Star Wars Expanded Universe Fans/Cultists - I HOPE YOU LIKE STAR WARS AUTISM

[Nom Anor]

This is certainly not a well-known topic for ridicule, but I think it deserves at least a thread here.

So, Star Wars...most of us here probably know the details. Beloved Original Trilogy. Hated Prequel Trilogy. Hit or miss video games depending on who you ask. Guaranteed Slave Leia cosplay at any comic convention. Etc.

Then we have the novels and comics and this is where the cringe begins. I was a big Star Wars fan in my youth. I enjoyed many of early Expanded Universe books (Thrawn Trilogy, X-Wing Series) and even a few more "recent" Expanded Universe material (The Republic Commando Series, The Darth Bane Trilogy, Darth Plagueis). However, even in my youth, I recognized these novels were basically just "canonized fanfiction." They would never be considered "THE Star Wars" by the general public. That honor would always go to Lucas' movies. The Expanded Universe also wasn't perfect either...there's quite a lot of amateurish writing from authors who probably want to write their own stuff, but couldn't get publishers at the time were simply took their ideas, slapped a coat of Star Wars paint on it, and sold it as print. You can see evidence of these in "The New Jedi Order" book series, a post-Episode 6 story where extragalactic invaders attack our heroes from The Original Trilogy. This wouldn't be so bad for the Star Wars EU if it simply a one-off story. However, the series went on for nineteen books and its storyline had far-reaching consequences that really fucked up future stories for the post-Episode 6 timeline.

Now, I'm not going to belittle people on their taste in reading. If you like it, fine....simply not my cup of tea. However, the problem begins when a very vocal minority starts claiming these books are the absolute pinnacle of sci-fi literature. These Star Wars fans are the type of people who will literally get angry at the average joe who says he's a fan of Star Wars, but has only seen the movies. These isn't like Harry Potter fans getting mad of people who have only seen the movies; these are people who get mad at people who haven't read PUBLISHED FAN FICTION. In a nutshell, these people are the Star Wars equivalent of a brony who claims MLP fanfiction is "beautifully written" and "deserves to be published."

This unfortunately got worse with the arrival of stuff like Knights of the Old Republic. You then constantly got people in forums claiming that games like KOTR did "Star Wars better." This also started the trend of an obsession with Sith Lords and creepy fandoms surrounding these characters. Literally, there are people who will roleplay as these Sith Lords. When I was about 13-15, I was in a Star Wars guild where the leader (a grown man with a wife and a child) would constantly harp on me about the "wisdom" of Darth Bane and harass me if I said anything positive about a Jedi, another Sith Lord, etc. He wasn't trolling; he was 100% serious.

This type of Star Wars cringe has exploded since Disney bought Star Wars and basically decided to reboot its surrounding lore. We now have these people posting crap like "Disney destroying their childhood" and how Disney deserves to "refund them for all the hours and money they poured into Star Wars." Here an example of someone claiming he is going to cut off ties to any of his friends who see Episode 7:

As you can see, this is rather autistic. It gets worse in the fact there are "movements" via Facebook groups of these people spamming the main Star Wars' page, Del Rey's page, etc. They "demand" the continuation of the old EU. It's pretty sad. Legions of people harassing people who are just looking forward to another movie. People claiming that Disney is being "lazy" and "all about profits" when they chose not to follow over 20 years of a clusterfuck of lore.

I've talked too much...and realized I probably put more personal anecdote here than anything else. So I'm leaving you guys with a link to an article basically highlighting how utterly cringy and hopeless these EU purists/cultists really are. It does a better job gathering the evidence than I ever could.

http://www.theforce.net/story/front...ment_To_Save_The_Expanded_Universe_160167.asp

 

[Mrs Paul]

Well, I'm pretty disappointed that "Sword of the Jedi" isn't going to be released. I'm not saying that I'll boycott the movies* or anything. But I'd be really bummed if they didn't at least continue with the EU series.





*It will suck though not to hear the "Fox Fanfare" at the beginning of the film. I don't care if that makes me pathetic. It's true.

