...does Melinda Shankar(r) and Joelle Farrow(l) have to choke a dude? #Season6Reference
I joined twitter sometime before the “Oh hey let’s make everyone related to Degrassi join twitter” movement began. Now it’s kind of like its own universe, Degrassi’s online community is its own social network. It’s got its ups and downs, and rarely does the cast or crew get publicly pissed off about fan behavior.
Really, the only time it happens is if episodes or private info/photos are leaked. Below is a blog post Melinda Shankar posted on her tumblr page yesterday:
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I like to think that the Degrassi cast posts enough personal photos to share with everyone. I even made this tumblr to have a more laid back tone than my twitter. What isn’t cool is hacking our castmember’s real private facebook accounts, hotmail, twitter or making fake accounts of everyone to get our personal information. Yes our jobs make our lives more public and open however we are entitled to some privacy. I mean.. I really don’t want every picture I own up on the internet and i’m sure you wouldn’t either. By doing that it jeopardizes our fanbase, personal life, work, ..everything really. Obviously the girl who hacked Joelle Farrow regrets her decision but just so you know, Joelle went into major stress mode. Everything was in her hotmail and she couldnt access it.. not even her school work. So yea, hope you got what you want, enjoy our pictures. But taking them makes us want to post nothing. So please everyone, take this and our privacy into consideration. Thank you.
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Who this message is specifically directed to and the situation that prompted it is irrelevant. But it does bring up how uncomfortable I’ve felt at times observing the transformation of cast/fan interaction over the past year or two. For me the line between us (fans) and them (the cast) is blurred beyond comfort. I understand the strategy and the upside of being so connected to the fanbase, but at the same time there’s no surprise or mystery to anything anymore, because everything’s so out in the open. I’ve been blogging about Degrassi for years…it’s always been my job to search out Degrassi info so I can’t really expect to stay in the dark about things. But even before Degrassi’s twitterverse was created, I felt there was still a pretty high level of mystique surrounding Degrassi and those involved with it.
Fans obviously love the interaction. The cast loves it too, but sometimes I feel bad for them, with them at times being inundated with such inane things. They love the support you give them and the show, but no they don’t want to follow you on twitter. No, they’re not interested in being your bff. No, you will not get “in” with the Degrassi clique if you can have regular twitter conversations with them or somehow get to Canada and hang around them. It’s times like that when I’m like “No wonder so many celebrities have handlers for their social networking accounts…and no wonder people like Charlotte and Jahmil don’t want to be online publicly.”
I only tweet the cast occasionally. To be very honest, I don’t have much interest in what they’re doing when they’re not on set. Part of that is because I’m old school in my way of thinking…once they leave that set, their life is their business. Yes they choose to share parts of their personal lives with us, but I also don’t have the time to sit around and follow every waking move of everyone’s twitter feeds. So going above and beyond to find out things about their personal lives that isn’t in plain sight is beyond out of bounds. Regardless of guilt or remorse those involved have, it’s even more shameful that it took Melinda speaking out for hacking of private profiles and their photos (something that’s been going on for forever) to finally be viewed as wrong. And people, creating fake accounts is equally as disrespectful…parody ones are fine, but I don’t see the benefit people get from trying to trick people into believing they’re someone they’re not.
Remember that one time, at band camp, when Sam Earle was furious over personal photos getting released without his permission, then his angry tweet caused all hell to break loose on twitter and tumblr? Good times.
And I know this is simply because I’m way older than Degrassi’s target fanbase (my extreme fanboy days are long gone), but I also stay in observation mode because I don’t want my opinions of the actors having too much of an influence on how I view their characters on the show, ESPECIALLY in the case of actors who show up on twitter months and months before we a single second of them on the show.
