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Quixote1818

(28,946 posts) Mon Jun 4, 2018, 02:51 PM Jun 2018

Racism, Misogyny & Death Threats: How Star Wars Fans Turned to the Dark Side

By Brandon Katz • 05/16/18 6:00am

For entertainment reporters, sharing opinions is a job. But when you do that with Star Wars films, someone may call you the c-word.

Following the release of The Last Jedi in 2017, Vanity Fair‘s Joanna Robinson wrote a review.

“One thing … that got a lot of negative feedback was my exploration of mansplaining,” Robinson told me. “What Laura Dern and Carrie Fisher’s characters had to deal with.”

You know, normal entertainment reporter stuff.

“And I got called cunt, bitch and told to kill myself because of that… It sounds cynical, but I’m kind of used to it at this point. But if you do take a step back, it’s crazy that Star Wars fans have told me to kill myself. Repeatedly.”

Something is deeply broken among the Star Wars faithful. Respectable discourse has deteriorated completely as a small but determined minority of “fans” turn to the Dark Side—hate-spewing assholes looking to ruin the party for everyone, and often succeeding.

More: http://observer.com/2018/05/star-wars-fandom-toxic-disney-lucasfilm/amp/

16 replies

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Racism, Misogyny & Death Threats: How Star Wars Fans Turned to the Dark Side (Original Post) Quixote1818 Jun 2018 OP

I just saw "Solo." yallerdawg Jun 2018 #1

That should read "some misogynistic foul nut bags like science fiction movies." fleabiscuit Jun 2018 #2

I'm guessing it's the same alt right incels who regularly threaten others mainer Jun 2018 #3

pretty much the same crowd NewJeffCT Jun 2018 #7

These guys are like the ones that read Superman for decades and didn't actually absorb any lessons Blue_Adept Jun 2018 #8

the movie tanked catsudon Jun 2018 #4

The article came out before Solo hit theaters. I do agree that the robot was a mistake though. nt Quixote1818 Jun 2018 #5

This is infecting pretty much every fandom these days Blue_Adept Jun 2018 #6

I'm with you I saw The Empire Strikes Back about 3 weeks after it came out I was 9 maryellen99 Jun 2018 #9

It's really quite boggling Blue_Adept Jun 2018 #10

Funny how you never hear these bigots complain about Lando Calrissian and Mace Windu maryellen99 Jun 2018 #11

Well yeah, Finn was a Stormtrooper and they don't want their precious evil empire defaced Blue_Adept Jun 2018 #12

Video games too workinclasszero Jun 2018 #14

Yeah, between that and seeing the whole sad puppy crap a few years back Blue_Adept Jun 2018 #15

And now kelly marie tran has left instagram over it Blue_Adept Jun 2018 #13

It's across the board cagefreesoylentgreen Jun 2018 #16

yallerdawg

(16,104 posts)

1. I just saw "Solo."

Reply to Quixote1818 (Original post)

Mon Jun 4, 2018, 03:15 PM

Jun 2018

Perfectly good movie with great special effects and more wonderfully developed female characters!

Still so much better than the last 4 Lucas films!

Jar-Jar Binks? Ewoks?

fleabiscuit

(4,542 posts)

2. That should read "some misogynistic foul nut bags like science fiction movies."

Reply to Quixote1818 (Original post)

Mon Jun 4, 2018, 03:28 PM

Jun 2018

Giving them a themed "place" makes no sense. Always call them out as solo nutbags.

mainer

(12,022 posts)

3. I'm guessing it's the same alt right incels who regularly threaten others

Reply to Quixote1818 (Original post)

Mon Jun 4, 2018, 03:50 PM

Jun 2018

From the safety of their Mom’s basement.

NewJeffCT

(56,828 posts)

7. pretty much the same crowd

Reply to mainer (Reply #3)

Mon Jun 4, 2018, 04:30 PM

Jun 2018

incels, the MRA or whatever the term of the year is...

I first saw it during previews of The Force Awakens when a bunch of them went crazy over a stormtrooper removing his helmet to reveal (gasp!) a black guy (Finn) and how that just couldn't be possible. In about 2 seconds, I came up with several possible explanations:
1) Finn is disguised as a stormtrooper
2) They used a new set of clones to create a different batch of stormtroopers
3) Some of the stormtroopers are not clones (true, according to Star Wars canon, I later found out)

and, that doesn't take into account the guy playing the original "clone" from Attack of the Clones is a brown guy of Maori descent or that the Star Wars universe is not just populated by white people - you have a 7 foot tall walking carpet (Chewie), a 2 foot tall froggish Jedi Master in Yoda, a huge slug like gangster boss in Jabba the Hutt, a Sith Lord with horns and a red & black face, and countless other intelligent races.

