One of the consistent criticisms I’ve received about this video is that “not just white men” are the perpetrators of this behavior. And of course, harassment can come from anywhere; any gender, any race, any orientation. However, the United States Sentencing Commission reports that 92.1% of sexual abuse offenders are men, and of that, 51.6% are white. In addition, white men (like me) form the bedrock of the English-speaking Godzilla fandom, and white men, inarguably, have the majority of social clout that allows them to behave this way and get away with it. If someone is behaving poorly, regardless of their identity, it needs to be addressed. But that doesn’t change the systemic problems that we’re facing down every day. If you’ve been assaulted or harassed, I’m deeply sorry that happened to you, and I hope you’re getting the help you need to move forward.
I want to toss my 2 cents as a 50 year old that has seen a few things in my time. I remember a few years back listening to Morgan Freeman on the topic of race. He said "Don't refer me as a black man and I won't refer you as a white man and just call me by my name". He also said we should all quit talking about it. I understand his point. Could that be possible? Godzilla is like my free time. I don't want race or politics involved in my personal entertainment. When I'm speaking with others on the MV it's supposed to be fun and not decisive. (Nobody can help what they look like however they can understand the opportunities they may have been blessed with over others regarding lifestyle. I think kindness is always the key). Regarding Godzilla it's something thats supposed to unite all of us from many generations of fans. The only toxic stuff that I witness is actually quite dumb to say the least. I've noticed instead of calling it down the middle we see quite a few argue against the only other mainstream icon in this entire genre. I'm talking about the toxic attitude towards King Kong and that characters large fanbase. I always thought everyone would love both but that is far from accurate. I can't believe the name calling over movie characters among fans. I understand it. I grew up on Freddy vs Jason or Sega vs Nintendo and now PS vs Xbox and so on. Let me share this..... I had someone tell me the impact that Godzilla had on their life and having an equal like Kong in popularity and strength takes everything away from him. At first I'm thinking "WTF" but I did my best to help him understand that it was a gerneration thing at this was a school ground debate with friends for fun and try to understand that we have lots of Goji fans like my father who never saw Goji avenge the "62" classic. My point again is everything is approach. He went deep into Godzilla and being the KOTM can't or shouldn't be challenged. I just wanted to understand and stood my ground due to my history and experience with Godzilla. He didn't want to buy in but was very respectful in the end. It started a little toxic at first. I've been labeled a Kong fan because I stick up for what I always thought. I did my best to say both should always be synonymous with each other like Magic vs Bird. We parted very respectfully. There has been many times that I couldn't find common ground. Instead of name calling we have a choice to end, not read, or move on with a conversation. I appreciate this video for AWARENESS. Once things get out you usually see toxic people leave. FYI- Kindness and Respect to ALL!!!
@@mattfrank85 White men are 60% of men but only 51% of these types of predators. That actually means men of colour are disproportionately more likely relative to their total population, so you should be more suspicious of them and stop spreading hate against White men
(this is a comment I also posted on another channel addressing this issue) It's a combination of the nature of fandom in general and the appalling toxicity of the internet. Sci-fi fandom is overwhelmingly male, and fans are people who continue to use their imaginations throughout their lives, instead of clamping them off in adulthood, as we are pressured to do. We can do that because we still have a part of us that remains childlike. That is, as we know, positive and negative, because, while giving us an energizing sense of wonder, it can also cause us to be immature. The hate posts and threats are a disappointing evolution of childhood name-calling and playground bullying in a time in our culture when spreading nastiness without consequences is practically effortless, and younger and younger people are able to access the fandom. The innate immaturity that allows us to enjoy fantastic films and other media leaves many of us socially underdeveloped and less able to relate to 'normal' people. This includes our conceptions of sex and sexuality. You're dealing with a predominantly-male population whose sexual access is often limited by their differences in nature from the majority of the population, so you're going to find a lot of individuals who don't know how to act appropriately. All this put together is a recipe for toxicity and disregard for social norms. I am NOT excusing any of this deplorable, even illegal behavior. I have pondered on this phenomenon since I first experienced fandom up close over 30 years ago, and thus far, these are the conclusions that I have arrived at.
I wish I could say "I'm surprised that people like this exist in our fandom" , but the truth of the matter is that a "fandom" is not some isolated community but a microcosm of society as a whole, just with a shared interest in a specific franchise. We as a community should absolutely be pushing aggressors and evil people like this OUT but it's all for naught if we don't push back on these types OUTSIDE of our fandom. Don't just speak up on transphobia, racism, sexism, and other aggressions in the Godzilla fandom, speak out about it IN GENERAL! None of that has any place in any fandom, and ESPECIALLY in our society as a large. Thanks for speaking up on this, Matt. I applaud your continued support for marginalized groups and communities and I hope this message gets to those that need to hear it the most.
So you support mass murdering Mao's concept of cancel culture. I'm far right, but don't want to push left wing or centrist people out of the fandom. I don't believe in trans, but one of my best friends is trans and I use the pronouns she wants, despite her being male for the 12 years I've known her. I can put politics aside for Godzilla to be something we can all share regardless of what conclusions we have drawn about the world. Antagonism towards people for those identities isn't excusable, but a person's logic based conclusions shouldn't be grounds to exclude them. A lot of autistic people like Godzilla, and autism predispose people to be old fashioned & traditional
Speaking nothing but facts here, we as a fandom have the power to be so much better than this and it's truly unfortunate that these things are happening within the fandom.
Thank you for posting this, Matt. Even as an older woman, yes - I’ve experienced the sexism in the fandom. Not to the extent of others, but it just sucks.
Heisei vs monsterverse fanboy war is one of the dumbest things I’ve seen in this community it’s so hilarious how these people rip each other apart over fictional nuclear lizards
fucking fr, idfk how these 30 second over low quality capcut “wis edits” are counting as information, not to mention but on discord they are worse considering they send gore, suicide and even CP (if you know what the 2 letters stand for then you know)
I am so happy that this issue is being called out. While I myself haven't witnessed much of this in person, seeing other people's stories does hurt. Nobody, regardless of fandom, deserves to be treated or harassed like that no matter the context, and those that harass or mistreat others ABSOLUTELY deserve to be called out.
Thank you so much for drawing awareness to this, Matt! I appreciate and celebrate the safe space you have created in our community. I added your video to our ongoing playlist to keep this conversation going!
Thank you for sharing this, Matt. I hope Alyssa will get better and wishing the best for her and any other fans who are suffering from this disgusting comments/messages. I do hope the fandom will improve and be better to ensure that the Godzilla fandom will be a safe and friendly environment. And not just for the Godzilla fandoms, but as well with other fandoms as well.
Thank you for this video. Hoping that others don’t make it difficult for other people and instead make the community better as it needs to be. Excited to see you at G-Fest!
its sad to hear that this is going on, everyone should feel welcomed and not worry about being harassed or judged and just enjoy being a Godzilla fan. you also took the words about the star wars fandom right out of my mouth its sad to see two of my favorite fandoms have similar issues. i plan on returning to g fest next year i havent gone since 2018 (my favorite year out of the three times in a row ive gone.) i always have a blast.
Ugh, I hate that a small, awful minority is always the loudest when it comes to these things. I don't understand why it's so hard for people to get along and not be an ass.
Be a stand-up man and speak up, defend victims, tell people doing unacceptable things that the Godzilla community and gfest don't want or accept that behavior period. It's often swept under the rug, not reported or ignored, and that's a problem. Can't fix it if you don't be grownups and deal with it head-on.
i wish more people would have come to me during g-fest when i ran the artist alley . i would have dealt with them then and there . of the 2 occasions that someone did say something it was after g-fest . the problem people were both banned from artist alley and staff was informed . neither returned .
