Are We Allowed To Be Mad About Another's Art?

If you haven't heard, The Last Jedi has gotten some really varied feedback. It seems like there's a very vocal section of fans that didn't like the film at all, and a seeming majority who enjoyed it, but VERY FEW who felt ambivalent. Here's the Rotten Tomatoes score: 

So, like Kramer before me, I've got some stuff here I've been trying to say just right:

Rian Johnson wrote and directed The Last Jedi. He's a film artist, and he created a thing in the Star Wars galaxy. So that's what happened in real life. 

In fiction, Luke Skywalker made some decisions that seemed contrary to his character...or at least that's what detractors are saying. In fiction, Leia assumed the superman pose and flew through space to save herself. In real life, The Last Jedi made lots of us laugh, including kids. It was so funny that it might've been too funny.

With all of those complaints in mind, though, I still can't get behind anyone who is publicly speaking against the film. Or any film, really. Here's why:

An artist made this thing. He loved it. He lived it for a few years. He put time and effort and creative energy and skill and whatever else into the movie, and to have us all (who have no legitimate stake in how the film performs) crap on it as soon as we get the chance is ridiculous. Why is it ever okay to condemn art?

So you have a favorite band, and they put out an album you didn't like. Are you MAD at that band? Because that's ridiculous. It's their music; it's their careers; it's their art. How can you be mad at them for it? How invested are you in their lives? Did you have something riding on how good the band's albums are? Did they ever say, "yeah man, we'll make sure to only make PERFECT art."

What about painting? What if an artist you loved created a piece that you HATED, but you loved everything else that artist had created? Would you take to Facebook or your blog to tell everyone that the artist made something you didn't like? Who cares????????!!!!!!! Who cares what you like?!

I get that feedback is important. I do. I also get that giving feedback to a multibillion dollar corporation is not an easy thing. HOWEVER, don't you think they have focus groups? Don't you think they're looking for feedback and are course-correcting, but also not bowing to everything "fans" say they want?

I'm just frustrated for Rian Johnson and Kathleen Kennedy. Jeeze, just like something or don't like it. Don't go out of your way to hate on something ever - let alone over a film franchise that is just finding its footing and doesn't owe you a thing. Do we have a right to be mad? Sure. We have a right to feel how we wanna feel. Do we have the right to voice that anger? Yeah, in America, we do. Do we have the moral constitution to refrain from hating on something that some people loved and didn't hurt anyone? It doesn't look like it.

Don't @ me about what this franchise owes you as a fan. If you're a superfan, you've probably dropped no more than a grand on the franchise, and even if it was 50x that, you bought things based on what WAS, not what will be. They don't owe you anything.

You can hate the movie. But publicly declaring that you hate it sounds more like hating the people who made it. And if you're a fan of something that makes you hate people... you should probably stop being a fan of that thing or just get a better attitude.


-Luke
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