Line #33 Main/DontLikeDontRead


1	->''"IF YOU FIND THE CONTENT OF THIS STORY TO BE OFFENSIVE, QUEER OR PLAIN OUT OFF THE WALL, THEN DO NOT READ ON!!!!!!!"''
2	-->-- Part of a particularly angry and long-winded author's note about the negative reviews of ''Fanfic/MyInnerLife''
3
4	"Don't like, don't read" is a standard response to criticism of a work of fiction, particularly on the Internet. It raises the basic question of why the critic bothered to read or finish the work [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin if it turned out they didn't like it]].
5
6	The trope is most commonly used by FanFic authors who CantTakeCriticism and try to silence critics with this line (as part of a trifecta with LetsSeeYouDoBetter and YoureJustJealous). When "don't like, don't read" is used this way, the problem is immediately obvious: how is the audience supposed to know they don't like it if they haven't read it? The alternative would presumably be for the critic to not read the work and [[ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch complain about it anyway]]. It's also often seen in comment sections on places like Platform/YouTube, where the work may be so short that by the time the viewer decides they didn't like it, it's already over.
7
8	A reader doesn't necessarily have to enjoy everything they read. They might be able to provide ConstructiveCriticism in an effort to allow the author to improve their work in the future. They might be a professional critic who doesn't have a ''choice'' in what they read or watch; no good critic is going to limit their reviews to things they think they will enjoy. They might have seen the summary, thought it had potential, and then read through it and ended up disappointed because [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot it didn’t match up to expectation.]] They might have been recommended by others about it and felt HypeBacklash. They might even be seeking out things that they don't like, because that allows them to build a persona as a CausticCritic. Or they might actually like it, but only because it's SoBadItsGood. "Don't like, don't read" is thus not a particularly useful criticism here.
9
10	That said, Administrivia/TropesAreTools, and there are legitimate reasons to use this line. No work can be [[MultipleDemographicAppeal all things to all people]], and the line allows the author to be up-front about what's in the work. This allows readers to know, even before they start reading, that they might encounter something they won't like. When used most productively, it can serve as more of a {{Content Warning\|s}} than an admonition. It's helpful for certain readers, given that it's impossible to "unread" something (as much as people [[BrainBleach would really like to]]). It's particularly useful for things like DarkFic, which provides an unexpected and often disturbing twist to something people will be familiar with, which is definitely not to everyone's taste. It's also useful to warn people of spoilers if they haven't finished the parent work yet. More often, though, FanFiction writers will drop this line to fend off their fandom's interminable ShipToShipCombat.
11
12	Which brings us to another legitimate reason to use the line: to deal with FanDumb. Some fans like to see very specific things happen -- ''e.g.'' a specific {{Ship\|ping}}, a happy ending, a focus on a particular character -- and when they don't see it, they fly off the handle. Still others, and even many critics, simply ''don't like'' the common tropes of certain genres, like high fantasy or sci-fi, and complain about the presence of things like soft magic systems, benevolent monarchs, faster-than-light travel, etc that are simply ''staples of that genre'' rather than actual cliches. In such situations, the only thing to tell a reader really ''is'' "don't like, don't read", because criticism of the work along these lines doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the writing. Some fanfic writers have taken to stating in advance which pairings will appear in the work, so nobody who [[DieForOurShip objects to them]] has any excuse to keep reading. In Website/ThisVeryWiki, it is outright ''mandatory'' to include such a notice when adding an entry to a FanficRecommendations page, for the same reasons.
13
14	Sometimes the line is said in response to readers who seem to be forcing themselves to read or watch something they don't enjoy just so that they can keep criticizing it, such as fanfic readers who leave entirely negative feedback on multiple subsequent chapters. When the work is put up in installments, ''especially'' if it's free, it costs nothing to quit while you're ahead. It can seem remarkably petty to keep reading a LongRunner you hate just to criticize it. But this doesn't make constructive criticism invalid on its own, so it cuts both ways. At the same time, many FanFiction writers point out that their writing is a ''hobby,'' and view unsolicited constructive criticism as incredibly rude due to the fact that this is something they're doing for fun and for free rather than a product for which they are accountable to their audience.
15
16	However, this line is also prone to InsultBackfire, as if an author tells their potential audience not to interact with their work, [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor they may just do exactly that]], and a significant enough loss of audience may cause the author's work to suffer financial failure. Authors working on adaptations of popular works or inheriting long running franchises are the most vulnerable to this type of outcome if they push away the main demographic that traditionally supports those works.
