As you may have heard, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has taken in more than a billion dollars worldwide, so far. $1.09 billion, to be exact.
But the folks over on Return of Kings still think that their “boycott” of the film was a HUGE SUCCESS. How’s that, you ask?
Well, as RoK contributor David Garrett figures it, if Return of Kings hadn’t warned the men of the world that The Force Awakens is “SJW propaganda,” the film might have taken in roughly $4.2 million more than it did.
That’s right: it could have made $1,094,200,000 instead of the paltry $1,090,000,000 it’s taken in so far.
IN YOUR FACE, SJWs!
So how exactly does Garrett arrive at that $4.2 million figure? WITH SCIENCE.
Fifty-five percent of respondents to a Return of Kings Twitter poll have said that online reporting of the social justice nature of The Force Awakens influenced their decision whether to see the film. Extended across our readership, with over 900,000 users accessing ROK between November 21 and December 21, this amounts to a potential direct impact of $4,219,456.54 (55% x $8.38 x 915,482) on total revenues. $8.38 is based on the average cinema ticket price in the US, which is now an all-time high.
Well, you can’t argue with that!
And that $4,219,456.54 figure doesn’t even take into account the other right-wing media outlets that warned their readers about the evil SJW agenda behind The Force Awakens. Add that in, Garrett suggests, and the total cost of the right-wing “boycott” is in the “tens of millions of dollars.”
I have done a similar calculation to determine how much of a financial effect my writings about their “boycott” have had on the box office of The Force Awakens.
8.38 (ticket cost in dollars) x 7,390,966,099 (the number of people who might have been influenced by my posts, based on total world population) + 0.47 (amount of change in my pocket) – 7.67 (estimated cost of lunch today) / 2 (number of cats in my apartment)
So that comes to $61,936,295,906 per cat in my apartment. In other words, without my influence, The Force Awakens would have lost $60,846,295,906 at the box office (per cat in my apartment), making it the biggest financial disaster in Hollywood history. (I think. I’m not really that good at math.)
A loss of that magnitude would have had a disastrous effect on the world economy, including my cats. And I have prevented it.
You’re welcome!
*Full stop, not question mark. Damn edit timer.
@ katz
katz, I know that Bryce is really annoying, but can we not do this? I strongly dislike the implication of a link between liking the prequels and arguing in bad faith. They’re some of my favourite films and I don’t like being lumped in with Bryce because of that.
There is plenty of wrong in what Bryce is saying for one to be able not to make out that one view of the prequels is objectively wrong in order to argue against him.
I love it.
Rey fights Kylo to a standstill; fanboys call Mary Sue.
Rey understands BB-8; fanboys say nothing.
I like that Rey isn’t a caricature of a feminist ideal. She’s not a damsel in distress, but she isn’t some ’90’s chick huffing about the Presumptions of Men or coming down on all the Sansa Starks of the world, either. The latter of which is what I think Abrams/Disney would have made of her if they had really been hell-bent on OMG SHE CAN’T SEEM VULNERABLE TO THOSE DASTARDLY DUDES GRRL POWER RAWR.
I know we’ve moved on from a general discussion of the Strong Female Character trope to the specifics of Rey, but I have to share A Day in the Life of an Empower Female Heroine, because it is wonderful.
I adored TFA, have seen it twice and planning a third time, and will hear nothing against Rey. As others have pointed out, it is established that she has piloting experience, and I would also point out that her piloting of the Millennium Falcon was not exactly flawless — there were an awful lot of bumps and scrapes and lucky escapes there. I was willing to suspend disbelief enough to accept that force sensitivity and generalised piloting experience could justify a bumpy but successful escape in an unfamiliar ship.
On the lightsabers, as others have pointed out, her established skills with a staff could transfer to a lightsaber, to a certain degree. She’s shown as incredibly naturally gifted with the Force. I find none of this less plausible than Luke or Anakin’s development, or any of a gazillion other male action heroes.
Throughout the film she was shown to be decisive, brave, and independent, yes. Not a lot of time was given to potential character foibles, but I would blame that on J.J. Abrams desperate need to fill every possible second with action sequences. Perhaps in the later films, as was suggested up-thread, she will be shown to have trust issues — I’d be so there for that. I will point out that she did attempt to run after Maz tries to give her Luke’s lightsaber, so she’s not immune to momentary fear or weakness.
TL;DR Rey is everything, and I’m 100% over the Mary Sue / not plauuuuusible whining that’s all over the nets.
Edited to add: Happy 2016, everyone!
Used my edit on new year’s wishes and missed a(t least one) typo: that’s *empowered female heroine, obvs.
Oh god oh god my post is also chockablock with spoilers and I didn’t put any tags. I’m just going to skulk away now and make some coffee and not come back until I’m properly functioning.
I’m sorry, world.
Found this via facebook, the person makes a good point about the Rey and Finn Vs kylo showdown.
warring,link contains spoilers
http://imgur.com/gallery/7EhqwbF
Guys.
Guys.
https://twitter.com/ReturnOfKings/status/683323698493927424
OMG LOL
Reading comprehension, what is it?
@katz’s article
“They admit we cost the movie MILLIONS!”
*headline reads No, Men’s Rights Activists Didn’t Cost Star Wars Any Money*
Article then says
I love their denial.
http://img.memecdn.com/you-can-amp-039-t-read_o_1954847.jpg
Come on Roosh. Take the read pill.