Star Wars (and Star Trek) have special places in my life because my adoptive aunt got me into both. Along with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy (as well as the works of Stephen King) they've had a profound impact on my life. At the same time I recognize that they were great movies but not perfect ones. I think that's why I like them.
The entire universe they're set in has a sort of broken down, beat up charm to it. It was wholly different from the clean lined utopia Star Trek presented (though the latter half of Deep Space 9 went a long way towards giving Trek a bit of edge without making it too cheesy). I understand why some folks might not be into it. At the same time it's douchey of people to spoil films for others.
I also don't get why some people seem to feel the need to be overly dismissive of something just because a lot of people happen to enjoy it and they don't. It seems rather petty.
I also don't get why some people seem to feel the need to be overly dismissive of something just because a lot of people happen to enjoy it and they don't. It seems rather petty.
My own experience: when a movie or book gets really popular, I feel pressure from the media as well as people I encounter face-to-face. It's something I find very uncomfortable, and has turned me away from things the I might have otherwise enjoyed.
Now, calling Star Wars 'overrated', I'm willing to accept that there might be people out there who are unwilling to live life to its fullest; but someone applying that very word to The Beatles makes me angry. That's like calling breathing alright, but all in all just a luxury.
See, I didn't see the originals until I was nearly a man, after already having seen the prequels as a youngling. I think the universe is alright, but the characters and story are the strength to me. Aside from some 70s eccentricities and Ewoks, I still think the trilogy has a great story and well executed. Luke and Han have one of the best versions of their respective arcs I can think of. Don't really have much nostalgia in my case, and I still love them.
The easiest way to deal with this kind of revelation is to not hoist your nerdery upon your children in the first place. Just support whatever their personal interests are and don't try to make up for the perceived slights of your parents for not playing lightsabers with you by jamming lightsabers into the hands of your kids.
Ceno on
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KalnaurI See Rain . . .Centralia, WARegistered Userregular
I watched the original three Star Wars films early in my life, and I still take pleasure from it, but no where near as much as I did in my teen years (books, toys, etc). I fault that partly with growing up, and partly because of the disappointing nature of the sequels.
Hearing so many good things makes me want to see it in the theater, but I know for me it's a departure, since I stood in line for tickets for at least Phantom Menace tickets (and was in the theater first to second week of the successive films).
All of which means to preface this: if my kid doesn't love what I love, that's fine. I love painting and games, and that's where I can easily identify with others, but if that's not what my kid's into, then that's what happens.
But I'll be damned if I don't plan to give the kid at least a small amount of shit for it.
I make art things! deviantART:Kalnaur ::: Origin: Kalnaur ::: UPlay: Kalnaur
I also don't get why some people seem to feel the need to be overly dismissive of something just because a lot of people happen to enjoy it and they don't. It seems rather petty.
@ziddersroofurry I find I agree with your comments a lot in these forums.
The "I don't see what the big deal is" response is pretty tired and typical at this point. Frankly, I would have been more surprised to see people in the forums actually talking about liking something than dismissing it or even downright insulting someone for something they like.
That's why I lurk more than I engage, usually, because the last dozen or so times I said I really liked something someone responded by telling me why it was silly or not as good as I thought it was. I mean, I'm glad you have your opinion, I guess, but why don't you share with us what you like rather than telling other people that what they like isn't any good?
I like Star Wars, but I don't adore it. It's not near and dear to my heart the way it is to some fans. It has had a huge impact on pop culture and that's cool but I could live without it personally. Actually, I wonder how much the world would change, at least on the pop-culture level without Star Wars....
I have my own issues with Star Trek though. I don't like the way that property is going. It is too much like 'generic Sci-fi with the Star Trek label slapped on it'. Of course, that doesn't stop me from eventually watching the movies, though it does stop me from buying the movies myself, I don't think I own either of the two newer movies, I just watch someone else's copy. I don't think the older series and movies are perfect (heck, I haven't even properly watched TOS because I don't like it all that much), but IMO the spirit of the property has been tossed out in favor of more 'splosions and heavy handed action. Fine action movie fodder but not much else to me.
I have always occupied a strange space where I find the setting very interesting and the movies insufferable. I've enjoyed many games and books in the Star Wars universe but watching the movies is akin to getting dragged over hot coals.
I also don't get why some people seem to feel the need to be overly dismissive of something just because a lot of people happen to enjoy it and they don't. It seems rather petty.
I don't feel like people are being overly dismissive in this thread, but as for why people would take the opportunity to say they don't like Star Wars as much as it seems like other people like Star Wars:
It's because most of the time, you can't really come out and say you don't enjoy this as much because you don't want to offend your friends, or if you're on a forum it's because the forum culture generally doesn't allow it. So when the opportunity comes up, you seize it, and then maybe people think you're "overly dismissive" or "haven't given it a chance" or whatever.
"excuse my French
But fuck you — no, fuck y'all, that's as blunt as it gets"
- Kendrick Lamar, "The Blacker the Berry"
I'm not like that about Star Wars, but I am like that about other things. People tend to want to find their own people, and if you are a person who doesn't really like or care much about Star Wars, and you are drowning in a sea of Star Wars fanatics, it feels weird and lonely and frustrating. So you don't necessarily yell I HATE STAR WARS because you are trying to rain on the Star Wars fanatics' parade. You are just trying to find that person who is like, OH MY GOD ME TOO. FINALLY SOMEONE ELSE. It's happened to me on this forum with other things.
