It’s a conversation that I’ve had too many times to recount, but the formula is always the same. Someone finds out that I am a nerd, and then they want to talk about Star Wars with me. Then, they get upset when I inform them that I don’t like Star Wars.
Strike that.
I LOATHE STAR WARS.
No matter what, the person wants me to explain further, so let allow me to break down my blasphemy and then inform you what I’m going to do about it.
Stormtroopers suck
Working at a comic book store, the worst group to come in had to be the Star Wars nerds. The main problem with Star Wars nerds is that because they are fans of one particular set of films, they have no real agenda when they come into the store and so they loiter and talk about Star Wars with anyone who will listen.
Compare this to other nerds types and you’ll see that I’m right. Comic book nerds are usually in and out without much fuss. They need their weekly fix, and they head off to whatever else they have planned for the day. Magic: the Gathering nerds loiter to an extent but that’s because they are shuffling through single cards to find what they need to build their decks. Even Yu-Gi-Oh kids weren’t so bad compared to Star Wars nerds because most Yu-Gi-Oh players were either little kids or guys that were old enough that they were a little ashamed of being there, so they didn’t call attention to themselves.
Let’s clarify what I mean by Star Wars nerds though. Do I mean the person who has watched all six movies and enjoyed them? No.
Do I mean the person who has watched all six movies, the Clone Wars cartoon, and played the Star Wars video games? No.
Do I mean the person who has watched all six movies, the Clone Wars cartoon, played the Star Wars video games, read some of the novels, and loves all of the comic books? Still, no.
Prequels suck
The Star Wars nerds that I am specifically referring to are the guys who dress up. See, the previous three examples were people who enjoy the universe it is set in and those people are fine. If you are a member of the 501 Legion, you are a loathsome sore on society and I can’t tolerate you because lets face facts; you don’t just wear the costume, you have to live Star Wars. You want to talk about metachlorians, and you want to explain the expanded universe, and you really want to talk about who your favorite Sith Lord is.
When I was working at a comic book store, we had some regulars who were members of the 501st Legion. They would come into the store to loiter and argue about Star Wars. After a couple of hours, they would leave without buying anything and most of the time, our glass counters would be smudged from when they were leaning their greasy hands all over them.
Ewoks really suck.
One of the Legion members (a guy I dubbed “Big Fat Matt”) had eight sets of Stormtrooper armor because he kept gaining weight. He was the worst of them all because he was a repeat offender. He didn’t just come in every once in awhile to loiter and dirty my counters; he came in nearly every single day. His worst moment had to have been when he proceeded to flirt with the sixteen year old girl who worked with me. She was wiping down the greasy counters and he said, “Just push me out of the way if you want me to movie.”
“Its okay,” she tried to be polite.
He replied, “I’m always in the way and that makes me naughty. Maybe you oughta give me a spanking.”
Maybe its unfair of me to associate Star Wars with Big Fat Matt, but I can’t separate the two. I just start to hear his nasally voice and I begin to imagine him going into the difference between the different types of TIE Fighters and I just get so enraged.
You know that Jar Jar sucks.
Now, I know what some of my faithful readers are thinking. There are some of you who probably think I might be a bit hypocritical by criticizing Star Wars nerds when I run a pop culture website, and work for a publisher that produces books about comic books, but there is an important distinction between me and the Star Wars nerds I’m talking about. At the end of the day, I know that there are a lot of people out there who don’t care about comic books, and I don’t care. I don’t go out into the world trying to convert the masses into legions of comic fans. I have the ability to talk about things other than comic books.
The Star Wars fans I’m talking about, aren’t like that. These are the guys who feel as if it is their life’s mission to convert everyone into Star Wars fans. These are the guys who think it is criminal to have not watched the original trilogy.
Take, for example, the television show How I Met Your Mother. I’m not a fan of the show mostly because the first episode I ever watched featured this scene (sorry for the crappy quality, but its the only clip I could find).
Young Bob Saget is dating girl from Scrubs and as it turns out, she has never watched Star Wars. This upsets Young Bob Saget and Jason Segel, so they make her watched the film in order for her to “prove” herself. Its this kind of douchey behavior that characterizes Star Wars nerds to me.
