Josh Hutcherson Would Greatly Appreciate It If the Swifties Chilled Out

Josh Hutcherson is a millennial and Gen Z fave thanks to The Hunger Games. He's currently starring in the HBO series I Love LA and has a new cohort of fans through his appearances in the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise. GQ think it's time for a Hutcherson renaissance. The magazine profiled the actor and he comes across as charming, down-to-earth, and aware of his place in the Hollywood pecking order. Good for him! The piece itself largely seems to be an ad for his skincare regime, though.

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As someone who was one of the faces of a major YA franchise, Hutcherson knows what it's like to have people talk about you online in, shall we say, odd ways. He largely avoids the internet for good reason, and as he told GQ, he's not got much time for internet idolatry or stan wars. Having been on the receiving end of the Swifties only cemented that fact.

"He participated in low-key raunchy TikTok dances with [co-star Jordan] Firstman to "Body Party" by Streetwize. Fans shouldn't get their hopes up, though. Hutcherson's trip to the epicentre of the internet was fun, but that's all it was: a stopover. If anything, he says, it reminded him it's still a vulnerable and frustrating place.

"I got some heat because I did a photo shoot with Jordan, and Jordan asked me something about being a [Taylor Swift fan], and I was like, 'Oh no, I'm definitely not a Swiftie,'" he says. He meant it as neither judgement nor critique. But on the internet, simple, honest opinions about the type of music you like are not allowed. "All of a sudden it garnered this, 'Fuck him! He's a monster! Destroy him! He's short! He hates her because he's short!' [He is 5ft 5in.] "It's just like, whoa! I think she's great. Her music is not my kind of music. That is why I don't want to be online," he says.

"I don't need that energy," he adds."

I know that fandoms are seldom normal, but this is truly weird, right? It's exhausting that you can't express critique or even pure neutrality on a topic without fear that an unhinged stan account will try to harass you. I know people who have been doxed for having perfectly mundane opinions on pop stars. And these fans take such pride in their cruelty. They like making people scared. They probably loved that Hutcherson was left feeling grossed out and sad by all of this (and you know he's seen some dark sh*t in his time from the Peeta/Gale shipping wars.) I've seen this happen before with WAY too many fandoms. I'd rather just, you know, enjoy a thing and not turn into an unpaid hitman for a celebrity.