17
18	A subtrope of DearNegativeReader, where this is one of many tools a writer might use to counter criticism of their work.
19
20	'''Note:''' Examples should be limited to responses to criticism of works of fiction, rather than ''any'' rebuff of criticism. As always, play nice, and try to avoid {{Take That}}s and Administrivia/ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontLike.
21	----
22	!!Examples:
23
24	[[foldercontrol]]
25
26	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
27	* Used InUniverse in ''Literature/BookGirl'', an animated short based on a series of light novels about a girl who literally eats books, and a boy whom she makes write books for her. She complains about the AssPull ending of one of the stories, leading him to reply, "Hey, if you don't like it, don't eat it."
28	* Kubo Tite, author of ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', tweeted in early 2010, [[DearNegativeReader in response to criticism,]] that:
29	--> "Sometimes [[TakeThatAudience some children]] get the wrong idea, so I guess I'll explain. It's not the reader's right to change the story of a work. Their only right is to choose whether or not to read it. If they can't stomach it, they should stop reading."
30	[[/folder]]
31
32	[[folder:Comic Books]]
33	* Comic books, especially the mainstream titles from Creator/{{Marvel\|Comics}} and Creator/{{DC\|Comics}}, are part of a peculiar phenomenon where fans routinely complain about comics they don't like, but buy them anyway because they want the complete collection. They thus feel particularly entitled to complain about them, because if they're buying them one way or another, they would rather like them to be worth reading. Comic writers hit back with MortonsFork: if you buy it, you can't criticise it because the best way to incentivise writers to improve is to withhold your money, but if you ''don't'' buy it, you ''still'' can't criticise it because [[ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch you haven't read it]]!
34	* Creator/KellySueDeConnick put it more succinctly when she said, "If you don't like my politics, don't buy my books." Unsurprisingly, this backfired on her.
35	[[/folder]]
36
37	[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
38	* FanFiction is notorious for authors who use this excuse as a way of deflecting [[CantTakeCriticism any and all criticism of their work]], essentially implying that coherent writing, characterization, and [[RougeAnglesOfSatin spelling]] are just a matter of personal taste. That said, given how often readers complain about things like pairings and other story elements, it's also common to use the line as part of a FanficHeader warning readers about what they can expect to find:
39	** Platform/FanfictionDotNet and sites like it will indicate every [[{{Shipping}} romantic pairing]] in the fic before it starts, warning fans not to read it if they don't like what they see (which, since this is fanfic, can range from HoYay to {{Foe Yay\|Shipping}} to {{Incest\|YayShipping}} to just not a FanPreferredCouple), especially in fandoms where ShipToShipCombat is rampant.
40	** Platform/ArchiveOfOurOwn supplements this with an elaborate {{Content Warning\|s}} system that requires writers to warn readers of pretty much anything. They can warn of certain pairings or focus on certain characters. They can warn of certain objectionable plot points (''e.g.'' [[ViolenceIsDisturbing graphic violence]], [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rape]], [[KilledOffForReal major character death]], or [[HormoneAddledTeenager any sexual relationship involving minors]]), and other sensitive tropes like [[MurderArsonAndJaywalking racism, depression, or not being beta-read]]. They can list any plot elements the readers might not like, which leads some short fics to have tags so extensive that they basically summarise the fic in its entirety. They can even use a tag saying they won't tag anything ''specific'' for various reasons (like not wanting to spoil the story), basically meaning "read at your own risk", occasionally summed up {{memetic\|Mutation}}ally with the phrase "[[Series/ArrestedDevelopment Dead Dove, Do Not Eat]]"[[note]]to which the standard response is, "I don't know what I expected."[[/note]]
41	* Parodied in ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheSomethingSomething'':
42	-->Don't like? Read anyway. And then bitch to me about it when you're done. It's not like you have anything better to do with your time, right?
43	* Prolific fanfic author (and likely {{troll\|fic}}) Creator/HansVonHozel, known for his extremely tenuous grasp of English, used this line when he re-hosted his ''Series/{{Numb3rs}}'' fic after it was reported and deleted.
44	* ''Fanfic/MyInnerLife'', a ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' fanfic that's supposedly an account of the author's lucid dreams, begins with an "Author's Note" which is really a multi-page AuthorTract, consisting mostly of repeatedly throwing this excuse at any readers who may be questioning whether writing all that down was such a good idea.
