The latest Star Wars spin-off, “Acolyte,” is getting attention from the masses for a very peculiar reason. The series is under scrutiny by the fans, who are calling it “wokelyte,” given the female-centric story that has been portrayed. In recent years, woman-led stories have often been considered by the fan base as the woke feminist agenda that is being shoved in their faces by Hollywood. Take the example of Captain Marvel, or the Marvels. Female leads are often ostracized online for their association with these projects. Daisy Ridley and Kelly Marie Tran are facing the same toxic fan base.
On this, the President of Lucasfilms, Kathleen Kennedy, acknowledged the gender-based bias against women in sci-fi “because of the fan base being so male-dominated.” On one hand, this statement might appear absolutely obvious. Men straight up deny the presence of women in media, and recently, many projects have suffered this outrage. But is it the sole factor?
Sure, a toxic fan base can cause significant harm to the reputation of the movie. But can we be oblivious to the actual problem in light of this factor? The movies are changing. As society progresses, new ideas come up. They are portrayed in art, and art is imitated in life. In essence, it is a feedback loop. People are open to the ideas of feminism and female centralism. But Hollywood often ignores a good plot in exchange for this “feminine agenda.” Consider the fact that this is the same crowd that cheered for the female Avengers taking down Thanos in Endgame. Perhaps a bit of introspection is necessary for Hollywood so that it may bring us good stories and not textbook ideologies to the screen.
