Shannen Doherty And The "I Hate Brenda" Backlash

Before the invention of the internet, you had to get creative in order to ridicule your least favorite actors and actresses. Enter a giant piñata of Shannen Doherty’s head, a punk single called “Hating Brenda,” and something called the I Hate Brenda Newsletter.

This vintage treat from 1993 takes a look at the world of rabid 90210 fans that hated Brenda Walsh more than anything else in the world. When MTV News interviewed the editor of the I Hate Brenda Newsletter, she explained her beef with the character: “She started off as this sweet girl who came from Minnesota — and all of a sudden her character has developed into this stuck-up bitch.” She goes on, “I think the line dividing Shannen Doherty and Brenda Walsh has been completely erased and they have now melded into each other.”

Through a series of interviews, a common theme arises: as much as Brenda sucked as the seasons went on, people simply did not like the actual Shannen Doherty. One fan said, “I think it’s her off-camera social decorum — it leaves a lot to be desired,” and another went so far to accused her of “pop-culture terrorism.” The handmade posters and passionate chants kind of makes you feel nostalgic for the days when people didn’t spread their hate by trolling the comments section of a website, doesn’t it?