There’s a group of Star Wars haters that seem to be gaining ground these days – or at least becoming more vocal. This group isn’t the completely justified “I hate Jar-Jar Binks” crowd. This new group actually has me a little worried because what they seem to hate revolves around gender and race. In particular:

1. Kathleen Kennedy (who runs Lucasfilm) isn’t a man.

2. Episode 7 and 8 killed two leading white men. (And/or didn’t do them justice.)

3. There are main characters who are non-white men and *gasp* women.

Plot issues aside – and there are ALWAYS plot issues in a Star Wars flick – I can’t see anything different with these new movies. In fact, let’s look at a few advantages:

1. No ewoks. Cute? Yes. Able to beat storm troopers? No. Thank the maker.

2. Decent dialogue. The prequels were awash with horrible, painful dialogue.

3. No annoying Jar-Jar. Enough said.

4. Re-captured the grungy feel of the originals.

What I’ve seen are phrases like “token woman leader” or “SJW droids” thrown around. These are huge warning flags – as if the only reason not to have a white man as anyone important is for the sake of diversity. These are the same folks who will say they are fine with non-white people in important roles. Just as long as you can justify it.

So what’s going on? White men – like me – are not all-powerful anymore. Those who’ve come to abuse or blindly take advantage of this status are fearful of losing that power. Don’t believe me? Read “Why Does He Do That?” for some useful insights.

What can we do? Don’t ignore these comments when you hear them. Call it what it is. Those who sling these absurd comments believe they are in some sort of social justice trap where they are the victim. It’s quite the opposite – they are finally seeing a world where everyone is equal.