Why are Star Wars fans so racist?

Oh, did we? I didn't get the memo.

Would the original fans be Gen X? I never saw it in the theater, because I was only 5 when it was released, and I'm solidly Gen X. It seems as though Boomers would be the original fans. They would have been 12 or 13 and older when Star Wars came out.

I would say its Gen X because the film’s fan culture really is rooted in its marketing to children of the era (remember the Star Wars bedroom in Poltergeist or the Halloween costumes in ET).

Most of the fans making these remarks are not the original fans. At least not in my experience. On social media, I've noticed that most of the ignorant stuff regarding race/gender/sexuality/etc. in that fanbase comes from younger people, in their late teens and 20s, some in their 30s. Mostly men. You'd be surprised, but it's actually coming from a lot of Gen Z kids and later Millennials who grew up with the prequels.

Boomer were in their late teen to late 20's. Gen-x like myself was 14 when Star Wars came out. (and no, I do not subscribe to the Generation Jones BS it's not a real thing) Back to my point, it was much more impactful to someone that age than someone who is in college or old enough to drink. To Boomers it was just another cool Sci-Fi movie like 2001 A Space odyssey. To Gen-X it was life changing at that impressionable age.

As someone said above, most of the fans making these comments came after that. I really don't get these second or third wave of fan bases that came along, it's kind of weird if you think about it. They take things all out of context and magnify them way beyond their original intent. They seem to have distorted what the original idea was about, creating their own narrative based on what version of the whole series they saw first.

Sort of like cafe Catholics, the younger fans just cherry pick what they want to fit their belief system. Like picking a random quote from the bible to justify shitty behavior.

[quote]Boomer were in their late teen to late 20's. Gen-x like myself was 14 when Star Wars came out.

If you were 14 in 1977, you were born in 1963 or 1962, and therefore a Boomer.

I'm GenX and I think Star Wars is more a Gen X thing. I don't think we can pin that one totally on Boomers. As for the racist part, that seems to be coming from people younger than Gen X. I haven't seen a bunch of 50 year olds complaining about the race of characters. I might be wrong, but this stuff seems to be coming from unfucked white guys in their 30s.

I think Boomers and GenX share Star Wars but I agree that the racist hate is coming from younger generations.

It's incels, OP. The ones from 4chan, Reddit and forums like Lookism. They infested Twitter now too.

I’m Gen X, and saw Star Wars in the theaters when I was six. The racist comments that I see on Twitter and social media about the Obi Wan actress, and the ones targeting Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran in the last movies were 100% from straight white male incels from the millennials and early Gen Z. It’s not guys in their forties and fifties, it’s thirties and twenties. Kids who never saw the originals in the theaters.

This DL attempt to shift this country’s racial problems to Gen X is laughable.

[quote]If you were 14 in 1977, you were born in 1963 or 1962, and therefore a Boomer.

Nope, hate to burst your bubble, the Gen-X term was coined by an author describing his own experience, he was born in 1963. 10 years later, some insurance companies tried to define the group and came up with 1965 as the starting point but it's not accurate it's something they made up for convenience. It's just what lazy news magazine writer copied into their articles without really digging at the truth just like they did with calling all Millennials lazy entitled brats who don't want to work.

Obama was the first Gen-X President and he was born in 1961

The accepted years for GenX begins 1965. You're an old whore, r11.

You’re not Gen X, R11.

Tell that to Obama. His Parents were solid middle of the curve Boomers.

Can Millennials have kids who are also called Millennials? That's the whole point of coming up with different labels, to define the next generation.

You're just talking shit, OP

Try read a book R12, R13. Instead of getting all your info off the Internet. Internet never lies right?

Take note of the Author's age and birth year. As I said, HE invented the term. It's his call. "Generation X is Douglas Coupland's classic novel about the generation born from 1960 to 1978 ―"

Obama's mother was born 1942 so she predates Boomer by a few years. Also, Boomer years run l5-years longer than other generations.

I was three when Star Wars came out (so GenX) and I'm pretty sure I saw it in the cinema either in the first, second, or another run. I had a bunch of the action figures. I was obsessed.

It's a real stretch to say Boomers were the Star Wars fan base. Some of the younger boomers, sure. But, the original films were marketed to GenX. By the time Return of the Jedi rolled around, Boomers were watching the navel-gazing, self-important The Big Chill. That was their jam.

Doo-do-do-doo, doo-doo-doo-doo, doo-do-do-doo. Oh, oh, I know a man ain't supposed to cry, but these tears are too hard to hide ...

R17, even the article that you posted at r11 notes that Obama predates GenX.

[quote]He’s the son of a baby boomer — his mother, Anne, was born in 1942 — and although his birth in 1961 puts him slightly ahead of the textbook mid-1960s start date of Gen X, he is the same age as the man who coined the term “Generation X,” author Douglas Coupland.

