#really hoping that the OP is legitimately confused about the meaning of Toxic Positivity

[richardsphere]

Im going to respond to this with the assumption that you are legitimately misunderstanding the meaning of the term "toxic positivity". And as such im going to write an explanation of what i understand the meaning of the term to be. But before i do so i want to point out: Happiness Merchants exists. Thats literally the point of most media making companies, to sell "happiness" in one form of another. Every time that your favourite franchise releases a new teaser-trailer to get you hyped for the next season of "Show you used to like but thats been retooled so often its now only a shadow of its former self and you're legitimately unsure if it'll ever go back to being the show you used to love"? Thats them "selling happiness", selling the promise that this next season will make you happy. Every marketing department from the big guys like Disney and WB to the smaller indies like the former Roosterteeth and Team Cherry, are the "happiness merchants" you are looking for. Now onto Toxic Positivity. Toxic positivity is a form of Social pressure, used to silence dissent and criticism by accusing the Critic of being a Burden to Others by Bringing The Mood Down. the classic example is a father telling their kids to "Be happy with your greens, your mother worked hard to make them" (note: This example might seem related to "kids in africa are starving" but they are entirely different forms of social pressure, Kids in Africa is what is called the Appeal to Worse Problems). Toxic positivity is the idea that people have a moral obligation to be happy with the status quo, to maintain others' satisfaction. Its a way of supressing criticism because "people worked hard to make this terrible thing" and "your criticism is bringing the mood down for the Mindless Consumers who just want to eat their slop" Its a pressure to silence the critic by saying that a critic holding a creative work accountable to its flaws by pointing those out isnt helping, because pointing out flaws "brings the mood down", so instead of adressing the problems, those unsatisfied just need to lower their standards and feign Happiness (TM). The best example of a portrayal of Toxic Positivity in Media, is in the Disney/Pixar movie: Inside Out. Riley's deeply miserable as a result of the alienation from moving across the country and the loss of her friends and old life. But because her mom says "you need to be Happy(TM) for your father" she tries to put on the brave face and her life cannot improve, the entire movie is a masterfull depiction of the damage that Toxic Positivity does to a person.

Because Toxic Positivity is a way of warping a persons compassion into a pressure for self-censorship and conformity to the group, "You shouldnt tell your dad you're miserable here, because that'll make it worse for everyone". Or in fandom spaces "Critics should just shut up, and let the rest of us enjoy the show uncritically, as-is".

At the core, toxic positivity springs from a utilitarian notion that you must feign Happiness (TM), to provide the Most Happiness for the Most People.

There is no such thing as "toxic positivity."

I mean, on the internet? We call them Outrage Merchants for a reason. Where are the Happiness Merchants? Where are the clickbait-y video titles that elicit glee?