Visiting Movie Forums that you hate

I think it's simple — not because I hate Disney Star Wars, but because I can sympathize with those who do. I think it's something like this:

• those who hated the movies wanted something
• the movies didn't give them that something, or worse, they went completely against that something
• those who hate the movies then need an outlet for their strong sense of disappointment. What better outlet than the internet, where, for better or worse, they do get heard?
• those who hate the movies want to make a difference at the production level, and the Internet, again, lets them be heard and gives them some kind of chance to change things.

And the thing is...change does happen. I mean, look, Disney made a conscious course-correction when you compare the current films to the prequels. An emphasis on practical effects, even though CGI is used. Real sets. Puppetry. An emphasis on characters and character chemistry. So at some level, backlash does work.

 

I agree with what you are saying in general, in that when in a discussion someone shouldn't just immediately shoot down the topic at hand and leave it at that. One can like something or not like something, but what keeps a discussion interesting is breaking down why someone don't like something in a manner that is clear, concise, and open for questions, comments, and concerns. Not only that, realize that whatever comments section or forum a person is on, all who post about the subject at hand must have some underlying appreciation for it, else they wouldn't give (hopefully) constructive criticism or informed opinions about such things.

Yet, at the end of the day, also realize that there's a lot of different personalities and attitudes out there that aren't always compatible, so I find the most effective approach is to know whether to engage with someone or just keep on scrolling.

I'm glad you posted this thread!

 

I avoid DC forums, because I am a huge fan of DC comics back in the day (Brave and the Bold reader from way, way back in the early 70's). But I can't stand where DC is at right now both in comics and most certainly the movies. It's sad really, because I do have things to say, but also feel my commentary is only going to antagonize that are just fine with where DC is at right now.

I'll also say that many of the posters here, that are upset with the ST post valid, interesting opinion and that this forum in general has always been well-moderated and yielded healthy discussion.

That said, my complaint is not those who come here to poop on Kathleen, TLJ or rant about how Star Wars is "ruined" or the endless predictions that the entire brand is falling apart. My complaint is those who post such opinion but become hostile to the facts. In other words, I am fine with people inventing their own opinions, but is anyone really entitled to their own set of facts? Facts can be very stubborn things and I feel at times, the very negative posts here are hostile to such facts and can sometimes launch ad-hominem attacks on those who dare to contradict opinion with fact.

This is a great thread, but I think we should all recognize that this forum yields solid discussion and that the really nasty trolls are dealt with here with acumen and dexterity. Mods, you are doing great out there and having been a forum mod in the past (in a KISS forum, which by the way, yields far more toxic discussion, there is no more volatile, hostile fan base than KISS fans but I digress). Anyway, having been there and done that, I know just how difficult it can be to put a leash on internet users like me and keep the discussion lively, spirited but also respectful.

 

I agree 110% Its one thing to hate a movie. Its another thing entirely to take that hate into attacking others (vice versa) simply because of an opinion.

 

I don't see myself going on a crusade over a movie I hated. I guess I would just move away from it and think about it as little as possible while still cherishing what I like about the general franchise or whatever. Seems like the healthiest solution. However, we'll verify this after a Star Wars movie that I hate comes out.

In all seriousness, though, I think I get it. Don't condone it, but I understand. People who feel passionate about something and have it "ruined" feel like they have to defend it somehow and draw a visible line between what they hold dear and what "it has become." I would still advise to let go and let other people enjoy it. It's not worth having a war. Don't hide your dislike when the subject comes up and you're willing to discuss it in a civil manner, but don't go out and spread vitriol. Why bother.

 

Life can be shitty enough on it's own to spend time hating a movie online.
This is why I wasn't on Star Wars forums for a long time. I didn't like the prequels. I didn't like a lot of the EU at the time.