Exactly proud to see you post about this important topic. Having someone who not only is a major player in the fandom but who has actually officially worked with Toho is extremely valuable. Thank you Matt.
When it comes to this kind of conversation, everyone always says "Oh that's just how fandoms are, let it go!" or "You're overreacting" or the hundreds of other disgusting drivel people say to ignore the matter at hand. People would rather be silent and complacent all for the sake of something like comfortability instead of doing the right thing and speaking up. Indeed that's how fandoms are, but do they have to be that way? No. No, they do not. We can and *should* choose to be better and speak up when shitty people do shitty things. Also, wanted to quickly thank you for speaking up on this Matt! Not many people with your platform would and its awesome to see you using it to spread awareness
I always knew Matt Frank was my favorite Godzilla artist. Also, yeah, as someone who’s mainly in the powerscaling side of the community, there is a lot of homophobia and misogny about. This june was hell just being a Godzilla Fan who’s bisexual, constant bigotry being needlessly brought into conversations, it’s stupid.
Thank you for having the courage to speak out bro! I have always tried to be a good role model whenever I'm at Gfest, the behavior of people when I'm not looking really disgusts me. I've seen enough flame wars, vitrolic puke and other despicable conduct from the trolls to make me wanna skreeonk as loud as Godzilla. Every place where I have a social media presence, I strive to make it a safe haven for people from whatever community they come from. This is especially the case for Godzilla fans too.
Jeff Bridges from King Kong '76 here makes yet more valid points and says what needs to be said. I remember first hearing about her issues with creepers when she was like 16 and I've been keeping myself distant from the fan community since. I just simply can't be around those clowns and even when I stepped in to call one of them out, I wasn't taken seriously and was pretty much encouraged to stay the hell away from everything.
I’m very glad that this issue is finally being brought to light when people would rather turn a blind eye. I’ve gotten my fair share of harassment from angry commenters when I post Kaiju Pride art or anything even suggesting things LGBTQ, particularly from Instagram. I haven’t had it as bad as some, but it’s indicative of a larger issue that bigotry has just been allowed to run rampant in this fandom without any rallying attempts to squash it out. I shouldn’t have to deal with people telling me that my art is an abomination, and no one should have to deal with any of the other far worse bullshit getting thrown at them. Especially the sexual harassment. We as a community must do better if we hope to make it a welcoming environment. Thank you and everyone else for the videos.
Youre so goddamn real for this, man. I wish Alyssa the best. She deserved better than what some folk had treated her. Had many a good conversation with her in the past.
When it comes to the way some fans treat kaiju, these problems with sexism come through. The instant sexualisation of Shimo when her sex was revealed is a shocking example of this.
That’s not a fandom, that’s a-holes who make fandoms look bad. I’m proud to be part of the true Godzilla fandom who welcomes all. Alyssa should BE welcomed no matter what. Any fan is welcomed. As long as you care about this character or the legacy he left behind. If you don’t care at all for Godzilla or Kong or Gamera and are only trying to spread some hateful little agenda like that one a-hole tried to do with Minus One (I refuse to say his name but it starts with Dr.) You are not welcomed. I wish Alyssa well and hope everything will be ok.
Thank you for your perspective! Remember though, to people on the receiving end of harassment, it IS the fandom. The fandom is responsible for allowing these sorts of things to happen and as a community it's our responsibility to make their behavior not welcome.
@@Hotdogzilla ok, now tell the crowd about your not so fine moments. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. And even if what you said is true, it's not relevant to the issues that are being addressed.
I stopped going to G-Fest for a number of different reasons, mainly things that were said on Twitter during the beginning of the pandemic. I've seen and heard a number of problematic things at G-Fest that I've never seen at other conventions. I'm thankful for people like you that welcome everyone. I too do my best to be like that. I've been told by a handful of people that they wished I'd go to G-Fest, mainly because I, and the rest of The Kaiju Brotherhood, accepted them and made them feel welcomed when others didn't. I've been going to Japan and having a great time with that and Godzilla Fest but I do miss seeing my friends at G-Fest, just not the negativity that some people bring, and maybe I'm what to some individuals too but I am just trying to protect my peace by not associating with those individuals.
thank you for making a video about this as well and being more awareness to this kind of thing within the fandom. glad that you stand in solidarity with us women within the fandom and that you agree this kind of shitty behavior from certain members of the community is not acceptable.
I can't believe people are like this. Godzilla is something that is supposed to bring people together to enjoy kaiju not to make parts of the fandom feel uncomfortable and put them off from enjoying our favorite atomic reptile. like bro just be normal.
Unfortunately they won't change cuz their mindset is already implanted that way in general which leads your head to burst and frustating at the same time. Top reason I left the community fandom.
11:00 I’ve experienced a lot of the just overall “really gross and weird part,” like the people who almost fetishize Mothra as their only female perspective in their life and then start treating women in the fandom super weird, it’s so bad. I’m glad a lot of this shit is being brought to attention because by god there are some terrible people in this fandom.
I’m happy more of these videos are being made. This stuff needs to be stopped. The huge amount of homophobia and transphobia and racism and stuff i can’t say cuz of youtube guidelines is horrible. It’s worrying too.
Absolutely disgusting this sort of thing happened. I think the tragic fact certain people get this kind of treatment disproportionately. If someone like me, a straight white guy from a largely western nation, doesn't typically experience this kind of harassment, exclusivity, and judgements; they might not believe someone who did. Or they might not think it is as bad as it was made out to me. Or, God forbid, they deliberately ignored their cries. I used to be a hands-off person, but experience and listening is the best teacher. I make a point to not be a bystander when horrid shit happens; and the only way the majority can help those harmed by the minority is to shape up, listen up, and act up. To ignore a problem is to be an enabler. I have been sexually harassed. And *I* cannot imagine the experience of women who have. Or of those who are victims of bigotry of any form. But I can listen to those victimized or afflicted. The number of supposed false accusations in any medium will be *drastically* outnumbered by genuine cases. So if you see something happening, or have good word and proof something is happening; do *not* be a bystander.
I’m glad somebody like you has brought it up. You make some of my favorite pieces of Goji media ever and to hear you actually stand up for the people in this group who are suffering is so cool.
I hate hearing about the toxic bad and worse sides of this fandom. One of the worst traits or people in this fandom is (in my opinion), are the ones who are overpossessive about the toys, bias and entitled fans, and the obnoxious trolls who like to start a mess over nothing. As a fan of this franchise since I was young, I hate hearing crap about this and I deal with it almost monthly and my several Godzilla/Kaiju FB groups. Thank you for your love support of our vulnerable community friends, and being an awesome person big fan of your work keep being awesome!!
These kinds of behaviors towards our fellow G-fans will not be tolerated. This is not what the Godzilla fandom is about nor should ever be about. Every g-fan, regardless of age, gender, color, sexuality, etc. should be treated with respect and kindness. Im so sorry for the g-fans who are forced to go through this needless ordeal and I hope for the best for all of them. My prayers are with them. Im looking forward to this year's G-Fest and looking forward to meeting some of you and looking forward to make new friends and have fun celebrating the 70th anniversary of Godzilla. Thank you and much love and care to you all.
As far as I'm concerned, anyone who uses their fandom as a pathway to harass, demean, or otherwise attack others for any reason deserves to be named and shamed by the upstanding members of their fandom. I'm a straight mostly-white dude, so I've been fortunate enough to avoid the overwhelming majority of this disgusting behavior, but I've seen so much terrible behavior in almost every community I've been in and it gets exhaustion just being on the sidelines, trying to stick up for what's right when I see these bad elements. I can't imagine how hard it is to bear the brunt of it.
