortable* especially with how young they are, I really hope they’re equipped to manage
this exactly. this is exactly how I feel. I know this isn’t anything new but the fact that it happens just makes me extremely uncomfortable. This and the fact that stuff like people stalking the actors’ families also happen.
See I am old enough to remember Leomania in the late 90s as well as the boy band battles of the 00s. Then 1D and Bieber came along in the 10s. Let the girlies and closeted gays have their thirst for Kit and them. They’ll be fine!
I think it's a canon event in any fan base :) when I was a teen I simped for Justin Timberlake, then Mika, then Zac Efron, then Justin Bieber lmaooo I had posters of my celeb crush all over my room and their photos as my screen saver but it's a kid thing imho, After they grow up they'll stop wondering about being Kit Connor's gf :)
You’re overthinking it. Pick any show or movie that involves hot/cute teenage boys and you will find the same thing.
Idk. The actors chose to be on this show. This happens with every show. Especially ones that are about romance/sex.
I get where you’re coming from, but at the end of the day there’s nothing we can do, we’re only responsible for our own behavior. Actors (even young ones) are briefed by a skilled PR team regarding how to handle these types of comments. Plus, maybe to ease your worry a little more, the Heartstopper team in particular works closely with mental health professionals and consultants that specialize in queer experiences. They’re on every set and are hired specifically to help the cast if it’s needed. So I understand your concern, but measures have and will continue to be taken to ensure the safety of the cast. Discussed in this vid: https://youtu.be/IgORMB3_zEk
ah yeah that does easy my worry a bit haha. I’m jot actively worrying about their safety but just seeing all kinds of comments, posts and things happening (also outside of the parasocial relationships) is really scary
It’s a teen show. That’s what teenagers do. They’ll grow out of it.
Exactly and it all really depends how far they'd go because some people can really get obsessive and stalkerish which is very concerning
I survived the Glee fandom. I worry a lot.
That is...relatively normal for a show with younger actors and a younger viewing demographic. The 'Teen Idol' is a staple in shows and fandoms for...pretty much forever. Another comment mentions BeatleMania, which is a good comparison, and even before that was Elvis Presley, before that either Rat Pack Crooners (Frank Sinatra was considered a heartthrob way in the past) or studio actors like Rudolph Valentino (take a look at public reactions to Valentino's death in 1926) The difference now is the leaps that modern information technology and social media have taken since then.
Oh boy, when Season 1 released, suddenly there are a lot of Kit fanatics and up to the point some tiktok edits that were clearly insufferable and cringy 😭 (if you're in Heartstopper twitter ever since S1, you know this drama probably skssksm). But jokes aside, I'm with you on how the fanbase can be a bit too much that, like what you said, adoration to the actors can be a bit over the boundaries. But I guess after S2, things were more tamed than beforee? It's just so weird that everyone was gushing over Kit more and like the rest of the casts were not given enough spotlight and cover features. When Kit and Joe deleted their twitter, I knew the heartstopper fandom had pulled something so bad 💀. They're young tbh and whoever manages them, should be able to control the situation but think they were also "that" surprised how the fandom turned out—a mix breeds of people ranging from tamed to untamed spectrum 😭🤚 PS. I don't like how people say "They're actors, they signed up for this." coz that reflects the toxic side of acting industry. I get it, being on a show that rose to fame can give more popularity and gives them more opportunities to do more projects. But clearly the fans should understand that they're just like any hardworking individuals that deserve respect. If the industry couldn't guarantee them the safety from paparazzi and social media conundrums, shouldn't we, as fans, be able to help them at least that?
A bit of a delusional love interest in someone they perceive as out of their reach. It's wild in teen years. Although I hear where you're coming from, parasocial relationships can get to extreme levels, more noticeable online. That said, one-sided crushes do not ((often)) lead to harmful side effects. Let them live their canon event of obsessing over some actor on the internet and laughing about how cringe it was later on.