Incest sucks
I can hear you screaming at the screen right now, “But that’s a sitcom, that’s not real life!” Oh, but it is, my friend. It absolutely is real life. I’ve seen this situation happen before and each time I think, “yeah, you could really go your whole life without watching Star Wars and be just fine.”
Here are a few positive things I would like to say about Star Wars in order to win back some people:
1) Darth Vader – hands down the most iconic villain in all of film history. I’m a Star Trek fan through and through and I have to admit that there aren’t any Trek villains who even come close to Vader. I mean, Khan? Not even close.
2) Light sabers – Who wouldn’t want a light saber? They are ridiculously awesome and people look cool with them.
3) Technical achievements – The original trilogy still astound me by how beautiful the space scenes look. All of the dogfights in space have certainly aged well.
Hayden and his rat tail both suck.
Now, let’s look at all of the problems with the franchise:
1) the Acting – outside of Harrison Ford, the series is riddled with horrendous acting that grates on my nerves.
2) the Plot – Simplistic, moralistic drek. Honestly, I don’t have to have overly complex plots or anything like that, the real problem is that the fandom acts as if the films are just so thrilling to watch and they try to elevate the plot to being something more than it is.
3) The Prequels – I know that no one really likes the prequels, but those were three whole movies that Star Wars fans have to forget. They have to completely ignore those three piles of trash, but I think thats a bit unfair.
Don't worry, Ackbar. We still cool.
Compare Star Wars to Star Trek for a minute. Star Wars had six movies, but three are supposed to be forgotten because they are so awful. Star Trek has had eleven movies and while some are better than others, none are so bad that they should be completely ignored. Even Star Trek IV (the one about whales) is a good movie compared to the Star Wars prequels.
Now that I have ranted, allow me to take a breath to gather my point.
. . .
. . .
Okay.
So, why am I so enraged? Well, for one thing, I get tired of people being so shocked by my Star Wars hatred. Simply because I am a nerd doesn’t mean that I automatically like Star Wars. I wish this post had been a bit more focused, but my rage has taken the form of an explosion.
For the record, if you like Star Wars, good for you. I won’t judge because I no longer work at a comic book store and so loitering is no longer a concern of mine. I think we should agree to disagree and we’ll go our separate ways.
But, for the record, in order to prove how much Star Wars sucks, I am undertaking a challenge.
The absolute best restaurant in Springfield.
Springfield has a local restaurant called “Grad School” and they feature a menu item known as the “Deathstar” wings. Essentially, they are the hottest wings imaginable and it is my job to eat them in order to show that Star Wars sucks.
Training starts next week. Be prepared.
You and me both, brother.
Personally, I don’t like the movies really. I find them boring, too long, etc. (They make pretty good rifftrax though)
However, the universe they are in I think is pretty cool, if I was ever going to play an RPG again, one of the games I would want to play is a Star Wars SE game. Assuming it wouldn’t be so jedi-centric, since I think the Jedi are the most boring part of the universe, unfortunately thats what all the films are about, and what everyone associates Star Wars with.
Also, if you haven’t seen them, http://www.redlettermedia.com has really funny, (and really in depth) reviews of the Star Wars prequels, the Star Trek TNG movies and a few others, as well as tips on how to kill prostitutes and make pizza rolls.
I was a huge Star Wars fan in high school. But as I think back on it, I was a fan of the universe more than anything. Sure, I enjoyed the films, “Empire” in particular. But it was the universe that kept me going back to the novels and comics. Even now, when I think on the things that I like about Star Wars, it is the universe, particularly the darkness of it during the original trilogy. It could be a dangerous place, whether you are in “Empire Strikes Back” or the Tales of the Jedi comics, you could discover some dark secret down any alley, be hunted by someone just because you said the wrong thing to the wrong person. This is one thing I love about “Firefly”. The world-building has a similar feel. It also helps that “Firefly” was partially a response to the prequels, acknowledging that the lack of a Han Solo character, a lovable rogue, killed the character dynamic. So, Whedon populated his universe with rogues. And pumped in a lot of Civil War elements, but I digress.