Needless to say, as much as this is rightfully about the victims and not Frank here themselves, my already great respect for Matt Frank has increased even more with this. If you need a good example of someone being a good ally to help those who get targeted folks, this is what that looks like.
Another problem is that children are a majority of Godzilla fans and the whole point of a fandom is to connect with people who have a similar interest which is something a lot of children want to do. And these disgusting people in the community are going to leave a terrible impact on them. And not just them but every other person in the community. I hope someday this community will become safer because that’s what any fandom should be. Everyone should be welcomed and respected because a fandom isn’t just a certain group of people but rather a slice of people from different cultures, backgrounds, and more differences that should be respected. Thank you for sharing this to a wider audience as this problem has been growing for a while.
I’m speaking as a lesbian woman who also has an odd relationship with gender (in short, an LGBT+ mess of sorts): These sorts of issues are so much more prevalent than most realized, as stated here. As for myself, regarding my identity, I’ve been patronized for displaying interest (as in “woahHhh, a woman liking a masculine thing!?!?!”), I’ve had men many years my senior try to reach out to me, I’ve had men try to pursue online relationships of sorts with me (as if this isn’t creepy enough) despite me visibly noting that I’m a lesbian, and I’ve been harassed for any pride artwork I’ve done. It sucks for me to deal with, for sure, but that’s only because I had the misfortune of dealing with issues such as this, as well as worse (such as grooming), in a similar-ish fandom whenever I was younger. I recognize a lot of people didn’t deal with that in some of their most formative years, and I’m beyond glad to hear that; however, I know it, very understandably, tends to affect them more than it would someone like me… For any woman or minority who’s dealt with these sorts of issues, I’m so sorry to hear that, and you’re valid in any discomfort and pain you may feel. If you are one of the individuals I’m addressing with this, and if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m open; my username is the same on both Instagram and Twitter. I’m wishing all of you out there the very best, and please stay safe.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and I’m so sorry you’ve been treated poorly, and thank you for offering to be part of the solution ❤️ you’re a unique voice in the fandom and deserve better
The good thing about me is that I don’t follow much of the Godzilla fandom since I’m a member of a lot fandoms and communities but I don’t do a lot of interactions. I wanted to go to Godzilla-Fest this year but unfortunately I’m going on a cross country road trip with brother that weekend. So hopefully next year
Admittedly, I'm not a "die hard" Godzilla fan, but I've slowly been sliding my way into the Gojira-verse (as I say). Although I live under a mountain (at this point like I miss everything), I do find this informative. I'm not pushed away, but glad for a heads up or warning for potentially odd behavior. Good on you sticking up for those who may not have the voice to say something. Props for you, props for you 🫡 Also, is that destroyer in the back?
While I cannot speak on the rampant sexism (and to a lesser extent the pedophilia, since I've only seen a few instances) in the fandom, the amount of homophobia and transphobia that I have seen on Godzilla communities during my tenure is genuinely mind-boggling. It is present in at LEAST 60% of godzilla fans, likely much more. The same goes with general egotism and self-aggrandizing superiority, which is likely the main reason that Alyssa and those like her are told those kinds of comments, since these people will believe they can get away with ANYTHING, and they often will due to attracting cults of personality. None of these things should be accepted, from individuals whose content we "like" or not. We are better than that, end of story. Anyways, good video!
I agree, am thinking about leaving the online fandom. I will be a fan of this franchise and still will watch the RUclipsrs I like. I am a smaller Godzilla youtuber and each time I speak out against anything horrible I see there is always a select few people that will fight me to the death over how I am wrong and the fandom is actually fine. A lot of this exploded with the release of gxk and the toho purists vs Mv purists “war”. Nowadays no one here can have an opinion or they will be attacked by people.
Matt, you’re absolutely right. We’ve “internet known” each other since the early 2000s, and we’ve always treated others as we want to be treated. If anyone has any questions or problems, they can come find ME! 😊
Matt, thank you so much for bringing this issue to the limelight. Behaviors like this have no place in the Godzilla community and they won’t be tolerated. Anyone and everyone in this fandom should be respected no matter who they are. No matter who you are, where you come from, What your opinion on XYZ is or whatever, Godzilla is awesome and he’s something that can bring people together. To anyone reading this who has been treated like dirt by others in this space: Don’t listen to them and keep going strong
On that, I agree with you. The Fandoms are pointless. It’s all about them talking about how some characters solo some multiverses, always keep complaining about things for no reason. Good thing I'm not part of the fandom stuff. I rather be a non member of fandoms. Also, Names Robzilla. Fan of Godzillas. I REALLY love your artworks about Godzilla, and my favorite Godzilla comic Godzilla: Rulers of Earth! Keep up the good work, sir! 👍
I agree, the godzilla fandom has been getting extremely toxic, they’ve been attacking shippers, fan art creators, basically everyone who is so-called “cringe” “not a real fan” and other shit, though there is a good side of the fandom, so this response is both right and wrong.
I love Godzilla and love to share Godzilla with everyone! When a fandom starts to become toxic, that is a negative reflection of us all. We need to do better and welcome everyone, without that Godzilla as a franchise will never grow.
Stuff like this is sickening. I wish people remember the bad old days of the late 80s and early 90s. When we were all alone and Toho more often than not would tend to be exceptionally ruthless.
@@joshuastrittmatter4188 basically old websites that covered godzilla back in the early 2000s, even earlier than the works of GodzillaSamurai (matt frank), GodzillaGuy92, Monster Island Buddies and the like.
Oh......hell.......YES!!!!!! God bless you, young man for speaking up. I have been a major Godzilla fan since around the early 80s probably, but an even more hardcore fan of Doctor Who since the 70s. Do you have ANY idea how the bigots have come out from under their rocks over the most recent DW series? As a an indian (Aniyunwiya/Cherokee) man, I cannot tolerate a bully or a bigot. It does my heart so much good to see someone (especially a white man) speak up bravely, as you have, for marginalized people. May Unetlanuhi bless you abundantly!
I agree with most of the points in this video I’ve been a Godzilla fan since 2003 when I was 3 years old and return of Godzilla popped up on my TV and I was instantly hooked and it does sadden me greatly with how the fandom has become I have encountered the most toxicity from the new fans joining the fandom not the old nearly as much but the main thing I have to disagree with in this video is only pointing out straight white men I’ve dealt with people of all sexes and races making horrible remarks and more don’t narrow the target to a small section yes there are toxic straight white men but they’re just a small percentage of the bigger issue which can be anyone I’m making this comment cause this could force good straight white men to feel uncomfortable or alienated cause they are the only people being seen as bad
The male element of this fandom also makes up the core bedrock of it, and statistically a lot of this type of harassment comes from men, particularly of the straight and white variety. So it's also the responsibility of the non-terrible men in the fandom to make sure that their fellow men know that this behavior is unacceptable.
I’m sorry we disappointed you Matt. And I apologize to Ishirō Honda that a franchise he made to unite the world and show human unity, is now such a toxic and harmful place.
It's so upsetting that we have to have 3 videos about this. The Godzilla fandom has been consistently growing and though it's far smaller than some of the bigger fandoms out there like Star Wars, DC/Marvel etc. The community is small enough to be able to oust misogyny, racism and trans/homophobia and I hope we keep it that way. We should NOT be needing to have discussions about having to protect minorities in our community from a small but loud subgroup of people behaving like man-babies because a woman, POC or LGBQT is part of the fandom. Thanks for providing a safe space to the fandom Matt.
