• FALGSConaut [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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    3 months ago

    yea it’s the worst combo of cutesy “teehee I’m just like the cool epic bad guys from my favorite media franchise” and barefaced bloodsoaked murder. Disney fascism and it’s associated “empire did nothing wrong” line of thought was one of the reasons I killed my last bit of interest in Star Wars. The original movies had the audience (rightfully) siding with the Vietcong and other resistance groups but overtime that was untenable because of course the average Imperial Core resident can only identify & sympathize with the dominating imperial power. Sure they’ll pay lip service to being the rebel alliance/resistance because they know they’re supposed to, but the number of people with stormtrooper family stickers on the back of their cars speaks volumes. They know their place in the imperial power structure and so they must support the genocidal fascist empire because that’s what they benefit from in their day-to-day life. Just as an example, take the “jokes” that the rebels destroying the Death Star was actually bad because of all the civilian contractors aboard it. They can’t (or won’t) come to the realization that those “civilian contractors” are just as fucking guilty as the literal nazi-coded stormtroopers. And it’s the same irl. American troops are just innocent bystanders even as they bomb refugees and invade half the planet.

    • Awoo [she/her]@hexbear.net
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      3 months ago

      one of the reasons I killed my last bit of interest in Star Wars

      Did you watch Andor? You really should, it’s based on the life of Stalin and is quite possibly the best piece of star wars media ever created.

      • Ericthescruffy [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        3 months ago

        quite possibly the best piece of star wars media ever created.

        That’s an incredibly bold claim! …also it’s an incredibly accurate claim! Lol.

        For real though: one criticism of star wars that has always been legitimate is that it falls into the trap of making fascism look really cool and failson cop from Andor is just such a fucking wonderful and brilliant in universe takedown and middle finger to people with a stormtrooper fantasy.

        Andor has actually been a double edged sword for me. Its so fucking good that it basically shattered my ability to delude myself into believing that 99% of star wars content wasn’t completely disposable drivel. I remember sitting in silence at the end of the last episode just wondering how I was ever supposed to give a crap about all this babyshit ever again. I haven’t even bothered to finish the latest season of the Mandalorian let alone the acolyte.

        • Awoo [she/her]@hexbear.net
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          3 months ago

          For real though: one criticism of star wars that has always been legitimate is that it falls into the trap of making fascism look really cool and failson cop from Andor is just such a fucking wonderful and brilliant in universe takedown and middle finger to people with a stormtrooper fantasy.

          Yes precisely. The show is VERY good at making the empire into the evil horror that they truly are, the director plays off parts of the series like a literal horror movie with the empire as a monster preying on the victims while simultaneously showing that it is filled with the most awful and pathetic people alive.

          I remember sitting in silence at the end of the last episode just wondering how I was ever supposed to give a crap about all this babyshit ever again.

          Yeah it’s really that good. By far the best thing this franchise has ever created. I’m very concerned that series 2 will be interfered with in a way that is detrimental but I’m pleased that series 1 will always exist, particularly because of who it’s based on and the implications that has for anyone that considers the rebellion the good guys.

      • FALGSConaut [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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        3 months ago

        I have, it’s the one good exception among the rest of the fascist Disney slop. If they were making more shows/movies like that maybe there wouldn’t be so many empire stans (wishful thinking) but I’ll be surprised if they make anything else as good as Andor

        • Awoo [she/her]@hexbear.net
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          3 months ago

          Andor is a series, it covers the back story of Andor, a character who is essential to the start of the rebels.

          Anyone that thinks it is cool that Lucas based Star Wars on Vietnam, it is cooler that this series is based on Stalin. Had execs at Disney known I sincerely doubt it would have ever been allowed.

          • anarchoilluminati [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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            3 months ago

            Damn, that honestly sounds really cool.

            I have a strict rule after getting burned by Dexter and Game of Thrones not to watch shows that aren’t finished already, but I would definitely love to watch that.

            • Awoo [she/her]@hexbear.net
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              3 months ago

              Season 1 is “complete” in the sense that it ends well enough to ignore everything that comes after it in my opinion. If everything is trash that follows nothing can change season 1 being an enormous endorsement of Stalin while simultaneously being the best thing this franchise has ever made.

              The series is a leftist revolutionary’s wet dream, watch it.

      • BelieveRevolt [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        3 months ago

        There was also “the Empire was proven right when they built a fascist militaristic state because the Yuuzhan Vong invaded” from the EU.

        • FALGSConaut [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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          3 months ago

          Oh lord I try to forget about that “ACKTUALLY the Emperor did nothing wrong and was just planning ahead to beat the disgusting alien hoards invading from the unknown!” reasoning. Fucking “empire did nothing wrong” promoters are just fash.

          I swear you could make the star wars equivalent of “Come and See” and you’d have people talking about how it goes as actually necessary to genocide and enslave everyone who wasn’t part of the “in group” and stormtroopers needed to join to get healthcare and career opportunities