I once had a moment where I tried to introduce a girlfriend to Star Wars. It wasn’t as insidious as the example used above, but she had not seen The Phantom Menace, and I was curious to see if it really was as bad as I remembered it. So, we watched it together and I spent most of my time apologizing. In the end, I think I was thoroughly ashamed of suggesting the movie, and she was indifferent, possibly even mildly entertained. Which makes me wonder if making a girl watch The Phantom Menace is a litmus test for her tolerance of bad movies. Particularly, if she enjoys it, then the only option is to run.
I can definitely see your points Cody. It is funny how Mark Hammil grew as an actor after these films too. His Joker is amazing. Oddly enough this is similar to my rage and hatred towards die hard anime fans. You know, Otaku. The kids that try to push Japanese culture on you even though they only know about the representations of it from Naruto, yet they are an expert.
Good article.
If this article had been titled, “Why I hate Hardcore Star Wars Fans,” it would have been a fun read.
As it stands, instead of offering an insightful critique of the Star Wars franchise, as you have done with other franchises you like/dislike, you demonize a vocal minority of its fanbase, one person in particular. Then offer three things you enjoyed about the films, and then offer three criticisms that sound as if they are some type of ideological truth that everyone must admit, regardless of anything else they might think or know about Star Wars.
Overall not your best work.
I like Star Wars the way I like RIFTS. It’s a fun background in places, very cool in others, and the actual implementation of it is generally not worth my time. My favorite part of Star Wars is actually the religious dogmatic conflicts that have been outlined for the Jedi and Sith cults. They aren’t explored very deeply in the films and most of the more interesting parts, for me, are actually brought up in the games, particularly Knights of the Old Republic. It’s strange to have characters disgusing an elaborate system of morals, ethics, and dogma in what is essentually a game with black and white actions.
Bear Dan – I will admit that this post got out of hand as I was writing it. While I am normally quite elegant in my evisceration of a particular franchise, I let my emotions get the best of me and I went off on tangents rather than sticking to the task at hand. Fear not, in the coming weeks, perhaps I will buckle down and have a more focused article describing my hatred of the holy franchise.
Also, I apologize if it comes off as only one person I dislike, because in all honesty, it is much larger than just Big Fat Matt. He was merely the ultimate example of this. The pinnacle of my Star Wars hatred. The Sith Lord of all Star Wars fans. Certainly, there are fanboys out there that are just as bad as him, but the other Star Wars fans that I despise are the ones that are just too innocent to publicly denounce. Fans of RPPR will know one specific person, but I’m being kind today.
Forgive me, Dan. I assure you that I will destroy this unholy franchise yet. Just wait until the hot wing challenge.
I entirely agree with you Cody.
A small side note: it seems like everyone these days just assumes that of course Star Wars is superior to Star Trek and they act genuinely shocked when I argue the opposite.
It’s funny how long these two fan bases (Star Wars/Star Trek) have been at odds. I’ve always liked both almost equally, but used to work with two guys who represented the factions.
There’s really a yin/yang relationship to the two, and just the titles, “Wars” & “Trek” sort of warn of their ethos: the long-ago space opera science-fantasy Western with the merchandising power and the mytho-archetypes vs the utopian socialist-humanist science-fiction vision of our own planet’s future, also with archetypal characters but more intellectual and with very little (or unsuccessful) merchandising. One based more on free-to-watch TV, the other based more on theatrical releases. Has anyone ever studied the two as a type of personality test?
Oddly enough, the two guys who used to argue over them have become the opposites of the franchises they championed–The Star Wars guy is the liberal/socialist intellectual, and the Star Trek guy is the patriotic capitalist verging on Tea Party membership. Maybe that ruins my idea for a personality test?
I’m sorry Cody, but Star Trek 4 is a great movie, 5 however is one that everyone tries to forget, sort of like highlander 2 and 3. And the only think i could say about the whole SW vs ST argument is, is in the original stuff at least, SW had better actors.
It was a fun read, but one could say the same about the ultimate fanboys of whatever specific thing, and the similarities would be pretty close.
One thing that always shocked me was how most everyone considers Darth Vader one of, if not the most iconic villain in cinema history, when in fact, he was a henchman. No one can deny he merely looked imposing, and James Earl Jones can make anything sound imposing as well. But throughout every single movie, he was taking orders from others, whether it be the emperor, bounty hunters, or peter cushing.