 

[MarineTrainedTard]

I liked some of the EU stuff but I'm not going to fly into an autistic rage over them rebooting it.

Sucks that Admiral Thrawn isn't gonna be around anymore, but meh.

Not even a little surprised that there's people who are borderline ruining their lives over it, though.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

I know a guy who de-friended two people because they went to see the Hobbit movies, so believe me, I know exactly what it's like to see people sperging out in a "If you see this movie, I am severing ties with you" way.

 

[XYZpdq]

Sucks that Admiral Thrawn isn't gonna be around anymore, but meh.

I bet they either throw Thrawn in as a mention like the bounty hunter on Ord Mandel in ESB, like "Wow Darth Multiblade is the biggest threat since Admiral Thrawn or even the Emperor!"

Or they hold off on him until season whatever of Rebels when badguy is defeated as the new bad guy.

Oh, uhh.... lol those spastics?

 

[Tookie]

Some of the earlier stuff like Thrawn was good, but I'm amazed people are surprised they have to throw out the EU. I lost all interest when the gore-porn aliens from another galaxy invaded and they started their cycle of the Republic constantly falling and being reestablished (entering high school also helped diminished my interest). It was a complete mess and I'm glad overall they're wiping the slate clean.

 

[Jewelsmakerguy]

Ah yes, I've heard about this fandom (and other ones similar). All I can say is that it' pretty damn stupid to be complaining about something that isn't just a bunch of sides stories, but also owned by a multi-billion dollar company. Who probably doesn't have the time to listen to a bunch of basement-dwelling idiots who probably spend their time jacking off to Padme getting fucked by their OC while editing Wookiepeedia and making a page about some nameless alien who just walked past the screen for a brief second.

 

[Meowthkip]

Boba Fett is turned into a glorified Mary Sue in the Expanded Universe and I have gotten into multiple fights with butthurt fanboys of his when I say I think it's fucking retarded that Boba Fett bested Darth Vader in combat.

Because it fucking is.

Boba Fett fell in a desert vagina and died like a bitch.

So uh, I guess the Boba Fett fanboys who love the EU come off as super autistic to me, and I get much joy out of rustling their jimmies.

 

[Saney]

Boba Fett is turned into a glorified Mary Sue in the Expanded Universe and I have gotten into multiple fights with butthurt fanboys of his when I say I think it's fucking retarded that Boba Fett bested Darth Vader in combat.

Because it fucking is.

Boba Fett fell in a desert vagina and died like a bitch.

So uh, I guess the Boba Fett fanboys who love the EU come off as super autistic to me, and I get much joy out of rustling their jimmies.

Ah, Fandalorians, truly the dumbest, most obnoxious fandom to ever exist. It's not just Fett they glorify, it's all Mandalorians, while painting the Jedi to be incompetant, slave-driving morons. Blame Karen Traviss for that, she elevated them from a bunch of long dead mercenaries to best civilisation ever, who can totally kill every Jedi and Sith ever.

 

[Meowthkip]

Ah, Fandalorians, truly the dumbest, most obnoxious fandom to ever exist. It's not just Fett they glorify, it's all Mandalorians, while painting the Jedi to be incompetant, slave-driving morons. Blame Karen Traviss for that, she elevated them from a bunch of long dead mercenaries to best civilisation ever, who can totally kill every Jedi and Sith ever.

That's some fanfiction-ass bullshit.

 

[Saney]

That's some fanfiction-ass bullshit.

It really, really is. You ever read Legacy of the Force? It's terrible, it really is, it's just a mess from start to finish. The worst parts though, are the books written by Traviss, where the plot just repeatedly stops dead so she can awkwardly shoehorn in Fett and the Mandalorians, because they're just so relevant when you're writing a series about Han's kid turning Sith. In the last book she wrote in that series, Han's other kid goes to see Fett because apparently, he's killed more Jedi than anyone...yeah. So, we get some more awkwardly shoehorned Fett and Mando culture, which is primarily focused on Jedi bashing.

