Misogyny in a Galaxy Not-So Far Away: Growing Up a Female ‘Star Wars’ Fan

When I was in the third grade, my dad drove me and my older sister to a showing of the newly released “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” claiming that we would love it. Like any 8-year-old, I was less than enthused at the prospect of watching a movie my middle-aged father was excited about, but I went nonetheless. 

To put it simply, I absolutely fell in love with the “Star Wars” franchise while sitting in the squeaky seats of my small town cinema. From the captivating storyline, enthralling orchestral symphonies and alluring visuals, I was hooked.  

I talked of nothing but x-wing starfighters and lightsaber battles on the way home, and when I learned that there were six other movies in this new-to-me franchise, I was nothing short of ecstatic. 

I would spend the coming weeks watching these six movies, beginning with “A New Hope” and ending with “Revenge of the Sith” — the correct way to watch the movies for the first time, in my opinion. With each one I watched, I became more and more obsessed. I further immersed myself in the fandom, watching “The Clone Wars” and “Rebels” to learn more about the intricacies of this far-away galaxy. 

I quickly began acquiring memorabilia — collecting lego sets, plushies, toy lightsabers, T-shirts and most coveted of all, my very own R2-D2 interactive astromech droid. To no one’s surprise, the theme of my ninth birthday party was “Star Wars,” complete with a Darth Vader cookie cake and all of the galactic-themed presents my heart could dream of.  

In simple terms, if you were to ask 9-year-old Sara about her future career aspirations, she would have told you her dream was to either obtain the rank of Jedi Master or to serve as a senator in the Galactic Congress. 

It was around this time, however, that the people around me came to the conclusion that “Star Wars” was decidedly “for boys only.” 

I can recall a specific instance on the playground that same school year, when a boy in my grade noticed the “Star Wars” shirt I was wearing and approached me to ask if I could name any three characters from the movies. I proceeded to name five different characters across the cinematic universe, and after an assessing glance, he told me that it was embarrassing for me, as a girl, to know so much about something that was strictly for boys. 

Comments such as these were made toward me in the following years, with boys inquiring if I could name any of the clone troopers from the 501st clone battalion, asking if I knew who the legendary podracer Ben Quadinaros was or questioning if I only really pretended to like “Star Wars” for attention. 

At the time, these remarks bothered me, and I became more quiet about my love for the media franchise, for a time believing that maybe the movies really were geared toward the male-dominated audience. You could even say I had a “bad feeling” about it.

Years later, I rewatched the movies with a matured perspective, focusing more on the themes within the plotline rather than the tie fighters and protocol droids. I was amazed at the plethora of feminist themes sprinkled throughout the films, and decided that the belief that “Star Wars” was strictly a male-only franchise was the furthest thing from the truth. How could I, and other girls like me, not see themselves within the female protagonists of the series? 

Padmé Amidala, for example, was more than just a plot device for Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the Dark Side; she was a queen and senator with an abundance of profound political intellect and tactical brilliance. Throughout her time as an astute politician, she utilized diplomacy, democracy and conviction to influence galactic politics and is inadvertently one of the reasons why I am currently pursuing a second degree in political science. 

Princess Leia Organa, often thought of as simply the “girl version” of Luke Skywalker, fundamentally took control of her own rescue from the Death Star, even calling out the incompetencies of Luke and Han’s plan. She showed not an ounce of trepidation when facing the formidable Darth Vader and maintained active command of a starship and consistent leadership over the entirety of the Rebel Alliance. She fundamentally redefined the damsel in distress archetype. 

Finally, Rey Skywalker, who many like to accuse of not being a real Skywalker, showcased the same Jedi heroisms as Luke did in “A New Hope,” using her independence, technical expertise and physical combat abilities to make her way throughout the vast galaxy. 

With all of these feminist figures throughout the franchise, not even including characters such as Mon Mothma and Ahsoka Tano, how can “Star Wars” not be for women? 

So, for all of the fan girls out there, whether your media of choice is “Star Wars,” “Marvel” or any other franchise with a predominantly male audience, keep pursuing the power of fandom. Watch the movies, read the books, collect the memorabilia to your heart’s content and don’t dampen the love for your interest simply because someone says that you should. 

It’s high time we stop discounting someone’s legitimacy in a fandom based on gender or some other nonsensical factor and instead begin connecting over our shared interests and passions, whether it’s in this galaxy, or the next. 

• #entertainment
• #starwars
• #womenempowerment