45	* Cori Falls has these disclaimers in the form of long-winded rants on both her ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' and ''Franchise/YuGiOh'' pages.
46	* The fictional fanfic authors included in ''Fanfic/BleachFanWorks'' do this quite often. Jolene Meyers possibly has the most succinct example:
47	-->''If you don't like my character, then [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] don't read.''
48	* Nick Scipio, a highly-acclaimed X-rated fanfic writer best known for the [[{{Doorstopper}} million-plus word]] sex drama ''Summer Camp'', has been known to give this response to critics of his work. The problem is that some of those critics also include fans burned by his ScheduleSlip who feel particularly slighted when a new long-awaited installment isn't up to their standard.
49	* In chapter 36 of ''[[Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm Ghosts of the Past]]'', Creator/NimbusLlewelyn told a group of annoyingly persistent anonymous reviewers that if they didn't like the more grounded direction the fic was taking, they should go and find - or write - one more to their taste. Given that this was five years, 116 chapters (118 counting the Chaos Reigns two-shot), and 1.4 million words into the series, with the approach of explicitly avoiding most Super!Harry tropes being made crystal clear from the beginning, it was an entirely justified reaction after several less emphatic responses were ignored.
50	* ''Fanfic/MyImmortal'''s writer Tara has a tendency to do this when snapping at the "prepz" who criticise the story. It gets to the point that every time she makes a ShoutOut, she interrupts the story with a [[AuthorTract series of "author's notes"]] to yell at anyone who doesn't get the reference and yet is still reading, ostensibly because they're only there to bitch about the story's quality.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Film]]
54	* When the ''Star Trek'' [[Film/StarTrek2009 reboot movie]] was released, producer Creator/JJAbrams flat-out told ''Franchise/StarTrek'' fans that it would make things more accessible to non-fans, and the die-hards [[ItsPopularNowItSucks probably weren't going to like it]] and probably shouldn't watch it.
55	* ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'' demonstrated the problem with responding like this to professional reviewers, as fans will point to the film's CriticalDissonance; clearly, only the ''critics'' don't like it, so their opinions are meaningless and they shouldn't watch it. The problem is that they get paid to watch it, whether they particularly want to or not.
56	* This phrase seems to be Creator/KevinSmith's mentality. As years have passed, he's gotten nastier and nastier towards critics, and seems to resent them. The idea is "don't like, don't watch" because he [[ItsNotSupposedToWinOscars makes movies for himself, not for critics]].
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	[[folder:Literature]]
60	* Laurell K. Hamilton gave this line in a DearNegativeReader letter to fans of her ''Literature/AnitaBlake'' series, who complained of the increasing powerhouse status of the title character and emphasis on IKEAErotica over an actual plot.
61	* Creator/TerryGoodkind, when talking about people who didn't enjoy the ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'' books but still read them, said that their complaining was like someone slamming their hand in a car door, screaming about how much it hurts, and then doing it over and over again. Fans of early books who hated ''Naked Empire'' took this to mean that even Goodkind [[AnalogyBackfire thinks it's like slamming your hand in a car door.]]
62	* ''[[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Twilight]]'' fans tend to use this excuse when dealing with the series' {{Hatedom}}. It never works, as the hatedom is particularly focused on studying the series because they believe it promotes dangerous ideals such as StalkingIsLove; they're working very hard to try and turn fans against the series. That, and they also keep hearing that they can't criticize it unless they've read it.
63	* Website/AntiShurtugal, a now-defunct [[{{Hatedom}} anti-fansite]] for ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'', was founded reportedly because certain individuals received this (and the [[LetsSeeYOUDoBetter other]] [[YoureJustJealous two]] StockPhrases in the Holy Trinity along with forum bans and [[DisproportionateRetribution death threats]]) every time they'd post something critical on an ''Inheritance'' fansite. Its SpiritualSuccessor, Impishidea, received a number of ugly comments along the lines of this trope when it was critical of ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'' or ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga''. It also accidentally attracted the author of ''Bitterwood''.
64	* Creator/JKRowling used this line productively; she explained in an interview that when she encountered a fan who did not react well to a character's death in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', she told this fan not to read the other books because [[AnyoneCanDie it wasn't going to get any better]].
