Stranger Things consistently finds itself entangled in controversies, with new issues surfacing regularly. The latest concern revolves around the cast's behavior, prompting fans to exit the fandom.
The controversy began when Noah Schnapp made a controversial statement regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. The situation intensified when he liked a video that mocked both Muslims and the LGBTQ community. This sparked a significant backlash from social media users, and fans of Stranger Things called for Schnapp to be recast in the final season. Many of these fans explicitly distanced themselves from the actor, emphasizing their support solely for the character Will Byers.
Yesterday, Schnapp was featured in a video promoting stickers with phrases like 'Zionism is sexy' and 'Hamas is ISIS.' This video has triggered outrage among social media users, with many fans labeling his actions as disgusting. The backlash has escalated to the extent that many people are now advocating for a boycott of the final season of Stranger Things.
In addition to Schnapp, Brett Gelman, recognized for his role as Murray Bauman, has come under scrutiny for sharing anti-Muslim posts on social media. Beyond the cast, there is criticism directed at Stranger Things executive producer Shawn Levy and the show's writers, The Duffer Brothers. They are facing backlash for endorsing a letter in support of Israel, further fueling the controversy surrounding the show.
Fans have also questioned the apparent silence from other Stranger Things cast members like Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard, who have not spoken on the issue.
In the wake of these recent events, many Stranger Things fans are leaving the fandom as a form of protest. While some have chosen to deactivate their Stranger Things accounts, others have decided to shift their allegiance to different fandoms.
One such user wrote on Twitter, "Hello everyone, Due to recent events involving Noah Schnapp, Brett Gelman, and Shawn Levy, I no longer wish to run an account dedicated to Stranger Things. Zionism, Islamophobia, and racism have no place here and as such, I will be changing the content of this account."
Hello everyone,
Due to recent events involving Noah Schnapp, Brett Gelman, and Shawn Levy, I no longer wish to run an account dedicated to Stranger Things. Zionism, Islamophobia, and racism have no place here and as such, I will be changing the content of this account.— Fandom Struggle Tweets 🇵🇸 (@funnyfandomtwt) November 13, 2023
Another one said, "PLEASE know i’m eventually changing my account to something else. i’m trying to figure out what to make it to be but please know i will not stay supporting this man and anything he’s apart of. it hurts to leave something i was excited for, but there are people hurting WAY MORE-
The third user added, "Admin here! Just noting that we do not in any forms support z*onists and in this case Noah Schnapp or Brett Gelman. What they do is completely disgusting. I've seen many people start dumping the fandom and the show, but this bot will continue with the quotes as a form of escapism. I just wanted to make this clear."
Another one wrote, "last tweet for now abt st: how i sleep knowing the character that noah adores and gave him his only significant job ever, would be absolutely disgusted with him and spit on his face if he could"
A fifth wrote, "Leaving this fandom. Unfortunate that one of my favorite characters was not only hurt by the awful person that plays him, but also by the awful creators behind it. Insane to hear David Harbor say that a queer character’s journey is unrequited love. ST is dead to me!"
So far Netflix has not responded to the ongoing controversy. They will start production for the final season of Stranger Things in the next few days.