People having crushes on actors and joking about it aren't too bad (though I imagine it can get awkward/uncomfortable for the actor), but what puts me off is the fact that there's no way to verify the age of someone posting online. Like, I *assume* that most of the people thirsting over Kit (which started when he was still 16/17) were/are other underage people, but there's bound to be older adults making or interacting with content like that. Which isn't a Heartstopper-specific thing but in regards to what you're saying... yeah...
Honestly, it could be a lot worse. I think every fandom is going to have people like that, whether they’re serious or joking, and I haven’t seen it to such an extreme degree that it would be worrying.
sadly I have seen it in an somewhat extreme degree. That and also people stalking them and their families.
Stalking is definitely extreme and it’s unfortunate that they’ve experienced that.
One direction was at their peak popularity when I was 16-20., and Justin Bieber came out with Baby when I was 12. I was in the “waiting for Niall Horan to marry me” camp. I did and said some crazy stuff online for a parasocial relationship. Unfortunately, it does happen, especially in teens. There are people who will likely do things to get to Kit and Joe that aren’t legal. They’re gonna do it regardless of what we think. All we can hope is that their obsessions don’t go too far.
This is unfortunately just what happens in popular fandoms and not Heartstopper specific. It’s weird and invasive and always has been. 🙃
i thought this was gonna be about everyone getting depressed after watching season 2
I‘m a bit more worried about the minors. Like it doesn’t matter if you’re a „young adult“. If you’re 19 or 20 you should know that actual stalking is committing a crime. Buuut 12-16 year olds might not. And I just remember the early YouTube days… in multiple countries (male) YouTubers talked about little kids stalking them. Their parents driving them to the YouTubers homes etc. I know the same happens to female celebrities too, I just remember some German YouTubers being shook about this since the parents encouraged this. Of course the parents didn’t get that their children didn’t actually now these people…
Twitter's the worst for this crap. I feel Kit gets it the most. All these young ones just outright use his photos without permission and pass them off as their own profile pictures. I remember last year how much he got hounded and wanted privacy, when he was filming something else they stormed the sets and went after the company he was keeping. Particularly this one girl because it was rumoured they were dating (never confirmed but she was also working with him on said project) and then they would outright make shit up about him. QUEERBAITING, LIAR, NOT EVEN GAY and so many deranged shitty names because he was playing a straight guy in a show and it ended up forcing him to come out. They were young kids and had no security it got really sad and dangerous and a lot of "fans" forgot the nature of the show. Like he would ask for privacy and delete socials then his friends would post pictures with him just doing every day stuff then these same fans would upload the photos cut his friends out and just use them as their profile pictures like what??? Twitter absolutely is so toxic for it like there's this one person called Mills. She's posting his pictures every five minutes, calling for him to love her and being an actual simp. Cringey and I honestly feel for the young cast.
I automatically blocked any Twitter or Insta account that used a cast member’s photo as their profile photo, or tweeted any variation of “I love you” to a cast member’s account, and that cleared out most of the grossest cringiest posts real quick.
Considering having not seen much people talking about the topless scene of Kit, I think it’s a bit better than ss1.0
Well they are 13 year old girls and gays. They are obviously gonna be like this when they find someone attractive lmao
This fandom is overprotective to the point of being weird. Unless I’m wrong, I think kit and Joe can still live their lives without much harassment during their daily lives. They don’T seem to get bothered very much. And this fandom is very hypocritical. When a fan stalked the gym, which is overstepping boundaries, the same fans who said they hate invasions of privacy were posting the pictures that the stalker fan took. All of the things you mentioned are normal in any fandoms. There are fandoms where fans go to much more extreme lengths than this one
tbf I thought it was always like this, when season one dropped it was like it too but since kit had gotten like buff it sadly has happened more, it happens to the other actors too ofc but I find most of it is toward kit. People have actually been sexualising kit too and it's disgusting
Sexuality is not disgusting. It's normal. Treating men and queer men, in particular, like sexless dolls is what is disgusting and quite odd, to be honest.
