For a fandom that shows us the light through the great work of it’s charity fundraising costume groups, Force For Change, Make-A-Wish and other endeavours, there’s undoubtedly a dark side to Star Wars fandom, one that has reared its ugly head increasingly over recent months. I was invited yesterday to speak on BBC Radio Five Live about the disheartening situation surrounding the retreat from social media by The Last Jedi actress Kelly Marie Tran, which you will be able to hear on next Tuesday’s episode of Making Tracks. Speaking on Instagram, Kelly’s colleague Mark Hamill made clear his own feelings on the situation.
Mark makes clear his feelings on the situation by the judicious use of the hashtag #GetALifeNerds which evokes the classic 1982 Saturday Night Live sketch featuring William Shatner, a skit which caused him so must trouble back in the day. In 2018 this situation is simply untenable. Something needs to change. This ugly face of fandom is a bad fit for a space fantasy set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.