The joy of being a hater
Hate-consumption of media is so much more fun!
It’s well past your bedtime, and yet there you are, endlessly scrolling through your streaming platform of choice. You skip past the Grammy nominees, the top-rated picks on Letterboxed, the critically acclaimed gems. And then it appears, the perfect movie: outdated, poorly aged, with awful CGI and even worse acting. The plot is nonsensical and cringe-worthy. You’ve heard countless people trash it, seen it mercilessly roasted on social media. You already know you’re going to despise it. Yet, that is exactly why you settle in to watch the entire thing.
This phenomenon, known as “hate-watching,” is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as “to watch…in a spirit of mockery, as a form of entertainment.”
Hate-watching, or hate-consumption, isn’t limited to TV shows and movies. It extends to other forms of media as well, like books or content from online creators. While the concept may seem ridiculous, many of us engage in it at some point.
Are we all just masochists? Why would anyone willingly spend time on something that they don’t like?
The first step is determining what makes something worthy of hate-consumption. While quality is subjective, there is often a consensus on what counts as “bad” media. This can be a result of nonsensical writing, poor acting, low effort production, morally questionable messaging, and so on. When something gains a reputation for being terrible, it grants permission to hate on it without guilt.
However, hate-consumption goes beyond just watching or reading something bad. It’s about going in with the explicit intention of disliking it and enjoying the experience of that dislike.
So, how can we find joy in hatred? Is it innate to us?
The answer lies in the fact that the enjoyment we derive is often indirect and delayed. It doesn’t come from the media itself, but from the emotional catharsis it triggers. Yelling at the screen, throwing a book across the room, or ranting and raving to a friend are all ways to process and express frustration. We get a rush from experiencing intense emotions, whether it be joy, fear, or in this case, anger.
Consuming content we hate offers emotional release in a safe environment, without the risk of real-life consequences to expressing these emotions. It’s akin to watching a scary movie when you know you’re not actually in danger.
Collective hatred can also bring us closer together. It can create a sense of community, especially amidst our hyper-individualised social operation.
When we share the experience of mocking a terrible piece of media with friends or online communities, we turn passive consumption into an active, collective discussion. Shared humour and critique foster social connection and creates a sense of belonging. Hate-consumption becomes a cultural experience.
Take, for example, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In recent years, there has been a significant decline in quality with installments like She-Hulk and Madame Web, sparking significant backlash. The internet flooded with memes and commentary videos, making many feel the need to watch just for the sake of being a part of the conversation. It becomes a you-had-to-bethere moment, where the criticism becomes part of the entertainment.
Hate-consumption is not only rewarding socially, but intellectually too. It forces us to think critically about aspects we enjoy and those we don’t. Audiences don’t passively absorb bad media. Spurred on by their frustration, we analyze everything that went wrong, compare it to better examples, and imagine how media creators could have made it better. Engaging with bad media can improve media literacy and encourage creativity. In a way, we can get a deeper appreciation for good quality through contrast.
Although, this begs the question of whether we need to consume bad content at all. Surely, we can gain so much more by sticking to quality media. Why waste precious time? The reality is that not all media needs to be “good” to be valuable to us. Sometimes, we need something that’s easy, silly, or even “bad” to give our brains a break from more intense, challenging content and to release pent-up emotion.
The key is intentionality. It’s important to always remain mindful of what we dedicate our time to and why. “Slop content” is fine in moderation, but if you’re constantly binging for the sake of turning off your brain, you risk losing the ability to analyze what you’re seeing and falling into a cycle of mindless overconsumption.
Non-stop negativity breeds cynicism and eventually erodes our capacity for pleasure or appreciation. There can only be so many “I Read Colleen Hoover’s Books So You Don’t Have To” video essays before we realize it’s time to move on and use what we’ve learned to find or produce better stories.
In the end, balance is essential. Hate-consumption allows us to purge our frustrations, connect with others, and think more critically. But, if we’re not careful, the exact opposite can happen. Quality matters, but so does variety.
Sometimes, embracing being a hater can, paradoxically, bring more joy than you’d expect.
