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Kelly Marie Tran’s social media exit reveals Dark Side of Star Wars fandom

By Merrilee Kohout

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The exit of Kelly Marie Tran from social media following harassment speaks to a very Dark Side of our Star Wars fandom…

I know that we’ve written a couple of articles about this Kelly Marie Tran Social media situation, but I am going to address it again because the more I think about it, the more it sickens me.

It sickens me because it speaks to a foul stench that has been permeating our fandom for some time now.  This undercurrent is so toxic that, at times, it makes me a little ashamed to be a part of the Star Wars faithful.

Then I remember that whiners are always the loudest and most demanding of attention and that most people involved in this fandom are here because, at some point in their lives, they fell in love with a galaxy far, far away.

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So, for those who haven’t heard about what happened, Kelly Marie Tran (basically a living, breathing ray of golden sunshine) left Instagram after the backlash surrounding Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

A slew of hateful, sexist, racist bigotry was leveled at her in the comment section of her Instagram posts, and so, understandably, she chose to delete her posts.

It is entirely beyond my scope of understanding how anyone would think they are somehow entitled, because they disliked a character in a film, to harass the actress who portrayed that character.

That is a level of idiocy and self-centeredness that I legitimately cannot even begin to comprehend…but I suppose that is hidden behind a computer screen really emboldens the mouth-breathing Neanderthals of society.

I know that actors seem like they’re these distant, untouchable individuals but, news flash, they’re human beings with feelings. How can people be so completely hateful?

This kind of attitude is becoming more pervasive in our fandom. People feel like they are entitled to make offensive comments because they don’t like the direction that Disney is taking Star Wars.

It’s fine to dislike the new content. We’re all free-thinking adults with different opinions and taste. However, disliking (or even hating) the new content does not give anyone the right to harass people.

But it seems like, within this fandom, there are many people that do feel they have that right. In my opinion, those people have no place in this fandom.

It also boggles my mind that people don’t comprehend that Star Wars is not reality…Kelly Marie Tran is not Rose Tico. If it’s too hard to separate reality and fiction for some people, maybe they shouldn’t be watching movies.

If you’re going to discuss likes and dislikes regarding the new content, do it like an adult. Discuss the merits of the character or the plot, but don’t attack the people portraying the characters. It’s unnecessary and toxic…and that’s how this fandom (or any fandom) should be.

You know, Star Wars may just be movies, but they’ve been life-changing for so many people. Star Wars is meant to be approached with awe and wonder, not with ire and derision.

So, if you’re reading this and you were one of the people guilty of posting that hateful garbage on Kelly’s (or anyone else’s) social media, you should leave this fandom because you are not welcome. Better yet, stay off the internet until you can find a way to be a better person.

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To those who love Star Wars – whether that’s the old content, new content, or something in between – and want to see the fandom shift away from this toxicity, let’s continue finding ways to discuss the galaxy we love with respect for one another.

We love you, Kelly Marie Tran! May the Force be with you!

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