Disney continues to destroy their movie making business. Get Woke, Go Broke as they say.
Leslye Headland, the creator of the new Disney+ “Star Wars” series “The Acolyte,” is addressing criticisms that label her show as “woke” propaganda featuring “lesbian space witches.” She dismissed these claims as “reductive” and explained that her intention was never to push an overt political agenda, despite some LGBTQ elements in the show.
Headland, who is noted as the “first openly queer person to create” a major Star Wars project, spoke about the backlash and clarified her creative vision. She told an entertainment outlet that she did not set out to create content that is explicitly queer. “I don’t believe that I’ve created queer, with a capital Q, content,” she stated.
The Acolyte Creator Leslye Headland is Blaming Star Wars Fans Now for Misunderstanding Her Showhttps://t.co/9cRhBzgCDx
— Usa Jaun News (@UsaJaunNews) June 23, 2024
Since its debut, “The Acolyte” has been one of the most divisive entries in the Star Wars franchise. While it boasts an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes among professional reviewers, its audience score is a mere 14%, the lowest for any Star Wars content. This disparity highlights the tension between critical acclaim and audience reception, particularly concerning its progressive themes.
Fans have increasingly criticized the Disney-owned franchise for embracing “woke” narratives and characters. “The Acolyte” has become a focal point for these criticisms, with some fans dubbing it the most progressive Star Wars installment to date. The show’s LGBTQ reputation was further cemented during a viral interview where a journalist described it as “arguably the gayest Star Wars by a considerable margin.” Headland and non-binary series star Amandla Stenberg found the remark amusing but clarified that this was not their primary aim.
Headland noted that she and Stenberg laughed at the question out of surprise, stating, “I don’t know what the term ‘gay’ means in that sense. I don’t believe that I’ve created queer, with a capital Q, content.” She addressed a controversial storyline from the third episode, where two powerful witches from an all-female society use force magic to create their female offspring. This plot point led to some fans mocking the show for introducing “lesbian space witches” into Star Wars canon.
Who Is the Sith Lord on ‘The Acolyte’? Leslye Headland’s Own Expanded Universe Knowledge May Provide a Clue https://t.co/mrQZZzIa1U
— IndieWire (@IndieWire) June 23, 2024
Defending this narrative choice, Headland explained that the witches live in a matriarchal society without men, making their closeness natural and plot-driven. She argued, “It’s really reductive to call them lesbians. I think it means you’re not really paying attention to this story.”
While Headland reiterated that she did not set out to create an LGBTQ-focused series, she embraced the show’s queerness. “I’m proud of being a gay woman who’s accomplished this feat, and certainly, if my content is called queer, I don’t want to disown whatever queerness is in the show. I would be proud to create something that inspired queer people,” she said.
The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland defends the Star Wars Disney+ TV show against accusations of “wokeness,” treading a careful, balanced line. https://t.co/yERnuej8Cs
— Screen Rant (@screenrant) June 22, 2024
Headland also addressed the negative reactions to the show’s LGBTQ themes, expressing sadness that people view queer content as something bad. She emphasized, “It makes me feel sad that a bunch of people on the internet would somehow dismantle what I consider to be the most important piece of art that I’ve ever made.”
Why in the world would any sane company create movies that cater to a whole 2% of the population is beyond me. All of these woke companies that keep playing their games with the public, are all punished when projects are then viewed with suspicion and ignored. They they claim racism, sexism and everything else. Sad if you really think about it all. The Woke are destroying all companies that they control since the vast majority of actual AMericans don’t care about their nonsense. When we see a movie we want to be entertained. Not preached to and have BS rammed down out throats.
Key Points:
i. Leslye Headland, creator of “The Acolyte,” addresses criticisms labeling the show as “woke” propaganda and “lesbian space witches,” calling these claims “reductive.”
ii. Headland clarifies that her intention was not to create explicitly queer content, despite some LGBTQ elements in the show.
iii. “The Acolyte” has received mixed reactions, with an 85% rating from critics but only a 14% audience score, reflecting the divisive nature of its progressive themes.
iv. Headland defends a controversial storyline involving two witches in a matriarchal society, stating that their closeness is natural and plot-driven, not solely focused on their sexuality.
v. She expresses pride in creating a show that can inspire the LGBTQ community and sadness over negative reactions to queer themes, emphasizing the importance of representation in her work.
Fallon Jacobson – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
