Social Media and Behind the Scenes: AKA Everything Else Not "News and Media"

[statsgirl]

I hope this doesn't demotivate SA with regards to Olicity, as I'm sure it does to many actors.

He said he likes working with Emily and that Felicity gives him a chance to play a side of Oliver he enjoys after being a broody dick all the time, so I don't think he'll get fed up with Olicity any time soon.

[wonderwall]

I wonder if KC will be a part of Foundry Fridays now that she's in the know and will probably be spending more time at the foundry??? She doesn't seem like the kind of gal to fool around with others for some reason. 

 

Also, I agree with Amell about the whole, moving from doing episodic episodes to having overarching themes is one of the biggest reasons why season 2 of arrow was a much bigger success than season 1. Although, while the writers and EPs can learn a lot from season 2 (no more lance family drama, it's not good to have 5 billion things happening at once, a slower pace is sometimes a nice change, not to put so many filler episodes consecutively in between the season (from suicide squad onwards basically) etc.). It's nice that he understands where the show is lacking and actively talks to the EPs on how to improve upon that. 

[Morrigan2575]

What's Foundry Fridays?

[wonderwall]

Oh if you watched the 9 minute youtube video I posted up before (SA fan expo) he explains that foundry fridays is when DR and SA would just unwind from the hellish week they had to just fool around. 

[statsgirl]

He also said something about having to get through 12 pages of dialogue on Foundry Fridays so that they could do the stunts and other big stuff on the other days, so I guess EBR fit in both with getting through all the work they needed to do, and being silly to let off steam.

 

 

I wonder if KC will be a part of Foundry Fridays now that she's in the know and will probably be spending more time at the foundry??? She doesn't seem like the kind of gal to fool around with others for some reason.

I wonder how the fact that she's a method actor will affect it.  (John Barrowman has a story about how he bugs Paul Blackthorne by trying to mess with his Method.)

Edited September 2, 2014 by statsgirl

[Chaser]

It's probably a mixture of both. I think he probably does want a wider range of questions, at the same time he likes Olicity and he likes talking about things that get people excited. Furthermore Olicity and Malcolm/Thea was the big storyline cliffhanger of last year, but Malcolm and Thea are kept under such wraps that Olicity is going to be the big talk/promotion. 

 

He is one of those actors who is always professional, but you tell when he is more excited about a story line then not. I was watching Comic Con clips from 2013 and than from this past year, he was very matter of fact when talking about the Oliver/Laurel relationship last year (he loves her, always will, island talk, yada yada) and visibility more enthused about Team Arrow/Felicity when the conversation went there. This year he seemed pretty please with the new dynamic between Oliver/Laurel (catch'm and cook'm) and when the conversation went to Oliver/Felicity he was so intent on getting his point across I think its something he takes very seriously. 

 

I wonder if Colton and Caity got in on Foundry Fridays...

[abhi]

I have seen Amell talk about Oliver Felicity's relationship from Season 1 to Season 2 and there has been a shift in how he approaches the question. I would say that he was a lot carefree in the initial days but now he takes these questions in a very professional way. And I think it is a direct result of the real life shipping that the extreme portion of the fan base indulge in and who give his wife a lot of grief. 

 

I have noticed this in a few instances and there might be others. For eg shippers ask him all the time about his chemistry with Bett in the very first scene and he always falls back on the line about how he wants to make his co stars comfortable. During the one con that Amell, Bett and Ramsey attended together, Bett was sitting in the middle and the whole con Amell was leaning away from her, probably not to give those who ship them in real life any ammo. And it was a completely different dynamic to when Amell and Lotz appeared at the con together where I thought he could be his natural self because no body is trying to link them or ship them in real life. Last year at the comic con Amell and Bett had a lot of interviews together, just the two of them, and this time none in spite of the fact that Oliver/Felicity relationship will finally happen.

I am sure that Amell and Bett are very good friends and they goof around but during public appearances or whatever videos that Amell does, he consciously tries not to give those who ship them in real life (and these are the extreme Olicity fans) any ammo.

