Two sides. Each battling for their principles. Each doing what they believe is best for the galaxy. The Rebels are good guys and the Empire are the bad guys. The Resistance are the good guys and the First Order are the bad guys. The Jedi are the good guys and the Sith are the bad guys. Can real life ever be that simple? Even Obi-Wan Kenobi says, "MOST OF THE TRUTHS WE CLING TO DEPEND GREATY ON OUR OWN POINT OF VIEW."
I'VE BEEN A STAR WARS FAN MY WHOLE LIFE. I remember seeing all of the Special Edition films in theaters(along with every other Star Wars film). I remember my dad taking me and my brother to the comic book store, like he did every Saturday, and seeing the first issue of Dark Empire. I remember reading a few pages of Heir to the Empire to prove to my dad that I could read well enough to get the novelization of A New Hope. To this day, The Empire Strikes Back is my go-to sick day film. I usually post a Han Solo "I Feel Terrible" meme as I lay on the couch resting. I know I am not alone in my love of Star Wars. Millions around the world have discovered this franchise at different times in their lives, and has become a myth that has been passed down several generations now. I was 15 when The Phantom Menace was released. I saw it three times in theaters. I saw Attack of the Clones four times in theaters. These are my least favorite Star Wars films, and for a large number of people, thought of as the worst of the franchise. That is until 2017.
In 2012 Disney purchased Lucasfilm and announced a new trilogy (Episodes VII, VIII, and IX) would be on the way. Also, that any existing mythology outside of the seven films and The Clone Wars TV series would be erased from Star Wars Canon as it "no longer counted". As a person who grew up on the Expanded Universe it had it's good stories and bad, but Star Wars fans also knew it was hours upon hours of time spent that no longer mattered. DISNEY AND LUCASFIILM WANTED TO START FRESH, and since parts of the Expanded Universe contradicted other parts it was just easier to wipe the whole board clean. Some fans felt it was Disney saying "you wasted your time." While Dark Empire, the Thrawn trilogy, Legacy, and Shadows of the Empire are Expanded Universe(or now referred to as Legends) stories I still enjoy to this day, there is a lot of Expanded Universe(and some of the current Canon) I don't care for.
In 2014 I remember going to see The Theory of Everything at the Alamo Drafthouse on Thanksgiving weekend to not actually watch the film, but to see less than a minute of footage from the newest Star Wars film that was over a year away. It was glorious! But, rumblings started to spread of the shot of JOHN BOYEGA AS A STORMTROOPER. What I saw was Kylo Ren's cross blade lightsaber and the Millennium Falcon facing a TIE fighter with John Williams beautiful score playing in the background. Why did the race of a stormtrooper matter? Millions, if not billions, were part of the Empire. While we never saw them take off their helmets, you had to assume not all the stormtroopers in the galaxy were white males.
In 2015 The Force Awakens arrives in theaters. Daisy Ridley starred as Rey, the Force-sensitive orphan who became the hero of the sequel trilogy. BUT SHE WAS A GIRL! And everything is easy for her! Some people accused Disney of making the main character a girl who can do anything just as a social justice message. Anyone ever heard of Princess Leia? How about the line, "Somebody has to save our skins. Into the garbage shoot flyboy!" When Rogue One was released in 2016 I didn't hear much about Jyn Erso in the same way, but I think we where all just mesmerized by the Vader hallway scene.
THEN, IN 2017, THE WAR ERUPTED. The Last Jedi was the Star Wars film that finally divided the fanbase. Up to then, everyone agreed that the original trilogy was great, the prequels not so great, and the last two films were at least ok. After two years of speculating, nothing I thought would happened did, but I still walked out satisfied with what Rian Johnson gave us. Others did not. Sure the Finn storyline can be called pointless(I wouldn't) and killing the Emperor-type villain, Snoke, so abruptly was jarring. But the biggest critique I heard about The Last Jedi was how the hero of our childhood, Luke Skywalker, had become a bitter hermit who didn't want anything to do with the battle to save the galaxy. All of which I believe are valid points of opinion.
The lines had been drawn, and while I could understand people's complaints, I DON'T UNDERTSAND WHAT FOLLOWED THE LAST JEDI. The social media accounts of Daisy Ridley, Kelly Marie Tran, and Rian Johnson were full of hateful messages. So many that Ridley and Tran deleted their accounts, and to this day I am still not sure they have returned. Imagine getting your dream job. You get to work in Star Wars. You are told to play a part, and then you do as your told. Then people personally attack your gender and ethnicity simply because they didn't like the character you played. Star Wars hate was nothing new. PEOPLE ACCUSED GEORGE LUCAS OF "RUINED MY CHILDHOOD" WITH THE PREQUELS. Ahmed Best, Jake Lloyd, and Hayden Christensen were all subjected to personal attacks simply because of the characters they played. But in the era where billions have a place to interact and voice their opinions, those voices turned vicious by some fans who celebrate films meant to be about diversity, acceptance, and no holding on to anger.
Since then I feel like Star Wars fans have been divided on everything. I KNOW ITS TAKEN ME SEVERAL PARAGRAPHS TO GET TO THE POINT OF THIS ENTRY. I apologize. But we've gotten to the point in fandom where some believe that if you have a different opinion about film, a piece of art, you are wrong and stupid. I'm not a big fan of The Rise of Skywalker, but when I watch it I try to focus on the things I like about it, and don't lash out at those who do enjoy it. Or, I just choose just not to watch it again like I do the other Star Wars films. I believe the Star Wars fanbase has become a representation of the bigger divide not about Star Wars, but about the world around us.
Of course what prompted me to write this entry was the firing of The Mandalorian actor Gina Carano. I admit I only read one or two of the tweets she published that led to her getting fired, so I may not have a full view of the situation. I can only judge from what knowledge I possess. And while it is her right to speak about the things she believes, it is also her employers right to let her go if her actions jeopardize their business. If I was a cashier at Target and swore to all the time I would expect Target to fire me. They would lose business because of my vulgar words and that is not the kind of image they want to project to their customers. AND THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED TO GINA CARANO.
But this is just another incident in the Star Wars fan community within the last few years. Headlines about fans shouting hatred, treating humans beings like they aren't real, or have no feelings. Believing that if a story does not go how they wanted it too that it is wrong. And honestly, I'M TIRED OF BEING A STAR WARS FAN. It is so exhausting reading about personal attacks on people who work for Disney and Lucasfilm. People bagging on books that they haven't read. If you don't like the idea for a book, just say it doesn't look interesting, and move on with your life. Not everything is for everyone. YOU DON'T NEED THIRTY TWEETS ABOUT HOW THE THING YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED IN IS GONNA SUCK. I see so many fans talking not about what they love, but what they hate. And for the life of me, I can't understand what they fear. "Fear leads anger. Anger leads to hate." Is it not getting what they want? Not being open to something unexpected? Or just the belief that their opinion is the only one that is right?
TO HEAL THE STAR WARS FANBASE WOULD MEAN HEALING THE WORLD. But we're all too selfish to take a look at ourselves and realize we are the problem. I've always grown up believing Star Wars was about unity, fairness, understanding, love, and acceptance. That's why I don't understand people who say they love Star Wars, but don't believe in what Star Wars is.
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