honestly, im done with all those articles that blame the fans for not liking the last jedi, like ‘fans didnt like the movie bc the things they personally wanted to see didnt happen’ no. i didnt like the movie because i expect some good story and writing and not a mediocre one shot fanfiction by rian johnson.
This has definitely been a premeditated and organized play. I’m sorry, but I’ve seen so many articles stating the exact same thing: that fans are just mad that they didn’t get what they wanted, or else that the only people who didn’t like TLJ disliked it because of racist/sexist/political reasons. And in my opinion, it stretches belief a little too far for these different critics and separate sources to have all arrived at those very drastic and specific conclusions separately. I’m not saying that money was being passed around but…
Wait yes I am.
Disney/Lucasfilm is currently faced with a reality wherein audience ratings of the film are unprecedentedly low. The movie is doing consistently worse than did TFA in the box office.
So what do they do? First, they immediately discredit fans. At once. They try to take control of the narrative and influence public thought: spread it around that it wasn’t our fault, it’s the FANS’ fault for being so entitled. Any RATIONAL fan obviously LOVES the movie. It’s only these ungrateful, impossible-to-please fans who disliked the film, because, as stated, they’re impossible to please. That, or the fans who hate TLJ only hate it because—yes, we’ll say that they’re upset because we included so much representation and racial diversity and women!!! Those fans are just mad because they’re ignorant, sexist/racist people!! That way we make ourselves seem even better and progressive and the complaining fans won’t be able to criticize us without seeming racist or sexist.
By creating this rhetoric, no fans with legitimate criticism are taken seriously. It is a deliberate manipulation of viewers—trying to persuade people to ignore any negative reviews they hear or read by planting it in their minds that any negative stance is unwarranted and invalid because there’s nothing to possibly dislike about the film.
You’ll notice that many of us are in fact shouting ourselves hoarse about the character assassination of Luke Skywalker, the implications of “humanizing” a nazi murderer, the misogyny in writing a woman who is enticed by the man who tortured and assaulted her, and the racist implications of prioritizing this villainous white character while demoting the black male lead to a subplot and saddling all three POC characters with poorly developed, poorly executed plots. But none of those actual criticisms are being discussed. In fact, they are being deliberately ignored.
And the thing is that this strategy is—to a degree—working. Maybe not as well as Disney/Lucasfilm might have hoped—the box office numbers are evidently now almost half what TFA was making at this point, but it is certainly working here on tumblr. It’s particularly eye-opening how many people are parroting Rian Johnson’s exact sentiments about fans whining about disproven theories and unmet personal desires. How very interesting that this response is used as a be-all-end-all argument when not one of those people is actually addressing our very real points.
I could literally write a five page essay with citations painstakingly explaining why I feel The Last Jedi is incompatible with the preceding films as a continuation of the episodic saga, and STILL the only responses I’d get would be “you’re just mad you didn’t get what you wanted.”
Um, yes. I am mad. I’m mad that the story no longer makes sense. I’m mad that it’s inconsistent. I’m mad that the moral implications of the Star Wars universe are now, ahem, going down a path I can’t follow. But no one seems willing or able to respond to those criticisms, are they? To actually engage in an analytical conversation regarding our criticisms.
Instead they’re sticking their fingers in their ears screaming about fan entitlement.
Which is exactly what Disney and Lucasfilm were hoping they’d do.
What the fuck do you MEAN “extended isolation”. I mean, I shouldn’t be surprised by this shit anymore – and yet here I am, shocked and amazed and surprised. Literally the entire fucking point of RotJ is that Luke is bringing balance to the Force, and that includes doing away with the practices of the old Jedi and ushering in a new age. This included relationships and love and connections. That’s not “extended isolation”.
why did we give Star Wars to people who don’t understand Star Wars
Not that there was that much “extended isolation” in the old Order either, they just mostly interacted with fellow Jedi – which is obviously impossible for Luke and Leia anyway. Luke’s own training didn’t require isolation either, it’s just that Yoda had chosen to live on an isolated planet. I don’t know where they even got the idea from.
The boy has never had anything nice and the second he gets his hands on some money he tries to buy a fucking solid gold cauldron like started from the bottom now we here I love him so much
Honestly Hagrid saved Harry from so much embarrassment. Can you imagine him turning up to his first potions lesson with a fucking solid gold cauldron??? Like Snape already hated Harry think about what he would have said if Harry just plonked that on his desk
I think he would have said fuck it to his promise to dumbledore and murdered Harry on the spot
AGAIN WITH THE SOLID GOLD POSSESSIONS HARRY. I’m surprised he never replaced his glasses with solid gold ones the boy clearly has a taste for the finer things in life. Or when he had his bones removed by Lockhart in second year, he probably had to stop himself from asking Pomfrey to just fill his arm up with gold instead of bones.
NO WONDER HE CAN SEE THE FUCKIN SNITCH SO WELL HE’S ON THE HUNT FOR GOLD
more thoughts on luke’s portrayal in that flashback
one thing that’s bothering me about luke’s portrayal in the last jedi – and specifically the scene with kylo ren in the flashback – has to do with the fact that luke is not a cinnamon roll and never has been. given that, this movie isn’t just a departure from the sweet farmboy who grew up to be a jedi. it’s a change in how luke responds to the temptation of the dark side.
luke is certainly that farmboy, but he’s not just that. he is tempted by the dark side multiple times in the original trilogy and gives in to anger and revenge multiple times as well. however, this means we have evidence of what luke is like when he’s tempted by the dark side. make no mistake, that’s what the flashback scene with kylo ren is about. examples of luke being tempted by the dark side in the original trilogy include: the cave, taking vader’s bait at cloud city for the duel, the scenes at jabba’s palace, and lastly, the throne room scene.
given that we have seen what luke looks like when he is angry or when he is tempted by the dark side, tlj’s interpretation is even weaker and sloppier in its handling of luke and kylo ren’s backstory.
It’s a weirdly sunny and warm day here today, but let me still say Happy New Year to all! It’s been an eventful one, and got very satisfying for me towards the end, art-wise. Have a wonderful 2018!
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