[Sakura12]

I think they were involved in Foundry Fridays since there's tons of pics of all of them there (Stephen, Emily, David, Caity and Colton) goofing around.

[foreverevolving]

(and these are the extreme Olicity fans) any ammo.

that's not extreme shipping. that's being delusional, to the point of needing to see a shrink. i hope these individuals are teenagers, otherwise...

 

(said Foreverevolving who had a very short stint during her ER days where she wrote a ClooneyMargulies fanfic- and may have read a handful few along the way (but i was 15 at the time). With that being said, i have never, not for one second, allowed myself to forget these were real people who were involved in a committed and loving relationship with other people. the barrier of: on-screen vs. real life was something i was very mindful of remembering, least i accidentally slip into the wrong side of the ship.

[pootlus]

I am sure that Amell and Bett are very good friends and they goof around but during public appearances or whatever videos that Amell does, he consciously tries not to give those who ship them in real life (and these are the extreme Olicity fans) any ammo.

 

See this is why I'm glad I post here where people are sane and not places like Tumblr - I'd seen hints that people actually did this when following links to various places for news items, but seriously, fandom, stop, please. These are real people you're talking about. Amell is happily married with a kid.

 

I just love how goofy Amell is in real life, it's such a shock to watch it and then watch an Arrow episode with uptight, PTSD, repressed Oliver.

[Orion]

The real life shipping is something that happens with literally every fandom, any star that is paired in an on screen relationship where there is chemistry gets the same thing. I've never shipped a couple before and even I was aware that these things happen. And to be honest this argument is generally used against Olicity fans by fans of another pairing that want to shame the entire fandom for what a few are doing. Not saying that's what Abhi was doing but that's where I have seen this discussion brought up. With as media savvy as SA is I'm sure he is aware that this is a very common occurrence. And yes the not nice tweets and comments made to significant others is included in that. It's always a shame when people take things to far but I doubt SA let's these things get under his skin. The upset Lauriver fans have been tweeting hate towards him since SDCC when he said that ship had sailed and in general I've seen very unpleasant things sent his way in regards to his acting as well, its something actors who are present in social media have to deal with. Which is probably why so many of them hire people to do it for them.

 

And the con you are speaking of Abhi was the Walker Stalker con where Emily, Stephen and David had a picture session with fans where all three of them posed for numerous pictures together with SA and EBR arms around fans and each other so I really don't think he was trying to avoid having his photo snapped with her.

 

SDCC is a PR machine and their appearances are organized by the network, DC, and WB if they wanted them to be together for interviews nothing the stars said would have stopped them from being together.

 

SA has said in a bunch of interviews recently (including advocating at the fan expo this weekend for 17 episodes of Arrow with a 6 episode block of the Suicide Squad mid season) that he wants the amount of episodes cut back. I'm sure with a wife, child, workout routine and being the star of the show (filming everyday normally) he's tired and that's not even including his con appearances and interviews. I think that plays a large role in his enthusiasm when answering questions about any subject.

[abhi]

 

And the con you are speaking of Abhi was the Walker Stalker con where Emily, Stephen and David had a picture session with fans where all three of them posed for numerous pictures together with SA and EBR arms around fans and each other so I really don't think he was trying to avoid having his photo snapped with her.

I am not saying that they don't goof around or he will be averse to taking pics with Bett, I am just saying that he consciously tries not to give the shippers any ammo. It doesn't mean that he won't be taking a pic with her. And I am mentioning this because Amells wife, Cassandra , has apparently taken issue with these real life shippers and has retorted on the Twitter. So, if they are getting under her skin then obviously it affects Amell. It will be naive to think that he will be impervious to stg that affects his wife. 

[AnyoneButYou]

When did his wife say anything about it on Twitter? Just wondering because I haven't seen anything.

