What makes a Star Wars fan?

See, I disagree.

My wife absolutely loves Star Wars. She just got into it the week before The Force Awakens, but now she is super into the movies and loves the board games.

She has never read a Star Wars comic. Never read one of the books. Never really collected a ton of merchandise.

Just because she's not utterly obsessed, is she not a fan in your eyes?

 

right? given the nature of the video, perhaps they're the ones who don't understand the fanbase? : o p

i'm not going to pretend to speak for all the women fans of the franchise, but this is pretty offensive stuff.

 

A 'fan' invests to see growth, be it commercially for a franchise, or just growth of their mental or emotional connection with it.

People who feel like their investment gives some kind of ownership, are not fans.

 

EDIT: Apologies, TheDroidM6-B7 - I've just noticed how the last line of your post reads, and it looks like I'm responding specifically to you. I'm not - it was intended as a general response to the discussion as a whole... I hadn't even read right to the bottom of the last page properly when I posted...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It always makes me chuckle when group X else tries to tell group Y that they are "not fans", or even worse "not proper fans".
You may as well try to tell someone their favourite colour is not their favourite colour.
It's a self-declaration, not a third-party observation.

If JJ Abrams drops his trousers and curls out a turd next December - and let's hope he doesn't - then slaps the Star Wars logo on it, are you seriously telling me there are only two available options: A) Simply accept it as another great SW movie and remain a true fan, or B) call it out for the piece of crap that it is and in doing so choose to stop being a Star Wars fan forever?

Of course not. As a fan of something, I'd expect and hope an individual would care enough to make their honest opinions known. If I dislike something in a Star Wars movie, I'm going to let other people know about it - as a fan. I'm going to want to discuss it, and understand it, and find out what other fans think about it. Because I'm a fan.
A wine connoisseur does not just shovel down all available wine and rate it equally - their expertise comes in being able to distinguish the good from the bad. They are still as fanatical about wine when they are pointing out a bad one as they are celebrating a good one.

We are all registered on a Star Wars message board. Most of us are probably registered on several. I think it is safe to say we are all fans.

 

I think there are different types of "Skywalker characters" within each of us, some of them act in a more positive way, others turn their inner conflict zones inside out and therefore act in a more destructive way.
It's a bit like Anakins path. To love sthg passionatly without recognizing the difference between selfless and possessive love.
To be honest. I think that most people could identify at least some of their feelings for their beloved ones being partly "possessive". That's not good or false, it's human and it helps to "bind us together".
But if possessive feelings for sthg start to dominate and I become more and more blind for all other "points of view" without considering that my opinion or idea of sthg isn't the only right one for everyone else...
Then I am only a small step away of putting on the Vader helmet or the kylo mask. Because then I start to put my fixation or "wrong understood idealism" for an idea above humanity.
I always try hard to become a positive fan. I try to become a BFOB (big friendly oldbert)

 

I wouldn't say I dislike TLJ, but I definitely don't love it. I DO love *parts* of it and, like you, am a big fan of Kylo Ren, so it advances his story and is thus worthwhile to me.

--- Double Post Merged, Sep 11, 2018, Original Post Date: Sep 11, 2018 ---

I think it's great that lots of fans are into the EU and all, but I don't think I'd say that makes you a "true fan".

 

So essentially you are a fan of EMO REN

I'm a fan, because I like the lackluster prequels, I love the original Trilogy, I like the sequel trilogy and look forward to episode 9 and beyond. I like the standalone films, I don't waste my time writing dissertations and creating You tube videos on how much I dislike the Star Wars films, or explain how much the films are flawed. I collect the Star Wars comic books, novels, Star Wars related books, I collect the toys, I draw, paint, and illustrate Star Wars; I've watched the films a zillion times and continue to do so, I like the Holiday special, I don't care that other people hate the Prequels or TLJ. I love those films.

A good friend of mine, knows I love Star Wars when he came over to visit he could not stop laughing because I had The Phantom Menace on. I'm a member of several Star Wars websites and forums. I play Star Wars video games on my computer, iPad, iPhone, XBOX and PS4 pro. I read Star Wars books on the way to work when I take the train.

I listen to Star Wars audio books when I drive in. I listen to Star Wars soundtracks when I drive as well... Fans that complain about Star Wars are still fans. They want Star Wars films made that they can enjoy. Fans that attack actors and actresses of Star Wars films should be sentenced for their crimes and locked-up for life.

 

IMO Kylo Ren is the best character in the whole Star Wars saga. Probably mainly because of my headcanon, because if you think about it, then we haven't really seen much about Kylo. Haha!

 

He's definitely my favorite. I personally like that he seems so complicated and multi-dimensional. It gives you a lot to think about.

 

Something about this whole thread put a smile on my face. Open discussion about something SW.

 

If there are people who don't like any of the SW movies, then they are clearly not a fan. If there are people who like all of the movies . . . fine, they're fans. And if there are people who like some of the SW movies . . . fine, they're fans. One doesn't have to like TLJ to be a SW fan. That whole idea is ridiculous to me.

