J.J. Abrams Addresses STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Fan Backlash - "We Have to Return to Nuance and Acceptance"
Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi caused a big shift in Star Wars fandom with the filmmaker’s controversial choices with the story and characters, especially Luke Skywalker. There was a lot of hate for this film. While there were aspects of the film that I didn’t agree with, I did ultimately enjoy the film as a whole. I know I get crap from people who hated the movie, and I’m fine with that. The fact of the matter is, I love and enjoy Star Wars.
Director J.J. Abrams recently talked with Esquire about the fan backlash to Star Wars: The Last Jedi and his thoughts on the matter mirror my own. I 100% agree with him on what he says here:
“I think that the bigger question is: How has everything changed? The reaction to Star Wars, the increased attacks, the increased negativity, the Fandom Menace as they call it, you know, that is not unique to Star Wars, obviously. And I think we live in a time where if you’re not being divisive, if you’re not creating something that’s aversive quick-bait, sometimes you don’t quite feel like you’re playing the game. I always loved Star Wars because it’s got a huge heart. Did I always believe in and agree with every single thing that happened in every movie, whether it was the prequels or the original trilogy? No. But do I love Star Wars? Yes. So, for me, I hope -- and I’m sure naively -- we can return to a time where we give things a bit more latitude. We don’t have to agree with every single thing to love something. I don’t know anyone who has a spouse or a partner or any family member or any friend, who loves and agrees with every single thing that that person is and does. We have to return, I think, to nuance and acceptance. And so I feel like, as a Star Wars fan, do I love every single thing about each of the movies? No. But do I love Star Wars? Hell yes, I do.”
That’s a great response to the fan backlash. I do have to say, though, that I love that The Mandalorian is being praised by the majority of Star Wars fandom. It makes me happy to see Star Wars fans unite in their love for something again. Now, we’ll just have to wait and see how the fans react to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
What do you think about Abrams’s comments here?