“The Boys” is a superhero show that loves to poke fun and roast superhero tropes. However, over the past couple of seasons, particularly the most recent Season 3, the show has also turned its satirical eye to the current political climate, including highlighting white supremacy, fascism, police brutality, and the MeToo movement. But sadly, not all the people who watch the show are able to reckon with the fact that their political beliefs don’t necessarily align with “The Boys.” This leads to people completely missing the point, and in some cases, such as with star Erin Moriarty, disregarding the content of the series to harass people.
In a recent social media post, Erin Moriarty, who stars as Annie (Starlight), in “The Boys” shared another post by someone pointing out how horrible it is that the actress is the target of toxic fans who regularly throw misogynistic insults her way. These horrible insults and harassment fly in the face of the show, which has consistently satirized misogyny and hateful fandom. This season, “The Boys” took aim at toxic males who aim to discredit and silence women.
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As you might expect, Moriarty shared that post defending her character by also including some personal experiences, which show just how badly she has been treated by a certain segment of the online fandom.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Moriarty wrote:
I do feel silenced. I do feel dehumanized. I do feel paralyzed. I’ve put blood, sweat, and tears into this role (over & over & over again), I’ve grown UP in this character’s shoes (*emphasis on grown up – we change & evolve mentally AND physically). So with that I say: a) thank you to @butcherscanary b) this does break my heart – I’ve opened up a vein for this role and this kind of trolling is exactly what this role (Annie) would speak out against and c) everyone’s going through their own battle(s); let’s not add to that. I will never intentionally (and ESPECIALLY) publicly add to yours. This has only strengthened my empathy muscle and to anyone who comes at me: I see you, I I don’t hate you, I only empathize and forgive.
This type of disregard for the content of the series also extends to people who tried to defend the villain, Homelander. Though he is the Superman analog on the show, Homelander is consistently shown to be a murderer who hates humanity and wishes to rule them. He has assaulted females and abused many others. But yet, there are still parts of “The Boys” fandom who tried to defend his actions, even as the show explicitly states how horrible he is and how people who look up to him are racist assholes.
Alas, the Internet is going to Internet. And social media is still a super toxic space for many people. It’s just unfortunate that someone like Moriarty, who is doing an excellent job in her role in a series that aims to tackle these horrible societal problems, is still the target of hate.