What’s Wrong With Star Wars Fans?

Kelly Marie Tran, the actress who played Rose Tico, has removed herself from Instagram. This was allegedly due to consistent harassment from haters of The Last Jedi. Whether or not the haters are the reason Tran removed herself from Instagram, it’s been documented that Tran has been the subject of racist/sexist abuse since The Last Jedi was released. Is it because she was involved in a film that destroyed the childhoods of many a Star Wars fan? Or are some Star Wars fans simply racist/sexist? 

This harassment even extended to Wookiepedia, where some delightful person edited Tico’s entry to say “Ching Chong Wing Tong is a dumbass f**king character Disney made and is a stupid, retarded, and autistic love interest for Finn. She better die in the coma because she is a dumbass bitch.” Very pleasant, as I’m sure you’d agree. Of course, the issue runs deeper than the character of Rose Tico. Rian Johnson’s Twitter feed is still full of angry fan rants against The Last Jedi. With the box office “failure” of Solo: A Star Wars Story, angry fans have put the blame soley at the feet of Kathleen Kennedy (a producer for the new Star Wars films). 

Now, let me say this before I continue. I disliked The Last Jedi, a lot. I thought it was poorly paced, ill-plotted and muddled. The character of Rose Tico seemed shoehorned in to fit Johnson’s modus operandi of subverting our expectations. I wasn’t engaged by her character. Of course, I’m torn by the contradiction that I disliked The Last Jedi, a film that took a lot of risks, I disliked Solo, a film that took no risks. 

But I’m entitled to voice my opinion, aren’t I? I’m happy to say that I didn’t like Rose Tico as a character. That doesn’t entitle me to hurl any kind of abuse at the actress who played Rose, does it? Freedom of speech, quite rightly, only has its limits. Whilst talking to a friend about Tran’s situation, he said that people need to toughen themselves up in the face of abuse. But people shouldn’t need to do that, should they? 

This problem isn’t exclusive to Star Wars, is it? The Marvel/DC divide becomes starker and more bitter by the day. I can’t avoid at least one tweet everytime I look at Twittwr from one side of that fence. Social media gives us that anonimity to say what we like without little fear of reprisal. But after the release of The Last Jedi, rabid Star Wars fans (on both factions of loving/hating the film) have attacked each other with unbridled glee. 
For many people, The Last Jedi ruined their fond childhood memories of Star Wars. But let’s be honest here: the original trilogy consists of one great film, one good film and one mediocre film. And surely the prequels were first to ruin childhoods? You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But, for example, The Last Jedi’s treatment of Luke rubbed plenty of people the wrong way. He wasn’t the archetypal hero anymore, but a bitter old man (like some of those Stat Wars fans who grew up with the OT). I didn’t like his character in The Last Jedi. But I would never say that The Last Jedi ruined my childhood! 

There’s nothing wrong with voicing your opinion, as long as it doesn’t involved hurling abuse at someone. However, here’s what I suggest haters of The Last Jedi do. It’s what I do with the Transformers films. Ignore them! Yes, I’ve had the displeasure of watching the first two Transformers films. But I never thought of sending Michael Bay death threats. Well, okay, that’s a lie. I never followed through on my thoughts though! 

So, here’s my advice to angry Star Wars fans who don’t like the direction Disney is taking the franchise: stop watching them! Stop putting money in Disney’s pocket! Stop hounding people involved with the new Star Wars on social media! Nobody can destroy your childhood apart from your bitter, angry selves. Nobody has the power to take away those fond memories of watching A New Hope for the first time. Just pretend that the Disney Star Wars films don’t exist. Oh, and don’t abuse Kelly Marie Tran. Or anyone involved with the new Star Wars. Or anyone full stop!