And if someone tries to tell me that I'm not a SW fan, because I don't like the Sequel Trilogy, then I wouldn't mind shoving my foot into a certain part of his or her body.

 

the whole subject is ridiculous, and it bewilders me that anyone out there wants to attempt to put a bow around a group of people and say "here are the SW fans".

if you consider yourself a fan, then you are a fan. period. it cannot possibly be open for contestation.. why do people try?

seeing posts from people that start.. "they need to listen to the fans" also drives me up the wall. we are not a collective when it comes to what we want or what we like.. we never have been and we never will be.

being a 'fan' means almost zero to me, and it annoys the crap out of me that people hide behind the wall of 'being a fan' to be constantly unreasonable and negative in a destructive way here.

love for the franchise has the high ground here in the Cantina.. always has & always will. those with negative attitudes need to consider that when posting the same tired negative comments and stats every day of the week here - it is destroying the Cantina.

 

I agree with the first half of your post whole heartedly. It trails off with more your own pov as someone who loves TLJ. I think it's important to note that the person who started this conversation and trying to determine what a SW fan is, is very much a lover of TLJ based on their other posts. I'm not stating this to say this problem is exclusive to those who love TLJ, just that there are people on both sides who fail to see the flaws in their statements and opinions. From the point of view of a SW fan who doesn't like TLJ, it's equally destructive to keep bringing up how TLJ has had no impact on the fandom, on Solo and won't have any impact on IX. Often we see such statements as statements of fact, when they are opinion. It adds fuel to the fire and we're put back into a state of confrontation. I think it's important on both sides not to dismiss the others opinion, especially when the data is unclear at best, and very much open to interpretation.

I think it might depend what your intentions are in the forums, but I've read and we've had several conversations on here, or at least comments and questions on our very different opinions trying to understand each other. So I don't think you're someone trying to provoke or continue the divide of the fandom. That's not to say that others who share your opinions might not have different goals.

Someone else mentioned earlier, that trying to determine what a SW fan is is simply gatekeeping. It's a way to devalue another's opinion without having to discuss the issue being brought forth. So if it could be determined that those who like TLJ are true fans (or the reverse), then you can dismiss anyone who doesn't fit into that group as not being true fans.

 

it always comes back to TLJ doesn't it?

my comments have absolutely nothing to do with that movie or any other, and i would never EVER advocate for dismissing someone's else's opinions. My concerns are purely for the future well-being of the Cantina.
So many long-standing members have left the Cantina since December due to the constant negativity. I have lost so many friends.. it's incredible

i've been here since this puppy rolled out of the factory back in 14.. for me - the Cantina comes first. TLJ being good, bad or ugly is immaterial.. Disney doing a good, bad or ugly job with Star Wars is immaterial.

The staff and moderators made a huge decision earlier this year NOT to follow what other sites were doing in regards unreasonably negative posters, and they even allowed (no matter how loud i screamed in opposition lol) a hate thread for everyone to vent.

9 months on and some members are still logging in every single day to just post negative 'stuff'.. to the point that those who joined the Cantina after TLJ released (including youself @Sparafucile) have never known the Cantina's atmosphere to be any different.
We had arguments and negativity long before TLJ.. but not like what's happened since December.

I don't want to silence anyone, and i certainly don't want anyone to change their opinions.. what i would like is for everyone to consider the Cantina and all of it's 9k members when posting.

Cantina first.. personal opinions second. as my dad used say over and over to me when i was young... don't sh!t on your own doorstep.

 

"Unreasonably negative" is subjective to your point of view, and I think the hate thread for myself has been a good place to discuss matters that for those fans who don't want to discuss it, can easily avoid.

I'm sorry you lost friends who used to come here, truly I am. I'm sorry the Cantina has changed for you, but then again, change is life. It sucks, and we rebel against often, but there's usually nothing we can do about it.

I'm not sure if you've gone to the hate thread recently, but it has toned down significantly since December. I absolutely still post there, probably around 30-50% of my posts are in that thread. As a new member who likes TLJ recently said on that thread, that's where the action is (or some variation of that sentiment). If it hadn't been for the Cantina and its approach, I probably would have bottled up my dislike and hate for TLJ and some aspects of it, to the point I'm not sure I would still be a SW fan today. Maybe that makes me less of a SW fan than others. Among my friends, I am the SW nut, but after talking to some people here, I've come to realize I'm probably middle of the pack fanatic lol. The Cantina, and yes, by extension, the hate thread, has been therapeutic for me. Being "allowed" to trash aspects of the product and have others question me about it, compare it, point out parallels, even put me to task ect... it's forced me to take stock of my head canon, my reasoning, even the root of my dislike. Without knowing these things, I don't know if I'd have been able to move past them.

