the last jedi
Image via Lucasfilm

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ And How to be a Better Fan in 2018

2017 was…rough. I’m not just saying that for the socio-political climate, or lack thereof. No, instead I’m talking about what truly matters: fans and their fandoms. I’m going to say this first and foremost: I’m a Star Wars fan, I’m a Batman fan. If there were ever two things in this world that I can tell you a helluva lot about, that you wouldn’t necessarily care for, those would be them. Have I ever told someone they were dumb for not liking these things? Sure, but never in a serious “you have no taste” kind of way. But, that seems to be the way that a lot of fandoms went in this last year, much to our collective dismay. And never was this more present than with two particular titles: ‘Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi‘ and ‘Rick and Morty‘ Season 3.

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Rick and Morty‘ Season 3

Let’s address them in chronological order, starting with the illustrious ‘Rick and Morty’. Now, say what you will about the show, but the fandom has become a cancer that needs to be chemo’d to hell and back. I mean, say what you will about the Schezuan sauce, but it’s not worth making someone’s life harder than it needs to. The fact that there were people yelling and screaming at minimum wage employees is really disheartening and shows the true nature of a fandom that thinks they’re better than everyone else.

Rick and Morty is not an intellect’s show. At most, one could say that it’s an Adult Swim parody of ‘Back to the Future’ and has about as much depth as any Philosophy 101 class. The discussions and dialogues of existentialism and the human conflict are fascinating, but nothing you couldn’t google for yourself. Rick is not a character to be looked up to, Morty is not a good punching bag, and everyone else is up their own ass more often than not. It’s riddled with childish humor and obscene imagery. To call it high brow wouldn’t be wrong, but it certainly wouldn’t be right. Dan Harmon is an incredibly talented storyteller and should be celebrated, but not with a toxic fandom that pride themselves on creating scenes in drive-thrus, harping on female writers, or attempting to intimidate someone with death threats.

Also, let’s clear the air and all say that both Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon had absolutely nothing to do with the amount of sauce at each McDonald’s. That wasn’t their call, they’ve come out and said it, so let’s not threaten anyone.

However, what ‘Rick and Morty’ is, is different and that’s a good thing. That’s something we should be focusing on, rather than it’s assumed pedestal position. That it does make us think and question, but not in a polarizing way. It’s just an exploration, not a definitive yes or no. It’s a morally gray area that should be explored and conversed about, not gatekeeping or seeing who has more merchandise from the show.

And that’s the thing, people, fandom isn’t about a superiority. It’s about a collective love and appreciation for one or multiple things. It is entirely possible for fans to be civil with one another. I’ve seen it done, I’ve experience it first hand, and I can say that fandoms are better for it. But, I’m getting ahead of myself, because there’s still one fandom explosion we have to talk about.

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‘Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi’

If there were ever a self-hating Star Wars fan, it would be me in the year 2017. I cannot believe that I had to stomach someone re-editing the film to remove the female parts, someone telling me that they basically raped Luke Skywalker’s character, and that the filmmaker should never be allowed to make a film again; let alone a new trilogy in the Star Wars franchise. It’s kind of sad that a series of films that defied all odds and was so against the status quo of the era, would turn on its own like it has with ‘The Last Jedi‘.

‘The Last Jedi’ is a divisive film, I can say that with the utmost confidence. I know diehard Star Wars fans that were greatly disappointed and I also know others, like myself, that were in love with what Johnson created. It was unique, different, and brought forth a new type of Star Wars for a new generation (something that ‘Rogue One should have done). However, the proper way to appreciate Star Wars is to actively avoid doing anything of what I listed in the previous paragraph.

Star Wars is ultimately a film-series about the familial squabbles of space wizards, and not much else. Sure there are some really cool action moments and some important thematics about legacy, war, and the problems with wanting to rule a galaxy. This lends itself perfectly to those who have felt lost in their own galaxies and the search for glory. In fact, a lot of younger men saw themselves in Luke: a boy longing to be a man in a war-torn society, who is magically good at everything and saves the galaxy in the matter of a few days. Well, maybe not the last bit, but a lot of people connected with his plight; myself included. I dressed up as Luke Skywalker more often than not and even now, despite everything that The Last Jedi “did” to him, I still want to don my own Jedi robes. So, why do I hate my own fandom?

Well, I don’t. Not entirely, because I don’t want to generalize an entire group of fans just because of a few bad eggs. However, those eggs in question may feel inclined to do the opposite. The toxic diehards have a sense of entitlement in relation to these intellectual properties; even though they don’t contribute to it in a creative way or have any dog in that particular fight. They just really love these properties and want to champion the best elements of them all, but…they’re going about it all wrong.

You see, it’s really easy to be a better fan and that’s by remembering something extremely simple: fandoms should be all inclusive. Doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, green, fuzzy, male, female, a cardboard cutout or a living mannequin; if you like something, then just enjoy the fact that there are other people who also like it. We may not like the same thing for the same reason, but isn’t the best part of a fandom finding out all the different ways people appreciate an art form? Just watching something isn’t enough, but really feeling involved and a part of the conversation is what makes the fandoms rich and worthwhile. Not with hurting anyone else because they happened to think Haldo was a strong character in ‘The Last Jedi‘ or really appreciating the depth Summer received in season three of ‘Rick and Morty‘.

rick and morty
Image via Adult Swim

I think that’s just general advice though. If you actually sit and talk with someone, instead of fighting them at every turn, you’ll get to find a different approach to appreciation and have a much deeper love for the thing you love. If we actually just shut up and listen and I really mean listen, you may hear something that you’ve never considered. And that’s not just the pathway to being a better fan with something like ‘The Last Jedi‘, but it’ll also make you a better person, too.

 

About S Christian Roe

When he's not talking about them, Christian is watching or making films. An avid lover of food, comic books, and everything movie and television rated, he's a juggernaut when it comes to explaining his thoughts in lenghty essays. And, obviously, the most humble human.

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