[wonderwall]

I'm on tumblr to get news about the shows i like and I haven't seen a lot of stephen/emily shippers there (maybe a few but def not the majority) but mostly people are against it on the arrow tag there. The people who do badmouth Cassandra or bother her are teenagers who think they have power because they have the internet and a keyboard. I've seen Stephen be extremely vocal about his daughter's pictures being circulated around the internet but nothing else and I think they've been super careful about photos as well. He used to post a lot of pictures before but now it seems as though he posts less (he probably learned his lesson lol). You're right in that sense, he isn't giving the shippers a lot to talk about. Then again, I don't think that has anything to do with olicity and how SA feels about that relationship. It just has to do with how SA feels about batshit crazy tweens that aren't at all in the majority. 

 

There's nothing anyone can do about real life shipping unfortunately :/ It'll happen in every single fandom. 

[Chaser]

I've heard he used to post a lot of photos with EBR and that tapered off with the increase in popularity of Olicity. I also heard about the fans started the real life shipping and just nope nope nope. Thats so disrespectful; but it is something I bet he was anticipating. He is friends with Jared, if anyone knows about the downside of the fandom is the SPN boys. I'm pretty sure Jensen/Danneel took the worst of it though.

 

Personally though, I see the cooling down of the carefree way he was answering these questions as more of a result of Olicity actually happening on the show. He has to play it more coy and more professional. Though it doesn't stop a smile or two from getting out. I think the lack of joint interviews wasn't due to a worry over the real life shippers, I highly doubt Stephen is in charge of the PR machine and who he talks too. And it looked like a theme for all the Arrow cast members this year. 

 

As for his interactions with EBR at ComicCon, I didn't see any hold back. They looked really comfortable during the cast interviews, they even looked like they were goofing off together during the EW Hideout interview. A couple of candid moments seem to in force that. I always got the impression he was rather protective of her.

[BkWurm1]

He also said something about having to get through 12 pages of dialogue on Foundry Fridays so that they could do the stunts and other big stuff on the other days, so I guess EBR fit in both with getting through all the work they needed to do, and being silly to let off steam.

 

 

From what he said, their Foundry Fridays are brutally long shoots and the  way he and DR coped was to joke around and get silly between takes and he wondered (worried) how having a new person in on those shoots would affect the vibe but that EBR just slipped right in like she'd always been there. 

 

I suspect that preserving that lighthearted spirit on set on those Foundry Fridays is very important to the actors.

 

Quite honestly, I get the vibe that SA is this close to burning out already from the demands of the show.  In some of his interviews he spoke of relying on getting extra nutrients and supplements through an IV.  And it sounded like he was doing that on a regular basis which is worrying to me.

 

  Add to that his joy during filming episode 5 where he only had scenes on half the filming day - something he said never happens and of course his personal wish that some other show would pop up during the middle of the Arrow's season and just take over for 6 episodes.

 

I don't think he's going to go off the deep end or quit or anything but you can bet he's going to reach a point where he has to demand fewer hours just to stay sane and healthy. 

Edited September 2, 2014 by BkWurm1

[TanyaKay]

. I always got the impression he was rather protective of her.

It's not just Stephen, I have noticed that Colton and Paul Blackthorne are also kinda protective towards EBR in some of interviews, probably because when she joined Arrow, she was just 21 and Arrow was her first major job. It also helps that she has a sunny disposition and people seem to genuinely like her

[BkWurm1]

she was just 21 and Arrow was her first major job.

 

I remember her speaking about how she was learning new stuff every day and how helpful everyone was being. 

 

Different subject but I also remember her mentioning that she and CH have apartments in the same building.  This was from an interview in season one so things might have changed.  I am to this day curious if it was a big coincidence or if after they both were hired the production company pointed them to some available places. 

[TanyaKay]

She is Van City native so she probably has been living in her building for quite sometime. Colton joined the cast much later in season 1 so perhaps she might've mentioned it to him. Colin Donnel used to live in the same block as EBR & CH and EBR has mentioned that as well in one of her interviews. Colin and Colton have been friends from New York, perhaps that too was a factor.

