Solo OT: Angry fans chase Pablo Hidalgo off social media

Chuck Wendig piped in. That's cool. He's an expert at dealing with alt-right trolls.

Reminds me how I'm frustrated with the YouTube algorithm. I can't subscribe to a normal Star Wars channel without recommendations being flooded by anti-SJW conspiracy theorists. I watch some of them to hear what they're saying, but you can't tell me there isn't a slant. I guess because those get more views and subscribers they get pushed to the forefront?

 

Pablo has an account here (username "Pabawan" I think) so he can always re-join the Boards if he wants...

 

It really depends on what articles you seek. The algorithm will give you videos based on you what kinds of videos you've seen before. For example, I watched MauLer's video on TLJ and as a result, Youtube gives me more anti-TLJ videos in the recommendation list. These anti-TLJ videos tends to be along the same style of ranting but some of them are far more vicious with personal attacks against Lucasfilm and Kathleen Kennedy (whereas MauLer lays the blame on Rian Johnson primarily due to his role as director/writer instead of Kathleen Kennedy).

You can most certainly find videos on Youtube where critics would praise or at least give a positive review of TLJ. Even some defending the film while acknowledging the fanbase anger. But if you are not a fan of TLJ, you are more likely directed to emotional (and in my opinion, click baiting) videos of TLJ being the downfall of Kathleen Kennedy because apparently, YouTube really likes to the tabloid-esque methods of getting views.

 

Enjoy your break.

 

I remember some people made a racist site to Pablo (editing his photo with latin stereotypes etc). Maybe it's the same group

 

All of this is kind of why, although Lucasfilm’s efforts in diversity have been deemed by many as mixed at best and problematic and trope-heavy at worst, I still see more positives than negatives and try to see it as slow and steady progress.

And also why I caution those who hate Lucasfilm for not going further left to be reminded of the Jill Stein voters who basically also helped Trump win. When both ends of the political spectrum — far left and far right — oppose the moderately progressive choice on offer collectively I find it tends to benefit the Right end of the political spectrum more since the Right tends to be more united and has a larger platform via right wing news publications and YouTube and elected officials. Especially in this situation. It’s less likely that it Lucasfilm did replace Kennedy or directors they would do so with people even further left than those working currently. It’s less likely they’d promote someone who wants even more females and more POC in Star Wars, IMO, so those who are unhappy with it not going far enough for their tastes probably should at least keep that aspect in mind when also considering review bombing efforts for the other end of the spectrum.

 

I don't think having a good reason for liking/disliking something is even all that necessary. Sometimes you just have this feeling that something works four you (or not), without being able to exactly pin-point what it is that makes you feel that way. The rest of your post certainly applies though, there is little worse than people who think they get to define how something "should" be. Or who think someone doesn't understand Star Wars because they dared to have a different idea on how to handle things.

 

@anakinfansince1983

I just want Lucasfilm to act a little less arrogant and obnoxious then it has been. Maybe Solo getting kick in the teeth at the box office this past weekend will ground them a bit.

 

When it comes to diverse representation I also think SW is generally moving in the right direction. Though more so in the books and comics than the films. But I’m speaking as a white guy, and certainly think the films still have a lot of issues in this matter.

I don’t agree at all with the ‘slow and steady’ approach. The success of Black Panther shows ‘slow and steady’ really doesn’t have to be the path forward. Especially when ‘slow and steady’ translates to all white guys being the directors, and zero woc as main lead characters.

 

Yes, TFA, R1, and TLJ made HUGE money, but they were living off the SW name and a built in audience. Eventually, the fans would either continue to go on with Disney SW because they liked the direction, or they would bolt and that is exactly what happened with Solo, and there is no doubt in my mind that Episode 9 will be underwhelming at the Box office too.

Alot of people just don't realize how polarizing TLJ was to a portion of the fanbase and I will continue to say that Solo and Episode 9 will be collateral damage. There is no way that you lose 1/2 of your audience from R1 and 2/3 of your audience from TFA/TLJ with this Solo opening just because it is May and it was released 5 months ago. This franchise has been a juggernaut for 40 years, there is a difference between a downward trend, and then the roof caving in and that is what happened this weekend.

Fans like me would have seen Solo twice this weekend (as I have with every previous SW movie), but I am so fed up with the way Disney reacted to the fans after TLJ essentially saying it was our faults that we didnt' like it, that we essentially never gave Solo a chance, nor Episode 9 either. The Prequels were mixed received by the fans and the critics, but the roof never caved in at the box office, this is the first time SW has to look in the mirror and ask itself what is the plan longterm? That's my problem with the franchise, as they have no plan.