So is the main reason you hate Star Wars due to overly annoying fanboys? As said the article didn’t really paint a picture why you dislike the franchise so much, other than annoying people professing how great it is, so you naturally growing bitter towards it. I’ve done similar things, throughout college people kept professing how funny Kung-Pow was, and i grew more and more hateful of it, having never seen it, and i still refuse to see it.
My biggest thing is and has always been that George Lucas should not be allowed to write or direct his own works. He made 2 good films in his life, American Graffiti and Star Wars, and even then the 2 directors that finished the original trilogy did a better job. He should just come up with the idea and finance others to make it for him.
Good luck with your wing challenge though. But how many of the wings do you have to eat to feel you proved your point?
additionally, my one friend has long been a pro Star Wars fan, and an anti-Trek guy, but his hatred of star trek is derived solely from his love of babylon 5, and the sheer implausibility of a holo-deck. He does however admit that Wrath of Khan and First Contact are fucking awesome.
Great article, and frankly I agree with you.
I own all six movies, 2 Tartakovsky series cartoon dvds, both “ewok” adventures, a whole shitload of SW comic books, roughly 10-15 rpg gaming books, a bunch of minis for the SWRPG game, a collection of SW video games across 4-5 game systems, and roughly 20 paperback novels. I give a lot of respect to the 501st Legion’s charity work.
Through all of this media what I’ve learned about Star Wars is that I like the non-Lucas created media far better than the Lucas created media. In the movies I liked the starfighter battles (in particular the Return of the Jedi space battle with Admiral Ackbar) and who could forget how badass the emotional feel of the Battle of Hoth. All in all I got what…10-30 minutes of video time of that stuff? The prequels were horrible and the original 3 movies were pretty damn good in my opinion. Then the comics and books took over, and there’s lots of stuff that I liked in those series.
However, Lucasarts themselves “retconns” all of that good shit to recreate the setting however George Lucas demands and it’s all…so…stupid. Everything Lucas touches nowadays turns to shit and everything Star Wars related I like are things that Lucasarts approved but George Lucas himself had very little involvement with. Frankly I think it’s cruel that George Lucas pays very, very little respect or recognition to the writers of the comic books, video games, and novels that turned his small little universe into a fleshed out galaxy. Coruscant, Tatooine, the Jedi Council and literally hundreds of characters that he’s now using in his series were sucked up through the work of the novelists and comic book writers and spat out into the prequels and the new CGI series. Check out the very public spat between author Karen Travis and Lucasarts and you’ll see what I’m talking about. George Lucas is just…dumb and doesn’t deserve anyone’s respect as he is destroying what was a pretty cool sandbox that the fans were putting together.
If you can find me a video clip where he gives thanks to all of the writers and visionaries that helped him put Star Wars together, then you can color me wrong. That flannel-wearing retard suddenly decided he wanted to visit the Star Wars ATM and we’ve been suffering really horrible content ever since.
Robot Master – “If you can find me a video clip where he gives thanks to all of the writers and visionaries that helped him put Star Wars together, then you can color me wrong. ” I never thought of that! He’s very Stan Lee about the whole thing.
“Yes, I had a vision. Thank you for acknowledging my genius” – when it was really a collaborative effort. Guh . . . I hate Lucas too.
Joe – There are elements of Star Trek 5 that aren’t good, but I really think Search for Spock is the worst of them all. 5 at least had some interesting villains (too many villains, but interesting ones nonetheless). An original Star Trek movie without Spock is boring to me and that movie was proof.
Really? I love 3, mostly because i think 2, 3, and 4 is just an incredibly well made trilogy/story. Plus everyone knows Bones is the best.
I’ve always thought that the obsession among the Star Wars fans, at least here in Southern Indiana, worked this way:
Southern Indiana is pretty much in the Bible belt. Everyone here is very conservative, even myself in some cases. Christianity in any form is followed and pushed very strongly here. I amaze myself that my Baptist upbringing doesn’t infuriate my Pagan wife.