[tv echo]

This is just way too hilarious! It's cute that he blushed a bit :p

So according to SA, Oliver is 30 now.  For some reason, I thought he was around 29.  I guess that means he was 23 when he left on the boat and 28 when he returned to Starling City.  He must've just graduated from college and been on summer vacation when he left.  Wonder what his career plans were then.  I guess that speculation belongs in another thread.

[Velocity23]

Interview with Paul, Katrina and Caity at Dragon Con

[Morrigan2575]

Oliver didn't graduate or have any career plans, that was made pretty clear in S1. Oliver failed out of every school he went to and was just goofing over being a party boy living off of daddy's money.

[Velocity23]

If Oliver is already 30, does that mean Laurel will be 31 around December/January? From the character cards it seems she is a few months older. And Olivers birthday is in May. 

[abhi]

 

When did his wife say anything about it on Twitter? Just wondering because I haven't seen anything.

 

Here are the two tweets. Remember that the rabid shippers use the term "I die" and "This is everything" in their posts while shipping Emily with Stephen.

 

https://twitter.com/CassandraPants/status/476153328120770560

 

And then she replies to one of those "fans".

 

https://twitter.com/CassandraPants/status/476182642098860032

 

And this tweet is from Carina Mackenzie@cadlymac who is one of the good friends of Emily

 

https://twitter.com/cadlymack/status/476186093172166657

[JJ928]

I've seen that term used by many shippers, not just Arrow ones.I personally don't use those terms, if I did I wouldn't care enough to comment on her tweet. But I'm thirty-one years old, and I assume those tweeters are younger. As someone with a PR background I will say this: Don't bite the hand that feeds you. If those comments were meant to mock the audience then I'm sure she knew there'd be backlash. However, compared to some of the things I've seen directed to Katie Cassidy, that's pretty mild. Social media needs to be handled carefully, something the CW does not do, or tweets need to be made private. It's not fair but it's the reality. I don't know if Stephen has a PR person, not assigned by the CW, I doubt it because if he did that tweet would/should have been deleted.

[JJ928]

Interview with Paul, Katrina and Caity at Dragon Con

I love these three, but Paul is great. He tweeted the other day that he was filming with Katrina & Katie Cassidy. I am so interested in his scene with Katrina, the few lines they shared had a great banter.

[Chaser]

I don't pay attention to the crazy real lifer shippers or the ones who go after the actors themselves. It happens in every Fandom and it always will, its sad for sure and something I don't support. But it has no baring on the show itself.

 

Paul has been filming a lot with Law and Cassidy, but I haven't heard anything from him about Lotz. 

[Sakura12]

That was a great interview, I hope we get to see Lance interact more with Sara and Nyssa.

 

I love that they both didn't know what character they were playing and that KL didn't find out until TV Guide released it. How can the producers refuse to tell the actors who they are playing and how to play the scenes? I get that they don't want them to tell anyone spoilers, but that doesn't seem to matter since the media seems to know about it before they do. 

 

Caity's been in LA filming short action films or at cons. So I wonder what happens to Sara in her episode. With Nyssa talking to Sara's family without her it seems like she's disappeared. Maybe she ran from the LOA again, Nyssa of course checks with her family but Sara being smarter this time doesn't go home. 

Edited September 2, 2014 by Sakura12

[abhi]

I think Katrina's statement "one doesn't know, anything can happen in the future" regarding Sara getting the real canary cry further assures me that Sara survives the 4th episode of Season 3. Otherwise, its highly unlikely that she would have made that statement.

 

Maybe she returned to Nanda Parbat but Nyssa has been sent to deal with the Malcom business.

Edited September 2, 2014 by abhi

[poetgirl925]

The real life shipping is extremely weird and unfortunate but it's definitely not unique to Arrow (or even Olicity within the Arrow fandom. I've seen some cringeworthy tweets/posts about other pairings as well.) I also don't think it had anything to do with who did interviews with whom, especially at SDCC. The ladies were all a day late, so their press was pretty limited. They weren't even in the press room, so I think they only had small group interviews at IGN and then bigger cast interviews. That's all I remember seeing anyway.

