By George Schroeder | LTVN Executive Producer
It’s no secret that since Disney took over Star Wars in 2012, the conversation surrounding the franchise has been controversial, and a certain mouse-inclined company has been taking steps in the wrong direction since day one.
This is no small problem either. Star Wars is the fifth-most valuable intellectual property of all time and the single most valuable merchandising franchise in the history of film. A vast, vast number of people feel in some way connected to what George Lucas created in 1977.
I’m going to dispel one common critique immediately: “the toxic fandom.” Blame that all you want. It’s what we call “the easy way out.” Everyone is toxic. Don’t believe me? Open the comments on Instagram reels. The internet is full of strong, stupid and satirical opinions.
If “JediBobLover123” will curse you out if you like “The Last Jedi,” then I suggest you ignore “JediBobLover123.” That is an internet problem, not a Star Wars problem.
Before we move any further, yes, I’m 22 and passionately writing about a fictitious world filled with space wizards and laser swords. If you people get to whine about Ryan Gosling getting nominated for best supporting actor in “Barbie,” then I certainly get to write this.
Side note: Nobody seems to care that America Ferrera was literally nominated for best supporting actress in the same movie … which was also nominated for best picture. I guess it’s more fun to cry about the patriarchy, but I digress.
Speaking of the patriarchy, from day one, Star Wars has been for everyone, never just men. Tied to a cultural impact so large it forever changed the way movies were made, the simplistic themes of good versus evil and relatable, lovable characters allow Star Wars to find itself in a place of endless appeal to almost any audience.
That being said, while it is likely that a majority of the Star Wars audience is male, that does not mean it is totally male-dominated, because it isn’t.
With that in mind, you’d have to be pretty stupid to hire someone willing to tell the majority of your audience that they’ll be uncomfortable the next time they sit in the theater for the next installment of a franchise dear to their hearts.
That’s exactly what happened.
Most recently, Disney made headlines for what may be the worst hiring decision for the Star Wars universe so far. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is the director of the next piece of media to hit theaters in what will be six years, and it’s already clear she isn’t the right person for the job.
Comments have resurfaced from a 2015 panel discussion where Obaid-Chinoy expressed her motivation for many of her previous projects.
“I like to make men uncomfortable. I enjoy making men uncomfortable,” Obaid-Chinoy said. “Recognize that I am working to bring something that makes you uncomfortable, and it should make you uncomfortable.”
Obaid-Chinoy is an Oscar-winning filmmaker famous for feminist documentaries. These comments should surprise no one. The problem is that it seems like that attitude may still be lingering.
In an interview with CNN, she claimed she was “thrilled” about the upcoming film starring Daisy Ridley as Rey. She also said it was time for a change in direction.
“It’s about time that we had a woman come forward to shape a story in a galaxy far, far away,” Obaid-Chinoy said.
Last time I checked, Kathleen Kennedy has been running the entirety of Lucasfilm for seven years. Moreover, every Star Wars show that has aired on Disney Plus has had female directors, including Deborah Chow, who single-handedly directed the entirety of “Kenobi.”
It’s not just that Obaid-Chinoy’s recent comment was completely absent of logic; the subtext behind claiming it is time for women to run the show is extraordinarily problematic for this franchise. AKA, men step aside; we are focusing on a modern “Barbie-esque” agenda.
“Womp womp, men can’t handle women in the spotlight of Star Wars.” I can hear some of you saying this now. This could not be further from the truth.
I could not care less who is directing or producing Star Wars, as long as it is good. Subsequently, many female characters in the franchise are all-timers.
In 1977, George Lucas used Carrie Fisher playing Princess Leia to flip the “damsel in distress” trope on its head. Audiences loved her then and love her now. Natalie Portman is a fan favorite in the prequels as Padmé Amidala. Before they totally derailed, in the sequels, the biggest complaint with Rey was that she was sort of a “Mary Sue.” Let’s not forget one of the most popular Star Wars characters of all time, Ahsoka Tano.
These female characters are adored by all kinds of fans and are just a short list of many, many more.
To say Star Wars needs a woman to take the helm is just ignorant and unfortunately likely reveals a deeper motivation for the next installment of the galaxy far, far away. The fanbase doesn’t care about feminism or the patriarchy; it cares about good storytelling.
After Adam Driver sparked frustration from the fanbase once again over the sequels’ complete lack of direction and planning, it has only become clearer that Disney needs to focus far more on the story. Clearly, it is usually more concerned with an agenda than a plot.
Fans are tired of having hopes lifted and thrown onto the ground over and over again. When you add a blatant agenda on top of that, it forces even the most accepting of fans to enter what should be a simple, fun story with preconceived notions about how they should react to the film.
That kind of experience is totally antithetical to everything Star Wars is supposed to be.
There is almost no way I won’t go see Disney’s next movie. I hope it’s great; it definitely can be, like anything with the name “Star Wars” on it. That doesn’t mean I’m offering a blank check to the House of Mouse.
Disney may have the high ground for now, but if it doesn’t start making some changes, it won’t have it forever.
