Tag: The Force Awakens

There’s Rey

Despite being the main character of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rey has been very absent from most of Hasbro’s tie-in merchandise. They’ve had every sort of excuse for that from saying they didn’t want to reveal spoilers than she was important (heaven forbid people learn a WOMAN is a main character in a franchise) to that the toy set in question didn’t need her. Right.

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Not only is she the main character, she’s a fierce young woman who is strong, independent, and relatable. She’s a great role model for children and adults alike and she’s been inspiring more than one girl who has exclaimed in joy at seeing a woman kick ass on screen. You hardly need me to tell you this.

Sites had to go out of their way to find Rey merchandise. This shouldn’t have to happen, but at least the internet has the ability. Consequently you can find such a list here.

Hasbro promised more toys in the future after #WheresRey gained traction online. The hashtag came about as people, especially young girls, realized they couldn’t find any Rey merchandise in stores. Female action figures and toys from films are notoriously underrepresented and you’d think with how big Star Wars was that Hasbro would capitalize on the fact people would want Rey merchandise. But apparently not because… boobs.

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The latest, and perhaps largest, outcry came from Rey being excluded form the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Monopoly edition that was released. There was no Rey figurine but there was a Darth Vader piece… who isn’t even in The Force Awakens.

Fans took to twitter and Facebook in annoyance, anger, and exhaustion to chide Hasbro for omitting her. They came back saying they didn’t want to reveal her as being important enough to the movie, which is an excuse that is both hysterically idiotic and telling of how much Hasbro doesn’t think people want female merchandise. I could continue ranting about this, but the power of social media has spared you because #WheresRey has worked.

Hasbro will be including a Rey game piece in Monopoly going forward. Granted it’s later this year when they make a new run of the game, but it’s something, and proof that if you’re upset about under representation in merchandise, you can say something about it and something may actually happen.

Thank goodness.

Oh The Places You’ll Go.

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I was sorely tempted to just write a thousand words on my immense Star Wars feelings, but the last thing the world needs at the moment is yet another Star Wars review. In short, I loved it to pieces and beyond and I cannot properly express my delight that the largest film at the moment (and possibly of all time if projections are correct) stars a woman, a black man, and a Hispanic man. Like… that’s amazing, and how much I reacted to Rey and how empowered and happy I was after my now two viewings of The Force Awakens speaks volumes of the importance of representation in media. Especially epic franchise media. Also BB-8 is the cutest and purest thing in the world and I NEED ONE.

3KeGx

But that’s what I’ll say about Star Wars. Perhaps in the new year I will solidify my own theories about who is what and what is going to happen, etc. In the new year a lot of things will be happening. And that’s why I’m going to take a step back for the rest of the year.

I’ve been trying to find out my place in time and space the past few weeks, most in terms of work and thinking about what I really want for the future. I think I have a plan and I’ll know better before the end of January. But for now I am going to decompress.

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There’s only a few days of 2015 left and as always, tis the time of contemplation. 2015 was good to me more or less: I became a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, I graduated with a master’s degree, I got a job on-air in radio, I did the Mongol Rally and drove across 17 countries in 33 days, I raised a bunch of money for charity through various events, and I actually get paid to write things now with a fantastic group of people. 2015 was very good, but I want 2016 to be great. I want to take what this past year has given me and apply it to my future. I want to create again, I want to save money, I want to keep exploring, and I want to be excited.

I want to keep going.

This morning on my show I told people to get a head start on their New Year’s resolutions, to start now instead of waiting. If you’ve already got 11988317_786218729872_9167482284402599353_nsomething in your mind, just take that step in the moment. Don’t wait. If you wait it’s less likely you’re going to do it. Find a way to do it now. I started. You should too. No matter what it is. Do it now. I realize a lot of this is quite cryptic, but that’s because my plans aren’t 100% set in stone. Also I’m down and out with a cold sinus-y… thing so nothing totally makes sense at the moment. But what I am clear of is that we are all responsible for our own destinies as it were. Things can knock us down, drag us down even, but we have to push ourselves and make the choice to keep going and to go forward. Sometimes we’ll have friends, old and new, that will inspire us. Sometimes we have to chart that journey alone. So whether you’re Finn, afraid and unsure, or courageous Poe, or Rey, independent, brave, and yet still wary… know that you have it in you to do whatever you want to do. It may take awhile, but the journey has to start somewhere.

So May the Force Be With You (and also with you… you can leave the church but damned if that phrase will never leave you), and come on 2016… I’ve got expectations of you.