I’m well aware that my thoughts are in the severe minority. But for those who think otherwise, don’t lose sight of what you have: a cast that is more open and more interactive with its fanbase than a majority of those in the entertainment industry. They’re genuinely nice people, and they don’t need their own fans trying to take advantage of their kindness. Fangirling is fine, but you can’t be so eager to do it that you actually begin to disregard showing respect to these people that you admire.
“…But I never get attracted to fans cause an eager beaver could be the collapse of a damn.”
-Drake [Ignorant Shit ft. Lil Wayne]
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Kary's Degrassi Blog 
Love love love everything you said! And it is because were older and when I was 12 I wasn’t able to get on twitter or tumblr and search celebrity info. I never knew what JTT was doing off the set of home improvement or where nsync was when not on TV so I’m OK with not knowing every detail of Munro’s life! Being on tumblr always makes me feel a little creepy anyways! More fans need to listen to this!
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You are right about these fans wanting to know everything about Munro. No wonder we don’t see much stuff about him unless it has to with work and thats how it should be. I bet this poor guy is wee bit scared.
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I really feel bad about so many celeberties who get hacked its just like stalking. When my computer got hacked a few years back I felt violated. Luckly my friend who is computer wiz hacked in that person computer and gave him a trojan. These kids and young adults of the Degrassi franchise need there privacy too. Many of these girls are looking for info on who is dating who. I really don’t care who with who. If they want you to know who they’re dating they will let you know. This is another reason I will never open a Tumblr account.
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I’m with you, Kary. I’m quite a bit older than most of Degrassi’s intended audience (I’ll be 25 next month), and I find it bizarre how closely connected fans expect to be with the actors on the show. Part of it has to do with the series’ tremendous online presence. The show’s CHARACTERS have Twitter accounts, through which they “talk” to the fans. Producers have accounts, and are now encouraging fans to submit ideas for season 12. The actors show up regularly to MuchMusic here in Toronto to talk to fans.
Most of the kids watching Degrassi have never been strangers to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. I still don’t “get” Twitter, and as much as I use Facebook, I still get uneasy thinking about who may have access to the stuff I post. The tweens and teens of today don’t. They EXPECT to be connected to others AT ALL TIMES. But I can’t blame the fans, entirely. I think that the actors on the show are giving the fans WAY TOO MUCH access to their lives. When they post personal photos of themselves for fans to look through, they’re just encouraging fans to intrude on them. They’re blurring the boundaries between public and private. And the fact that the actors are kids themselves makes this even more problematic. For years, the actors on Degrassi have been presented as “regular” kids. These kids don’t have huge PR teams, they go to school, they walk around Toronto (I recently saw Shannon at a movie screening, Argiris stopped by my booth when I was working at FanExpo this summer) like everyday people. They’re not hyper-glamorized. Fans feel that because these aren’t A-list celebrities, that because they’re “normal” kids, that they have the right to intrude on their lives. They feel a kinship with them, because they’re teens, as well. So as soon as the actors demand privacy, young viewers don’t understand that.
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I agree with you 100%. Though I’m the same age as some of the cast, and at times have been guilty of “pushing the boundaries”, all of what you say is true and valid.
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THANK YOU. Geezes. They are PEOPLE, and a right to privacy. Acting is their JOB, and those who say that they shouldn’t be surprised because hey it comes with the territory, no. No, they do this(acting) because it is their job and I bet you all of hem didn’t go into acting because they wanted to be famous, it’s because they either had a passion, talent or interest in theater/acting, and while it’s understood that they are going into be in the spotlight for the show, their reconginition and overall job well done(and in many cases the reasons range from the superfical “OMG! tHEY ARE SO HOWT!!!!!!1!!!1 to the more depth reason that they seem like awesome people to hang out with) there is still no right that a fan has to invade the personal lives of the cast. As much as we all like to daydream about being bffs with Melinda or possibly dating Munro or Sam or any of the other cast members…they have lives. They had lives before Degrassi, befor acting and they had friends from that life. Those are the people who are like the real friends and family in our lives. They supported them, encouraged them and stuck with them before we even knew who they were. As Mary stated, the cast is awesome for interacting with its fans the way they do, but that’s all we really will be; loyal, dedicated, entertaining and sometimes obessive fans that support the show/characters. I guess it really boils down too; please be considerate of the cast and their right to have a life outside of Degrassi where they can strip away the costume and be simply Melinda, Munro, Aislinn, AJ, Daniel, Sam, Samantha, Luke, and all the rest of the cast….They are people guys.
