Off-Topic Tuesday - Post Star wars trailer edition

[icon_uk]

It's "Off-Topic Tuesday" time!

In the comments to these weekly posts (and only these posts), it's your chance to go as off topic as you like.

Talk about non-comics stuff, thread derail, and just generally chat amongst yourselves.

Of course the big geeky news of the week has to have been the release of the proper Star Wars: The Force Awakens" trailer.

Or we could discuss Prime Mininister of China, Xi Jingpin's visit to Britain, if such be your tastes.

Comments

[crimsonmoonmist]

It might seem nitpicky, but one of the first things this trailer made me realize is that the scene where Poe taps Finn on the shoulder as they walk past each other would NEVER have happened in the prequels because everyone were simply walking slowly along. This scene has such a dynamic pacing and underlying character to it.
It really reminds me of the pre-takeoff X-wing scenes from the OT.

[dr_archeville]

The Hollywood Reporter reported that there was a social media movement is asking fans to #BoycottStarWarsVII. The hashtag, which started appearing on Twitter Sunday night, expresses objection to the fact that The Force Awakens features lead characters who aren't white males, with its users accusing the movie of pushing a sinister multicultural agenda.

Fortunately, this hashtag then led to a series of positive tweets, highlighting and praising the diversity of both the cast and the fanbase.

[cainofdreaming]

Sinister multicultural agenda.. Yeah, sure, because it's not like the old trilogy had a black man destroy the Death Star. No pre-established cultural diversity in the setting at all.

[janegray]

Even if the original trilogy had had no poc at all, I'm really struggling to understand this idea that "if you are not pandering 100% to me exclusively and nobody else ever, you are alienating me!"

Maybe if I sniff glue and slam my head against the wall while drunk and sleep-deprived...

[q99]

It's because they are used to being 100% pandered to, and if something that is in 'their' area has someone else, they view it as taking away from things-that-are-theirs.

[mrstatham]

'lead characters who aren't white males, with its users accusing the movie of pushing a sinister multicultural agenda.'

Mmhmm. Because Leia wasn't a lead character either, and clearly not more competent than the newbie farmboy, or the smuggler whose idea of strategy was to chase Stormtroopers down hallways screaming at them. Sure.

Sometimes I wonder if people complaining about this stuff even watched the things they apparently cherish. It's Mad Max all over again.

[xakko]

frankly, the arc of an ex-stormtrooper trying to find his path was the one part of the trailer that interested me.

[mrstatham]

Let's be honest, this is the same sortof bullshit that some people tried to sling about regarding Mad Mac: Fury Road, because they apparently thought it was some kind of 'feminazi' (God I hate that term) nightmare, when in actuality it merely dared to present it's female characters as being as competent and tough as the title character.

[an_idol_mind]

That idea is so weird to me. Call me crazy, but even though I'm a straight white male, I can still enjoy and identify with characters who are female, black, Asian, gay, or what have you. Because we're all still people.

[beardedjellybean]

And we now have the whole #BoycottStarWarsVII thing which trended mostly because of trolls, but sadly there are people out there who do get offended at the mere idea of a black stormtrooper and are convinced that the whole thing is "promoting white genocide".

The trailer did look awesome, and I'm cautiously optimistic. Its either going to be really good or horrifically awful.

[his_spiffynesss]

I guess I'm exceedingly cynical. Since this fauxtraversy pops up just before the final trailer drops. I can't help but think some Hollywood publicist arranged this thing to help maximize talk about the movie.

[janegray]

While I have no doubt that marketing is sleazy enough to do something like that, I have also seen GamerGaters absolutely lose their shit and send a barrage of rape and death threats to a female developer because she made a game about depression with a female protagonist, and they were furious and outraged over the idea that a woman could possibly be suffering from depression ('cause "females have it easy, everybody wants to fuck their hole" so they couldn't possibly have any reason to feel bad). The Ghostbuster remake has also been subjected to an onslaught of flames because the main characters are women.

So, in my experience, there really are white men who act like total psychopaths when a work of fiction, especially a cult one, gives any kind of active important role to any character who is not a white man.

[icon_uk]

Every time I think GamerGate can't make me more embarassed to be male... WHOOPS there the foetid crapsacks go again....

[mrstatham]

This. Looking at comments on Youtube alone suggests to me that Disney don't need to do this drum up interest in the film because I've seen similar grotesque commentary on other stuff, and that it's more just sad fucks who basically start frothing at the mouth because two of the leads in this movie aren't white males.