The King has spoken. I was not aware of the issues regarding the two women channels you mentioned until this, so thank you for bringing them to light for me. Nobody should ever feel unwelcome in their favorite franchise fandom the way those women do now. It is a baffling and appalling thought that a fellow Godzilla fan can be so rude and nasty *to a fellow Godzilla fan* just because they are a woman/ LGBT+/ POC etc. It isn't right, and it is up other bystanders to help stand against that kind of horrid behavior. Also, this video is how I find out Matt is somewhere on the queer spectrum, and I think that is neat because I am as well :) 2 days late but happy Pride ❤️🏳️🌈
Advice I have for everyone is whenever you're feeling angry, upset, scared, etc, and need someone to talk to but no one there is trying to imagine someone you admire is in the room with you and imagine yourself talking to them. For me I imagine myself talking to Ahsoka from Clone Wars. She is my childhood hero, and imagining what she would say and do to help me with problems helps me learn to calm myself down and to think critically about my situations. May Jesus Protect you and #ISupportWomen’sRights. And remember, you are never alone.
I haven’t interacted with the general Godzilla fandom in like 15 years. Sad to see that it’s somehow gotten worse since then. People used to pick on you if you were only just kinda autistic.
Speaking as a straight white dude, it breaks my heart to see this behavior in our fandom. Like you said, this is the internet and this behavior has existed from the beginning but I never wanted to see it in our community. This behavior, harassing others for ANY reason, is just unacceptable. I grew up being the only person I knew who liked Godzilla, so I just can't comprehend why anyone would harass a fellow fan for any reason. I agree, we should all step up and watch for this kind of behavior. If we see it, call it out and help to put a stop to it. No one should have to go through any sort of harassment or stalking. No one should feel uncomfortable while sharing their love for Godzilla.
This is just a shame. I guess I'm kind of blind to this because I don't do social media (don't even have a smart phone) except watching YT videos (and even then I only skim the comments if at all). I just thought Alyssa was a on a long break after moving from Japan. Sorry to hear otherwise. I know I have friends at GFest who have very different politics and views than mine and I still enjoy catching up with them.
As someone who isn’t too involved with the fanbase yet is a big fan of Godzilla nonetheless, I’m so glad they spoke up. People like me and many other Godzilla fans would have no idea unless someone speaks up. This fandom is for everyone and I know those disgusting people don’t represent us. It was awhile ago but my older cousin once went to a anime cosplay convention, she was underage and as you can imagine some older guys were being creepy to her. Thankfully she had someone notice this and got her out of that situation. I hope if anyone who reads this that are going to Gfest (or any gathering in fact), if you see anyone who even seems like they are in an uncomfortable situation, please BE that person that helps them out. You don’t need to be too subtle about it if you aren’t that social you can just go up to them and be like “hey, are you doing alright?” Or if you’re with friends you could just tell them “Hey guys, that person over there doesn’t seem like they’re doing too well, let’s go help them out.”
How shameful. Bad behavior deserves to be called out. I saw those videos and I feel bad for the young woman who experienced that. I'll be my part. Take care, brother.
From what I have see, they're not fans or just regular enjoyers of Godzilla, they are outsideers that want to join just to cause chaos and change people to think like them. Just like Warhammer, MtG, D&D, Star Wars, Star Trek and many more have fackers hiding and waiting to ruin fun for everyone because "Why should you have fun" mentally is usually what is going in their head, they want attention that that's all they want. Since -1 came out in December of last year I can definitely say they're a lot of faker's trying to hate others for not liking one version of Goji, when in reality we really don't care he's a character or better yet an Actor. He fills a roll that is need for the movie he's in. By that knowledge these "fans" will try to make garbage up to start a flame war and use it for attention and artificially make themselves known better in the wider public. It's all for attention and that's that. Sorry I can't explain why any better bug this is what i got from the chaos.
I posted trans pride art for my FanGojiverse a few days ago, and I was worried about some of the sucky people in the fandom finding it so I didn’t even tag it with the main Godzilla tag. I shouldn’t have to do that.
Although I am not exactly an active member of the Godzilla fandom, nor am I the kind of person these assholes in the community tend to target, I can't help but deeply sympathize with the victims of the incessant hate that's brought on by those racist, sexist and transphobic jerks. I have been a fan of the Godzilla franchise for as long as I can remember, though I have never been to any G Fests or participated in any fandom activities so I don't really know what that makes me. What I do know is that I wish there is something that I could do in order to alleviate the pain that those assholes have caused, but right now all I can do is hope that Alyssa and the others are doing as well as they can, despite what they went through. I hope I am making sense and I also hope that I am not part of the problem that has been plaguing not only the Godzilla fandom, but practically every fandom that I have come across.
The fandom is just as toxic as Power Rangers, and most of them haven't watched the Original Japanese material. They didn't even admit that PR was made on the cheap, and it won't be claimed as "famous".
It feels like in more recent years, the toxic side of the Godzilla fandom has grown louder and more promoinent. Either its because I notice more of it as I grow older, or it's because some members have started to show a more harmful mindset. If you're the type of person to harrase or be a jerk to anyone for no reason, then I don't consider you part of this community, nor should you be allowed to be part of it. Godzilla has been a important part of peoples' lives since childhood, and we shouldn't allow spiteful and vile people like that ruin what should be a source of comfort to us. If anyone has to deal with that, I'll do my best to support them through it, despite my social anxiety and stuff.
One of the consistent criticisms I’ve received about this video is that “not just white men” are the perpetrators of this behavior. And of course, harassment can come from anywhere; any gender, any race, any orientation.
However, the United States Sentencing Commission reports that 92.1% of sexual abuse offenders are men, and of that, 51.6% are white.
In addition, white men (like me) form the bedrock of the English-speaking Godzilla fandom, and white men, inarguably, have the majority of social clout that allows them to behave this way and get away with it.
If someone is behaving poorly, regardless of their identity, it needs to be addressed. But that doesn’t change the systemic problems that we’re facing down every day.
If you’ve been assaulted or harassed, I’m deeply sorry that happened to you, and I hope you’re getting the help you need to move forward.
Fax
for worse, Traumatized
Hello Matt, I'm the kid who got their program signed and told you about my channel, I'm glad I met you at G-fest
I want to toss my 2 cents as a 50 year old that has seen a few things in my time. I remember a few years back listening to Morgan Freeman on the topic of race. He said "Don't refer me as a black man and I won't refer you as a white man and just call me by my name". He also said we should all quit talking about it. I understand his point. Could that be possible? Godzilla is like my free time. I don't want race or politics involved in my personal entertainment. When I'm speaking with others on the MV it's supposed to be fun and not decisive.
(Nobody can help what they look like however they can understand the opportunities they may have been blessed with over others regarding lifestyle. I think kindness is always the key).
Regarding Godzilla it's something thats supposed to unite all of us from many generations of fans. The only toxic stuff that I witness is actually quite dumb to say the least. I've noticed instead of calling it down the middle we see quite a few argue against the only other mainstream icon in this entire genre. I'm talking about the toxic attitude towards King Kong and that characters large fanbase. I always thought everyone would love both but that is far from accurate.
I can't believe the name calling over movie characters among fans. I understand it. I grew up on Freddy vs Jason or Sega vs Nintendo and now PS vs Xbox and so on. Let me share this.....
I had someone tell me the impact that Godzilla had on their life and having an equal like Kong in popularity and strength takes everything away from him. At first I'm thinking "WTF" but I did my best to help him understand that it was a gerneration thing at this was a school ground debate with friends for fun and try to understand that we have lots of Goji fans like my father who never saw Goji avenge the "62" classic. My point again is everything is approach. He went deep into Godzilla and being the KOTM can't or shouldn't be challenged. I just wanted to understand and stood my ground due to my history and experience with Godzilla. He didn't want to buy in but was very respectful in the end. It started a little toxic at first. I've been labeled a Kong fan because I stick up for what I always thought.
