Debunking anti-PT articles/videos

It seems like the trendy thing to say online now, in light of the ST, is that the PT sucked, but "at least it had a plan", or "at least it had a vision".

There is another, while still small part that says: I changed my mind about the prequels whe the Disney trilogy came. As you said, baby steps.

Don't take it personally. Unless this guy was saying something extreme, like "You aren't a Star Wars fan" or something, it's not a cause for alarm. 

Always say "to each his own." If they don't listen, just ignore them. Starve the haters of their one true fuel: fandom backlash.

Well, I mentioned them, but I'm not sure that's what I was doing. I cited Rey and Kylo because they are the main characters of the Sequel Trilogy, and they are obviously connected in a unique way in these movies, with the whole narrative and the existential threat of the Sith resolving through their bond. If you don't personally like that, fine, but it's a basic reality of the last trilogy, and a permanent part of the "Skywalker Saga". Though you don't have to recognise the legitimacy of either story construct.

To accuse me of shoehorning in a concept you disdain is pretty low and reveals a bias on your own part. It's also exactly the sort of negative ascription of motive, from a would-be moderator, that this site was set up to get away from. They pull that crap on TFN all the time, and it's disgusting.

Try being a bit more imaginative in the future. If anything, my post could have been read as a subtle dig at those "Disney Shills" you seemingly hate. A sense of destiny/reckoning is baked into the DNA of the PT and ST (at least, in my opinion), so if a person with an axe to grind against the PT hates the Chosen One concept, they're being ridiculous if they accept a recapitulated form of it in some other set of Star Wars movies.



Well, I guess I can drink to that...

Wow. Bashing Central.

That said, their opening paragraph isn't terrible:


I am, however, too tempted to re-write that in the "image" of TV Tropes itself. Let's see here:

The Internet had all the elements that would come to be widely deployed against the Prequel Trilogy and, to a lesser extent, the Sequel Trilogy. This includes retarded memes, clickbait articles, RedLetterMedia reviews, Fan Complaining, a Moaning Chorus Of Morons, Failure To Understand Politics, Groupthink Ranting, Anti-Lucas Virtue Signalling, Sucking Up To Corporations, and shallow Opinion Whoring. What made it come together so powerfully was people's inability to Think For Themselves, a Reluctance To Embrace Difference, Aversion To Complexity, Ignorance Of History And Mythology, and Adoration Of Christopher Nolan. By the time the Prequel Trilogy was concluded, bashing became respectable and serious, with the emergence of newer strains (such as the RedLetterMedia reviews), and the expansion and rise of the Internet meant that criticisms people never thought of making were suddenly encouraged, while the same criticisms were never made about other entertainment franchises of the time. Additionally, the growth of social media ushered in the Age Of Idiocracy, where endless Cat Videos and Marvel Movie Trailers were widely disseminated and spread, while Troll Attacks and People Complaining About Everything became increasingly commonplace.

There. That's better.

I do like how the entry -- rarely for the Internet -- acknowledges political esoterica in the Original Trilogy. Of course, it gets ruined with a bash of the prequels at the end:


The good thing about the article is that the Sequel Trilogy isn't spared; even if much of the focus remains on trashing the PT. Here's an example of an interesting critique:


I rarely see criticism toward the sequels on this level. Yet I've said several times, now, that the sequels are much more human-centric. If you look at Episode I, by contrast, that's less the case than it may initially seem. 

Heavy bashing of Anakin in this paragraph. It's really a big yawn, but I feel like pointing it out for some reason:


Proof here that TV Tropes is Far From Perfect and may attempt to Strawman Complex Plot Developments in service of Playing To The Crowd and Repackaging Common Prequel Bashes, because People Are Lazy and few people enjoy Questioning Things and Using Their Brains. 

Sorry. I'm having too much fun.

The prequels actually show Anakin to be a Good Person at the start, only falling to darkness after he comes Under The Influence Of Palpatine, growing frustrated and restless amidst a Hail Of Restrictions the Jedi Order places over him like a Sword Of Damocles. See? This all sounds better when you're shouting.

Anakin's Fundamental Flaw is his Fear Of Loss, buttressed by a desire to End The War and Prove Himself Worthy of Padme's love/affection. Additionally, his Wife Is Pregnant and they are in a Secret Union, which increases Anakin's fear and anxiety. 

AOTC also shows that Anakin has been Impatient With Democracy for some time and doesn't seem to mind the idea of a Benevolent Dictatorship. When Palpatine seduces Anakin with the idea he can Cheat Death, the notion of Going To The Dark Side suddenly seems more appealing.

Moreover, Anakin never took too well to Sacred Jedi Ideals, making him more like Qui-Gon Jinn, an adherent of The Living Force, and his former master, Count Dooku, in this regard. He was looking for a path that Transcended Rules And Restraints, and he found that path through Palpatine.

Anakin's Bad Dreams push him Into The Arms Of Palpatine, but you could say he was afraid of Losing That Nice Dressing Gown. Additionally, Padme's Veranda was Rather Fabulous, wasn't it? 

People need to watch these movies with More Sensitivity and bring Deeper Insight into an Underrated Trilogy before it's Too Late and the World Ends due to Nuclear Holocaust. Which actually has a Good Probability of happening if people don't Wise Up and become More Aware and Respectful Of Knowledge and Less Cynical toward experts. Also, people need to Learn From The Prequels and Stop Electing Corrupt Leaders, and Overthrow Capitalism and move Human Civilisation to a Post Scarcity Economy before it's Too Late. 

I think I'll stop there.

Yeah. That one stopped me in my tracks.

I forced myself to go on. I guess I blanked it out and forgot to comment on it as a result.

But notice my parodic use of capitalised noun terms. That page is reasonably well-written, but is basically just a splurge, where all these specific terms are thrown out, like films can be broken down into an objective mathematical formula, giving the page a false sense of authority. It's the appeal of that site, I guess, but it doesn't change the fact that it's silly.

This site gives basic acknowledgement of some of the more (these days, increasingly well-known) cinematic and literary influences on George Lucas, predominantly when crafting the Original Trilogy. I like how each page ends by extracting a "subtle lesson" (author's term) from each of the sources Lucas mined (consciously or unconsciously) for inspiration:

www.moongadget.com/origins/flash.html

But if you want to get a bit more oblique and interesting, there's also this wonderfully erudite analysis/celebration from a sculptor. It's one of the few things I've seen, constructed in the form of an online pamphlet/brochure, that actually treats the Original Trilogy (especially the first film) as a serious piece of mainstream installation art. Or as the intro describes it (go here), the piece explores "the uncanny relationship between the groundbreaking sci-fi film and minimalist art and architecture":

www.canopycanopycanopy.com/contents/star_wars__a_new_heap

Far superior. 

You don't know the power of John Powers. Seriously... It's a brilliant piece.

Just let me juxtapose the TV Tropes article and his piece to demonstrate the difference:


TV Tropes:



John Powers:



Yah.

You have to read the right stuff.

That might sound snobby, but it's cosmically true. As Carl Sagan explained:

and another thing Vader didn't blow up Alderaan Tarkin did are People this Dense?