I know I've talked about this in past blogs, but some of it bears repeating. I wish I liked so-called “Star Wars fans” as much as I like Star Wars. I’ve said this many times, but once again:
The difference between a Star Wars fan and a normal person is that a normal person likes Star Wars.
The first Star Wars film was released on May 25, 1977. I was three-and-a-half years old at the time, and it’s the first movie I really remember seeing in the theaters. Okay, I have a few random flashes of various Disney movies, but I have no idea when or where I saw them. With Star Wars, I have solid memories of seeing it multiple times, both at the drive-in and in traditional theaters.
When Empire came out in 1980 (I was 6), I noticed the title was actually “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back”. The title made me realize that Star Wars was both the title of the series and the title of the first movie. Well, that just wouldn’t do. I made it my mission to find out what the “real” name of the first Star Wars movie was.
When Star Wars was re-released in theaters in 1981, they added “A New Hope” to the opening crawl. Apparently George Lucas had wanted the original 1977 release to have the subtitle, but Fox wouldn’t let him because they thought it would be too confusing. My friends and I called it “A New Hope” from that point on. It was just clearer. You didn’t have to wonder if the other person was talking about the series or that specific movie.
These days, there’s a lot of debate over what makes someone a “true Star Wars” fan. I detest this sort of gatekeeping. I’ll admit, I’ve had gatekeeper attitudes of my own in the past, but I was wrong to do so. You are a Star Wars fan if you say you’re a Star Wars fan, end of story.
These gatekeepers say things like, “You’re not a true Star Wars fan if you like the prequels.” They don't like the newest movies because they "pander to the Social Justice Warriors", what with having main characters who aren't white males. The nerve. Some "true Star Wars fans" even hate Return of the Jedi, because it has Ewoks in it. Liking something cute threatens their masculinity.
Apparently a true Star Wars fan only likes two of the (currently 10-ish) movies. Can you think of any other franchise on the planet where you’re only allowed to like 20% of the series to be a true fan? Protip: A so-called “true fan” of anything probably enjoys more than 20% of the content.
Of course, "true Star Wars fans" also can’t like the Special Editions, either. Which is crazy, because you can’t even buy the original editions any more. Think about that for a moment. These toxic fanboys, the ones who consider themselves the only true fans of the Star Wars Franchise, only like two of the movies, and the two movies they like aren’t even available to buy. What a sure fire way to keep new people from joining the fandom. Sure, I wish they’d release the original versions on blu-ray just as much as anyone, but I’m not going to use it as an excuse to ostracize potential fans.
But the one that really sticks in my craw is the idea that real Star Wars fans never call the first one “A New Hope.” For some reason, they associate the subtitle with the Special Editions and the Prequels, despite it being the official subtitle since 1981. These so-called “true fans” apparently never noticed the subtitle until then. I’m sorry, but again, I saw the original in theaters, and I’ve been calling it by its true name since 1981. Are you really going to say I’m not a real Star Wars fan?
I repeat, a bunch of seven-year-olds knew it was called "A New Hope" waaay back in 1981. If you don't think it's called "A New Hope", you're dumber than a seven year old.
So, I’m going to make my own list of what makes a real Star Wars fan:
1. A true Star Wars fan doesn’t accuse others of not being a real Star Wars fan.
2. If you say you’re a real Star Wars fan, you’re a real Star Wars fan. Unless you violate Rule #1, in which case you’re just a jerk.
3. You can like the unpopular Star Wars movies and still be a true Star Wars fan.
4. You don’t have to have memorized every line to be a real Star Wars fan.
5. You don’t have to have seen the original movie in the theater to be a real Star Wars fan.
6. You don’t have to have read all the comics, played every video game, or know obscure bits of trivia to be a true Star Wars fan.
7. This should go without saying, but you can be any age, race, or sex and still be a real Star Wars fan.
8. You can like Ewoks, Porgs, Rose Tico, and yes, even Jar Jar Binks and still be a real Star Wars fan.
Always remember, being a fan is about liking things, not disliking things.
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