I did my best to say both should always be synonymous with each other like Magic vs Bird. We parted very respectfully.
There has been many times that I couldn't find common ground. Instead of name calling we have a choice to end, not read, or move on with a conversation. I appreciate this video for AWARENESS. Once things get out you usually see toxic people leave.
FYI- Kindness and Respect to ALL!!!
@@mattfrank85 White men are 60% of men but only 51% of these types of predators. That actually means men of colour are disproportionately more likely relative to their total population, so you should be more suspicious of them and stop spreading hate against White men
Well this was worse than I expected. I had assumed people were giving her crap about her recent GxK review. People can be absolutely horrible.
(this is a comment I also posted on another channel addressing this issue)
It's a combination of the nature of fandom in general and the appalling toxicity of the internet. Sci-fi fandom is overwhelmingly male, and fans are people who continue to use their imaginations throughout their lives, instead of clamping them off in adulthood, as we are pressured to do. We can do that because we still have a part of us that remains childlike. That is, as we know, positive and negative, because, while giving us an energizing sense of wonder, it can also cause us to be immature. The hate posts and threats are a disappointing evolution of childhood name-calling and playground bullying in a time in our culture when spreading nastiness without consequences is practically effortless, and younger and younger people are able to access the fandom.
The innate immaturity that allows us to enjoy fantastic films and other media leaves many of us socially underdeveloped and less able to relate to 'normal' people. This includes our conceptions of sex and sexuality. You're dealing with a predominantly-male population whose sexual access is often limited by their differences in nature from the majority of the population, so you're going to find a lot of individuals who don't know how to act appropriately.
All this put together is a recipe for toxicity and disregard for social norms. I am NOT excusing any of this deplorable, even illegal behavior. I have pondered on this phenomenon since I first experienced fandom up close over 30 years ago, and thus far, these are the conclusions that I have arrived at.
I wish I could say "I'm surprised that people like this exist in our fandom" , but the truth of the matter is that a "fandom" is not some isolated community but a microcosm of society as a whole, just with a shared interest in a specific franchise. We as a community should absolutely be pushing aggressors and evil people like this OUT but it's all for naught if we don't push back on these types OUTSIDE of our fandom. Don't just speak up on transphobia, racism, sexism, and other aggressions in the Godzilla fandom, speak out about it IN GENERAL! None of that has any place in any fandom, and ESPECIALLY in our society as a large. Thanks for speaking up on this, Matt. I applaud your continued support for marginalized groups and communities and I hope this message gets to those that need to hear it the most.
So you support mass murdering Mao's concept of cancel culture. I'm far right, but don't want to push left wing or centrist people out of the fandom. I don't believe in trans, but one of my best friends is trans and I use the pronouns she wants, despite her being male for the 12 years I've known her. I can put politics aside for Godzilla to be something we can all share regardless of what conclusions we have drawn about the world. Antagonism towards people for those identities isn't excusable, but a person's logic based conclusions shouldn't be grounds to exclude them. A lot of autistic people like Godzilla, and autism predispose people to be old fashioned & traditional
It sucks that Godzilla fandom is starting to become something that lots of other fandoms are like such as Star Wars,marvel ect
Speaking nothing but facts here, we as a fandom have the power to be so much better than this and it's truly unfortunate that these things are happening within the fandom.
Thank you for posting this, Matt. Even as an older woman, yes - I’ve experienced the sexism in the fandom. Not to the extent of others, but it just sucks.
Heisei vs monsterverse fanboy war is one of the dumbest things I’ve seen in this community it’s so hilarious how these people rip each other apart over fictional nuclear lizards
tbf people ripping each other apart over a fictional being isn't really a new concept to humanity
facts I was appalled when I made a stop motion around a controversy I didnt know existed. Man those people where rude.
fucking fr, idfk how these 30 second over low quality capcut “wis edits” are counting as information, not to mention but on discord they are worse considering they send gore, suicide and even CP (if you know what the 2 letters stand for then you know)
What do u expect from kids
@@JimSlim1 lol true
I am so happy that this issue is being called out. While I myself haven't witnessed much of this in person, seeing other people's stories does hurt. Nobody, regardless of fandom, deserves to be treated or harassed like that no matter the context, and those that harass or mistreat others ABSOLUTELY deserve to be called out.
Thank you so much for drawing awareness to this, Matt! I appreciate and celebrate the safe space you have created in our community. I added your video to our ongoing playlist to keep this conversation going!
Thank you for sharing this, Matt. I hope Alyssa will get better and wishing the best for her and any other fans who are suffering from this disgusting comments/messages. I do hope the fandom will improve and be better to ensure that the Godzilla fandom will be a safe and friendly environment. And not just for the Godzilla fandoms, but as well with other fandoms as well.
Thank you for this video. Hoping that others don’t make it difficult for other people and instead make the community better as it needs to be. Excited to see you at G-Fest!
its sad to hear that this is going on, everyone should feel welcomed and not worry about being harassed or judged and just enjoy being a Godzilla fan. you also took the words about the star wars fandom right out of my mouth its sad to see two of my favorite fandoms have similar issues. i plan on returning to g fest next year i havent gone since 2018 (my favorite year out of the three times in a row ive gone.) i always have a blast.
Ugh, I hate that a small, awful minority is always the loudest when it comes to these things. I don't understand why it's so hard for people to get along and not be an ass.
You answered your own question.
Says the guy who answered his own dumb question
Be a stand-up man and speak up, defend victims, tell people doing unacceptable things that the Godzilla community and gfest don't want or accept that behavior period. It's often swept under the rug, not reported or ignored, and that's a problem. Can't fix it if you don't be grownups and deal with it head-on.
i wish more people would have come to me during g-fest when i ran the artist alley . i would have dealt with them then and there . of the 2 occasions that someone did say something it was after g-fest . the problem people were both banned from artist alley and staff was informed . neither returned .
Exactly proud to see you post about this important topic. Having someone who not only is a major player in the fandom but who has actually officially worked with Toho is extremely valuable. Thank you Matt.
When it comes to this kind of conversation, everyone always says "Oh that's just how fandoms are, let it go!" or "You're overreacting" or the hundreds of other disgusting drivel people say to ignore the matter at hand. People would rather be silent and complacent all for the sake of something like comfortability instead of doing the right thing and speaking up. Indeed that's how fandoms are, but do they have to be that way? No. No, they do not. We can and *should* choose to be better and speak up when shitty people do shitty things.
Also, wanted to quickly thank you for speaking up on this Matt! Not many people with your platform would and its awesome to see you using it to spread awareness
Matt Frank swinging in with some unfiltered FACTS.
I always knew Matt Frank was my favorite Godzilla artist.
Also, yeah, as someone who’s mainly in the powerscaling side of the community, there is a lot of homophobia and misogny about. This june was hell just being a Godzilla Fan who’s bisexual, constant bigotry being needlessly brought into conversations, it’s stupid.
Thank you for having the courage to speak out bro! I have always tried to be a good role model whenever I'm at Gfest, the behavior of people when I'm not looking really disgusts me. I've seen enough flame wars, vitrolic puke and other despicable conduct from the trolls to make me wanna skreeonk as loud as Godzilla. Every place where I have a social media presence, I strive to make it a safe haven for people from whatever community they come from. This is especially the case for Godzilla fans too.
sadly it isn't the fandom, but the internet. scumbags like this flood the internet.