Anyway, I see a lot of obsession and ‘witnessing’ with Star Wars fans here that parallel how most Baptists are (again, personal experiences here). Growing up, I was taught to basically tout my religion non-stop and try to get people to come to God, specifically our God. That didn’t really work for me. Now that I’ve grown and frequent the local nerd spots, I see the same pattern with Star Wars, Star Trek, and even Doctor Who fans.
It’s like these fans abandon religion, but still have the urge to ‘witness’ something. So they latch onto a pop culture they like and feel has been oppressed. Much like most Christians I know feel these days.
It’s just a theory of mine. I could be totally wrong.
As someone raised Missionary Baptist, I can completely see what you’re saying here. Many nerds have this need to share the thing they love with everyone until others “get it.” Often times, when too many people latch onto it, however, these are the people who get upset or they are the ones who say, “Yeah, well I liked it BEFORE everyone else did.”
Oh thank God it’s not just me that see’s this!
Well to be fair, the Doctor Who fans are better because their shows are the best and transcend time and space.
Yeah, but as a huge Whovian, even I have to admit that the show loves to create reason sthe Doctor can suddenly save the day (like his Sonic Screwdriver and it’s million uses).
I totally forgot about the Battle for Endor. Wow.
You should have brought up guys like me. I LOVE star wars, but only the original cuts. I refuse to watch the remastered versions and I hate Lucas for destroying Star Wars. I wear “Han Shot First Shirts” and always tell fight with people about that fact. I guess you could call me an old school Star Wars Apologist.
Even without dressing up, it’s the *attitude*. Harlan Ellison was inclined not to like SW before seeing it (even though it’s based on the kinds of old serials he *does* like). At his local record shop, comic book store etc., people were giving each other a burning-coal gaze and saying “HAVE YOU SEEN *IT*.” And he said no, he hadn’t seen IT, and they keyed his car!
He also didn’t like Lucas’ reported attitude. Lots of dumb space movies have explosions in space that go BOOM, right? Alan Dean Foster was at a convention and he said he was in the room when someone pointed out to Lucas that explosions shouldn’t go boom in space. Lucas said “There’s a lot of money tied up in this picture and people expect to hear a boom when there’s an explosion, so I’ll give them the boom.” That seems like a small thing, but it’s again his *attitude*.
Ellison says the reason SW doesn’t work is that it has no people. More like character types than actual characters.
Well, thats my first and last time here.
I can name over a dozen fans of various movies, anime, and games aside from starwars that I have met over the years who villainize those franchises every bit as badly as your “Fat Mike” example.
That read more like thinly vieled hate group propaganda than an article regarding game opinions. My recommendation? See a psychiatrist. You obviously have issues.
at around mark 16:30…
…everything that is wrong with Star Wars geeks. “The prequels were bad, but not that bad….hey, its Star Wars. Let’s show em how critics cant hurt us by laughing at it ourselves…oh, and drag Indiana Jones down with us!”
I refute your positives with:
1) Darth Vader is no longer cool because the prequels made him out to be a retard.
2) lightsabers – people look cool with them? Google seatch “fat Jedi” and pick your Fonz.
3)technical achievements – groundbreaking for the time, but led all too soon to an age of stagnant computer wizardry.
here’s a link to George talking stoopid about 3-D…
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/53351
PS- fans of modern Doctor Who are almost as bad…the David Tennant years blow!
It’s a crying shame that you hate six of the best movies ever made in the history of cinema.
I never said anything about the Police Academy films!
Quote:
” If you are a member of the 501 Legion, you are a loathsome sore on society…”
Some Clarification:
The 501st Legion is a World Wide Charity Costume Organization comprised of over 5350 members from over 20 different countries. 12 out of 15 events these guys do are for charity fund raisers, Children’s Hospital visits, Disaster Relief Aid, Food Banks etc.
Yes, the costumes regulations are strict, but without that, there is no authenticity. People want to see ” Just walked off the movie screen” quality.
I’m not sure who this ” Big Matt” is, and I don’t know if he is in the Legion or not. One thing is for sure: You can’t generalize every 501st member just by the way he leans against your counter.
Quote:
” ….you don’t just wear the costume, you have to live Star Wars.”
