'Star Wars' Fans Upset 'Rogue One' Has Another Female Lead

[SummerMadness]

'Star Wars' Fans Upset 'Rogue One' Has Another Female Lead

Meet Jyn, the latest in a long line of Star Wars heroes. She’s the star of Rogue One, the first Star Wars spinoff (A Star Wars Story, to be precise) and one of a new era of strong, powerful Star Wars characters. She also happens to be a woman. That last fact has some Star Wars fans upset this morning.

It is rather striking to see so many complaints (not just on Twitter), simply because the protagonist is female. The same thing occurred with Mad Max.

 

[Arcangl86]

Which is interesting since the original trilogy had a fairly strong female lead. The prequels not so much though they tried.

 

[nightflight]

I like the list of criminal charges; forgery of imperial documents, possession of stolen property, aggravated assault, resisting arrest....its like reading the local crime sheet. They should have thrown in "uttering a forged instrument".

 

[GrimKingGrim]

I have no clue as to why this is an issue. Unless she's poorly written feminist garbage instead of being an actual character.
In that case my reaction would be :

 

[iluvatar5150]

I have no clue as to why this is an issue. Unless she's poorly written feminist garbage instead of being an actual character.

It's Star Wars. It's a pretty safe bet that it's going to be poorly written no matter what.

 

[GrimKingGrim]

It's Star Wars. It's a pretty safe bet that it's going to be poorly written no matter what.

Whooa I thought blasphemy was banned on these forums. Reported.

 

[SummerMadness]

 

[Trogdor the Burninator]

We live in the age of outrage - you can pretty much guarantee that whoever was the lead - people would complain about it.

The only logical explanation I've heard is that in the Star Wars universe, the person who stole the Death Star plans has actually been named and was a guy, and some people believe that this release should have followed the canon and centred on his character instead.

Whatever - as long as it isn't A New Hope rehashed again

 

[Paulos23]

People just want to rage, and people that are fine with it are not that vocal.

 

[TerranceL]

Check out the comments on a few youtube videos of the preview.

Saw like 3 that were obvious trolls whining about women, but sure... it's Star Wars fans who are upset.

 

[nightflight]

Finally! A sci-fi movie with a strong female lead!

 

[One Voice Among Many1]

Finally! A sci-fi movie with a strong female lead!

I was thinking more along the line of Xena the Warrior Princess or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

 

[MehGuy]

As long as its not another "Sue Wars".

 

[TerranceL]

As long as its not another "Sue Wars".

Oh god no kidding, lets get a main character who actually has challenges to face... that actually are a challenge to them.

 

[TerranceL]

I was thinking more along the line of Xena the Warrior Princess or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I saw something a while back in reference to the Ghostbuster silliness, I think it was on "The Mary Sue" and they were talking about great the Ghostbusters were because finally sci fi has strong female characters.

When they say things like this we know they aren't actually fans of sci fi or fantasy, as both of those genres have had strong female characters going back decades.

 

[SummerMadness]

There are female characters, but how many of them are in lead roles, not so many. It's more than just existence, it's representation. Leia and Ripley, who else? Not saying I don't know others (e.g., Sara Connor would be another one, although she didn't start that way), but for every woman, there are eight or nine men.

I do believe they're doing a better job these days, and I disagree that these are simply trolls that don't believe anything they write.

 

[seashale76]

The preview looks good. Until people can start getting excited about movies regardless of whether the main character is a woman, man, black, white, whatever, then there is still progress to be made. We live in a world where some girls can't go to school and many women are forced into seclusion during menstruation. Just yesterday, I read about how sex slaves were found chained up in a man's house and had to be rescued (in the US). Keeping that in mind, it's not a leap to think there are folks out there upset that a female character is a lead in Star Wars (because they think they own that). Apparently, the anti-woman stigma was so bad they couldn't even be bothered to make Rey action figures- and there is no excuse why that wasn't done.

Women are avid consumers of comics, movies, and video games too. It used to be discouraged for women to be into that sort of thing, and some men have always tried to make women feel unwelcome (unless they're fashion models turned professional cosplayers). However, facts are, men aren't the only/main consumers out there anymore, and those making the movies and the comics and the video games are having to begin to acknowledge that.

 

[Audacious]

I'm a huge Star Wars fan and do not personally find this upsetting whatsoever.

 

[Sistrin]

Star Wars fans should be upset another movie is being made the end of which is known before they even finish filming.

 

[The Cadet]

Is there actually any significant complaint about this, or is it just a few trolls whining? Let's not conflate a few stupid people on the internet with any sort of significant cultural backlash here.

It's Star Wars. It's a pretty safe bet that it's going to be poorly written no matter what.

GET. OUT.

Oh god no kidding, lets get a main character who actually has challenges to face... that actually are a challenge to them.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkai...force-awakens-is-not-a-mary-sue/#4df1347ad45b

If we're willing to apply "Mary Sue" to a character with intense internal struggles and clear weaknesses simply for the sake of being slightly overcompetent, then how, exactly, does this not apply to basically any character in the Star Wars canon, and indeed most of fiction?