The GOAT is speaking‼‼Silence🔥🗣❌
Jeff Bridges from King Kong '76 here makes yet more valid points and says what needs to be said. I remember first hearing about her issues with creepers when she was like 16 and I've been keeping myself distant from the fan community since. I just simply can't be around those clowns and even when I stepped in to call one of them out, I wasn't taken seriously and was pretty much encouraged to stay the hell away from everything.
Jeff Bridges 😂
I’m very glad that this issue is finally being brought to light when people would rather turn a blind eye. I’ve gotten my fair share of harassment from angry commenters when I post Kaiju Pride art or anything even suggesting things LGBTQ, particularly from Instagram. I haven’t had it as bad as some, but it’s indicative of a larger issue that bigotry has just been allowed to run rampant in this fandom without any rallying attempts to squash it out. I shouldn’t have to deal with people telling me that my art is an abomination, and no one should have to deal with any of the other far worse bullshit getting thrown at them. Especially the sexual harassment. We as a community must do better if we hope to make it a welcoming environment. Thank you and everyone else for the videos.
Youre so goddamn real for this, man. I wish Alyssa the best. She deserved better than what some folk had treated her. Had many a good conversation with her in the past.
When it comes to the way some fans treat kaiju, these problems with sexism come through. The instant sexualisation of Shimo when her sex was revealed is a shocking example of this.
Fr or mothra and Godzilla in kotm even though their relationship in the movie is completely symbiotic and was never anything more in any other movie
Holy shit, I was not expecting a reaction video to that vid, let alone from one of the best damn artists in the community
Guys don’t be a Hedorah, be an Ultra.
That’s not a fandom, that’s a-holes who make fandoms look bad.
I’m proud to be part of the true Godzilla fandom who welcomes all. Alyssa should BE welcomed no matter what. Any fan is welcomed. As long as you care about this character or the legacy he left behind. If you don’t care at all for Godzilla or Kong or Gamera and are only trying to spread some hateful little agenda like that one a-hole tried to do with Minus One (I refuse to say his name but it starts with Dr.) You are not welcomed.
I wish Alyssa well and hope everything will be ok.
Thank you for your perspective! Remember though, to people on the receiving end of harassment, it IS the fandom. The fandom is responsible for allowing these sorts of things to happen and as a community it's our responsibility to make their behavior not welcome.
@@mattfrank85well said Matt
@@Hotdogzilla ok, now tell the crowd about your not so fine moments. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. And even if what you said is true, it's not relevant to the issues that are being addressed.
I hope that the Gfans that were affected by these terrible people are doing alright as they need all the love and support they can get.
She's one of my favorite godzilla youtubers. I'm sorry to hear she had to deal with this
It really does. I'm in my 30s and have grown up on G but until 2020 most people gave little care to it
I stopped going to G-Fest for a number of different reasons, mainly things that were said on Twitter during the beginning of the pandemic. I've seen and heard a number of problematic things at G-Fest that I've never seen at other conventions. I'm thankful for people like you that welcome everyone. I too do my best to be like that. I've been told by a handful of people that they wished I'd go to G-Fest, mainly because I, and the rest of The Kaiju Brotherhood, accepted them and made them feel welcomed when others didn't.
I've been going to Japan and having a great time with that and Godzilla Fest but I do miss seeing my friends at G-Fest, just not the negativity that some people bring, and maybe I'm what to some individuals too but I am just trying to protect my peace by not associating with those individuals.
thank you for making a video about this as well and being more awareness to this kind of thing within the fandom. glad that you stand in solidarity with us women within the fandom and that you agree this kind of shitty behavior from certain members of the community is not acceptable.
As someone who is somewhat part of this fandom. This is a major W
I can't believe people are like this. Godzilla is something that is supposed to bring people together to enjoy kaiju not to make parts of the fandom feel uncomfortable and put them off from enjoying our favorite atomic reptile. like bro just be normal.
Unfortunately they won't change cuz their mindset is already implanted that way in general which leads your head to burst and frustating at the same time. Top reason I left the community fandom.
11:00 I’ve experienced a lot of the just overall “really gross and weird part,” like the people who almost fetishize Mothra as their only female perspective in their life and then start treating women in the fandom super weird, it’s so bad.
I’m glad a lot of this shit is being brought to attention because by god there are some terrible people in this fandom.
Also the people that fantasize over Jia and make disgusting comments about her
@@uxebob OH THATS THE WORST OF IT
I haven’t seen much of it these days but during 2021 with GvK…holy lord I wanted to vomit commit
@@dinoxelsisn’t jia a minor? Wtf
@@olivermurcia7764 Yeah that’s why it’s bad 💀
@@dinoxels imma hope people don’t simp for me when imma be mothra for Halloween 😭
I’m happy more of these videos are being made. This stuff needs to be stopped. The huge amount of homophobia and transphobia and racism and stuff i can’t say cuz of youtube guidelines is horrible. It’s worrying too.
the RUclips guidelines part is so real 😭
There’s some BEYOND nasty shit I see these days
I love Godzilla but I hate the fandom
Absolutely disgusting this sort of thing happened. I think the tragic fact certain people get this kind of treatment disproportionately. If someone like me, a straight white guy from a largely western nation, doesn't typically experience this kind of harassment, exclusivity, and judgements; they might not believe someone who did. Or they might not think it is as bad as it was made out to me. Or, God forbid, they deliberately ignored their cries. I used to be a hands-off person, but experience and listening is the best teacher. I make a point to not be a bystander when horrid shit happens; and the only way the majority can help those harmed by the minority is to shape up, listen up, and act up. To ignore a problem is to be an enabler.
I have been sexually harassed. And *I* cannot imagine the experience of women who have. Or of those who are victims of bigotry of any form. But I can listen to those victimized or afflicted. The number of supposed false accusations in any medium will be *drastically* outnumbered by genuine cases. So if you see something happening, or have good word and proof something is happening; do *not* be a bystander.
I’m glad somebody like you has brought it up. You make some of my favorite pieces of Goji media ever and to hear you actually stand up for the people in this group who are suffering is so cool.
I hate hearing about the toxic bad and worse sides of this fandom. One of the worst traits or people in this fandom is (in my opinion), are the ones who are overpossessive about the toys, bias and entitled fans, and the obnoxious trolls who like to start a mess over nothing. As a fan of this franchise since I was young, I hate hearing crap about this and I deal with it almost monthly and my several Godzilla/Kaiju FB groups. Thank you for your love support of our vulnerable community friends, and being an awesome person big fan of your work keep being awesome!!
Fandoms in general have this issue. Terrible people who just happen to be Godzilla fans.
These kinds of behaviors towards our fellow G-fans will not be tolerated.
This is not what the Godzilla fandom is about nor should ever be about.
Every g-fan, regardless of age, gender, color, sexuality, etc. should be treated with respect and kindness.
Im so sorry for the g-fans who are forced to go through this needless ordeal and I hope for the best for all of them. My prayers are with them.
Im looking forward to this year's G-Fest and looking forward to meeting some of you and looking forward to make new friends and have fun celebrating the 70th anniversary of Godzilla.
Thank you and much love and care to you all.
As far as I'm concerned, anyone who uses their fandom as a pathway to harass, demean, or otherwise attack others for any reason deserves to be named and shamed by the upstanding members of their fandom. I'm a straight mostly-white dude, so I've been fortunate enough to avoid the overwhelming majority of this disgusting behavior, but I've seen so much terrible behavior in almost every community I've been in and it gets exhaustion just being on the sidelines, trying to stick up for what's right when I see these bad elements. I can't imagine how hard it is to bear the brunt of it.
oh hey i was literally looking at your art, good job bro!