It’s called staying in character. For instance, visiting Children’s Hospital or charity events, helmets do not come off during the performance unless special circumstances arise. The children want to see Darth Vader, they shall have that. The event organizers request troopers on site for the full on Star Wars experience.
As for possessing 7 sets of armor, again, that may or may not be true. People modify their armor to fit their body. Some troopers might end up with 2-3 sets, probably because they want to do a better job on their build each time. However, there are some other troopers with 7 alternative character costumes. ( i.e Clonetrooper, Scout Trooper, Royal Guard or Boba Fett )
By the end of the day, people are entitled to opinions. Not everything will work for everyone in the entire Star Wars franchise. Some people will rant more than the others. However, the 501st Legion ( and the Rebel Legion ) is a group that does good things for society and the local community. Further more, most Star Wars fans ( and Legion members) enjoy other genres too.
FYI, Metachlorians, Expanded Universe and favorite Sith Lords. Those are things Legion members never quite talk about.
“The 501st Legion is a World Wide Charity Costume Organization comprised of over 5350 members from over 20 different countries. 12 out of 15 events these guys do are for charity fund raisers, Children’s Hospital visits, Disaster Relief Aid, Food Banks etc.” – Great. A group of people who represent an evil, oppressive empire terrorizes children and other people. I don’t know what galaxy you’re from, but I’m from the galaxy of America; home of the brave and land of the free.
“One thing is for sure: You can’t generalize every 501st member just by the way he leans against your counter.” – I can and did.
“It’s called staying in character.” – So, you admit that by staying in character that you want to oppress and terrorize the general populace for your evil emperor. How noble of you to frighten the helpless.
“By the end of the day, people are entitled to opinions.” – Says the guy who wants the entire universe within the grasp of Palpatine.
“Not everything will work for everyone in the entire Star Wars franchise.” – Almost all of it doesn’t work for me . . . except for KOTOR and Force Unleashed.
“Some people will rant more than the others.” – Mainly, me.
“However, the 501st Legion ( and the Rebel Legion ) is a group that does good things for society and the local community. ” – Like terrorizing children and old people. Gotcha.
“FYI, Metachlorians, Expanded Universe and favorite Sith Lords. Those are things Legion members never quite talk about.” – Do you know EVERY Legion member? Who’s over-generalizing now?
Popgun,
When the Children’s Hospital that request the 501st Legion to visit the children, and I stress, the children and the parents want Star Wars character in there, it’s fair to say these people in costume are not Terrorizing Children and old people. I live in a galaxy where people bring smiles to others during hard times.
As a documentary film maker, and having attended and documented 5 different garrison events ( a Garrison consist of at least 40 – 60 members….. that’s give or take 300 troopers ), I can tell you they are all good men and women. Metacholorians ? What’s that? I only know the force.
I don’t know if you are just being comedic, or if you are for real about how evil this charity organization is , go to 2:37 of this video
I’m a multi genre person. I enjoy everything else as well as Star Wars. If you don’t like Star Wars, whatever, that’s fine.
Obvious troll is obvious.
You clearly have never attended a 501st charity event, because it’s nothing like what you described. Your obvious lack of research combined with your narcissistic comments is plenty of proof why your “opinions” are trash.
I’m not 501st, and I don’t care much about Star Wars, and could care less if you do or not. But you’re generalizing a very large group of people in a very false manner. There is no “terrorizing children” as you put it. There is much love and respect for people during their troops, and they bring a lot of smiles.
Let me try your logic for a second.
I hate people who work at comic book stores. These are people that are short, scrawny, have big heads and wear glasses. These people sit behind their counters at work and immediately judges anyone and everyone that comes into the store. These people enjoy listening to Weezer until they became “too mainstream” I have dubbed one person in particular “hipster Cody”.”
Oh wait…
http://faculty.weber.edu/jyoung/English%206710/Good%20Country%20People.pdf
For you.
tl;dr
You do not speak for the 501st UK Garrison. Do your research first before trash talking a reputable charity organization.
Two things:
1) I never said I spoke for them and I have done plenty of research.
