Toxicity Strikes Back: Clueless Fans Are Outraged Over Waititi’s Obvious Joke

Taika Waititi found himself in the news recently, after throngs of clueless fans started sounding off angrily after he made an obvious joke. 

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 05: Natalie Portman, Taika Waititi and Tessa Thompson attend the UK Gala screening of “Thor: Love and Thunder” on July 05, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images)

This article from fandomwire laments about “Disney not caring about ‘Star Wars‘” and accuses Waititi of attempting to make a film worse than “The Last Jedi”.  Ouch! Making a leap like that must be hard on the knees when you land. 

Taika Waititi is an eccentric man, who’s brand of humor involves being a troll of epic proportions.  To suggest that one of today’s best filmmakers does not know that Natalie Portman played Padme Amidala is laughable at best.

The second that I read about Waititi asking if she has ever thought about being in a “Star Wars” movie, I knew it was a joke.  In my head, I imagined Portman guest starring as herself on “What We Do In The Shadows” and being asked that very question by a culturally clueless Nandor.

No Shortage Of Complaints

This latest round of fan complaints is nothing new. Militant “Star Wars” fans are nothing, if not consistent in their relentless criticism, and their gatekeeping. 

Waititi’s joke is just another log to throw on the fire of a franchise that is becoming increasingly harder to write about, due to fan toxicity.

If you don’t agree with these bullies, they will harass you and shout you down until you either take your criticism down, or walk it back.

Well, I am stubborn in my own right.  I don’t take things down, and I will never walk them back.  I thought that Waititi’s selection as the new director of the Next “Star Wars” movie was a great choice and I still think that. 

My support for one of the most creative directors in Hollywood to usher “Star Wars” into the next generation is unwavering.

All The Way Back To The Prequels, It Goes

This toxicity goes all the way back to 1999.  “Episode I: The Phantom Menace” was released.  Some fans didn’t receive it well, and the movie did pale in comparison to Episodes IV through VI.

However, instead of voicing their opinions in a civil manner and coherently stating what they thought was wrong with the prequels, they decided to drive the actors to the brink of insanity.

Ahmed Best; the actor who portrayed Jar Jar Binks, was so distraught by the relentless criticism from fans, that he got to the point where he seriously considered taking his own life.

Ahmed Best (Left) and Jake Lloyd (Right) both suffered greatly due to the relentless bullying that they endured after the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy.

In 2020, Geek News Now’s very own David Gremillion broke a story about Jake Lloyd, and the tragic toll that his reception as a young Anakin Skywalker has had on him.

This is not normal behavior.  No other fanbase has this effect on people.  Philadelphia sports fans are more forgiving than the Star Wars militants. 

This Is Why Waititi Is The Right Man For The Job

Taika Waititi’s penchant for eccentric and absurd behavior is what makes him the perfect fit for the most coveted Director’s chair at Lucasfilm.  This is a man who fully embraces the weirdness of life and relishes in it.

In an era where people are becoming increasingly more sensitive to and outright rejecting anything that resembles political incorrectness, Waititi made a comedy where he played an imaginary Adolf Hitler who was the best friend of a young German boy.

In an era where irreverence is frowned upon, Taika Waititi’s “The Adventures of JoJo Rabbit” shined, and took home a bounty of awards.

Not only did he sell that without any major controversy, it won fourteen major awards, including an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay.

No other living director can comedically portray the most evil man of the twentieth century, and achieve that. 

Waititi is the closest thing that our current generation will have to the great Mel Brooks.  The man lives to entertain. 

• He has referred to Natalie Portman as “Natalia” in a tweet, which he made while he was standing right in front of her.
• He claimed that his upcoming “Star Wars” movie was going to focus exclusively on Jar Jar Binks.
• He pretended to be asleep at the Academy Awards ceremony.
• He has admitted that one of his favorite things to do was troll Marvel fans.
• He told Stephen Colbert that he was going to ruin “Star Wars”.

The man doesn’t take himself seriously.  It’s a breath of fresh air to see a prominent film maker actually having fun, and not setting out to lecture his audience on politics or social issues.  

The gate keepers don’t care about any of that.  He made a joke that they don’t get, because they are busy taking themselves too seriously for their own good.  So he has to go.

Unfortunately for this miserable portion of what is otherwise the greatest cinematic fanbase in the world, I get the feeling that Taika Waititi is just getting started. 

I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us next.  

Let me know what you think, Geek Faithful! Are the militant fans justified?  Does Taika Waititi ACTUALLY not know who played Padme? Sound off in the comments!

Thank you for reading! When I am not writing, I enjoy spending time with my wife Barbara, My two year old daughter Frankie, My Hound Marbles, and my feisty ferret, Ms. Farrah Pawcett.

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