-Maria
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Lol sorry, I mean *Kary, autocorrect at its finest!
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Another thing that’s contributed to this need to “connect” to those in the public eye is reality TV. Again, it’s something a lot of today’s tweens and teens have never been without. They’re so used to “following” people (whether famous or not–consider the girls in MTV’s teen pregnancy shows), so used to total strangers granting them access into their lives, that they just can’t grasp the need for privacy.
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I like how you ended the post with a lyric from a Drake song.
Anyway, I agree. There is way too much obsession on the part of the fans. I think it may actually be bleeding into the writing as well. Why else has Clare suddenly been perverted into some boy-crazy shrill?
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Clearly it’s Jackie (Watchmebreak) who causes all this trouble with personal photo leaking and hacking into things. She should just delete her tumblr and we wouldn’t have this issue
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I know Watchmebreak is a culprit but there a other fans who do it. The sad part is if you go to YouTube there are videos out there to show you how to hack. Honestly if I had personal pics of the cast I would never release them I would enjoy them on my own.
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I don’t know who that is, but it’s more than just one person and it’s more than just people leaking personal photos. It’s about fans believing they’re entitled to be so intrusive in the cast members’ personal lives. Nina’s comment above summed it up perfectly.
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It’s wrong to intrude on anyone’s lives no matter who they are, but I think the cast needs to be more careful with what they post online as well. Actually, everyone should exercise more caution with putting too much of their personal lives online because nothing on the internet is private.
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Excellent point. The other evening a bunch of girls in Degrassi’s tumblr community (99% of it is made up of girls) decided they were going to post pictures of themselves. A lot them post so much personal information about themselves anyway that it’s ridiculous…meanwhile, I’m a 28-year-old guy sitting in the middle of the teen girls doing all of this, and it’s uncomfortable…I just want to keep tabs on Degrassi-related things. I’m not even close to being a creeper and have zero desire to develop close online relationships with people that young, but because all tumblr accounts are public there’s nothing stopping some pedophile coming across this group and getting off on or getting access to what these young girls are posting about their lives.
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Jackie did delete her tumblr and recreated it and isn’t posting any pictures anymore.
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I think Twitter changed the world by breaking down the barrier between celebrities (actors, singers, athletes, DJs, TV personalities, etc) and their fans. It’s a way to keep them relevant, the same goes for tumblr.
I agree with Kary, it’s cool to see the actors of Degrassi Tweet once and awhile (I actually don’t follow any anymore) but once they’re off the set, I think it’s only fair they’re able to go about doing normal thing (like someone said previously, these are people who aren’t glamorized).
I feel bad for the actors, it seems like twitter and tumblr are extensions of their jobs instead of fun social networking tools. Fans expect “twitter parties” and responses and retweets 24/7. Where’s the fun in that?!
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I completely agree. These fangirls just take things too far, and they make me ashamed to be a Degrassi fan sometimes, because it seems like it’s expected of all female fans of the show to act like that. I’ll admit, i do have a Tumblr and i’ll reblog Degrassi-related things, but only pictures from events that they go to and things like that. I will never understand the constant need to know what celebrities are doing 24/7. Being a fan is one thing, but this is just ridiculous. They’re regular people and their privacy needs to be respected, that’s the bottom line. And one last thing: why does it seem like it’s always the hardcore fangirls that are constantly tweeting them and things like that that wonder why they are being ignored? It’s mind boggling to me.
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At least many of the Degrassi fans have not posted naughty or inapropriate pictures of the cast. But still its messed up.
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Who is Joelle Farrow?
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Apparently she’s on the show in some capacity…I’m guessing an extra or someone with a handful of lines in upcoming episodes. If she were a major character, the higher ups would’ve told us by now.
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I completely agree with this! Simply put, just follow the golden rule: if u don’t want it to happen to you, don’t do it to someone else.
On a separate note, who is Joelle Farrow? Never heard of her…
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I’m not into the Tumblr scene (It seems to skew to 12-16 yr old girls and I’m a) 32 and b) not a girl), but I’ve perused through some Degrassi related tumblr’s on occasion.
Yeah, the whole fangirl/boy thing is totally not my style. I don’t squee over actor’s photos, secretly wishing they were a couple (*cough* Charlotte and Munro *cough*) nor do I find it necessary to post every “private” picture of a cast member outside of work. They kept them private for a reason.
I don’t understand the appeal of making gifs either, although the ones from the limo ride before prom this year were kind of funny.
I guess I’m just a casual viewer, who enjoys watching the show and having lighthearted discussions afterward. I don’t ship couples nor do I get upset if couples break up. The main things I really bitch about are improper airtime distribution and Clare Edwards.
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I don’t ship couples especially teenagers they are still maturing. I liked Clare in season 9 but the writers are turning her into her sister Darcy.
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I will never understand shipping. It seems to lessen the enjoyment of the show by having unrealistic expectations and total disregard for whats actually cannon and what the characters are like. This isn’t Glee where everybody is bisexual and screws each other (I don’t get the appeal of that show either), If you watch the show, you should know that Eli and Fiona wont date, Drew and Owen wont be fuck buddies, SO DON’T ARGUE ABOUT IT. Shipping is stupid and is ruining the DTC.
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Kids these days just have the mindset that they are entitled to know and get everything. All of my peeps in the 20 and up category should remember back in the early days of the internet how hard it was to find information on tv shows we liked. I remember being 9 looking for info on Pokemon, Digimon, Cardcaptors, and Dragonball Z. Outside of official websites (which told you nothing) and the few decent fansites (which told you just as much as the officials did), we had to just wait for the next episode or season to see what happened, and that way when you did see it, it was exciting. Now they have all kinds of information at their disposal and up to date to the point where they know how the season ends before the first episode airs. They don’t understand and patience and how it pays off. When everything is at your fingertips you don’t get the word “no” or “wait.” Maybe Degrassi will do a plot about it.
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Thank you
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When did sam earle tweet that and what band camp?
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While I do 150% agree with Melinda, I also think the cast allows fans into their life more than they should. Like for example when Luke Bilyk threw a birthday party with half the cast there and allowed fans to come in if they paid. Things like that encourages some fans think the cast wants to become their friend. I am very happy a majority of the cast members enjoys interacting with the fans but sometimes the actors and producers sort of allow fans to come closer then they should.
Twitter kind of allows that. I mean theres way more information out there about this cast (for those who care enough to pay attention) then there was about the former cast back in the day. I bet any Munro Chambers fan could tell you way more information about him then I knew about Stacey Farber back in 2007. The producers/cast can still be close with their fans but I think they need to have more caution as to how much they put out there.
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Hey Kary, what NFL/MLB/NHL/NBA/College teams do you root for and why?
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NFL – Vikings
MLB – Twins
both because my dad was a fan of them, his entire family lives in Minnesota. I don’t have any teams I root for in NHL, NBA or college sports
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When did Sam Earle tweet that and what band camp, Kary?
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I don’t remember when, and “band camp” is a joke.
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Why don’t you all just shut the hell up?! None of you know anything about these people! They are the sweetest people i’ve ever had rhe privelge to know. And sam has every right to get pissed ab the pics being released so y dnt u guys jus fuck off it aint none yo damn business how close they are so jus get lives and stay out of theres
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