The writer of the article you posted is actually the lazy one by trying to shoehorn Obama into GenX.

I stand by what I said earlier... You're a old whore, dear.

R18 is correct, Boomer LOVE the Big Chill. I never got what the big deal was about.

R14, Obama is a boomer, his parents were from the silent generation. I don’t care what an obscure book says, the accepted years for Gen X is 1965-1980.

[quote]It's a real stretch to say Boomers were the Star Wars fan base. Some of the younger boomers, sure. But, the original films were marketed to GenX. By the time Return of the Jedi rolled around, Boomers were watching the navel-gazing, self-important The Big Chill. That was their jam.

Why do you all think Boomers were all born in the same year? Someone born in 1960 would have been 16/17 at the time.

Read the book R19. Or at least acknowledge the fact that he's the creator of the term. You can stomp your feet all you want like a little baby. Sorry your mind is blown that what you thought you knew was wrong.

I go with the original creators not the people who try to re-define things years later.

[quote]I don’t care what an obscure book says,

Of course, because you don't care about facts. Is your name Trump Jr? You sound like you belong.

It's not an "obscure" book by the way. Your sound as dumb as a box of rocks.

These are either the world's oldest looking 12 year old or Star Wars appealed to Boomers.

R23 he may have coined the term but the accepted years begin with 1965. You're a Boomer.

You can also break down Boomer vs. Gen X by Hollywood Actresses.

Goldie Hawn, Susan Sarandon, Meryl Streep, Cher, Bette Midler, Sissy Spacek, Jessica Lange, Kathleen Turner, Whoopi Goldberg, Geena Davis, Annette Bening & Michelle Pfeiffer (1958) ... they're all Boomers.

Winona Ryder, Gwyneth Paltrow, Uma Thurman, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sandra Bullock (1964), Jodie Foster (1962) ... they're all Gen X.

Juliane Moore was born in 1960. I'd classify her as a Boomer, even though she always read younger and hipper and got a later start as a big Hollywood star.

Lea Thompson was born in 1961. She seems more GenX to me as she was playing young roles in GenX-type films in the 1980s, though I suppose you could go either way with her.

Ally Sheedy and Demi Moore (1962) were part of the Breakfast Club (GenX).

Jennifer Beals and Helen Slate were both born in 1963 and both had big roles in 1983/1984 films (Slater's Supergirl flopped). But I'd consider them both GenX.

Janeane Garafalo (1964) was the second lead female in Reality Bites (ultimate GenX film).

I mean, to make an argument that GenX doesn't start until 1964 or 1965 seems like a stretch to me.

I see people claiming that there have been racist remarks online about Star Wars casting, but I haven’t seen any anywhere and no quote of one, so I can’t say whether there really are racist comments being posted or whether people are just trying to create controversy.

What I meant to say about Beals/Slater was that they were playing roles that were meant for a new generation of actresses. Those weren't Boomer roles.

[R17], even the article that you posted at [R11] notes that Obama predates GenX. " and although his birth in 1961 puts him slightly ahead of the textbook mid-1960s start date of Gen X, he is the same age as the man who coined the term “Generation X,” author Douglas Coupland."

You are such an idiot, you proved my point. Look at the last part of that sentence, guess who the author is? That's right the same "obscure" book you never heard of.

[quote]You are such an idiot, you proved my point.

Says the idiot who keeps skipping over this...

[quote]and although his birth in 1961 puts him slightly ahead of the textbook mid-1960s start date of Gen X,

He may have coined the term R29 but that's about it. The accepted textbook years begin mid 1960s.

Are you telling people you're GenX when you're really a Boomer?

[quote]If you were 14 in 1977, you were born in 1963 or 1962, and therefore a Boomer.

That's the real end of Boomers, if you can even rightly call them boomers. Those who really grew up and were formed by childhoods in the mid 60s and beyond on are not real boomers. Cultural changes were seismic starting in the mid 60s. I always pinpoint it as after the Beatles came to the US in Feb 1964. Very different from late 40s and through the 50s and into very early 60s.

Just being born in certain years IMO doesn't expose you to cultural influences of that time. It's more about what influenced you.

Earlier and mid Boomers were in their 20s when Star Wars came out and people in their 20s then were much more adult in their tastes and behavior than they are now.

My god people, it's not hard. People who were children from 1977-1983 (i.e. the first Star Wars trilogy) are solidly Gen-X.

R27 Ewan McGregor made a point to record a video calling the racists assholes out, so it must have happened even though you personally didn't witness it.

Sylvia... late Boomers were also in their teens.

One of the reasons the third movie wasn't universally loved is because IT moreso than the the first two appealed more to children.

Ewan may have been told, like the rest of us, that it’s out there somewhere, but not actually shown any real examples.