65	* Creator/DouglasAdams got so fed up of people telling him "You could put a Zaphod bit in there" when he was writing ''Literature/SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish'', that there's a lengthy section ''in the book itself'' saying that if you don't want to read the novel he's writing, you should skip to the last chapter, which has Marvin in it.
66	[[/folder]]
67
68	[[folder:Live Action TV]]
69	* This has been heard like a mantra on ''Series/DoctorWho'' fan sites since the new series began airing (and in all kinds of fan venues even before then), to the point where there are certain areas where expressing ''any'' criticism of the new series will invoke this response.
70	* {{Creator/MTV}} reality show ''Series/JerseyShore'' has been accused of reinforcing negative stereotypes of Italian-Americans as nothing but loud-mouthed party animal guidos. Cast member "Snooki" responded with this line, which [[StopBeingStereotypical made her look like a stereotypical loud-mouthed guido]]:
71	-->''FUCK YOU! If you don't want to watch, don't watch. Just shut the hell up! I'm serious. FUCK YOU!''
72	* Co-creator of ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' Creator/LarryDavid would often state in response to criticism of the show, "If you don't like it, please don't watch."
73	* In a press conference before the ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' series premiere, Edward Olmos was asked about the reaction of ''Series/BattlestarGalactica1978'' fans to the reimagining. He said, flatly, "If you're a fan of the original, don't watch the new one. You won't like it, turn it off." This made some minor entertainment headlines ("Eddie Olmos ''doesn't'' want you to watch his new show!") and was probably the result of Olmos seeing one too many [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks complaints]] from [[FanDumb the original show's fans]] about the new show's mere existence. Ron Moore would later admit that it turned into [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity better publicity]] than they could have paid for with people tuning in [[BileFascination just to see why Olmos thought they would hate it]].
74	* In a pre-series [[http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2009/02/22/kamen-rider-returns-to-us-television/ interview]], ''Series/KamenRiderDragonKnight'''s producer Steve Wang commented on [[FanDumb fans]] who [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks automatically hate any US adaptation without giving it a fair shot]], saying (in so many words) that ''Dragon Knight'' wasn't for them, and that he'd be the first to suggest they just not bother watching the show at all to save themselves the trouble of going to the fan forums and [[Administrivia/ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontLike bitching about it]]. Wang is, however, a huge ''Franchise/KamenRider'' fan, and in said interview he also points out that "the original Japanese versions will always be there for them to enjoy and, despite what they believe, no one can ever take that away."
75	* Happens InUniverse on ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' with JustForFun/StatlerAndWaldorf, who buy tickets to see the show every week even though they hate it. They even [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] this fact in the TitleSequence.
76	* In an interview promoting ''Series/{{Preacher\|2016}}'', Joseph Gilgun was asked to address the show's possibly offensive nature towards Christians. Gilgun's response was to say "fuck them" and that they shouldn't watch the show if they think it won't be nice to their religion.
77	* When someone on Twitter said they'd switched off ''Series/GoodOmens'' as soon as they saw Adam and Eve were black, Creator/NeilGaiman commented that if they had a problem with that, they ''really'' wouldn't have liked anything that followed, so it was probably just as well.
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Music]]
81	* Music/JayZ's attitude toward his critics can be encompassed in "99 Problems":
82	-->''If y'all don't like my lyrics / You can press fast forward''
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
86	* From [[http://lileks.com/institute/comicsins/comics/milquetoast/15.html Casper Milquetoast]]:
87	-->"While wading through the second installment of a tiresome serial, Mr. Milquetoast suddenly realizes that there is no town, state, or federal law compelling him to finish it."
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
91	* Wrestling/RomanReigns is without question the most unpopular [[{{Face}} babyface wrestler]] of all time, even winning ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'''s "Most Hated Wrestler of the Year" award despite that being almost exclusively reserved for [[{{Heel}} the bad guys]]. Wrestling fans [[XPacHeat booed him relentlessly]] and begged for him to go. The executives, though, audaciously declared there to be NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity and that if the fans ''really'' hated him, they wouldn't even bother to turn up and boo him; they'd just not buy tickets, or just stay completely silent. That ''would'' send quite a message, but it's completely implausible to expect thousands of fans to spontaneously decide to do that.
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Video Games]]
95	* Video game fans tend to complain about optional DownloadableContent, to which they're told just not to buy it if they don't like it. That would work if that were the sole problem, but the content is also taking up space on the disk that could be used to make the game they ''do'' like better. In other cases, they're not complaining about the content itself, but the fact that they have to pay for it when it should have been part of the game all along (a particular issue with Creator/{{Atlus}} and [[Creator/ParadoxInteractive Paradox]] games), meaning that even if you didn't buy it, you're left feeling like the game is incomplete.
