Why is Bella Ramsey getting so much hate online?
Culture reporter Kat Tenbarge explains how The Last of Us S2 intensified the online hate campaign
When Bella Ramsey was cast as Ellie in HBO's drama series The Last of Us, they started getting backlash before the first episode even aired.
The show is based on a popular video game, and a vocal minority of the fan base quickly created a massive hate campaign against Ramsey.
The toxic insults and criticism mainly focused on the actor's non-binary identity, and more recently, the queer romantic storyline in the TV series.
Kat Tenbarge is an independent journalist who covers internet culture. Today on Commotion, she joins guest host Rad Simonpillai to explain why this hate campaign reminds her of Gamergate, and why studios still refuse to condemn the harassment of their queer stars.
You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.
Interview with Kat Tenbarge produced by Stuart Berman.