The problem is not with someone criticizing a trope.<p>The problem is: what happens when the trope is criticized, and the response is &quot;thanks for your input but it&#x27;s not changing.&quot; That&#x27;s when the mobs and hashtags and internet shaming campaigns come out. That&#x27;s when news media takes it upon itself to carry out boycott campaigns. That&#x27;s when employers are contacted and people get fired or are forced to make groveling public apologies.<p>If you see hostile reactions to mere criticism, it&#x27;s because nowadays criticism is often a prequel to aggression.