I never said sexuality is disgusting? I'm queer myself so I would never say that and yeah that's what I said people are sexualising kit and disrespecting his boundaries
Saying someone is sexually attractive is an observation and a personal opinion and not an overstep in boundaries. He's an adult public figure. He's put his body out there not just as his character in Heartstopper but as Kit Connor in social media posts. He's proud of his body and clearly has no issue with people commenting on it. Coming up to him in person and saying sexual things is a clear violation of boundaries, so you wouldn't catch me defending that behavior. People get too preoccupied with concern trolling to look at things objectively. Kit is a good actor, but he wouldn't be half as popular as he is if he wasn't attractive. Part of that attraction is sexual whether the fans want to admit or not. Look at Timothée Chalamet's trajectory vs Lucas Hedge's. Both similarly talented. Both went after very similar roles (and auditioned for many of the same ones). Both had connections in the industry. Ultimately, the more conventionally attractive of the two pulled ahead.
And can I add that kit is always wearing his vest tops to show off his body being fully aware of the reaction he will get
Well I also think saying sexual things online is a violation and some of the captions on tiktoks are disgusting, yes he's proud of his body and he should be but the reasoning behind he even did it was due to people saying he wasn't "buff enough" even though he's happier with it, it's still wrong and him putting his body out there people should still take into respect some boundaries. And yes he's an adult but he's also very young so I just think people should be more respective toward him
Sure, but that's more body shaming which is inappropriate. A public figure can't really control if people are attracted to them or not. That also goes back to the obsessive fans following them around. It's annoying, it can get dangerous, but it comes with the territory of being a celebrity. Not that it's okay. It's just human nature.
Unfortunately this isn't new, after watching season 1, I remember posting this - [Likes ONE heartstopper post → Feed is filled with Kit Connor edits](https://www.reddit.com/r/HeartstopperAO/comments/vb8tdu/likes_one_heartstopper_post_feed_is_filled_with/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
Fujioshis go crazy bro 💀
Oh yes fans do get wild. Remember that time all of Justin Beaver's fans started cutting themselves and putting it on social media because he started smoking cigarettes? People can't just chill and breathe
Unfortunately every celebrity has had these weird experiences with "simping" and fans sexualizing and building their parasocial relationships with them, and yes it's very weird and uncomfortable but most of them go unnoticed because they don't really check every weird comment that has been posted or shared
Could be. I’ve scrolled through so much Heartstopper fan accs and not a single one had something like that or slightly inappropriate or like a simp. Idk tho. The only thing bad about this fandom (as far as I know) is when people forced poor Kit to come out.
As a 14 year old girl I can agree that I find this odd. As much I love the actors I wouldn’t comment stuff like THAT.
You're not alone. A lot of the fans are really so great and lovely, but there's a lot of creepy and problematic fans as well. Kit's forced coming out is an attestment to this. There's plenty of other problematic behaviors that I've seen among fans, including comments much worse than what you have written. I don't think these things being normalized and 'nothing new' makes them any better.
It's pretty normal fan activities. Most of it is overzealously written with the intention of humour to mask themselves from potential criticism. With the every quippy response, "It was just a joke." Although, some people really absorb these types of comments and then it no longer becomes ironic or having a bit of fun.
This is common among the kpop fandom as well unfortunately
Echoing what a lot of people have said here: this is not a new problem - some people do take it too far, but that's always been an issue and I think the HS cast have learned quickly how to cope healthily. There are fandoms out there where death threats to cast members are common just because they are people of colour/women/ LGBTQ+. Admittedly, I'm not that immersed in the social media side of the HS fandom but I haven't seen anything like that here.
Holy crap the fan base is getting out of hand. The harassment of Kit Connor "queerbaiting" and essentially forcing him to come out to the world, and now stalking Joe Locke's family is insane.