How do you figure they are “racist”, OP? Because that is Disney’s narrative? They just don’t like the forced woke shit and bad writing. Kathleen Kennedy and her camp can’t take the criticism and pass it off as “racism”. Africa American characters and women were added to Mandalorian and fans embraced them. Clearly, this Obi Wan bs is about bad acting and horrible writing.

If you think about it, the original Star Wars was very Gen-X. Luke being on his own without parents at a very young age. Teaching himself how to survive but taking a different path. AKA like many Gen-X who were called latch key kids because both parents left them alone in the house to fend for themselves. A Boomer version of Luke would have either been some kind of space hippy or young upwardly mobile professional conformer with a lot of traditional parental guidance.

Fans in general tend to become entitled assholes who, given long enough, cease to derive any actual enjoyment from the thing they supposedly love. Star Wars fans are a classic example. I’ve decided I never want to be a “fan” of anything. I like certain things, sure, but fandom can shove it.

Should we talk about Golden Girls fans then?

[quote] How do you figure they are “racist”, OP? Because that is Disney’s narrative? They just don’t like the forced woke shit and bad writing. Kathleen Kennedy and her camp can’t take the criticism and pass it off as “racism”. Africa American characters and women were added to Mandalorian and fans embraced them. Clearly, this Obi Wan bs is about bad acting and horrible writing.

Exhibit A.

Now these crap fans have found Datalounge. Good luck folks.

The racists which appear posting on articles, threads, and forums dedicated to 'Star Wars' are 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐬, but are instead far right troll brigades, both American and foreign, pursuing a common racist, misogynistic, and anti-LGBT agenda, with the goal of propagating negative opinions of the franchise across social media, and radicalizing as much of its real fanbase as they can persuade to join in the attacks. The intention is to damage the box office/subscription value of the various series, in an effort to financially harm the parent company (in this case Disney) or to otherwise discourage it from sponsoring shows which exhibit diversity and promote equality; or to attempt to manufacture the impression that such programs are unpopular with the general public by generating faux outrage online.

The OP is helping to promote this far right agenda by suggesting that the racism typifies 'Star Wars' fans in general, or at least a broad cohort of them (Generation X), instead of being the astroturfed purview of a tiny minority of trolls with an extensive network of sock accounts.

Dedicated trolls following this agenda try to disguise what they're doing by pretending they're only criticizing "poor quality" of stories, production values, or actors' performances, but this is intentional deception.

Incels are misogynistic nerdy guys with no social skills who resent women for not offering them sex. They dislike attractive men who they call "Chads" and hate assertive women. Incels are obsessed with video games, anime and comics. Also Asian women or underage girls are their fetish of choice. There's been a rise of Nazism and racial science lately and it's crossed into the inceldom. Honestly, it always existed but the internet enabled it so much to a dangerous level.

I thought the people at the tail end of the Boomers (61-64) were called Generation Jones.

Anyway, these so-called Star Wars fans were upset with not only the race stuff, but there's a girl character, they don't like either. I also think they don't like diverse Storm Troopers.

I don't get it. In a world of aliens, spaceships and magical powers in outer space. Why should skin color or gender even matter? Star Wars actually took a lot of it's design from Chinese and Japanese cinema. Samurais and ninjas with katanas, violent shoguns and elegant geishas just in outer space.

I don't think it's the gen X people who have a problem with it. (And hey, unlike silly trans people, I think you can sort of be whatever generation you feel most comfortable with. Especially if you are on the fringes. Some people are more mature than others--and I'm not using mature as a particularly positive attribute here--). As others have said, Gen X kids had to deal with a LOT. We were left alone all the time. A lot of us had parents who split up. We lived with our moms. Dads were kind of "other." We were taught that girls and blacks were important too. It wasn't true equality, but it was a start. The women and the blacks were side characters, but they were there.

[quote] I see people claiming that there have been racist remarks online about Star Wars casting, but I haven’t seen any anywhere and no quote of one, so I can’t say whether there really are racist comments being posted or whether people are just trying to create controversy.

So things don’t exist unless you personally see or hear them. Got it.

Gen X also embraced hip-hop which was groundbreaking with it's initially Afrocentric nature and lack of respectability politics. John Singleton's movies like Boyz N The Hood were huge too. Boomers hated it and preferred to see The Huxtables and pre-coke Whitney Houston who were prim and proper negros. I doubt Gen X would have threatened Vanessa Williams' life or wrote hate mail to the producers of Saved by The Bell because Zack kissed Lisa.

[quote]Tell that to Obama. His Parents were solid middle of the curve Boomers.

They were Silent Gen

The fanboy neckbeards of both Star Wars and Star Trek are exactly the same. What they really want is an exact copy of the original source material and nothing else will suffice. They have found fault with everything that came after.