Star Wars fandom: The hate has to stop as online trolls go after new fan
By Julie Gray
Mar is the first Star Sars fan I know of that has been prolific enough to be invited as a guest on the Star Wars show for newly discovering Star Wars, and now, has recieved tremendous backlash from a segment of the fandom.
Beyond knowing what almost everyone else knows about the funny and enthusiastic Twitter posts coming from Mars’ twitter account, one thing is abundantly clear, and that is she genuinely seems to adore Star Wars.
The joy and fan may of us felt over her newfound love of Star Wars, unfortunately took a dark turn. It seems some have failed to see her authenticity and her appreciation for the fandom.
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There have been a myriad of comments made about her being a “fake” Star Wars fan, and for riling up one of the largest sub-groups of the fandom, the “anti-Reylos.” Her enjoyment of Adam Driver’s portrayal of Kylo Ren alongside Daisy Ridley’s Rey is infectious. Perhaps this is why so many fans have supported her. And it’s quite possibly the same reason why some fans dislike her taking on the mantle of “Reylo supporter”.
Most people following Mar enjoy her online commentary, but some fans have spewed hateful and dangerous rhetoric, which is no exaggertion. We’re not going to link to the hate because we don’t condone that type of behavior and will not promote it.
Some fans consistently harassed and abuseed Mar and tried to dox her. It’s beyond scary, and most fans would agree that it’s beyond “normal” fandom behavior.
It’s part of the same issues with fans driving Daisy Ridley and Kelly Marie Tran off of social media. There’s a toxic part of the fandom that can’t seem to let others revel in the joy of the franchise that we all felt at one point.
I just have to ask the question, is this really the face of the fandom we want the world to see? Do you think George Lucas would have wanted people to treat each other this way for loving something he created?
I sincerely doubt it. The behavior from some of these fans makes me feel very sad. It’s not what Star Wars is about. It’s all about putting things right in the world, not breaking them down.
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If you’ve had an experience similar to Mar’s, feel free to comment below.