Wee Boon

The constant lumping together of criticism of fictional characters with the very real harassment of actors is peak intellectual laziness. It’s like people can’t separate hating a character’s writing from actual racism or sexism. No, genius, most people aren’t attacking Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, or Kelly Marie Tran for who they are. They’re criticizing Rey, Finn, and Rose Tico because of how terribly they were written.

But these writers love conflating the two because it’s a convenient shield. It’s like saying, “If you didn’t like The Last Jedi, you’re probably a bigot." It’s just a cheap way to avoid taking any responsibility for the crappy story decisions and inconsistent character arcs. It’s easier to scream “toxic fandom” than to admit, “Hey, maybe our writing was subpar, and people just didn't connect with our characters because of that.”

Nobody is excusing the actual racist or sexist idiots who harass actors—that's a separate issue. But for the love of all that's holy, stop treating legitimate criticism as if it’s coming from the same dark corner of the internet.

Ah, Daisy Ridley pulling the "It's not me, it's them" card. Classic move. According to her, all the hate that Rey received wasn’t because the character was underdeveloped, had poor writing, or was essentially a walking embodiment of “Look how powerful and flawless I am from day one!” Nope, it’s just those pesky men who can’t handle a powerful woman.

Ridley’s response, where she blames the "way some men see women" for the backlash, is a masterclass in deflection. She’s brushing aside any legitimate critique by labeling it all as misogyny, because clearly, if you didn’t like Rey, you’re automatically a sexist. Never mind the fact that Star Wars has had a history of strong female characters that fans loved—Leia, Padmé, Ahsoka, and even Jyn Erso from Rogue One. Funny how none of those characters sparked the same level of disdain.

Ridley’s “I don’t pay attention to it” attitude is also a classic Hollywood tactic—don’t engage with valid criticism, just assume anyone with a different opinion is a hater. She seems to miss that people weren't upset with Rey because she's a woman; they were upset because she was written like a superhero with zero flaws and no journey. A "Mary Sue," if you will.

And as for focusing on the positive? Sure, that's fine. But maybe recognize that when half your audience has a problem, it’s not always about gender. Sometimes, it's just bad storytelling.