I just love Paul Blackthorne. He was the only actor I knew when I started watching - and Barrowman, but he came later. But I'm always so surprised to hear his British accent! Sometimes I forget until I hear him talk IRL. And about the repetitive questions - I think that also happens at most Q&As, panels, interviews, etc for all actors, especially on the convention circuit. I bet someone like Shatner has answered the same questions a thousand times or more at this point. I'll bet it does get tiresome. Joss Whedon once said he started changing his answers around when asked the same things over and over. Amell probably does that too, but to me he always seems happy to interact with fans at his appearances even when he's tired. I respect him a lot for that.

[JJ928]

I saw someone tweet about getting Caity's autograph when she left Vancouver around that time, so I think she's in that episode. Let me check my timeline, I know someone retweeted and I'll link it.

Edited September 2, 2014 by JJ928

[Chaser]

Really hope all the speculation about Caity and Sara are right; I don't think the show can lose her right now.

[Velocity23]

Stephen posted this on his Facebook page. And i am just gonna go laughing my ass off. 

[JJ928]

Here is the tweet:

 

https://twitter.com/OutlawHobbies/status/501055464927277057

 

So Caity was in town for at least part of that episode. Count me as one of those people who want her to stick around, I really like her as BC.

[Velocity23]

Last 7 mins of Stephen Amells Q&A at FanExpo

[catrox14]

I can't help but wonder if that was Barrowman prank re SA at customs.  Are we sure that Misha Collins wasn't the TSA agent?

Edited September 2, 2014 by catrox14

[AnalyzeAndCritique]

I think social media gives fans courage to say things they wouldn't say to the actir's faces. Having said that is also gives the actors and their spouses courage to be less than polite back. If the actor/spouse can't accept there are delusional fans then they need to reconsider their line of work.

Back in the day when I watched SPN and Ackles and Padalecki were dating their now spouses, I remember thinking Ackles needed to get on Twitter because his GF was a real piece of work. Sorry, I can't remember her name. But you want to talk about biting the hand that fed you. She was gnawing it off.

In other news I adore the Arrow cast and their con appearances. They seem like a great group to get to work with.

[catrox14]

I think social media gives fans courage to say things they wouldn't say to the actir's faces. Having said that is also gives the actors and their spouses courage to be less than polite back. If the actor/spouse can't accept there are delusional fans then they need to reconsider their line of work.

Back in the day when I watched SPN and Ackles and Padalecki were dating their now spouses, I remember thinking Ackles needed to get on Twitter because his GF was a real piece of work. Sorry, I can't remember her name. But you want to talk about biting the hand that fed you. She was gnawing it off.

In other news I adore the Arrow cast and their con appearances. They seem like a great group to get to work with.

 

The problem though is that some of those "fans" really go after the GF/spouses in a pretty terrible way.  Those SOs were basically being called beards, etc for Jensen and Jared and that the marriages are shams.  I think in her case, she was just not having it. It's not as though the SOs of said stars go out looking for trouble. So I can't really say I blame SA's wife, or either spouse of J2 for fighting back against that kind of nonsense.  To my mind that's not biting the hand that fed them, that's standing up against bullshit.

Edited September 2, 2014 by catrox14

[Guest]

Wow, seeing those tweets between SA's wife and fans is just…I have no words. I had no idea things were like that but then I'm not on twitter so I rarely see things like that. Gross. She'd be better to just ignore it but I understand getting tired of seeing hate. Also, shipping SA and EBR when he's married?! So weird. Keep it to yourself. Seriously. The guy is media savvy so he probably sees that and I can't think of anything more embarrassing. 

 

To keep my comment on topic, I think I'm a bit in love with Katrina Law. I'd love to see her on the show more. I kind of loved her little thing with Felicity so I'd love to see them interact a bit more.

