The latest "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" trailer sent Twitter into a frenzy shortly after its release, with the hashtag #BoycottStarWarsVII trending for hours, asking fans to boycott the movie due to its anti-white propaganda.
The "Boycott Star Wars VII" hashtag, which supposedly first appeared on Twitter on Oct. 19, Monday afternoon, pointed out the fact that none of the main protagonists in the film are white males. Daisy Ridley, who plays the role of Rey, is a woman; John Boyega, who nabbed the role of Finn, is black; and Oscar Isaac, who portrays Poe Dameron, is a Guatemalan American.
Because of casting choices, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is accused of pushing a multicultural advocacy. However, Mashable argued that the hashtag originated from a 4chan forum which was directed to stirring up commotion and a few laughs.
Still, many netizens quickly responded to the issue. A Twitter user named Mozes (@mozesislam09) wrote: "Racists start #BoycottStarWarsVII [because] of a black lead character. They [forgot] the MOST iconic character in the series had a BLACK [guy's] voice.
While the hashtag did trend for its controversial purpose, it became popular partly due to people's curiosity and a multitude of fans defending the epic space opera film. Among those who stood up for the movie was "Selma" director Ava DuVernay, who after voicing out her dismay, invited everyone to celebrate "Star Wars" instead.
People started to follow DuVernay's advice, and positive tweets about why fans continue to love and support "Star Wars" flooded social media.
While others were busy fighting off Internet trolls, Alexandra Petri of The Washington Post published a satirical article entitled "Better Reasons to Boycott Star Wars." Petri sarcastically gave legitimate considerations of why one must boycott the upcoming "Star Wars" movie. She even pointed out an issue of monarchism in the case of Princess Leia.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is the seventh installment in the "Star Wars" film series. Directed by J.J. Abrams, the space opera film is set to be released on December18.
