“Boycott Star Wars Vi” Hashtag Trends on Social Media

Evan F. Moore | As of Wednesday, October 28, 2015

A boycott is centers around the Casting of John Boyega as a one of the lead characters in the new Star Wars movie.
A boycott is centers around the Casting of John Boyega as a one of the lead characters in the new Star Wars movie.
Photo By: Associated Press (AP)

Ever since the first trailer leaked earlier this year of the upcoming “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” movie, some the fans of the iconic movie franchise were outraged that one of the lead character is Black.

John Boyega, a London, England-born Black man, will play the character “Finn,” a stormtrooper.

Social media users who disapproved of the casting choice took to Twitter by using the hashtag #BoycottStarWarsVI, to voice their concerns.

Commenters tweeted “#BoycottStarWarsVII because it is anti-white propaganda promoting #whitegenocide” and “#BoycottStarWarsVII If white people aren't wanted in Star Wars, then our money must not be either.”

Other Twitter users saw the racially-charged hashtag and took offense.

“People seriously using the #BoycottStarWarsVII hashtag are just identifying themselves as racists and everything that's wrong with America,” and “#BoycottStarWarsVII is a prime example of #WhiteFragility. Why are you so against seeing a black protagonist?!? Oh yeah, bc [because] of racism,” along with “As a white American Male I would like to apologize for the stupidity of #BoycottStarWarsVII.”

Radio host Tariq Nasheed tweeted, “Racists trolls started #BoycottStarWarsVII because the lead characters in the movie are Black. Wookies=cool, Aliens=cool, Negroes=HELL NO.”

Some people chided those who started the hashtag by reminding them that the voice of the Star Wars movies most popular character, Darth Vader, is James Earl Jones, a Black man, and that characters in the movie such as “Mace Windu” were played by Samuel L. Jackson and actor Billy Dee Williams played “Lando Calrissian.”

Author Chuck Wendig, who wrote a book in the Star Wars series called “Aftermath,” used his personal website to formally answer to the criticism saying, “Apparently people are mad because blah blah black dude protagonist with a lightsaber, or girl protagonist, or Latino X-Wing pilot protagonist, and not enough straight white dudes… I mean, what version of Star Wars did you watch? The one where Luke Skywalker is a racist hick s--tbird? The one where the Empire are the good guys because yay oppression and fascism and totalitarian chic?

Wendig, whose book covers the events in the Star Wars series between “The Return of the Jedi” and the upcoming film, went on to say,”You gotta realize the world isn’t for you. It’s for everyone. And that needs to start happening in media, too.”

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is scheduled to hit theaters in December.

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