Anonymous asked:
You had something maybe, maybe months ago, or a year ago, about how some fans are creatures of comfort. You didn't use that exact term but that's what I'm going with. It was in response to this ask about Din and being a leader
I know this is going to sound awful, but I do think it's a bit strange that some fans can't just accept story progression. You said it's because they don't view it through a narrative lens, which I agree with
But it does make me go insane that they just want to stay in this status quo bubble of Din being a wandering dad. Now don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with that, but to me it's like, don't they want to see him be more than that, do more than that?
I know certain people would defend this by saying, "Din's not a leader!" and another can counter this by saying, "You're right, he's not, but his story can be about him learning to become one."
This is mostly me venting
I think there is a general desire among a lot of fan communities to see characters they’ve become attached to only go through stories that are easy or comforting. Some of this I feel is due to the development of parasocial relationships with characters in media. People come to care about Din and what makes them happy is to see him exist in an easy or domestic lifestyle because to them that would be like checking in on a friend and seeing that they are happy and doing alright. I think this is also a key motivating factor in fan fiction as a whole. It allows you to continue revisiting characters in scenarios that official narratives do not and often times those are very lowstakes and emotionally soothing stories.
Additionally, there’s a large amount of people that just turn to media like Star Wars for escapist entertainment. When they go to the theater or open Disney+, they want to see narratives that are exciting and full of spectacle, but don’t make them uncomfortable. They want characters who are cool and likable doing cool things that never lead to experiencing genuine pain or becoming less likable. There’s a part of me that understands this desire. We live in a very stressful, scary world and many see Star Wars as their way to step away from reality for a little bit of time. It lets them catch up on characters they care about and see some imaginative imagery.
The issue is that this sort of narrative is ultimately sort of empty. Its a fast food burger that dependably tastes the same regardless of where in the world you order it. You get what you wanted going in. But that’s not art. That’s not story. That’s product. There may be artistry involved in creating said product, but the product itself doesn’t want to do anything other than sustain its existence and continue providing similar feelings to the people who want it.
The issue is that Star Wars can be and has been more and is stuck in this consistent battle throughout its existence on how it wants to be product and how it wants to be art. You swing too far one way or another and you end up causing a firestorm. The Mandalorian to me seems to be a series that has at least some aspirations on being art or at least telling a story, but all too often feels compelled to return to its roots as a product. Its why you get big character changes for Din that are ultimately undone or seasons that function as guest star conveyor belts.
And I don’t know, I don’t even think there’s something inherently wrong with Star Wars “the product.” I love being served a little nostalgia or comfort every now and then, but eventually I start wanting something with a bit more flavor or thought? And sometimes that means making me a little uncomfortable or challenging my expectations.
