Erin Moriarty, who portrays Starlight/Annie January on The Boys, has recently spoken out about the misogynistic treatment she has received from fans of the show. Taking to social media, Moriarty shared an article that pointed out the irony and injustice of Moriarty's treatment.

The Boys recently finished its third season back in July. Part of season three's plotline involved Annie January overcoming the sexist treatment she had come to accept and dread as a commodified superhero. Her body, agency, and choices were dictated by outside agencies. Eventually, however, Annie sheds her alter ego of Starlight and decides that she will forge her own path as a member of the Boys, where she can make her own decisions and fight for justice in her own way.

RELATED: Jeffrey Dean Morgan Joins The Boys Season 4

Unfortunately, some fans did not internalize the message of her arc. In a Medium article entitled "#IStandWithStarlight?: The betrayal of Erin Moriarty by The Boys ‘fans’", an author going by the pseudonym of 'butcherscanary' dissected the ways in which fans have failed Moriarty. For her part, Moriarty shared the post on her Instagram page and took care to highlight certain passages in the article in a plea for fans to recognize her humanity.

Erin-Moriarty-Instagram-Story-1

In a particularly moving part of the essay, the author of the piece pointed out that Moriarty's treatment paralleled her character's sexualization and silencing. "Annie is fictional, and Erin is not," the author wrote, and Moriarty highlighted the passage. Moriarty's Instagram is full of comments under her posts that seek to tear apart her physical appearance in one way or another. As part of her response to the article, Moriarty wrote, "I do feel silenced. I do feel dehumanized. I do feel paralyzed. I’ve put blood, sweat, and tears into this role (over & over & over again), I’ve grown UP in this character’s shoes (*emphasis on grown up - we change & evolve mentally AND physically)." In her stories, however, she did note that this treatment does not dissuade her nor lessen her enjoyment of being on the show.

While there's been some debate as to whether the satire on The Boys may be too obvious, it's clear that certain segments of the viewing audience either do not follow some lessons the show seeks to impart upon its viewers or actively choose to act against what the show stands for. Moriarty's treatment is an example of this; where the show attempts to empower its female characters and illustrate how women's bodies and their agency are commercialized for the gaze of an audience, real life is just as on-the-nose. Moriarty has to wade through comments sexualizing and scrutinizing her body, but she clearly will not remain silent on this issue.

Knowing how self-referential the show gets, it's possible that the writers will call out this behavior on screen in The Boys season 4. Hopefully, a more blatant calling out gets the message across. Sadly, there are many more actresses who feel as Moriarty does, but who feel silenced and pressured not to speak out. It's commendable that Moriarty has chosen to take a stand against this type of behavior.

The Boys seasons 1-3 are now available on Amazon Prime Video.

MORE: Animal Kingdom: [SPOILERS] Deaths Were Their Only Possible Ending

Source: Erin Moriarty/Instagram