96	* Publishers and developers try to justify the inclusion of {{microtransactions}} on the grounds that they are "providing player choice" and fans don't have to buy if they don't want to. However, some pundits like [[WebVideo/{{Jimquisition}} Jim Sterling]] have pointed out that the inclusion of microtransactions alters game progression; players are forced to either pay up or endure an [[LevelGrinding unrewarding grind]], which makes player agency seem meaningless.
97	* Video game fans also tend to prefer specific genres over others, so reviewers might find themselves criticizing a game just because it's a genre they're not really into. "Don't like, don't play" can be a valid response when it's just some guy on Website/GameFAQs who's probably trolling. It's less valid when the reviewer is being told to play it by his superiors and says right up front he doesn't like the genre because he has to let the readers know he probably ''can't'' provide an objective review of the game. And it warps right back to valid when those reviewers start to cater to the fans' entitlement complexes and demand only games in genres they like.
98	* Later ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games have side contests that only really give out {{Cosmetic Award}}s and have no impact on the game itself. When fans complain that this isn't like the early games, they're reminded that almost all of these side contests are completely avoidable; don't like, don't play.
99	* Invoked by the developers of ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'', which forces the player character to commit war crimes. The game is written in such a way as to encourage the player to quit in disgust at that point. Those who continued playing were [[YouBastard reminded of how horrible they're being]], which they didn't appreciate; when they complained, the game effectively told them, "don't like, don't play." It didn't resonate well with fans who just wanted to play the whole game they paid for, only to be told the best way to play was [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption to give up halfway through]]. As for the plotline itself, lead writer Walt Williams was much more responsive to criticism.
100	* {{MMORPG}}s occasionally attract players who complain about how much the game sucks as a whole, in spite of the fact that they've clearly been playing it for a lot longer than it should take them to make that determination; "don't like, don't play" is the only appropriate response.
101	* Video game franchises that specialize in a certain genre tend to receive complaints about games that dabble in a different genre; for example, fans of ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles'' complained that it was an RPG and not a platformer like other ''Sonic'' games (or the opposite when ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' turned out to be a platformer and not an RPG). But since the games were upfront about the genre, this seems to imply that such fans are completionists who ''have'' to buy every game in the franchise, and thus have to be reminded, "don't like, don't play".
102	* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' has issues with players who don't like a certain play style or technique and demand that Notch overhaul the entire game's mechanics to fit their tastes. The response "don't like, don't play" is very apt here, because they don't have to worry about this at all in single-player, and you're free to [[StartMyOwn set up a multiplayer server]] with rules disallowing that particular technique or play style (especially because it's considered bad form to destroy other people's creations). Sometimes it stops there, but if the complainer is feeling particularly ornery, they'll demand that ''everyone else'' form their own server.
103	* Used InUniverse in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', in one argument between Specialist Copeland and TagalongReporter Diana Allers. Copeland will object to an opinion piece advocating abandoning Terra Nova, appalled that Allers would even think of writing something like that despite being on the Normandy, and Allers tells Copeland that if he doesn't like it, he doesn't have to download it. You can choose whom to support in this argument.
104	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV''[[note]]A subscription based game to start with[[/note]] has a weird case regarding the cash shop, where every item is a CosmeticAward with no effect on gameplay. It's completely optional to use the cash shop anyway, so players who complain about this are told "don't like, don't buy". Some complainers will shoot back that Creator/SquareEnix is milking players for money and priming them for BribingYourWayToVictory -- ''i.e.'', suggesting the developers are secretly planning to sell ''real'' power, so no one should have access to cosmetic items.
105	* Jim Sterling of WebVideo/{{Jimquisition}} points out the illogic of complaining about how the [[ThatOneLevel Water Temple]] from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', which was made easier in ''Master Quest'', was restored to its original tough layout for the [=3DS=] version -- nothing was stopping you from just hanging on to ''Master Quest'' and continuing to play that. They were similarly befuddled by complaints about ''Zelda'' games [[ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch before they even came out]].
106	* This is actually one of the rules on Nexusmods, a site hosting many {{Game Mod}}s, particularly of ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' games. If someone thinks a mod does not correspond to their vision of the game, they are required to just move on, instead of voicing their discontent in the mod's comment section.
107	* ''VideoGame/BattlefieldV'' had EA chief design officer Patrick Soderlund response to criticism of the PoliticallyCorrectHistory (mostly around female playable characters) of the game with "we stand up for the cause, because I think those people who don't understand it, well, you have two choices: either accept it or don't buy the game". The backlash didn't help the game, which undersold expectations by about 15% and had ongoing support killed earlier than expected due to a declining player base caused by multiple issues including this one.
108
109	[[/folder]]
110
111	[[folder:Web Original]]
112	* Platform/YouTube is a funny animal, as it's known for its nonsensical and vitriolic comment sections. A common reaction to negative comments is "don't like, don't watch". This wouldn't be particularly valid if the video is so short that the viewer doesn't have much of a chance to ''stop'' watching before realizing he didn't like it, or if the viewer is expected to trawl the comment section to see if anyone mentioned that the video contained something he didn't like. It's more valid for complaints that "Artist X sucks!", because you probably did know beforehand that this was an Artist X video, or for complaints about spoilers if the video is tagged as such. Some reviewers will even start videos with a "don't like, don't watch" warning if they're about to criticize something [[HePannedItNowHeSucks people generally like]].
113	* Dana of [[http://reasoningwithvampires.tumblr.com/ Reasoning With Vampires]], a blog criticizing the ''[[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Twilight]]'' books, often hears this from irritated fans who read her blog. She says it right back.
114	* The phrase is quite common within many art gallery-type sites -- sometimes it's fair criticism, sometimes it's an artist who just CantTakeCriticism. Some artists don't want to hear constructive criticism, despite the fact that the only reliable way for them to improve their artwork is for others to point out what they need to work on. Some critics don't understand the concept of ''constructive'' criticism and think "stop drawing anime-style" is an example of such improvement. The Internet can be a stupid place sometimes.
115	* Platform/{{Newgrounds}} has its share of {{Hatedumb}} fans who go around looking for videos in a genre they don't like and complaining basically about their existence. It's particularly common with the site's many {{hentai}} videos, or for parodies of works [[HePannedItNowHeSucks the haters were fans of]].
116	* WebVideo/MirandaSings tells this repeatedly to her "haters".
117	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiEIc-U13pE This]] episode of ''WebVideo/MrDeity'' [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]] on the phenomenon; it ends with a [[PleaseSubscribeToOurChannel begging segment]] explaining that if you hate the show, loathe the begging segments, and are still watching anyway, there are trained psychiatric professionals who can help you.
118	* On WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd website, people frequently come into unrelated videos (such as "Board James") and bash them because they aren't AVGN. This usually attracts at least one or two comments saying that they don't ''have'' to watch the non-AVGN videos.
119	* A web series based on the sequel for ''VideoGame/PAYDAYTheHeist'' is constantly harped on for being "bad", yet most of the people who complain about the quality of the series keep watching every new episode that is released just so that they can justify their constant complaining.
120	* Greg Farshtey, writer of Franchise/{{LEGO}}'s now canceled ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' line, has offered this suggestion on the Platform/BZPower forums regarding his online serials that have gotten mixed reviews.
121	* {{Deconstruct\|ion}}ed by WebVideo/{{PIEGUYRULZ}} in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiGMXlyEtaA 6 Reasons Why the "Don't Like, Don't Watch" Argument is Hilariously Idiotic]].
122	* Many ''Platform/GoAnimate'' videos will have videos or descriptions proclaiming that one should "respect [their] opinions", essentially saying that those who complain about their videos are "baby show lovers".
123	* Said InUniverse by WebVideo/ScottTheWoz's therapist in the ''VideoGame/ChibiRobo Zip Lash'' episode; he's saying that Scott shouldn't play the game if he hates it so much. Scott retaliates by asking how would he know that he hates the game if he's never played it to begin with.
124	* Given the amount of vitriol the ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' season he directed got, along with how the follow-ups based on that were not being welcomed [[TaintedByThePreview based on a trailer alone]], Torrian Crawford [[DearNegativeReader lashed out the fanbase]] [[https://twitter.com/AnimatedTorrii/status/1414719976649408512 with "Stop watching the fucking show."]] [[https://www.reddit.com/r/RedvsBlue/comments/ojbhyh/torrians_comment_regarding_the_red_vs_blue_fanbase/ The fandom didn't take it kindly.]] However, this is arguably not an example of the trope; in context, Torrian's comment was explicitly targeting toxic harassment levelled at creators and saying that ''open vitriol on cast and crew members' personal accounts,'' not general fan criticism in appropriate venues, should be cut from the community.
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:Webcomics]]
128	* Webcomic writers are among the authors best suited to this response; their works are almost always totally free and released in installments, so readers lose almost nothing by just quitting once they realize they don't like it.
129	* In ''Webcomic/{{Concerned}}'', Gordon Frohman is in the world of ''VideoGame/CounterStrike'', and the players complain about all sorts of stuff promised to them:
130	-->'''Frohman:''' So, let me get this straight. You basically complain about every single aspect of this game. Yet you've been playing it over and over since 1999.\
131	'''Terrorist:''' Yes! So I complain on [[RougeAnglesOfSatin teh]] Steam forums every day.
132	* Jeffrey Darlington, creator of ''Webcomic/GeneralProtectionFault'', has been known to advise complainers to take a vacation from the comic for a number of months -- ''i.e.'', until the current arc is over.
133	* Entries in challenges like UsefulNotes/NaNoWriMo, which are based on quantity over quality, are occasionally criticized for their quality nonetheless; "don't like, don't read" is basically the only rational response to these people. The fiercest users of this trope are the community members at the ''Daily Grind'', a comic-drawing contest that demands a 2+ panel comic every weekday with the prize going to the artist who lasts the longest without missing an update; some commenters will pressure artists whose work they don't like into dropping out so that someone more "deserving" will win, completely missing the point of the contest.
134	* Creator/AndrewHussie of ''Webcomic/MSPaintAdventures'' has responded to people not liking ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks because it is not like]] ''Webcomic/ProblemSleuth'' [[http://www.formspring.me/andrewhussie/q/781027547 with]] [[http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread.php?32178-Anyone-else-think-Hussie-should-cut-down-on-the-Pesterlogs-a-bit&p=4125631&viewfull=1#post4125631 several]] [[http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread.php?29915-Pester-Chum-s-are-too-long!!&p=3857423&viewfull=1#post3857423 essays']] [[http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread.php?29915-Pester-Chum-s-are-too-long!!&p=3859169&viewfull=1#post3859169 worth]] [[http://www.formspring.me/andrewhussie/q/750738682 of]] [[http://www.formspring.me/andrewhussie/q/780995992 rant]] [[http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread.php?29915-Pester-Chum-s-are-too-long!!&p=3859225&viewfull=1#post3859225 that]] [[http://www.formspring.me/andrewhussie/q/1158778979 all]] [[http://www.formspring.me/andrewhussie/q/1093953142 boil]] [[http://www.formspring.me/andrewhussie/q/1093935286 down]] [[http://www.formspring.me/andrewhussie/q/1001292582 to]] "I'm doing it the way I want. If you don't like ''Homestuck'', don't read it." "Go read ''Problem Sleuth''" has become a stock fan response to complaints, which apparently implies that [[DoubleStandard the fans are all incredibly dogmatic]]. Hussie also threw in a TakeThat in Act 6, as many of the new trolls are avatars of these fans, and they're not portrayed sympathetically.
135	* In the first ''Webcomic/MegaTokyo'' compilation book, one of Piro's commentaries mentions that after an early strip that broke away from the gag-a-day norm for the sake of the story, a reader said that he would stop reading if Piro did something like that again. The author's response was basically, "Go ahead, I'm not forcing you to read it."
136	[[/folder]]
137
138	[[folder:Western Animation]]
139	* The episode "Boys Do Cry" of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' ends with Peter Griffin giving a TakeThat to MoralGuardians which takes this form.
140	* The episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Sealab 2021}}'' that introduces Shanks had him note that if the crew (and by extension the audience) didn't like that he was replacing the much beloved Captain Murphy,[[note]]Which was necessary to keep the show going due to the death of Murphy's voice actor.[[/note]] they can go watch anime instead.
141	* ''WesternAnimation/ThundercatsRoar'': Monkian has some choice words on Cheetara's livestream.
142	-->'''Monkian:''' Oh, Cheetara thinks she's so great, but she's totally not.\
143	'''Vultureman:''' Ah, you know, you don't have to watch her videos.\
144	'''Monkian:''' But then what will I complain about?!
145	[[/folder]]

Context Main / DontLikeDontRead