2) I am basing my opinion of the 501st Legion on interactions I’ve had with members that used to come into my store, but this post has allowed me to see all sorts of Legionnaires, and they’re all the same; pushy and insistent. You are so absorbed into the role of being part of an oppressive, evil regime that you bring that into the real world and try to oppress others by forcing them to your side. Anyone who disagrees isn’t dismissed as having a difference of opinion – they are trolled and attacked.
This is the kind of crap I’m talking about as to why Star Wars sucks. Star Wars fans can’t accept that someone doesn’t like the series and they always have to try and convert others. I’ve laid out why I hate Star Wars (mostly the fans, but the movies suck too) and you’ve proven my hatred to be justified.
You’re a retard. The Star Wars prequels are the best. The original trilogy and Star Trek both suck. To all the haters of the prequels, GTH! You’re all a bunch of geeks with crappy taste.
Very eloquent response, Diana. I appreciate the thought out and intelligent remarks that you made especially your use of the word “retard” as an insult and the use of “GTH” showing that you are a dignified and intelligent woman who is well-spoken.
Even though your comment was concise and clear, I think some elaboration is in order. In no less than 1,000 words, explain how are the Star Wars prequels “the best”? Furthermore, explain the ways in which the original trilogy and Star Trek “suck”?
I’ll expect your response by Wednesday or I declare myself right by editorial mandate and the powers invested in me by Cormac McCarthy’s ghost.
Hi there.
I myself am not a big fan of star wars. I watched all the movies, played one or two video games and have attempted to read a novel. Once I was younger I thought it was great. But after rewatching the movies recently all I can say is I think it is rubbish. I just really dislike all of it.
And reading this post makes me wonder. What kind of people do you hang out with? I know plenty sci-fi nerds who love star wars and star trek and none of them act the way you describe in your post. You mention that is just a specific kind of star wars nerd, and I accept that might be annoying. But by working in such an environment isnt this exactly what you would expect? If you really hate them this much just kick them out or bar them from entering.
You say you won’t judge people for liking star wars, but you go on a incredibly longwinded ridiculous rant about. If you get sick of other people attitude to your opinion of star wars just shut up about it. Just say you do no want to talk about it.
Fuck me, this bullshit is just ridiculous.
“I myself am not a big fan of star wars. I watched all the movies, played one or two video games and have attempted to read a novel. Once I was younger I thought it was great. But after rewatching the movies recently all I can say is I think it is rubbish. I just really dislike all of it.” – Okay . . . then why are you mad at me for disliking it also?
“What kind of people do you hang out with? I know plenty sci-fi nerds who love star wars and star trek and none of them act the way you describe in your post.” – I don’t hang out with Star Wars nerds either. I was describing a type of customer that I’ve seen when I used to work in retail. Yes, I pointed to one specific person, but that person is indicative of a type that many are classified under.
“But by working in such an environment isnt this exactly what you would expect?” – No. I expect people to come in, purchase whatever it is they want, and leave. I don’t expect people to loiter and try to convert people to their own likes. I like Green Lantern, but I don’t force people to read Green Lantern comics or strongly suggest they try anything. Star Wars fans aren’t content that people like different things, however. They HAVE to convert others to their way of thinking. There is something strangely evangelical about it all.
“If you really hate them this much just kick them out or bar them from entering.” – You’ve never worked in retail, have you? I didn’t own the store and I wasn’t the manager, so I had to put up with all sorts of customers that annoyed me. I dealt with it by writing about it which apparently still doesn’t make people happy.
“If you get sick of other people attitude to your opinion of star wars just shut up about it.” That’s tough for me. At one time, I was posting things regularly on this site and after so many people had asked me about Star Wars, I felt compelled to put all of my thoughts and feelings into one post. I still stand by the content of my original posting (however flawed it may be) because it proves my point – Star Wars fans are crazy. Also, to be fair, I did say that, “I think we should agree to disagree and we’ll go our separate ways” but people seem to keep coming back enraged that I would dare hate something they like.
“Fuck me, this bullshit is just ridiculous.” – Hey, we’re in agreement about something! Given that I’m tucked away in a fairly innocuous corner of the internet that few people venture toward, it’s strange how many people wander over to argue why I’m wrong. I can’t help but wonder why you’re here. What magical words did you put into Google to get here? What compelled you to respond to my opinion? Did it really effect your day at all? Did you tell anyone about it?