It's also Star Wars; I was totally disappointed in the first two prequels and still went to see the third, as did millions of others, so I really don't think Disney need to underhandedly drum up interest in this film; it's well on the way to making however many billions they purchased Lucasfilm for anyway.

[icon_uk]

A highly plausible explanation is; a 4chan prank.... for a very finite value of "prank".

[shadur]

Lol 4chan.

Remember that time when a 'channer started posting pictures of guns and his intent to use them, and they all thought it was a hilarious prank and egged him on right up until he actually went and did it?


Those lovable champs, a laugh riot every minute, really.

Seriously, I'm *done* making excuses for that pack of self-absorbed assholes.

[icon_uk]

Thankfully, sci-fi geeks also have a fine tradition of giving as good as they get when it comes to being trolled like this.

Io9 have compiled some of the best responses

[his_spiffynesss]

Somebody built a 3D printed hand held railgun. And I can't help but think Rob Liefeld is looking at this thing and having a massive erection.

[mrstatham]

*adopts Brad Jones' Cinema Snob voice*

That *clearly* doesn't look like any of the railguns shown in the Metal Gear franchise, even the portable one carried by Fortune, and while it's awesome, I'm *unreasonably disappointed*.

No, really, that is awesome; also terrifying.

[janegray]

The weather is getting on my nerves, I can't take it anymore. It has been raining every single day for a week. I'm just about ready to scream.

[dustbunny105]

Oh, I feel you on that. We had over a week of daily rain not long ago where I am. I mean, I like rain, but enough is enough.

[rainspirit]

It's the end of the Canadian election and I don't know how to feel anymore.

Why's that?

[chortles81]

Unless you wanted the NDP to achieve a majority somehow...

Re: Why's that?

[rainspirit]

Hahaha, is the alternative too terrible to imagine? :D

I'm actually in the Saanich/Gulf Islands area and I worked in the Green Party of Canada's call center. We were targeting at least four other ridings in the hope that we'd get May at least one more MP with her to Ottawa. Last night was meant to be a twelve-hour shift of nonstop calling, but for some technical glitches.

So in the grand political scheme, it feels like we did a lot of work and have nothing to show for it. Me and mine feel pretty shattered, but at least Harper's gone.

Re: Why's that?

[raspberryrain]

Any election where you can't make the threshold to get in is rough. I think FPTP elections do that to you the most.

Re: Why's that?

[rainspirit]

They really do. Luckily we no longer have a government in power that openly believes in voter suppression in order to get results. So maybe we will get a new system to replace it after all.

[icon_uk]

Oooh, WB have announced a new kaiju movie series! Godzilla, King Kong and possibily Mothra, King Gidorah and Rodan

[baihu]

The new Godzilla is ridiculously massive. They would have to upsize King Kong incredibly just to even have a fight.

Also someone was saying do another major crossover with Pacific Rim and get some Jaegers in on the action as well!

[q99]

-The new Godzilla is ridiculously massive. They would have to upsize King Kong incredibly just to even have a fight.
-

Yea, but, well, they did that before, so that's no surprise at all.

[q99]

While that's cool and all, I'm much more interested in PR 2 and getting some *new* Kaiju ^^

[crimsonmoonmist]

Mothra?! Yes, please!
Nice to see Rodan still being remembered even though Godzilla gained significantly more intimidating rivals after the Showa era.

[arilou_skiff]

Speaking of Star Wars, the new expansion to SWTOR got into early access for subscribers today.

[cainofdreaming]

Rats, I'm always out of town and without computer access for these things, it seems.

[deh_tommy]

What was 'Shadow of Revan' like, if I might ask?

[arilou_skiff]

Pretty standard (KOTFE is way more "different" in terms of structure and such, and seems to be made for them to be able to punch out smaller story-oriented updates more frequently)

SOTR revamped the skill system completely, added two new planets with two new operations (whose Hardmode is really HARD, our guild groups hasn't beat HM yet) The story itself isn't that amazing, but some of the smaller bits of it can be fun.

[baihu]

I thought I finished all my papers two days ago...but then my teacher lumps a new requirement on me. It never ends, I'm never free~

[jeyl]

Please be good Rey. You're my only hope to becoming a full fledged Star Wars fan again.

[zero_elec]

Just a fair bit of warning, most if not all of the plot and plot twists for Star Wars VII are on the internet. Just an FYI.

[deh_tommy]

I've been trying to look him up, but I'm not sure if anything I had read is entirely accurate (or just trolling). Without any hatred and with a clear mind, whom is Chris-chan, and what is Sonichu?