Blue_Adept

(6,399 posts)

8. These guys are like the ones that read Superman for decades and didn't actually absorb any lessons

Reply to NewJeffCT (Reply #7)

Mon Jun 4, 2018, 04:33 PM

Jun 2018

catsudon

(839 posts)

4. the movie tanked

Reply to Quixote1818 (Original post)

Mon Jun 4, 2018, 04:13 PM

Jun 2018

there is no sugar coating it.

i really think that the "feminist robot" just didn't fit, should've cast real human feminist. Wonder Woman is the new benchmark now.

Quixote1818

(28,946 posts)

5. The article came out before Solo hit theaters. I do agree that the robot was a mistake though. nt

Reply to catsudon (Reply #4)

Mon Jun 4, 2018, 04:15 PM

Jun 2018

Blue_Adept

(6,399 posts)

6. This is infecting pretty much every fandom these days

Reply to Quixote1818 (Original post)

Mon Jun 4, 2018, 04:19 PM

Jun 2018

Star Wars is a disaster in terms of fandom because of the squeaky wheel minority that must vent constantly.

Comic books are the same with the attack on women and minorities that are putting more work out there these days.

They're trumpists first and foremost, afraid of anything that changes or examines what has come before.

As a 40-year fan of Star Wars seeing it when I was seven, I say fuck 'em.

That's not to say there isn't reasonable discussion and problems to be had with any of it, but these are the people that go as the critic notes above, to viciousness before anything else.

maryellen99

(3,789 posts)

9. I'm with you I saw The Empire Strikes Back about 3 weeks after it came out I was 9

Reply to Blue_Adept (Reply #6)

Mon Jun 4, 2018, 04:41 PM

Jun 2018

I’ve been a fan ever since (was not a fan of the first 2 prequels but liked the 3rd one). Some of these “diehards” need to get a life.

BTW if there are any Detroit area DUers on here,The Detroit Institute of Arts is hosting “Star Wars and The Power of Costume” with the costumes the actors actually wore.

Blue_Adept

(6,399 posts)

10. It's really quite boggling

Reply to maryellen99 (Reply #9)

Mon Jun 4, 2018, 04:43 PM

Jun 2018

I've seen it across a range of ages so it's not limited to any particular generation. It's like what I linked above in that they just don't connect with the real themes of the work. Particularly since all the expanded universe stuff was huge on diversity for decades now.

maryellen99

(3,789 posts)

11. Funny how you never hear these bigots complain about Lando Calrissian and Mace Windu

Reply to Blue_Adept (Reply #10)

Mon Jun 4, 2018, 04:45 PM

Jun 2018

But they are outraged over Finn?

Blue_Adept

(6,399 posts)

12. Well yeah, Finn was a Stormtrooper and they don't want their precious evil empire defaced

Reply to maryellen99 (Reply #11)

Mon Jun 4, 2018, 04:49 PM

Jun 2018

There was lots of complaining about the prequels themselves online at the time but I don't recall anything in my deep dives back then about Sam Jackson other than mashups with his movies. And, blissfully, fandom was just reading magazines and playing with toys during Empire for me.

workinclasszero

(28,270 posts)

14. Video games too

Reply to Blue_Adept (Reply #6)

Tue Jun 5, 2018, 01:55 PM

Jun 2018

See: Gamergate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamergate_controversy

Blue_Adept

(6,399 posts)

15. Yeah, between that and seeing the whole sad puppy crap a few years back

Reply to workinclasszero (Reply #14)

Tue Jun 5, 2018, 01:58 PM

Jun 2018

It was only a matter of time before they looked for more scalps in the genre world because they're easy pickings.

Comics and the Star Wars franchise are big ones.

Blue_Adept

(6,399 posts)

13. And now kelly marie tran has left instagram over it

Reply to Quixote1818 (Original post)

Tue Jun 5, 2018, 01:53 PM

Jun 2018

https://www.cbr.com/kelly-marie-tran-deletes-instagram-after-harassment/

I hate these "fans"

cagefreesoylentgreen

(838 posts)

16. It's across the board

Reply to Quixote1818 (Original post)

Tue Jun 5, 2018, 02:45 PM

Jun 2018

Link to tweet

?s=21

Substitute “Trek” for “Wars” and it’s the same toxic crowd. Whovians too.

Strangely, the only sci-fi fandom that isn’t infested with these kind of misogynistic and racist trolls is The Expanse, in my experience. Yeah, there are book fans vs. show fans, but it’s largely chill.

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