It’s strange that you would be so upset about something that I’ve written. I’m pretty sure we’ve never met, so why does my opinion matter?
Some of the best people I’ve known are from the Star Wars fan community. My daughter has a fighting chance in life now, even though she is terminally ill, stuck in bed. Why? The 501st Legion came to visit her ( and other kids) at the local kids hospital. There was a lot of laughter and joy that day. My daughter became a bigger Biker scout fan.
My wife and I have totally different taste in Sci Fi / comics. She has doctor who and Batman, I have Star Wars and BSG. Yes, grown ups still living that nerd lifestyle. I expect you to understand that. But none of us, my friends who like Star Wars, friends I met at conventions, fellows from free comic book day, none of them are like what you described in the article above.
But this article does not sound like you. If I didn’t know you better from reading your other entries, I thought you’ve never been to a convention, or never read a comic book. On the other hand, you sound exactly like those overly obsessive fans. Pushy and belligerent, and I am sure you are not like that after a long in retail.
So you tell me, Cody, when I send my gratitude message to the 501st Legion and the Rebel Legion, should I include this article about how disgusting those Stormtroopers and Jedi’s are ? How they should shut down their costuming community ? I saw something different that day, and it was not anything negative.
“Some of the best people I’ve known are from the Star Wars fan community.” – That’s awesome for you. Obviously, we don’t know the same people.
” My daughter has a fighting chance in life now, even though she is terminally ill, stuck in bed.” – I’m really sorry to hear that.
“The 501st Legion came to visit her ( and other kids) at the local kids hospital. There was a lot of laughter and joy that day. My daughter became a bigger Biker scout fan.” – Good for your daughter. She’s younger, I’m assuming, so of course she should love the fairy tale fantasy that Star Wars offers. Good for her.
“My wife and I have totally different taste in Sci Fi / comics. She has doctor who and Batman, I have Star Wars and BSG. Yes, grown ups still living that nerd lifestyle. I expect you to understand that.” – I do!
“But none of us, my friends who like Star Wars, friends I met at conventions, fellows from free comic book day, none of them are like what you described in the article above.” – That’s good, because those people I know that ARE like that suck.
” On the other hand, you sound exactly like those overly obsessive fans. Pushy and belligerent, and I am sure you are not like that after a long in retail.” – Fair enough. I probably am.
“So you tell me, Cody, when I send my gratitude message to the 501st Legion and the Rebel Legion, should I include this article about how disgusting those Stormtroopers and Jedi’s are ? How they should shut down their costuming community ? I saw something different that day, and it was not anything negative.” – Do whatever you like, but I think it’s unnecessary to resort to what appear to be threats over something so trivial and ridiculous. I don’t like a franchise. Who cares? At the end of the day, what will it matter that I don’t like Star Wars? Does it really affect you in any way that I don’t prefer Star Wars?
If you like the movies, fine. Whatever. Based upon my experience, I don’t. Some people don’t like things. But you know what? I’ve fought against racists, bigots, sexists, and other people who promote inequalities, so don’t try to label me as a bad person because I stated a preference on a movie.
I find this article of yours ot be an interesting read Cody because it sounds like some of the issues that I have surrounding Star Wars. I too have recieved hate mail for saying that I don’t like Star Wars. I hate it when I am labeled as a bad guy just because I dislike Star Wars. I also dislike the negative treatment of Colo Claw Fish in Star Wars because I am protective fo Colo Claw Fish. I am also vehemently against bigotry such as racism and homophobia.
My twin deepest forebodings regarding Star Wars is that I would be treated as the bad guy and forced to convert to likign Star Wars against my will.
Star wars prequels are way better than the original trilogy.
You are high.
This post is rather old, yes, but I’d argue every TNG film needs to be forgotten.
And you seemed to indicate that ST IV was the weaker of the films with the original cast? IIRC, that one was the most financially, and critically successful.
I AGREE
Thank you for this post. I have always HATED the Star Wars movies; I think they are all a bunch of boring, worthless crap, and the fans are all a bunch of losers and schmucks.
Thanks so much! You are my new favorite person.