And don't get me started on Republic Commando.

 

[Meowthkip]

It really, really is. You ever read Legacy of the Force? It's terrible, it really is, it's just a mess from start to finish. The worst parts though, are the books written by Traviss, where the plot just repeatedly stops dead so she can awkwardly shoehorn in Fett and the Mandalorians, because they're just so relevant when you're writing a series about Han's kid turning Sith. In the last book she wrote in that series, Han's other kid goes to see Fett because apparently, he's killed more Jedi than anyone...yeah. So, we get some more awkwardly shoehorned Fett and Mando culture, which is primarily focused on Jedi bashing.

And don't get me started on Republic Commando.

I've pretty much avoided the expanded universe because it looks like a fucking mess.

Personally I wish Star Wars had a policy towards its novels like Star Trek does, where just the show and the movies are canon.

 

[Nom Anor]

Ah, Fandalorians, truly the dumbest, most obnoxious fandom to ever exist. It's not just Fett they glorify, it's all Mandalorians, while painting the Jedi to be incompetant, slave-driving morons. Blame Karen Traviss for that, she elevated them from a bunch of long dead mercenaries to best civilisation ever, who can totally kill every Jedi and Sith ever.

"Warmaster, we think too often in terms of dualism: Jedi or Sith, light or dark, right or wrong. But there are three sides to this blade, not two, opposed and similar at the same time. The third edge is the Mandalorian." -From Boba Fett: A Practical Man....written by Karen Traviss lol


To be fair to Karen Traviss, the Boba Fetish in the Star Wars EU fanbase was there long before she started writing Star Wars novels. She needed a "springing board" to give the clones some depth in her Republic Commando series, so she chose Mandalorian culture. And the Jedi she frequently wrote about were from the Prequel Era, where Lucas had permanently locked the vast majority of them as morons. So...I can understand some of the writing angles she chose. The Republic Commando books themselves are still 10x better than the vast majority of the post-Episode 6 cringe EU imo.

But ya....she could definitely have toned down the Mando orgy. It just fueled the Boba Fetish. And yes...Traviss' LOTF novels were a mess.

 

[RecordStoreToughGuy]

Boba Fett is turned into a glorified Mary Sue in the Expanded Universe and I have gotten into multiple fights with butthurt fanboys of his when I say I think it's fucking retarded that Boba Fett bested Darth Vader in combat.

Because it fucking is.

Boba Fett fell in a desert vagina and died like a bitch.

So uh, I guess the Boba Fett fanboys who love the EU come off as super autistic to me, and I get much joy out of rustling their jimmies.

I mean, don't get me wrong, Boba Fett's still pretty boss, and I think it's even more amusing that Han fucking Solo basically killed him by accident (which if I may sperg a bit, was probably because of his ridiculous luck), but yeah, he's been idolized way more than I think he probably should be. I liked the moment in ESB where he basically whips his dick out in front of Vader, and I think he thought he could take Vader, but no there's no fucking way he really would have taken Vader in combat what the fuck.

 

[SpessCaptain]

Fett was dishonourable and deserved to be eaten by the Sarlacc.
The expanded universe is unknown to be canon or not, especially in Old Republic lore, its more ambiguous canonically than the 40k setting. Though in my opinion I like Mandalorians a lot more than Jedi and Sith (well, Old Republic Mandalorians) because they feel a little more grounded and less sue-ified with the exception of Fett, the fucking hut'uun.

Good hunting for lolcows.

 

[Saney]

"Warmaster, we think too often in terms of dualism: Jedi or Sith, light or dark, right or wrong. But there are three sides to this blade, not two, opposed and similar at the same time. The third edge is the Mandalorian." -From Boba Fett: A Practical Man....written by Karen Traviss lol

I hate that quote so much, it's so wanky.

