Once upon a time, movies were just movies. People watched them, they either liked them or they didn’t, and life moved on. But now, in an era where everything is political, even the entertainment world is a battlefield. Case in point: the recent debate sparked by Matt Walsh’s critique of “Revenge of the Sith.” Apparently, his dislike of this Star Wars prequel is tantamount to cultural heresy.
Let’s get something straight here: movies aren’t sacred texts. But judging by the vehement responses Walsh received—you’d think he was rewriting the Declaration of Independence with a crayon. It’s astounding how just one man’s take on the quality of a movie could throw so many into a tizzy. Of course, it’s all very serious business in the new age where liking or disliking a film is somehow linked to winning “the culture war.”
The crux of Walsh’s argument is intriguing, not because he loathes “Revenge of the Sith,” but because he dares to say so in a world where disagreement and differing tastes seem to demand public shaming. Have people really become thin-skinned to the extent that differing opinions on a movie could spark such outrage? It might be that he hit a nerve, revealing a reality where fandoms act more like cults and dissenting views are punished with social martyrdom.
It’s not so much about the movie itself—though if we must discuss it, Walsh highlights the hackneyed dialogue, questionable acting, and plot holes wide enough to pilot a starship through. What’s truly laughable is the earnest defense by those clutching their lightsabers, insisting the film is a masterpiece rather than admitting it could be poorly executed and still oddly charming. But no, admitting fault isn’t on the table. Instead, fans demand others reshape their views to fit the pre-existing narrative that they’ve built in their minds, like rewriting the past in a history book.
In the end, it’s all rather amusing. This skirmish over a film masks a larger issue—a societal inability to allow for unpopular opinions. Walsh’s criticism isn’t a call to arms against beloved franchises; it’s a reminder that taste, sentiment, and opinion are not dictated by pop culture’s loudest voices. Maybe the lesson here is simple: it’s okay not to like something everyone else does, and it’s certainly permissible to say so. After all, difference in opinion is not the end of civilization; it’s just another page in the story.
