Unfortunately, it isn’t only the show, its actors, and its creators that are being subjected to this treatment online, though. As inkbluelily pointed out on X, even the merchandise for The Acolyte has come under fire, with individuals rating the items with the lowest possible score across the board and leaving comments such as “The failure of one, The failure of two, The failure of Disney.”
These assholes are even review bombing THE MERCH!! How much more pathetic can someone get!! #RenewTheAcolyte #SaveTheAcolyte #AcolyteS2 pic.twitter.com/M1x1gJmNDD — ã€ãƒ½ï½€ blue ヽ`ᵇʸ ʲᵠ(@inkbluelily) August 26, 2024
The Acolyte’s Trolls Have Already “Won”
Perhaps the strangest aspect of this online behavior from viewers who did not like the show is that The Acolyte has already been canceled. Theoretically, it should be time for those who disliked the show to move on. If there was a trolling or review-bombing campaign attempting to have the show shut down, it worked. Continuing to go after the show, its actors, and its creators online now that the show is confirmed not to be getting a season 2 serves no purpose other than to spread hate.
There has also been plenty of discourse online between those who liked the show and those who didn’t, much of it coming down to arguments about whether the negative reviews and criticisms were done in sincerity and good faith or whether The Acolyte’s controversies were simply attacks based on aspects of the show, such as its diversity. Undoubtedly, there is some portion of the negativity that is genuinely coming from a place of constructive criticism; The Acolyte, like any piece of media, was not perfect. Moreover, it’s absolutely fine not to like a show.
However, it has become more than evident that the online behavior in response to this show goes far beyond simply not liking it or wanting to voice dissatisfaction with the direction Star Wars is going. If this merchandise doesn’t make it clear, then combing through the comments on Mae/Osha actress Amandla Stenberg’s social media posts certainly will. If the criticism was truly solely about disliking the show, then these comments would not decry ‘wokeness,’ specifically with comments regarding race, gender, and LGBTQ+ identity.
Although arguments have been made to the contrary, it is abundantly clear that the extent of this backlash is not about the quality of The Acolyte as much as it is about cutting down the actors, the creators, and the fans of the show. If it was truly about the writing, the pacing, or other valid concerns, then the identities of the actors and the characters would not be front-and-center amid this criticism. Moreover, attacking the merchandise of The Acolyte makes it clear that this latest wave of Star Wars hate is certainly not being done in good faith.
News
Star Wars: The Acolyte Gives Reylo Fans The Romance They Always Wanted
The Osha and Qimir romance in the Disney+ series fills a gap left by Kylo Ren and Rey The Star Wars fandom is a fraught, fervent place. In the modern age, online communities rallying around franchises are often composed of numerous splinter…
Concord’s Biggest Fans Talk About Loving A Game Everyone Else Loved To Hate
When they learned that Concord would be shutting down in as little as 72 hours, some of its biggest fans rushed to immortalize their time with the embattled Sony exclusive in a way only PlayStation players can: by earning a Platinum Trophy. The…
The Star Wars Fandom’s Biggest Problem Has Nothing To Do With Disney
The problems within the Star Wars fandom go far beyond mere criticism of Disney’s output. There’s no denying that Star Wars has, to a certain extent, faltered since Disney first took the reins in 2012. Though some of Disney’s earliest Star Wars productions, like Star Wars Rebels (which premiered…
Three Weeks Later, The Acolyte’s Cancelation Triggers A Surprising Civil War In The Star Wars Fandom
The Acolyte may have been canceled, but the Star Wars fandom is still divided over the show – and now the controversy has erupted into a full-on social media civil war. Helmed by showrunner Leslye Headland, The Acolyte swiftly proved to be one of the…
Disney Remake Trailer Hits A Milestone With One Million Dislikes
Sometimes, movie audiences feel that Hollywood should leave well enough alone. That seems to be the current sentiment among the millions of viewers who have streamed the trailer for Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White, set for release in 2025….
A ‘Star Wars: Revan’ Movie Starring Brie Larson as a Female Revan?! We Have Checked What Is Fact and What Is Not!
The Star Wars universe is one of the largest fictional universes in existence. George Lucas’ original movie idea has since expanded and become a vast universe with thousands, if not millions, of stories. Aside from the main movies, series such as The Mandalorian and The…
End of content
No more pages to load