 

I think you might not realize how much some people have invested into the franchise and on so many levels. Grande collections of toys, books, video games, all sorts of memorabilia, costumes ect.... it goes on and on. The SW fan base is much different to others of properties like LotR as you mentioned. For LotR, it doesn't take the place of the books, it's simply one man's vision of it. Since Tolkien isn't around any more, it won't expand either. I suppose the only way you can truly compare LotR to SW would be if someone started to expand on it on film, and I think in such a case you'd get just as spirited a reaction.

As for why we still come to SW sites, because we love SW. Maybe more accurately would be, we loved SW, and hope to love it again. We love the OT, some love the PT, some love R1 or other aspects of the franchise (books, games, comics, ect...). Why we go to forums like TLJ if we don't like TLJ? Because we're curious to see if others think like we do, because we're just as baffled as you are as to how someone can like the movie, as you are how someone doesn't. We want to hear the reasoning or justifications to some of the most horrendous scenes (in our opinion) of those who love it. Much like you, we just want to understand. Same coin, different side.

It's really not that complicated. We're still invested. We want good SW. I realize that good SW is subjective, but that doesn't make me want what I define as good any less. As one poster above states, we want to have an impact on the product moving forward. This isn't really any different as to the lovers either. In a way, we're very similar, our goals are essentially the same. The question could easily be answered by looking within your own motivations.

It's SW and we want to like it. The fact that we don't, hurts. We don't want to hurt, we want satisfaction. We want to walk out of a movie bright eyed and enthusiastic. We didn't get that, we got something completely different. For many of us, we walked out angry, disappointed (beyond words), sad, discouraged, drained and incredulous.

I hope this helps and answers some of your questions.

If there's anything else specific you want answered, I'd be glad to do my best to answer. One thing though, all haters are not the same though. We're the same that we dislike the movie, but we dislike different aspects in different ways and for different reason. So based on that, I don't think you can get a universal answer for all fans who dislike or hate TLJ. It's case by case.

 

It was these kinds of feelings that brought me to this forum. When somebody demolishes your favorite restaurant and puts up a brand new one in its place with the same name, but a different menu, you're probably not going to be happy about it. At least, that's how I felt in December 2015. I have moved on, though, so there is hope for the haters of TLJ. I remain a member of the Old Guard for sure, but I won't step on anybody's toes if they like the new stuff.

 

If only the haters were more like you. Otherwise it wouldn't be so toxic with the fandom.

 

@Lock_S_Foils

I think these situations only apply to franchises, where some people liked where a franchise was at and what it was doing during one time period, and then the franchise began to go in a different direction. And yes, they do think that if they beat their chests long enough it'll change things. And I would argue there is some truth in this, ideally the content creators are paying some attention to the fan reaction, it depends on if it's just a really loud minority and if the people making the films can discern this. This is why you very rarely see this type of thing for non-franchises. Like, no one is going to go on a message board for Fight Club or District 9 if they hated those films, unless they are curious about real discussion from people that like them to see what the appeal is.

Also, you have to realize the vast majority of people who leave comments on Youtube for these type of popular brands are basically teens, they are mostly between the ages of 13 and 23. They have a lot of spare time, and they also are more likely to fall into us/them camps, almost like an exaggerated version of sports teams rivalries. It's not enough just to like Playstation, you have to also hate X-Box and want it to fail. It's really just a maturity thing, we all did this when we were kids (Superman sucks! Batman is WAY better!), and with Youtube it really just takes an extra ten seconds to type that in if you stumble across a video promoting something you aren't a fan of. Why do it? I don't know. It's dumb. I think people don't realize that 90% of the audience on Youtube is kids, so it encourages lazy adults to act immaturely because they think everyone else is doing it. (on a similar note, I don't even really understand the dislike button on Youtube, as it tells the creators nothing about what they are disliking--is it production values, an opinion, the topic, the length, the host? who knows! I don't think I've ever been bothered to hit it, if I find a video I don't like I do what every other sane person does and simply move on).