Edited September 2, 2014 by Guest

[rainydawn]

Cassandra's tweet wasn't about real life shippers, she was talking about the general population that has been using "I die" "This is everything" and some people got offended because those are terms used in fandoms, as if she was mocking the fans, but she wasn't and it got out of hand (x)

Edited September 2, 2014 by rainydawn

[JJ928]

Unfortunately social media is a double edge sword. A few years back it wasn't the beast it is today. I think Amell does a great job of handling his social media presence, which is more than I can say for some other actors I've followed. Yeah, I never understood real life shipping, but to each his own. Again, I don't think what his wife said was a big deal, but if fans felt like they were being mocked then it's an issue. The internet is extremely sensitive and at times volatile.

 

Katrina Law looks like she'd be so much fun to just have a drink with. I would really love it if her role was expanded on Arrow.

[AnalyzeAndCritique]

.The problem though is that some of those "fans: really go after the GF/spouses in a pretty terrible way.Those SOs were basically being called beards, etc for Jensen and Jared and that the marriages are shams. I think in her case, she was just not having it. It's not as though the SOs of said stars go out looking for the trouble. So I can't really say I blame SA's wife, or either spouse of J2 for fighting back against that kind of nonsense. To my mind that's not biting the hand that fed them, that's standing up against bullshit.

I agree it is bullshit. However, the reality is if you are gaining popularity you are gaining those who love you and those who hate you. I never saw the appeal of believing JA and JP were a couple. JP had an adorable GF (before his wife) who seemed to interact well with the fans and support him. I think the fans enjoyed riling up JA's wife because she reacted and it was more fun to mock her. Had she just let it go, the fans would have had no choice but to choose someone new for their games. She also could have gone private with her social media. She wasn't promoting anythhng that I recall. One of the theories about her was she was sitting around on twitter spamming fans because she was bored. Regardless it brought a negative light to her and to him. It was then I made the decision to never follow an actor/actress on social media because if I loved the character I didn't want to dislike the actor.

Amell has some great Arrow tweets and Facebook posts. I don't follow him. I see them here. I enjoy seeing how the cast of Arrow interacts with each other. It is further proof they get along well. Especially for those who don't attend cons.

[dtissagirl]

I've been in fandom for 20 years, and I've seen RL shipping for 20 years. I actually think RL shipping on Arrow is pretty mild, if I compare it to previous fandoms. The only thing different now is social media makes it easier to stalk actors and their relatives. But one thing I've learned: the more people talk about the RL shippers, the more the tinhats feel validated in their delusions. For real. I've seen the argument over and over in many [MANY] fandoms before -- they think that if they're being told to shut up it's because there IS something to hide. [Here's where I roll my eyes at the insane troll logic, but it's been my experience in several fandoms.] So I'm just gonna make a suggestion here: ignore them. If you really wanna talk about them, do it in private. There is a HUGE trolling factor to RL shipping, so pointing at their antics feel like a victory for them.

[NumberCruncher]

Great advice, @dancingnancy.  I've seen real-life shipping happen with practically all the TV shows I've watched--Arrow is hardly unique--so I tend not to even pay attention to it because I know that those people are a tiny minority of the audience.

 

All in all, I think the Arrow actors are pretty savvy when it comes to social media.  None of them seem to engage the fans on Twitter and Facebook with the exception of Stephen, but he is level-headed enough to interact online without letting fans push his buttons.  Katie, Paul, David, and Emily rarely respond to fans (or haters) on Twitter which is smart because unlike Con appearances and other official events, you never know if the person hiding at the other end of the keyboard is really serious or just looking to get attention through trolling.

[KenyaJ]

I hope this doesn't demotivate SA with regards to Olicity, as I'm sure it does to many actors. 

 

I doubt it. He was favoriting shippy Olicity fanvids on YouTube this weekend. There's a reason why he's the Captain.  :-)

Edited September 2, 2014 by KenyaJ

[At Leisure]

Maybe its because I'm new to the whole 'following a show' scenario but I find RL shipping disgusting...especially if the people you're shipping together are with someone else. I mean a few weeks back I came across the term 'Stemily' on tumblr and I was truly shocked.

