Star Wars actor Daisy Ridley has finally returned to social media after a six-year hiatus from the public platforms. The actress posted a photo looking very relaxed after the extended detachment from the online platforms.
Star Wars is and will forever be an iconic franchise rich with plenty of stories, characters, lore and places that are open for exploring. The first six mainline movies are generally more loved than the last three, but the original Star Wars trilogy is usually seen as the best the franchise has to offer. Many have been gravitating to the television series (both live-action and animated), which deliver some of the best storytelling that Star Wars has to offer. It’s no secret that Star Wars has a passionate fanbase, which is often its downfall.
Part of the reason why Ridley left social media is due to the fan backlash she received. Ridley was one of the Star Wars actors who were targeted with harsh words, death threats and misogynistic attacks due to fans not liking the recent trilogy. Most of the hatred didn’t even go to the writers or creators but rather the actors themselves. Kelly Marie Tran was another victim of online abuse. Now, Ridley has decided to return to social media, posing a photo on her Instagram with a message that said, “Coming out of social media hibernation refreshed, recharged, and ready for what I’m calling my “Year of Yes”. (And that’s the tea.)”
It never added up as to why fans go after the talent and not the creators. Actors are reading the lines given to them. In rare cases, they have creative control over what gets said, but this is not the case here. At the end of the day, it’s just a movie. So taking hatred out on someone who is just doing their job is never acceptable. This brutal dynamic between demanding Star Wars fans and creative talent is something that society is witnessing frequently.
Fans attack anime studios for not delivering on time or keeping 1 to 1 accuracy to the manga frames. Video game developers get attacked for delays or for changing different mechanics. However, it seems like the companies that take the most advantage of their fans by charging them for every little thing in a game and releasing the same low quality game every year never get nearly as much hatred as those who try their hardest to create a work of art.
There needs to be a discourse on the interactions between fans and creatives. Maybe it would take the fans walking a day or two in the shoes of a creator. Have a fan make a game themselves to see how hard it is. Or have a fan try to be in front of the camera with the demanding pressure of having to look your best with unrealistic beauty standards. A lot of this is a lack of empathy, but hopefully, this begins to change. It’s good to see Ridley back, as she appears to be in a much better headspace, and hopefully, people show decent human respect moving forward.
The Star Wars saga is now available on Disney Plus.
Source: Daisy Ridley/Instagram