+2
CambiataCommander ShepardThe likes of which even GAWD has never seenRegistered Userregular
Even as I made a post here about not liking Star Wars that much, I still have had a SWTOR subscription since the launch of that game, I bought an XBOX 360 entirely so that I could own the Star Wars dance game (yeah, this one. I friggin love that game, and that song, and all the Star Wars themed song covers they did for it).
So even if I don't think Star Wars is my favorite movie or the most amazing movie to come out in the last 100 years or any of those other sentiments that seem a bit overblown to me, I still like it a lot, probably more than your average individual. Just not nearly as much as your average Star Wars fan.
"excuse my French
But fuck you — no, fuck y'all, that's as blunt as it gets"
- Kendrick Lamar, "The Blacker the Berry"
0
MorninglordI'm tired of being Batman,so today I'll be Owl.Registered Userregular
I enjoy Star Wars, but I'll admit that I do roll my eyes a bit at my friends who post on social media when they are about to introduce their children to it for the first time as if it's some huge milestone in the child's life.
It's more that they think of it as a big milestone in their lives and they want to share it with their children. It's not much different from really wanting to show something you like to your friends or your spouse.
"Wait you haven't seen x movie? You gotta see it! It's so good!" etc.
Star Wars is a cultural milestone and a towering juggernaut of a film... for it's time. But I think that there are dozens and dozens of sci-fi /space operas that have come out since that are superior, but just don't have the benefit of being first. I'd include TFA on that list. By pretty much any metric I care to think of bar 'originality', I consider TSA to be a better movie than any of the OT.
Posts
The entire universe they're set in has a sort of broken down, beat up charm to it. It was wholly different from the clean lined utopia Star Trek presented (though the latter half of Deep Space 9 went a long way towards giving Trek a bit of edge without making it too cheesy). I understand why some folks might not be into it. At the same time it's douchey of people to spoil films for others.
I also don't get why some people seem to feel the need to be overly dismissive of something just because a lot of people happen to enjoy it and they don't. It seems rather petty.
My own experience: when a movie or book gets really popular, I feel pressure from the media as well as people I encounter face-to-face. It's something I find very uncomfortable, and has turned me away from things the I might have otherwise enjoyed.
Hearing so many good things makes me want to see it in the theater, but I know for me it's a departure, since I stood in line for tickets for at least Phantom Menace tickets (and was in the theater first to second week of the successive films).
All of which means to preface this: if my kid doesn't love what I love, that's fine. I love painting and games, and that's where I can easily identify with others, but if that's not what my kid's into, then that's what happens.
But I'll be damned if I don't plan to give the kid at least a small amount of shit for it.
@ziddersroofurry I find I agree with your comments a lot in these forums.
The "I don't see what the big deal is" response is pretty tired and typical at this point. Frankly, I would have been more surprised to see people in the forums actually talking about liking something than dismissing it or even downright insulting someone for something they like.
That's why I lurk more than I engage, usually, because the last dozen or so times I said I really liked something someone responded by telling me why it was silly or not as good as I thought it was. I mean, I'm glad you have your opinion, I guess, but why don't you share with us what you like rather than telling other people that what they like isn't any good?
I have my own issues with Star Trek though. I don't like the way that property is going. It is too much like 'generic Sci-fi with the Star Trek label slapped on it'. Of course, that doesn't stop me from eventually watching the movies, though it does stop me from buying the movies myself, I don't think I own either of the two newer movies, I just watch someone else's copy. I don't think the older series and movies are perfect (heck, I haven't even properly watched TOS because I don't like it all that much), but IMO the spirit of the property has been tossed out in favor of more 'splosions and heavy handed action. Fine action movie fodder but not much else to me.
I don't feel like people are being overly dismissive in this thread, but as for why people would take the opportunity to say they don't like Star Wars as much as it seems like other people like Star Wars:
It's because most of the time, you can't really come out and say you don't enjoy this as much because you don't want to offend your friends, or if you're on a forum it's because the forum culture generally doesn't allow it. So when the opportunity comes up, you seize it, and then maybe people think you're "overly dismissive" or "haven't given it a chance" or whatever.
But fuck you — no, fuck y'all, that's as blunt as it gets"
- Kendrick Lamar, "The Blacker the Berry"
So even if I don't think Star Wars is my favorite movie or the most amazing movie to come out in the last 100 years or any of those other sentiments that seem a bit overblown to me, I still like it a lot, probably more than your average individual. Just not nearly as much as your average Star Wars fan.
But fuck you — no, fuck y'all, that's as blunt as it gets"
- Kendrick Lamar, "The Blacker the Berry"
It's more that they think of it as a big milestone in their lives and they want to share it with their children. It's not much different from really wanting to show something you like to your friends or your spouse.
"Wait you haven't seen x movie? You gotta see it! It's so good!" etc.
Steam: adamjnet