Part 1/8:
Death of the Toxic Fandom Narrative in Star Wars
Since Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm over a decade ago, the narrative surrounding Star Wars fandom has become increasingly contentious. From the outset, Lucasfilm's leadership, including Kathleen Kennedy, made it clear that they were shifting their focus away from traditional fans towards new audiences. Kennedy explicitly stated, "We don't need to pander to you anymore," a remark that deeply upset many longtime fans. Such comments, coupled with the perception that the franchise was being used as a vehicle for political and social agendas, led to accusations of fan backlash being rooted in misogyny, racism, and sexism.