And though nothing can be done about it...I can't help but feel bad for SA's wife. Maybe her tweet was a general thing or maybe she really was irritated by people Who're into the Stemily insanity...I can't blame her for the tweet...steam has to be let off somewhere.

[AnyoneButYou]

"I die" and "This is everything" are terms that people use on the internet in general, though. I saw it about hundred times last night when I was looking at 1st day of school kindergarten pictures on my nephew's school's Facebook page. I'm not really sure where people are getting that her tweet resulted from being upset about Stemily unless there were deleted tweets specifically pointing out the Stemily thing before that tweet. It looked to me like she was making that statement about people in general and then, per usual, the fandoms overreacted and people started pointing fingers. I'm sure she was annoyed/upset because the replies to her were rude, but I don't think the original intent had anything to do with certain fandoms especially since she cleared up her intent a couple of tweets later.

Edited September 2, 2014 by AnyoneButYou

[doesntworkonwood]

People have been shipping real life couples for ages and ages. Even the media get involved a lot, they're the reason 'Brangelina' ever became a thing. I'm pretty sure during her Harry Potter days, Emma Watson got asked at least once during most of her interviews if she was secretly dating Rupert Grint or Daniel Radcliffe. 

 

People are invested in relationships, and have been since the dawn of time. That's why everyone wanted to see 'Kimye's' wedding pictures, and want to know if Selena and Justin are back on again. It's why a billion people tuned in to watch The Royal Wedding, and why you get excited to know that two of your mates are finally going out. It's so ingrained into our culture, that there is absolutely no basis to say it's exclusive to certain fandoms, or exclusive to teenage girls. 

 

That said, and with regards to 'Stemily', it's really unfortunate when people so obviously and loudly support a relationship that is the complete opposite of what's going on. It's harmful and will make people uncomfortable, naturally. 

 

The basis of Stemily (on other ships) comes from people belief that from a twitter account and a few interviews, people are able to see a person as a whole, which is just not true. I've never met Stephen Amell, but I have created this idea that he is a funny and generally very happy person, but I've no idea what he does when he gets home behind closed doors. And I think that's really important to remember, you will never know these people as whole individuals. I think that when people realise and understand that, they realise that the response to their shipping may not actually be the idea that they've created in their heads, and that will lead them tone it down and keep it hidden. 

[statsgirl]

that's not extreme shipping. that's being delusional, to the point of needing to see a shrink. i hope these individuals are teenagers, otherwise...

 

Sadly, not just teenagers. I recall a woman in her thirties with children in another fandom who was conviced that she would be the perfect person in real life to marry the hero.

 

The anonymity of the internet helps, enabling people to say things that really should be kept to themselves.  My daughter's physics teacher had a saying "there are things that should be said, and things that should only be thought. You need to learn the difference."

 

 

Quite honestly, I get the vibe that SA is this close to burning out already from the demands of the show.  In some of his interviews he spoke of relying on getting extra nutrients and supplements through an IV.  And it sounded like he was doing that on a regular basis which is worrying to me.

 

  Add to that his joy during filming episode 5 where he only had scenes on half the filming day - something he said never happens and of course his personal wish that some other show would pop up during the middle of the Arrow's season and just take over for 6 episodes.

 

I don't think he's going to go off the deep end or quit or anything but you can bet he's going to reach a point where he has to demand fewer hours just to stay sane and healthy. 

 

I hope the EPs are taking into account how hard it is on him because really, he is the show.

 

I'm kind of horrified that he takes supplements IV every couple of weeks.  (I also thought that maybe he should get a port-a-cath because it can't be doing the veins in his arms any good.  They could hid it like a scar.)  After season 1 he was sick for weeks (6?) because of how hard the shooting was on him and then he went right into an international p.r. tour to promote the show.  I hope that now that the show is doing well and supporting characters are established that they will spend more time featuring characters like Diggle, Felicity, Saral, Roy, Thea/Malcolm etc. and give SA a break.

[wingster55]

I think something that could work is an ep with no action sequences. No fights, training or even the salmon ladder. May be a tall order but could work.

Doing that twice a year may help as well