Star Wars: Attack of the Toxicity
Cue the obligatory, "I've got a bad feeling about this."
It is no secret that Star Wars has a history of some toxic fandom (i.e. the cruel treatment of Jake Lloyd, Hayden Christensen, Daisy Ridley, and even George Lucas.) Most recently, It has made yet another victim.
Kelly Marie Tran is a lovely actress that I was happy to see in interviews and the marketing leading up to the film. She seemed so genuine and happy to be part of something so big that her smile became infectious. I was looking forward to supporting her character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
When the movie came around, I unfortunately thought that her character was a very weak part of the film, despite a good performance from Tran. In fact, I believe that both Tran and Boyega are two of the most talented performers currently in the Star Wars series. However, I HATED the Canto Bight story arc. It felt out of place and it just took me out of the film.
However, my point is not in regards to the plot. My point is that Kelly Marie Tran worked incredibly hard to earn her (well deserved) opportunity to be in such a film. As a huge fan of the series, I am begging my fellow supporters to show the actresses like Tran that we do support her and that we refuse to allow these internet trolls and heartless monsters to align themselves with our fandom. There is a difference between film criticism and abuse. There is no moral justification for the hatred that has been cast upon an innocent, hard working actress.
Another Star Wars enthusiast, Matt Rushing put it well in his own writing: #StarWarsLove is the solution to such a problem.
Please join the community in taking back Star Wars and denouncing those that seek to attack such a beloved property.
