Bigotry Does Not Belong Among Us Nerds
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Bigotry Does Not Belong Among Us Nerds
Serious topic this week, but please read--especially if you don't like women and people of color being included in Star Wars and other scifi without a "good reason."
Racism and sexism go way back. I get that there is a big part of human culture that is about subjugating others. How can I not grok that? I grew up during a time where nerds like me were mocked endlessly by all manner of people--from my fellow students in school, to jocks, and frat boys in college and then by full-grown adults in professional situations (true story, much rudeness). At some point, though, being a nerd became cool. Well, cooler, anyway.
But through all of that nerd bashing I never understood why some of us turned the hatred and mockery of us, against ourselves. Whether it's Gamergate where male gamers seemed to think female gamers were just posers and weren't "real" gamers, or similar male nerds who just thought girls couldn't be into scifi like guys are into scifi. I NEVER got these people and never hung with them on a regular basis. I've always thought that nerds were nerds. We're all outcasts even now, when we are generally liked by most of society. It doesn't matter where you come from, culturally, religiously, continent-wise... we're all here to have fun being nerds.
STAR WARS IS DIVERSE AF!
So, why do some of us take this stuff so damn seriously?!? Death threats to a female actor of color in the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series? Why even do that when the WHOLE REASON YOU ARE A NERD IS BECAUSE YOU ARE DIFFERENT?!?
You know who else is different? Moses Ingram, the black woman who plays a bad-ass Inquisitor and yet, you want her dead or some crazy crap like that?!?
It's like you are TOTALLY MISSING THE POINT OF BEING A NERD WITH OTHER NERDS. And also: STAR WARS IS DIVERSE AF! And you know what? YOU NEVER HEAR DARTH VADER BE RACIST. You ever see good old Emperor Sheev Palpatine utter racial or sexist slur?
THE EMPIRE IS LESS RACIST AND SEXIST THAN YOU.
THE EMPIRE.
The worst I've ever heard any of them be is calling someone "rebel scum." Meanwhile, you're threatening to kill somebody? In the REAL WORLD.
If we can't tolerate each other, who the hell will?
Anyone who feels like they are an outcast or that people don't "get" them are welcome with other real nerds. I'm not a person of color, but I'm pretty sure that pretty much all people of color feel like too many people don't "get" them. So when Star Wars fans go after Moses Ingram, or Kelly Marie Tran, or Daisy Ridley, or anyone who is not a white male for being not what they want and for living, I want to burn their nerd card and ban them for life from all nerdery on Earth. They don't belong with us if they're not going to accept anyone who is different. Sure, a bigot is different from most nerds but even nerds have a point too far...because we ARE the definition of different--we don't fit in with the rest of society. We're nerds.
If we can't tolerate each other, who the hell will?
So, to all you bigots out there who think women, people of color, and lgbtq+ actors and characters have no place in Star Wars, I say that it's time for you to commit the simple act of showing other people who are different the same baseline acceptance that other nerds have been showing your nerdy ass your entire damn life.
Show the tolerance you’ve been shown.
Nerds come in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders, belief systems, food preferences, gender preferences and more--we're all different and that kind of means that we're all the same... in our need to be tolerant of each other's differences. If we don't do that, none of us would have friends and nerdery is MUCH more fun with friends.
So, stop with the racism, sexism, and other bigotry and join the fun. It's much more enjoyable if you just accept people for the way they are and enjoy the Star Wars universe with the rest of us.