I hate stan culture. It is the very definition of the phrase 'too much'. Whatever it is can do no wrong and they will attack you if you disagree. Whatever they stand for is the best in the field, and they will not hear any further argument about the merit of their work or the work of others. If you piss them off, it can be vicious.
I think Star Wars fans are the epitome of stan culture.
Where to begin? Bullied Daisy Ridley and Kelly Marie Tran off of social media. Someone edits the women characters out of all of the movies, and it's not to prove a point about the dearth of female characters in them, or the improvement in terms of sheer numbers in the newest trilogy. They won't let go of their hate for The Last Jedi for "ruining" Star Wars, even though a) it's been two years, move on, b) it examined and critiqued the Star Wars mythos effectively, c) the throne room battle with Rey and Kylo Ren, and d) was one the best Star Wars movies ever, so deal with it. (Also, Rian Johnson is an excellent filmmaker, and everyone should see Knives Out.)
By bringing up this extreme example of stans, healthy criticism of art, especially art you love, is going by the way side. I love reading film, music, and television criticism. It helps me understand the art better, discover elements that I missed, and it helps me get a fuller picture. It can either strengthen my case for why I like it, no matter if the review is positive or negative, or make me change my mind about it and enlighten me. So I think these 'stans' should really invest their time in reading multiple critics and perhaps writing out their own review and join the discourse properly, and not just harass people for not agreeing with them.
Remember, if you disagree with the reviewer, don't attack them. You can agree to disagree on a few things in life.
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