Is Star Wars: The Force Awakens an Allegory of #GamerGate?
Every popular cultural phenomenon tends to be appropriated by ideologues; The Force Awakens is no different but its unique tale of resistance by a diverse group of quirky characters against an almighty authoritarian empire is what sets the space saga apart.
In this case many of the characters, settings, and plot details echo the struggle gamers have faced for the last few years against an indoctrinated gaming press worshipping authoritarian “social justice” ideologues.
Minor spoilers should be expected but major plot points will be avoided as much as possible.
The Villains
Like every tale of good versus evil following Joseph Campbell’s principles, The Force Awakens features a cast of homogeneous villains who’s sole goal is to impose their will and ideas while squashing any rebellious dissent. The characters on the dark side of the force have a lot in common to the radical ideologues who’ve been attacking and dividing the gaming community.
Captain Phasma has been marketed as an important character when she plays a very minor role in the movie.
Zoe, Anita and Brianna are marketed as gaming icons when they are insignificant to the overall gaming industry.
General Hux sees himself as a brilliant strategist who despises the republic when it doesn’t abide by his ideology.
McIntosh and Chu see themselves as avant-garde thinkers; they despise free speech and capitalism.
Kylo Ren believes his lineage entrusts him to use his powers to impose his vision of justice and punish the ones who dare to oppose his First Order.
The game journos believe they are entrusted to use their mediatic power to tell their audience what to think and punish the ones who disagree.
The First Order is a bunch of white people doing the worst atrocities in the name of what their darkly dressed leader claims to be The Greater Good.
Social Justice Warriors are a hive mind of entitled, privileged, hipsters listening and believing the worst is justified in the name of The Greater Good.
The Heroes
Opposed to movie villains, stand a diverse and colorful cast of heroes some more unlikely than others. The heroes motion through a journey during which they will be called to adventure, allies will be tested, an ordeal will be suffered but, in the end, the strength of their relationships will help them triumph.
Han Solo is a rogue who reveals that all the stories about the Force and the dark side are real.
Milo is a rogue journalist who exposed the Journos Pro list and blasted the SJW dark apostles.
Finn is a stormtrooper that saw the evil of the dark side and reluctantly joined the resistance.
The Escapist magazine got rid of Movie Bob and Jim Sterling and hired Lizzie, Liana, etc.
Poe Dameron is a smart ass resistance pilot who’s not afraid to be defiant and keeps his sense of humor when facing the almighty Kylo Ren.
The /V/ board is where GG started by smart ass gamers with a dashing sense of humor, unafraid to take a stand and question the game journos.
BB-8 has a very unique voice; he holds the map to the key that will defeat the First Order. He is connected to Poe Dameron but has a mind of his own.
Sargon and Jim have singular voices; they give astute advice on how to counter and defeat SJW rhetoric; at least one of them is connected to 4/8chan.
Rey was left alone on a desolate planet, didn’t ask for anything to happen; she was just waiting for her family to return when the First Order stormtroopers attacked Jakku.
#GamerGate supporters wanted to be left alone in their corner and just peacefully play video games when all the SJW goons decided to attack their already misrepresented sub-culture.
Reasons Why Rey isn’t a Third Wave Feminist
One of the most outlandish recent claims made by several biased publications is that Rey, one of the fierce heroines of Episode VII, is an embodiment of third wave radical feminism. If Rey is a strong, empowered, female character; her personal qualities and her behavior have nothing in common with authoritarian intersectional feminism; furthermore, they personify the values defended by egalitarian feminism.
From the get go, Rey is a very resourceful, hard working, scavenger who does not rely on charity, patroning or the welfare state to make a living.
Rey neither reproaches Finn of benevolent sexism nor does she blame his misguided attempt to stir her away from harm on misogyny.
The altruism exhibited by Rey highlights how she doesn’t consider her personal issues as more important than her male counterparts’ ones.
When being advised by her adventure companions, Rey does not assume or accuse them of #mansplaining or #robotsplaining.
When offered a job by Han Solo, Rey’s first reaction isn’t to complain about getting paid 70c for every credit Chewbacca makes.
Rey is in no way, shape or form, portraying herself as a victim or claiming to be oppressed by a systemic patriarchy.
Not A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy Very Close To Home
If the Star Wars universe is taking place in a galaxy far, far, away; many story elements depicted in its 7th installment seem to mirror events that happened surrounding the GamerGate hashtag over the last couple of years.
At the beginning of the Force Awakens, Rey lives in, despite its arid roughness, a safe environment. Following the Hero’s journey, BB-8 is the herald who’s call is refused by Rey; likewise, gamers didn’t pay much attention to the warnings about gender ideologues.
Similar to the Jakku villagers sentenced to death by Kylo Ren for harboring a resistance member, the gaming press coordinated the release of over 15 articles aimed to kill the Gamer identity in order to shame any video game player who dared to oppose their views.
The same way Rey became aware of her link to the force in her most vulnerable moment, when she’s at the mercy of Kylo Ren, gamers realized their strength when they were the most vilified by the same gaming press that was supposed to be promoting their culture.
Like any stormtrooper who starts questioning the First Order, or worse deserts it, apostasy is the worst crime anyone can do against radical ideology. This is why people and organization questioning the social justice dogma are instantly branded as traitors.
A parallel can be drawn between Han Solo showing Finn how to fight the authoritarian First Order and another rogue with a fabulous hairdo showing journalists of the entire spectrum how to fight the omerta and ostracization rampant when dealing with radical ideologues.
Over a year and a half after the “Gamers Are Dead” articles were published, #GamerGate and those advocating for gamers stand without fear and have been joined by many initiatives fostering a positive view of the gaming community like League For Gamers and #Right2Game.
Demise of an Ideology and the Redemption of the Indoctrinated
What has always made Star Wars such a compelling saga is, at its heart, the struggle between the light and the dark side where misguided and flawed characters can be redeemed over the course of a trilogy. Early concept arts point to Rey bringing balance to the force and herald Kylo Ren’s redemption.
The politically correct social justice ideology is prevalent in today’s media world; this is the dominant position occupied by the First Order, not the resistance and its members.
The dark side always bends the knee to an overpowering shadow; that feudal symbolic gesture epitomizes the relationship between activists and radical ideology.
#GamerGate is responsible for many publications changing their ethics policies and this is the first step towards redemption for the gaming press.