 

Sighs... I don't know what to say. Are those people insane? Angry Star Wars fans have been a thing always but some of these fanatic anti-TLJ "fans" seem to be more like some sort of totally lost political activists that are making fools of themselves. They are proving it themselves now- that they ignorant since they focus on hating a Star Wars movie thinking that attacking it is attack against the values they think they are, or should be, against. Honestly I think that they are often against something that they don't even comprehend. They have such a wrong picture of feminism for example that they think it is something that they need to oppose, while they have no realistic picture what they are against. Star Wars has never supported any alt right ideas or anything like that. Arguments that TLJ ruins the Star Wars because of feminist agenda etc. just proves that these people have no clue what they are talking about. Star Wars has never supported racism or sexism why it should now start doing so is beyond me.

Often those said people are even incapable of forming an rational argument, so they just passionately hate- thinking that it will make people to believe in them... No it doesn't- it just proves that they are likely wrong to begin with- otherwise they could form an rational argument and discuss it like civilized people. The fact that they often won't even bother proves that they don't themselves believe in the strength of their own arguments. If they know what that even means.

There are people who dislike the Last Jedi for good reasons as well and are able to argument why- it may not have anything to do with politics and be a matter of personal taste. I may disagree with them, but I respect those opinions because I see no reason why everyone should like same movies anyway. I don't think anyone needs to respect mindless hate though- haters wouldn't respect it themselves if it would focus on them and rightly so. Moral message of Star Wars movies has always been about corrupting qualities of passionate hatred- I think that much is obvious to everyone who watches the movies with some thought. Yet ironically some of those people calling themselves "Star Wars fans" are acting like they are the ones that never really understood Star Wars. And I think that they really didn't, because their way of acting is exactly what has been considered evil and wrong in Star Wars itself.

 

I disagree. We are fighting (and destroying) the Communist uprising in America and around the world. We are winning, too, despite being censored by the corporate elites on social media and under constant assault by Propaganda News. The only thing Commies do is censor, virtue-signal and issue perjorative labels to protect their hive.

 

The “Disney disrespected the fans” narrative was seized on as a core narrative and aggressively promoted by a coordinated network of online trolls. Now many people just say it casually, as if it’s unvarnished truth. And a lot of those people (I’ve asked a number of them) have difficulty digging up clear examples of this disrespect (Kennedy, Johnson and Jon Kasdan have been singled out most often). It’s as viral a narrative as the “Alden needed an acting coach,” and that’s had a marked affect on how the niche and mainstream media have covered this movie. We all need to be better about recognizing questionable narratives with flimsy evidence bases, and poking holes in them.

Wait. Are you serious? I’m pretty sure this is a joke but I wanted to be sure.

 

Consider he has done this twice before, I don't think it is anything serious.

 

@Darth Bridge 167

Lucasfilm had a plan obviously and that was to use the legendary characters to help resell the franchise and to make up the $4 billion it cost Dinsey to acquire it ASAP. It just didn't work like they wanted it too as it hurt the OT characters legacy in some people's eyes while it didn't leave a lot of time to build the new characters up enough that they can carry the franchise long term without any worry.It just seems like what they had planned IMHO might have sounded good on paper but just isn't playing out like they wanted it to.

Edit: A good example of this btw could be JJ's idea to have each ST film focus on one of the big three. On paper that sounds like a really good idea but IMHO if you gave JJ/Lucasfilm truth serum they would admit it has not played out the way they truly hope for and that is not factoring in Carrie's passing (RIP Princess!).

 

These “angry fans” that wield virtual pitchforks and torches on social media are single-handedly sucking the life out of Star Wars fandom for me.

 

I agree with you, intellectually. But every time I try to engage with fandom, they’re in the room shouting. And though I try to ignore them, they make the experience painful enough that the “why bother?” question comes up oftener than it should. I think I’m nearing the point where I’ll just go off and enjoy Star Wars on my own, and not talk about it as much anymore.

 

I don't care about the alt-right and haven't followed that (I'm not interested in Wendig as I think he has a terrible writing style and with a language that doesn't fit SW with references to Earth mythology, space diapers and snow globes, not because of diversity). Do you have examples?

 

That’s one of the “Disney is insulting the fans!” examples the trolls bring up sometimes. My response is that those fans who were insulted by it deserve to be.