Bret Devereaux

I have some creators I follow, on and off youtube. So naturally youtube sees this and serves me up sci-fi related content in my Recommended list - which includes Star Wars and Star Trek. Which is cool, I like Star Trek. I really like Star Wars. So far, so good. 2/16

But now let's say I click on a critique of, I dunno, Rise of Skywalker or ST: Discovery. Maybe it's a thoughtful critique. Maybe it's an angry critique. Often, it's not even clear that it is a critique at all from the title and thumbnail - just 'so, some ST/SW stuff!' 3/16

But its a critique. Maybe I watch it, maybe I close it, but I guess I engaged, because rapidly my recommended list becomes nothing but the most angry, screaming wrath at the current state of this or that franchise. 4/16

Now, cards on the table: I was not a huge fan of the Disney Star Wars trilogy (also not news to blog readers). I thought it had flaws (R1, Clone Wars, Mandelorian are great though). But hey, if you loved Rise of Skywalker or Last Jedi - by all means, enjoy. 5/16

I'm not here to harsh anyone's jam except for the guys with bad Sparta takes. But I didn't like tLJ or RoS. I also am not fond of the dark, cynical tone of the new Star Trek. I find it off-putting. I still enjoy thoughtful discussions of it though... 6/16

...because sometimes the discussion about art can be enjoyable art all its own. There's positive value to analyzing even flawed or frustrating fiction. What I do not want are videos crowding out my recommended list loaded with angry yelling about fiction...7/16

...often combined with hate-conspiracy theories about the secret aims of this or that producer or writer to ruin the series in the name of this or that political agenda. That's not to say questions of author intentionality and worldview aren't interesting! They are! 8/16

But those questions require evidence, either from the author's other statements or from the text itself. But there's this whole ecosystem of angry screaming fans (is there a word for a 'hate-fan' of a franchise?) who attribute creative decisions to a vast plan...9/16