Yes, a third to half of my posts are in the hate thread, but that means 2 thirds to half are not. I've speculated on IX, on most every character alive and dead in the ST. If the Cantina hadn't been around to let me work through my issues with TLJ, I don't think I would have gotten to this point in an echo chamber. I've ranted about TLJ to some of my friends a few times, some pretty good ones too, like a solid 10-15 minutes soliloquy on the pile TLJ is lol. Then I get a "Yeah, it was awful (usually something a little more crass and descriptive)" in return. No discussion, and not challenge to my pov. That would not have helped me get to where I am today and talk about possibilities in IX. Not hearing other people's issues, knowing that I wasn't alone in my dislike, I would not have had any hope that things might improve. Mostly because I knew I was in an echo chamber and that I wasn't getting much perspective on how big the issue is.

I see your dislike of the negativity as someone who sees sadness, fear or anger as being bad emotions. That works in SW just fine, but in real life, people often have to talk through those emotions or else they get bottled up. We're not green blooded Vulcans damn it, lol! When they become bottled up, that's when they mostly get toxic or one becomes indifferent. I'm not indifferent of SW, and I could even say I'm not even indifferent of the ST. Sure, I don't have a whole lot riding on it, but by being able to dig through that maelstrom of emotions I had after first viewing TLJ, I can at least say I'm curious to see how it ends. It's probably not enough to buy a ticket opening night, but it's a start. More importantly, I'm more open minded to what's coming beyond the ST.

The Cantina made a decision to tackle things differently from other forums. It's made them stand apart, and give this place a distinctive difference from the others. It's allowed for more diversity, in opinion at least, in it's fandom, which I don't see as a bad thing. It's given more leeway for topic discussions. I can't see that as anything but a good thing. It's not censoring it's fans, it's allowing for freedom of expression. The rules still stand against abuse and harassment ect, which is a must, but it also chooses to not curtail debate. These are positives in my eyes.

I'm new here, and entering here I wasn't sure how I was going to be greeted or accepted. In the months I've been here though, I've had some great discussions, and some great times reading other people's discussions. I've had to pause and rethink my opinion many times. I've even come to accept many things I dislike about TLJ is very much subjective and nuanced by feelings. That doesn't lessen my stance, but it does shed a new light on it.

As you said, the Cantina chose to be different in the way they regulated their forums. Which means there are other places where you and your friends can discuss SW in a more appealing environment. Be sure to understand this isn't me saying you are not welcome here, but look at it this way. How would you feel if every other forum was like the Cantina and there wasn't a "haven" you can go to avoid this controversy? Without the Cantina, that's where I and others would be. You can come here and there are many safer threads that many of us "haters" don't enter. You can also have multiple accounts to other forums and get what you want and still pop in here whenever you want, and take part in what conversations you want.

In short, I'm thankful the Cantina has given SW fans options.

 

No one else can say you are or are not a Star Wars fan. It's not about who owns the most Star Wars memorabilia or who has the most Star Wars knowledge. It isn't about liking every single aspect of Star Wars, although it's alright if you do. It's not a competition. You're a Star Wars fan because you decide to be.

I suppose people love Star Wars to varying degrees, but you can't discount someone calling themselves a Star Wars fan just because they don't have a huge collection, know as much about Star Wars as someone else, or if they don't like a certain movie, series, character, or component of Star Wars. There's also no point in trying to decide who is a bigger fan. Everyone has different circumstances and we aren't able to looking inside someone else.

If you have the pleasure of meeting another Star Wars fan, just enjoy your mutual love of Star Wars and skip the differences.

 

I'm no longer really invested in the sequel trilogy but am looking forward to and hopeful for the Fallen Order game and the Benioff and Weiss movies. I think that still makes me a fan of Star Wars, just not the sequel trilogy

 

What makes a fan is simple they saw one or more SW movies, comics or books and said hey I like this. They don't have to like or love everything and the can hate what they want. They can come here and find a group that agrees or disagree with them, so be it.

Ok where I stand on all of this. I have gone into the hate thread a couple times and dropped my hey come to us lost children bit. I thought hey I need to get these people focused on something besides the hate of TLJ, cause 1 or 2 out of 8 aint so bad. Damn Star Trek does way worse than this and I still love it. I even said hey come out and play. I don't think I was wrong for this but I know I really didn't understand what some were doing. There are a fair share who no matter what us say can bring it back to some point they hate about. Yet there are others there who needed to vent work out some s&^t and seem to have moved on.

So a year and some change down the road more threads are popping up on how to stop the divide. Now that seems to be where we fans are starting to realize as a group we need to say hey I don't feel that way but its cool you do. Because we are understanding we could see an end to this.

I enjoy the Cantina. I enjoy everyone here good with the bad. The fallen are remembered and the new are welcome. We are all people who like SW to varying degrees cause damn some of you a hardcore. LOL

 

That is like saying to someone "why do you like Japanese food", there are different flavours that different people like or place emphasis on. It is pretty much down to the individual.

Myself, I like dominant men and women in uniform. Make of that what you will.

--- Double Post Merged, Feb 27, 2020, Original Post Date: Feb 27, 2020 ---

I would also say someone who is interested in the ideas, inspirations and philosophies behind said universe.