Needless to say, as much as this is rightfully about the victims and not Frank here themselves, my already great respect for Matt Frank has increased even more with this. If you need a good example of someone being a good ally to help those who get targeted folks, this is what that looks like.
Couldn't have said it better Matt. You're the best.
Another problem is that children are a majority of Godzilla fans and the whole point of a fandom is to connect with people who have a similar interest which is something a lot of children want to do. And these disgusting people in the community are going to leave a terrible impact on them. And not just them but every other person in the community. I hope someday this community will become safer because that’s what any fandom should be. Everyone should be welcomed and respected because a fandom isn’t just a certain group of people but rather a slice of people from different cultures, backgrounds, and more differences that should be respected. Thank you for sharing this to a wider audience as this problem has been growing for a while.
I’m speaking as a lesbian woman who also has an odd relationship with gender (in short, an LGBT+ mess of sorts):
These sorts of issues are so much more prevalent than most realized, as stated here. As for myself, regarding my identity, I’ve been patronized for displaying interest (as in “woahHhh, a woman liking a masculine thing!?!?!”), I’ve had men many years my senior try to reach out to me, I’ve had men try to pursue online relationships of sorts with me (as if this isn’t creepy enough) despite me visibly noting that I’m a lesbian, and I’ve been harassed for any pride artwork I’ve done.
It sucks for me to deal with, for sure, but that’s only because I had the misfortune of dealing with issues such as this, as well as worse (such as grooming), in a similar-ish fandom whenever I was younger. I recognize a lot of people didn’t deal with that in some of their most formative years, and I’m beyond glad to hear that; however, I know it, very understandably, tends to affect them more than it would someone like me… For any woman or minority who’s dealt with these sorts of issues, I’m so sorry to hear that, and you’re valid in any discomfort and pain you may feel. If you are one of the individuals I’m addressing with this, and if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m open; my username is the same on both Instagram and Twitter.
I’m wishing all of you out there the very best, and please stay safe.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and I’m so sorry you’ve been treated poorly, and thank you for offering to be part of the solution ❤️ you’re a unique voice in the fandom and deserve better
I'm coming back to G-Fest again this year. I look forward to meeting you.
The good thing about me is that I don’t follow much of the Godzilla fandom since I’m a member of a lot fandoms and communities but I don’t do a lot of interactions. I wanted to go to Godzilla-Fest this year but unfortunately I’m going on a cross country road trip with brother that weekend. So hopefully next year
Admittedly, I'm not a "die hard" Godzilla fan, but I've slowly been sliding my way into the Gojira-verse (as I say). Although I live under a mountain (at this point like I miss everything), I do find this informative. I'm not pushed away, but glad for a heads up or warning for potentially odd behavior. Good on you sticking up for those who may not have the voice to say something. Props for you, props for you 🫡
Also, is that destroyer in the back?
While I cannot speak on the rampant sexism (and to a lesser extent the pedophilia, since I've only seen a few instances) in the fandom, the amount of homophobia and transphobia that I have seen on Godzilla communities during my tenure is genuinely mind-boggling. It is present in at LEAST 60% of godzilla fans, likely much more.
The same goes with general egotism and self-aggrandizing superiority, which is likely the main reason that Alyssa and those like her are told those kinds of comments, since these people will believe they can get away with ANYTHING, and they often will due to attracting cults of personality.
None of these things should be accepted, from individuals whose content we "like" or not. We are better than that, end of story.
Anyways, good video!
there is a ludicrous amount of homophobia and transphobia in this community it’s frankly insane.
Fandoms are not my thing, I prefer enjoying my personal hobbies without a giant group of angry weirdos.
I agree, am thinking about leaving the online fandom. I will be a fan of this franchise and still will watch the RUclipsrs I like.
I am a smaller Godzilla youtuber and each time I speak out against anything horrible I see there is always a select few people that will fight me to the death over how I am wrong and the fandom is actually fine.
A lot of this exploded with the release of gxk and the toho purists vs Mv purists “war”.
Nowadays no one here can have an opinion or they will be attacked by people.
Exactly , Its sad that your voice your OWN opinion in get attacked for it.
Good to see you throw your hat into the ring on this!
*WHAT THE HECK??*
I missed this... and now I'm sad.
Matt, you’re absolutely right. We’ve “internet known” each other since the early 2000s, and we’ve always treated others as we want to be treated. If anyone has any questions or problems, they can come find ME! 😊
Matt, thank you so much for bringing this issue to the limelight. Behaviors like this have no place in the Godzilla community and they won’t be tolerated. Anyone and everyone in this fandom should be respected no matter who they are. No matter who you are, where you come from, What your opinion on XYZ is or whatever, Godzilla is awesome and he’s something that can bring people together. To anyone reading this who has been treated like dirt by others in this space: Don’t listen to them and keep going strong
On that, I agree with you. The Fandoms are pointless. It’s all about them talking about how some characters solo some multiverses, always keep complaining about things for no reason. Good thing I'm not part of the fandom stuff. I rather be a non member of fandoms.
Also, Names Robzilla. Fan of Godzillas. I REALLY love your artworks about Godzilla, and my favorite Godzilla comic Godzilla: Rulers of Earth! Keep up the good work, sir! 👍
Looks like kaijukim and Goji Guy’s vids on this have been having an effect
I agree, the godzilla fandom has been getting extremely toxic, they’ve been attacking shippers, fan art creators, basically everyone who is so-called “cringe” “not a real fan” and other shit, though there is a good side of the fandom, so this response is both right and wrong.
I love Godzilla and love to share Godzilla with everyone! When a fandom starts to become toxic, that is a negative reflection of us all. We need to do better and welcome everyone, without that Godzilla as a franchise will never grow.
Stuff like this is sickening. I wish people remember the bad old days of the late 80s and early 90s. When we were all alone and Toho more often than not would tend to be exceptionally ruthless.
"Mark's Godzilla Page", "Barry's Temple of Godzilla", "Monster Zero Forums"..........now those are names I have not heard in an age......
What are all those?
@@joshuastrittmatter4188 Some of the first Godzilla websites created literally back when the internet first started
@@joshuastrittmatter4188those were sites back in the late 1990s and early 2000s we all would frequent.
@@joshuastrittmatter4188 basically old websites that covered godzilla back in the early 2000s, even earlier than the works of GodzillaSamurai (matt frank), GodzillaGuy92, Monster Island Buddies and the like.
@@joshuastrittmatter4188 Early Godzilla websites from the late 90's and early 2000's! Back before social media destroyed everything XD
I’m glad that this is getting more attention. This needs to stop
I’m so glad many Godzilla RUclipsrs are actually speaking against against this
Agreed
The toxic side of the fandom has enough radiation to power up Godzilla tbh
Oh......hell.......YES!!!!!! God bless you, young man for speaking up. I have been a major Godzilla fan since around the early 80s probably, but an even more hardcore fan of Doctor Who since the 70s. Do you have ANY idea how the bigots have come out from under their rocks over the most recent DW series? As a an indian (Aniyunwiya/Cherokee) man, I cannot tolerate a bully or a bigot. It does my heart so much good to see someone (especially a white man) speak up bravely, as you have, for marginalized people. May Unetlanuhi bless you abundantly!
Thank you for talking about this Matt
Can we like maybe just maybe permanently silence those "fans" from the internet?
