Star Trek bosses on the “difference between debate and toxicity” in fandom

“Toxic fandom” has become a bit of a buzzword over the past couple years. It doesn’t have a set definition, but it’s basically when fans of a thing — a movie franchise, TV show, book series, etc — cross the line between “very enthusiastic” to “uncomfortably entitled.” Old-guard fans might lambast a new idea before it’s made it out the air, like Star Trek fans apparently did before The Next Generation dropped in the ’80s, and that series went on to be widely beloved. More recently, we’ve had fan backlashes to stuff like Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the final season of Game of Thrones that could go beyond criticism into the realm of personal attack.

Again, the line isn’t clear — obviously debate and criticism are still welcome — but you usually know it when you see it. How do creators navigate a world where fans, for good or ill, can amplify their voices more easily than ever through things like social media? Speaking at the premiere of Star Trek: Picard back in January (remember when people did stuff like attend premieres?), Star Trek: Picard executive producer Heather Kadin sees it as an opportunity.

“We always read feedback. I think it’s invaluable,” Kadin said. “I think to read feedback and obviously, if one person has a specific reaction to one thing, yes, that’s that one person’s opinion and is a point taken. But I think there’s a lot of value in seeing that a group of fans react to a decision we’ve made in a positive or negative way, because I think ultimately there are people who have been fans of this show for 50 years … and who feel an ownership of this show beyond what we’re doing with it. So I think to not listen to those reactions and listen to those criticisms, positive and negative, would be to do our own selves a disservice.”

I think that’s a healthy way to look at it, although if the reactions go from critical to hateful it could be a different story. “I think there’s a difference between debate and toxicity,” said Trek boss Alex Kurtzman. “Debate is essential. My feeling is that if you’re at a 50/50 split, you’re probably doing well. It’s when you’re at 90/10 that you’re in trouble. So generally, my feeling is that we listen, we try and incorporate what they have to say — and we’re writing as fans ourselves, so it would be foolish of us not to do that.”

"The fans have kept Star Trek alive for over 50 years. Their voice has actually been the most pervasive of all, and I think it truly belongs to them. That’s not just lip service. We really do pay attention to what they say and we end up either tacking in certain directions based on that input. But I think hearing [criticism] is part of the conversation. If you’re a fan, there’s always going to be debate about Star Trek. I think generally Star Trek fans are a really good bunch."

Not everyone involved in the new Star Trek shows feel the same way. Wilson Cruz, who plays Dr. Hugh Culber on Star Trek: Discovery, vowed not to post more production updates after accusing fans on Twitter for taking what he’s said out of context:

Generally speaking, I think the producers have the right idea: of course you want to listen to fans, although at the same time you don’t want to completely abandon your vision if you’re committed to it. And I think most fans really do just love the things they love and want them to be good. And if actors or directors or whoever talk about those things in a public forum, they’re going to join in the conversation.

As long as it remains a conversation and not an attack, it’s all good. The technology that makes this back and forth possible isn’t going anywhere, so it’s incumbent on folks on both sides of the talk to use it responsibly. The lines of communication are open.

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h/t Space.com