Save 'The Acolyte': Culture Wars And The State of ‘Star Wars’
Image Source: Star Wars
Good afternoon, class.
I come to you today with some sad news that I’m sure you’re well aware of anyway. The Acolyte has supposedly been canceled.
I really debated if I wanted to step outside my planned column rotation and my media literacy lessons to address this, but there’s hope out there still and, as an educator, I cannot abide trolls, hateful bigots, and assholes. Now, my wordage above is selective for a reason. I used “supposedly” because on one hand, things can change on a dime in Hollywood, and on the other hand, there’s a series of posts on the internet about using the word “canceled” to describe the decision not to renew The Acolyte for a second season. It’s a point I understand wholeheartedly. Words have meaning, and that’s one of the themes of this week’s column.
Unless someone says something explicitly as to why, we may not know exactly why the show was not renewed. I’ve seen the numbers game talked about on Reddit and YouTube by supposed people within the industry. Compared to the other Star Wars shows run on Disney+, it did not perform as strongly as other Star Wars shows in viewing minutes. It also cost a reported $180 million to make. Numbers and minutes just didn’t look pretty enough. Though Hollywood is a strange, fickle beast, in the end, it all comes down to money, and we have to remember that as much as we love Star Wars, it’s a business, and the primary goal is to make money. Streaming has struggled to be profitable so far, and it’s led to a trend of extremely short television seasons and series runs in the name of the bottom line. It’s the horrible reality of the situation of an art form (filmmaking and screenwriting) that is governed by the interests of capital.
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Image Source: Star Wars
However, we can’t ignore the demon on the shoulder, though, and the damage they have done. The internet, while connecting the world and reshaping our lives, has given an oversized voice to the small pockets within fandoms that took advantage of the outlets social media gave them that they otherwise wouldn’t have had. They’re racists, sexists, and homophobes, and no longer relegated to the dark pockets of the internet, they have outlets to spread their depraved thoughts online that they wouldn’t dare say in public. Hate attracts hate, it’s basic psychology. Their disdain for women and people of color growing among the casts of Star Wars projects attracted others who thought as disgustingly as they did. In psychology, it’s an incentive for the content creators to spew their filth, and a sense of confirmation bias for the crowds coming to their channels, feeling validated that they aren’t alone in their depravity.
It all brews a sense of entitled gatekeeping, fostering a belief among them that they have some sort of ownership over the franchise. It’s nothing but delusion, as if they have any sort of right to determine what the fandom as a whole should and shouldn’t get to watch. It’s truly an astounding phenomenon to behold, to witness someone think they know what’s best for the franchise, under the guise of comments like “bad writing” or “terrible acting.” It’s funny to think these grifters have any sense as to what good writing or acting is like. I mean, Theory made an AI “film” of what he thinks is better. It’s embarrassingly terrible.
Unfortunately, the system we are forced to participate in further reinforces their behavior through financial incentives. With the news of the non-renewal of The Acolyte, now they feel vindicated, and they’re taking victory laps as if they had an impact on the decision. I will admit the possibility is there, as there was a concerted review bombing campaign against the show after only the first three episodes, which all aired at the same time. Much of the complaints talked about plot lines that didn’t make sense (that eventually came clear later when the show was, you know, done), bogus retconning, and of course the alt-right culture war faux fear-mongering around great replacement bullshit. The likelihood that they had an impact on the decision is not that great, however, and it more likely has to do more with the money.
Image Source: Star Wars
Art and business don’t seem to go hand in hand. Many artists talk about art as this beautiful and organic thing that isn’t done for money. The truth is that art has always thrived on supportive patrons, and when that support wanes, so too does the influx of creatives that expand and push the art form. A great example is the European Renaissance. Decimated by the plague that killed anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 of the population of Europe, new fortunes were made and the newly wealthy of Europe sought artists to paint, sculpt, and construct great works of art to adorn their mansions and villas. It led to the greatest flourishing of art and culture in Europe since the height of the Roman Empire. With attention and support, the arts thrive. It encourages people to take risks and push the boundaries of art, and when other artists see these risks supported, art gets better. However, when patrons don’t support the risks, art gets stale
I don’t think there’s anything to celebrate here, not for the bottom line, or the trolls. The Acolyte was fresh and new. There wasn’t a Skywalker in sight, and the only original trilogy character they had was a suggestion of Yoda in the last shot of the season. It took the prequel trilogy’s undertones of Jedi ineptitude and twisted a mystery around it. I’m not saying it was the best there was in Star Wars, but it had the potential to grow. Not any longer, however, as the corporate obsession with profit over everything and the fans obsessed with something unobtainable (the past) saw the end of the series.
It’s a troubling sign of the state of the franchise and doesn’t leave much to hope for with the upcoming premiere of Skeleton Crew. Star Wars is set in a galaxy, and galaxies are huge. There is more to the galaxy than the Skywalkers, and with the original cast reaching old age, the stories they can appear in are quickly dwindling, or already have. Millions of fans enjoy Star Wars and all its potential, and neither the entitled grifters nor the bottom line of the Mouse should deny them of that.
Let it flourish.
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