I agree with most of the points in this video I’ve been a Godzilla fan since 2003 when I was 3 years old and return of Godzilla popped up on my TV and I was instantly hooked and it does sadden me greatly with how the fandom has become I have encountered the most toxicity from the new fans joining the fandom not the old nearly as much but the main thing I have to disagree with in this video is only pointing out straight white men I’ve dealt with people of all sexes and races making horrible remarks and more don’t narrow the target to a small section yes there are toxic straight white men but they’re just a small percentage of the bigger issue which can be anyone I’m making this comment cause this could force good straight white men to feel uncomfortable or alienated cause they are the only people being seen as bad
The male element of this fandom also makes up the core bedrock of it, and statistically a lot of this type of harassment comes from men, particularly of the straight and white variety. So it's also the responsibility of the non-terrible men in the fandom to make sure that their fellow men know that this behavior is unacceptable.
@@mattfrank85 true just I wanna make sure everyone is held accountable no matter their race or gender
Well said dude. Couldn't agree more esp now.
I’m sorry we disappointed you Matt. And I apologize to Ishirō Honda that a franchise he made to unite the world and show human unity, is now such a toxic and harmful place.
It's so upsetting that we have to have 3 videos about this. The Godzilla fandom has been consistently growing and though it's far smaller than some of the bigger fandoms out there like Star Wars, DC/Marvel etc. The community is small enough to be able to oust misogyny, racism and trans/homophobia and I hope we keep it that way.
We should NOT be needing to have discussions about having to protect minorities in our community from a small but loud subgroup of people behaving like man-babies because a woman, POC or LGBQT is part of the fandom. Thanks for providing a safe space to the fandom Matt.
The Dead by Daylight music in the background 😭
Dude, don’t let any toxic idiots hold you down and keep up your awesome art (Btw I think Godzilla Neo is awesome)
The King has spoken.
I was not aware of the issues regarding the two women channels you mentioned until this, so thank you for bringing them to light for me. Nobody should ever feel unwelcome in their favorite franchise fandom the way those women do now. It is a baffling and appalling thought that a fellow Godzilla fan can be so rude and nasty *to a fellow Godzilla fan* just because they are a woman/ LGBT+/ POC etc. It isn't right, and it is up other bystanders to help stand against that kind of horrid behavior.
Also, this video is how I find out Matt is somewhere on the queer spectrum, and I think that is neat because I am as well :) 2 days late but happy Pride ❤️🏳️🌈
Advice I have for everyone is whenever you're feeling angry, upset, scared, etc, and need someone to talk to but no one there is trying to imagine someone you admire is in the room with you and imagine yourself talking to them. For me I imagine myself talking to Ahsoka from Clone Wars. She is my childhood hero, and imagining what she would say and do to help me with problems helps me learn to calm myself down and to think critically about my situations. May Jesus Protect you and #ISupportWomen’sRights. And remember, you are never alone.
I haven’t interacted with the general Godzilla fandom in like 15 years. Sad to see that it’s somehow gotten worse since then. People used to pick on you if you were only just kinda autistic.
You’re the best, Frank
All I’ve gotta say is thank you.
How the hell did those horrible people get into this damn fandom?
Fandom’s are never safe from toxicity, opinion bashing, and bad people but their is hope that the Godzilla fandom can be better and improve
Speaking as a straight white dude, it breaks my heart to see this behavior in our fandom. Like you said, this is the internet and this behavior has existed from the beginning but I never wanted to see it in our community. This behavior, harassing others for ANY reason, is just unacceptable. I grew up being the only person I knew who liked Godzilla, so I just can't comprehend why anyone would harass a fellow fan for any reason. I agree, we should all step up and watch for this kind of behavior. If we see it, call it out and help to put a stop to it. No one should have to go through any sort of harassment or stalking. No one should feel uncomfortable while sharing their love for Godzilla.
This is just a shame. I guess I'm kind of blind to this because I don't do social media (don't even have a smart phone) except watching YT videos (and even then I only skim the comments if at all). I just thought Alyssa was a on a long break after moving from Japan. Sorry to hear otherwise. I know I have friends at GFest who have very different politics and views than mine and I still enjoy catching up with them.
As someone who isn’t too involved with the fanbase yet is a big fan of Godzilla nonetheless, I’m so glad they spoke up. People like me and many other Godzilla fans would have no idea unless someone speaks up. This fandom is for everyone and I know those disgusting people don’t represent us.
It was awhile ago but my older cousin once went to a anime cosplay convention, she was underage and as you can imagine some older guys were being creepy to her. Thankfully she had someone notice this and got her out of that situation. I hope if anyone who reads this that are going to Gfest (or any gathering in fact), if you see anyone who even seems like they are in an uncomfortable situation, please BE that person that helps them out. You don’t need to be too subtle about it if you aren’t that social you can just go up to them and be like “hey, are you doing alright?” Or if you’re with friends you could just tell them “Hey guys, that person over there doesn’t seem like they’re doing too well, let’s go help them out.”
How shameful. Bad behavior deserves to be called out. I saw those videos and I feel bad for the young woman who experienced that. I'll be my part. Take care, brother.
You're my hero, dude
From what I have see, they're not fans or just regular enjoyers of Godzilla, they are outsideers that want to join just to cause chaos and change people to think like them.
Just like Warhammer, MtG, D&D, Star Wars, Star Trek and many more have fackers hiding and waiting to ruin fun for everyone because "Why should you have fun" mentally is usually what is going in their head, they want attention that that's all they want.
Since -1 came out in December of last year I can definitely say they're a lot of faker's trying to hate others for not liking one version of Goji, when in reality we really don't care he's a character or better yet an Actor. He fills a roll that is need for the movie he's in.
By that knowledge these "fans" will try to make garbage up to start a flame war and use it for attention and artificially make themselves known better in the wider public.
It's all for attention and that's that.
Sorry I can't explain why any better bug this is what i got from the chaos.
Thanks, Matt. completely agree with what you said ty.
I posted trans pride art for my FanGojiverse a few days ago, and I was worried about some of the sucky people in the fandom finding it so I didn’t even tag it with the main Godzilla tag. I shouldn’t have to do that.
Your artwork is wonderful by the way, Jun.
@@Tarbtano Thanks, Tarb.
Although I am not exactly an active member of the Godzilla fandom, nor am I the kind of person these assholes in the community tend to target, I can't help but deeply sympathize with the victims of the incessant hate that's brought on by those racist, sexist and transphobic jerks. I have been a fan of the Godzilla franchise for as long as I can remember, though I have never been to any G Fests or participated in any fandom activities so I don't really know what that makes me. What I do know is that I wish there is something that I could do in order to alleviate the pain that those assholes have caused, but right now all I can do is hope that Alyssa and the others are doing as well as they can, despite what they went through.
I hope I am making sense and I also hope that I am not part of the problem that has been plaguing not only the Godzilla fandom, but practically every fandom that I have come across.
Good on ya for taking a stand.
Let's call the gross stuff what it is, predatory behavior and disrespectful misogyny.
I have had a few trolls, but that's it. Most have been great. Disturbing to hear what's been going on with some others.
Do these people realize that the Godzilla films and media are fans of originated in Japan? Why are they being racist?
The fandom is just as toxic as Power Rangers, and most of them haven't watched the Original Japanese material. They didn't even admit that PR was made on the cheap, and it won't be claimed as "famous".
It feels like in more recent years, the toxic side of the Godzilla fandom has grown louder and more promoinent. Either its because I notice more of it as I grow older, or it's because some members have started to show a more harmful mindset. If you're the type of person to harrase or be a jerk to anyone for no reason, then I don't consider you part of this community, nor should you be allowed to be part of it. Godzilla has been a important part of peoples' lives since childhood, and we shouldn't allow spiteful and vile people like that ruin what should be a source of comfort to us. If anyone has to deal with that, I'll do my best to support them through it, despite my social anxiety and stuff.
2:26 😂 mood