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#StarWars #TheLastJedi #TheRiseOfSkywalker
Because the conversation seems to never stop, and some people on all spectrums of the fandom want to label others for liking or not liking a movie.
Here’s a story I’ve told several times.
1/6
Because the conversation seems to never stop, and some people on all spectrums of the fandom want to label others for liking or not liking a movie.
Here’s a story I’ve told several times.
1/6
The Force Awakens was easy to love. It was nostalgic and familiar with just enough new things to feel like the beginning of a next step. It awoke the interest in the franchise for the general masses again and it felt like exactly what everyone needed.
2/6
2/6
Then The Last Jedi happened, and it wasn’t overtly nostalgic or familiar. It had familiar elements, but it was like seeing everything from an alien perspective.
It wanted the audience to ask questions instead of directly answering the ones from TFA.
3/6
It wanted the audience to ask questions instead of directly answering the ones from TFA.
3/6
We didn’t get to see Luke being an Uber Badass or find out what Snokes deal was, instead we went to a casino and talked about war profiteering.
And for a portion of the fanbase who had gone in expecting traditional SW, this was uncomfortable.
4/6
And for a portion of the fanbase who had gone in expecting traditional SW, this was uncomfortable.
4/6
I was one of these fans, I remember my gf asking me directly, “did you like your movie?”; and I hesitated and forced out a “yeah...”. I knew then that I had to think about this.
In the proceeding 6 months the online conversation would get volatile and weird.
5/6
In the proceeding 6 months the online conversation would get volatile and weird.
5/6
The fandom very quickly began drawing lines in the sand. Entire YouTube and Twitter accounts were created with the sole dedication of either hating this movie like it had attacked them personally, or Loving this movie like it was the second coming.
6/6
6/6
Then things took an even weirder turn. Due to the political climate that’s still going on to this day, some of the channels and accounts dedicated to berating this movie started taking a political stance against it. Suddenly words like “identity politics” “sjw” and “feminism”
7/
7/
...started getting thrown around. It became clear that some portion of a far right wing internet group had started “red pilling” (indoctrinating) some of the groups who fervently hated this movie. It spread quickly and suddenly the movie was supposedly “liberal propaganda”.
8/
8/
Seeing this obvious bullshit for what it was, I simply stopped talking about the movie online for a while.
Then it came on Netflix. I was honestly hesitant to watch it again seeing the madness on social media; but I decided I loved SW more than that, so I watched it again.
9/
Then it came on Netflix. I was honestly hesitant to watch it again seeing the madness on social media; but I decided I loved SW more than that, so I watched it again.
9/
I found the things that I liked shined brighter and the things I didn’t like were easier to ignore. So a few days later, I watched it another time. And I repeated this process probably over a dozen times and each time I came away with something new.
10/
10/
I fell in love with Lukes Disillusionment with the Jedi and his renewed faith in his own myth. Reys hopelessness and search for belonging.
I began to understand this movie on a deeper level than just two lightsabers hitting eachother.
11/
I began to understand this movie on a deeper level than just two lightsabers hitting eachother.
11/
While still to this day I have some things I would change about this movie, I grew to really love it.
I was now able to see both sides of the argument, if someone simply didn’t like the movie I can understand that even if it’s no longer my position.
12/
I was now able to see both sides of the argument, if someone simply didn’t like the movie I can understand that even if it’s no longer my position.
12/
But this also meant it was even more obvious now that a mixture of outrage baiting clickbait youtubers and right wing political activists were creating a movement around the movie which became known as the fandom menace.
13/
13/
Under the guise of “just not wanting politics in their movies” they would spend the next several years screaming about anything and everything with a hint of diversity being “woke”, “sjw”, etc.
As annoying as this is, at least it was easy to see who the instigators were.
14/
As annoying as this is, at least it was easy to see who the instigators were.
14/
Finally we arrive at The Rise of Skywalker.
Knowing that it was being written by JJ Abrams instead of Rian Johnson I very much expected something similar to TFA.
Plenty of nostalgia, some answers to long standing questions and not nearly as thought provoking.
15/
Knowing that it was being written by JJ Abrams instead of Rian Johnson I very much expected something similar to TFA.
Plenty of nostalgia, some answers to long standing questions and not nearly as thought provoking.
15/
With the reactions to the movie, it seemed that not everyone had considered this.
Many in the fandom and professional critics who had praised TLJ were now dog piling on TROS.
It ranged from “Star Wars is dead” to “They broke the myth!”, which sounded eerily familiar.
16/
Many in the fandom and professional critics who had praised TLJ were now dog piling on TROS.
It ranged from “Star Wars is dead” to “They broke the myth!”, which sounded eerily familiar.
16/
I saw people “jokingly” claim they would shoot JJ or punch him in the face because of this movie.
People called him egotistical or even evil.
All very similar things that groups like the fandom menace had said about Rian Johnson. Hypocrisy was abound.
17/
People called him egotistical or even evil.
All very similar things that groups like the fandom menace had said about Rian Johnson. Hypocrisy was abound.
17/
Meanwhile, I saw a movie that had many structural flaws and some story elements I didn’t agree with but otherwise felt was a fun ride with characters I loved.
I had learned my lesson from TLJ, it didn’t seem like everyone else did.
18/
I had learned my lesson from TLJ, it didn’t seem like everyone else did.
18/
That brings us to today, many people have watched the movie several times and have grown to appreciate it for the messy but fun adventure it is; while others are still acting like it was only made for “the worse kinds of people”.
19/
19/
So what’s the lesson here?
People can like or not like what they want. Having an opinion on a movie doesn’t make you some horrible person and it’s stupid to think so.
The only horrible people in this fandom make it very obvious who they are, they even gave themselves a name.
People can like or not like what they want. Having an opinion on a movie doesn’t make you some horrible person and it’s stupid to think so.
The only horrible people in this fandom make it very obvious who they are, they even gave themselves a name.