To be fair to Karen Traviss, the Boba Fetish in the Star Wars EU fanbase was there long before she started writing Star Wars novels. She needed a "springing board" to give the clones some depth in her Republic Commando series, so she chose Mandalorian culture. And the Jedi she frequently wrote about were from the Prequel Era, which has permanently locked the vast majority of them as morons. So...I can understand some of the writing angels she chose. The Republic Commando books themselves are still 10x better than the vast majority of the post-Episode 6 cringe EU imo.

It wasn't just that they were moron south, it was that they were also terrible fighters who treated the clones as cannon-fodder, while the Mandalorians suddenly became the moral compass of the galaxy.

I'm going to have to disagree with you there, the first book was ok, but the rest were just terrible. They quickly devolved into the ComMandos standing around talking about how much the Jedi and the Republic sucked and how much they loved Mando cake. In the Order 66 book, that was 90% of the plot. the actual order didn't come through until the last 100 pages, and it wasn't even the focus. The only part where it was relevant was when Traviss' Mando Jedi decided to jump in front of a lightsaber to save a clone who was trying to murder a padawan.

And then standing around talking about much the Jedi suck became the entire plot of Imperial Commando.

 

[Meowthkip]

I mean, don't get me wrong, Boba Fett's still pretty boss, and I think it's even more amusing that Han fucking Solo basically killed him by accident (which if I may sperg a bit, was probably because of his ridiculous luck), but yeah, he's been idolized way more than I think he probably should be. I liked the moment in ESB where he basically whips his dick out in front of Vader, and I think he thought he could take Vader, but no there's no fucking way he really would have taken Vader in combat what the fuck.

He's got a really cool design and a jetpack, so I can see why people latched onto him, but it's like one of those things where the fans impose traits on a character that are never really there because the character is pretty minor.

I made this same observation with the Attack on Titan fandom (don't judge me ) basically creating a personality for Marco aside from "plot device used to die horribly and give Jean an actual arc." There's other examples, but it's hard to think of any that are quite as egregious as Boba Fett in the expanded universe.

 

[Nom Anor]

It wasn't just that they were moron south, it was that they were also terrible fighters who treated the clones as cannon-fodder, while the Mandalorians suddenly became the moral compass of the galaxy.

I'm going to have to disagree with you there, the first book was ok, but the rest were just terrible. They quickly devolved into the ComMandos standing around talking about how much the Jedi and the Republic sucked and how much they loved Mando cake. In the Order 66 book, that was 90% of the plot. the actual order didn't come through until the last 100 pages, and it wasn't even the focus. The only part where it was relevant was when Traviss' Mando Jedi decided to jump in front of a lightsaber to save a clone who was trying to murder a padawan.

And then standing around talking about much the Jedi suck became the entire plot of Imperial Commando.

Didn't the Prequel Trilogy already basically established the Jedi were willing to accept the use of men who had been breed to fight as cannon-fodder? I can understanding them wanting their help in the heat of the moment on Geonosis, but the Jedi Council didn't object to their use afterward.

Besides that, I don't necessarily disagree with anything you said. I was just pointing out my personal preference that, if I was forced to, I would read Republic Commando over again as opposed to the garbage of the Dark Nest Trilogy, Legacy of the Force, and the absolute abysmal Fate of the Jedi series. I can bear Mando orgy better than characters like Thrackan Sal-Solo, Natasi Daala, Abeloth, etc.

 

[Broseph Stalin]

Meh, alright. Being a Star Wars fanboy myself, I'll chime in a bit here. I'm a little bummed that the EU isn't considered "canon" anymore, but to be honest, I'd say Legends is it's own collective continuity now. But it makes me feel somewhat comfortable knowing some of the more cringe inducing works like "The Courtship of Princess Leia" aren't considered canon anymore. And DON'T get me started on the "Ewoks" cartoon and the Christmas special...

Although, once the new movie comes out, I wouldn't mind seeing some stories based on the new movie continuity coming out. The overall setting looks grittier, kind of reminding me of Borderlands. But, hey...could just be the desert.

 

[Meowthkip]

Getting more back on topic, have this over-dramatic video mourning the death of the Star Wars EU: