‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ fans launch campaign to #RecastEggman
If you assumed the voice cast of a video game series about a hedgehog would be a relatively discourse-free topic, you’d be wrong.
Last week, the #RecastEggman hashtag started trending on X. Created by fans of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, the hashtag aims to replace Mike Pollock as the voice of Eggman, the main villain in the franchise. Pollock has been the voice of the character in numerous video games and television series since 2003.
The fan campaign was sparked by a series of unsavory posts on X from Pollock in the last few months, providing tangible evidence of the actor’s unpleasant attitude.
Complaints against Pollock run the gamut. In one post, Pollock called the thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza “collateral damage,” sparking outcry in the comments. One user replied “mike pollock nobody gives a fuck,” to which Pollock responded, “Have they tried Viagra?” When someone pointed out that he said that to a minor, he doubled down, noting that minors watch TV and see all the ads.
When one fan asked Pollock to stop his fanbase from calling her slurs in her DMs, he responded “Hey weirdo fanbase, don’t call Juno slurs in DMs! Do it publicly, I guess.” In a different post, Pollock was caught making lewd comments about another Sonic voice actor, and fans were also incensed by a post where he made fun of the death of Deem Bristow, the previous Eggman voice actor.
‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ fans sound off about Mike Pollock’s online behavior
Such is the evidence against Pollock in this fan-led crusade. Many noted that Pollock shouldn’t be part of a children’s series considering his weird interactions with minors. Others called on video game company SEGA to make a change, suggesting that Pollock should not be the face (or voice, as it were) of the franchise.
The biggest complaint by far was about Pollock’s purported Zionist beliefs. Many fans saw his comments about Palestine as unforgivable, drawing a hard line in the sand. “We don't want a zionist in our favorite video game,” one fan wrote. “you shouldn't be able to refer to countless civilian deaths as ‘collateral damage’ without losing your job and being blacklisted from the industry,” wrote another.
Many of these posts took on a righteous, impassioned tone. “Never forget, never forgive,” wrote one fan. “we won't be silent and we won't stop until our favorite Sonic villain has a voice actor that isn't a horrible person!” proclaimed another.
The conversation later turned toward other Sonic cast members and their offensive behavior. In one popular post, a fan roped the voice actors of Rogue the Bat and Cubot into the conversation, noting that the voice of Rogue is transphobic and an anti-vaxxer, and the voice of Cubot once went on a racist rant. “None of these pieces of shit should ever step foot in an office again,” they wrote.
On X, the vast majority of fans participating in this discussion seem to have turned against Pollock, with only a few dissenting opinions. On the opposing side, one angry fan called the #RecastEggman crowd a group of “terrorist sympathizers,” while another suggested people are turning on him because he “had a non-Reddit-approved opinion.”
The ‘Sonic’ fandom isn’t the first to face these issues
Who knew there was so much discourse among Sonic the Hedgehog fans? For the most part, these discussions reflect broader ideas within fandom as a whole. These days, fans want the media they consume—and those involved in making that media—to reflect their values.
This impulse has become increasingly common in the 21st century, as fans have more access to creatives and their opinions than ever before. Moreover, the ostensible democratizing effect of social media means fans believe—sometimes correctly—that they can create change in the industry.
Additionally, this conversation reveals how important Palestine and the war on Gaza has become to many folks online, particularly those engaged in liberal or leftist communities.
We’ve seen this crossover between pop culture and politics before, such as the #SwiftiesForPalestine movement or the recent controversies about the upcoming Scream film. For many, there is a clear ethical distinction between supporting Palestinian rights and supporting Zionism, a perspective that was far less widespread even five years ago.
Relatively self-contained bubbles on the internet still exist, and fandom is one example. But many debates among these groups revolve around similar issues. Morality matters to fans now more than ever, and “separating the art from the artist” is no longer the law of the land.
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