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Re: Wow. That's... sad. DomA Send a noteboard - 08/01/2016 03:08:58 AM

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View original postApparently there's a huge stink about how no Rey toys were made, or how she was overlooked in most of the toy and game lines.

Though in the context of our discussion, I can't help but note that it rather proves my point about how important it was to get a female lead in this movie. Next target: a female lead who actually isn't ignored in the merchandise.

The explanation for this is simple, though: first, it's not Disney but the toy makers who make those calls, and the vast majority of SW toys are traditionally bought by/for 6-12 y.o. boys, and - it's always been like that with SW merchandise - the toys and merchandise of the female characters never sold very well in that demographics, and what could be sold to girls was limited. After ANH the toy makers were stuck with tons of unsold Leia, Jawas and cantina aliens (also that droid that looks like a box with legs, man that one sucked to get as action figure...), and realized even obscure x-wing pilots and generic rebel soldiers from Leia's ship seen for a minute in the movie sold better than Leia or creatures. Soldiers, the male leads, Chewie, droids (much more R2 than Threepio) and the villains (and the ships too) were what sold well, and they applied those lessons to the toy lines for ESB and ROTJ, and later the prequels. In the 90s/2000s, collectors had to put pressure on the toy makers so they'd give them more variants of Leia, Padmé etc. The makers were always reluctant, as outside collectors they weren't popular.

(aparté: it's also why the myth that Lucas introduced the Ewoks in ROTJ to sell toys is so absurd and ridiculous... there's this interview with him made during production where he jokes that toy makers are sure the Ewok toys won't sell but Lucas had to insist to at least get a plush for his office.. .)

It's not big surprise that the toy makers didn't foresee the sudden demand for Rey toys, while they hit the nail with BB-8, Finn, Poe, Kylo. It's something unprecedented in the SW merchandising that little boys suddenly want toys of the female lead because she's as cool or cooler than the male characters, and not only that but there's apparently a sudden demand for Rey/SW toys from little girls, another new phenomenon.

They are already adjusting, they've promised to introduce many Rey toys to meet the demand in the upcoming waves of toys. Expect them to be prepared when the next movie comes around too...

In any case, it looks like Abrams finally shattered with the Rey character the last barrier (and I wouldn't be surprised it plays a part in the box office) to finally reach widely the demographics that Lucas only semi-succeeded to reach with the OT and PT: the 7-12 y.o. girls. There always were female SW fans, a lot of them really fanatic, but the franchise never managed to penetrate that market to the point of creating a generational mass phenomenon as it did with the boys. It's all the more an achievement that Rey is just as well received by boys.

The only place this seems to have cause some controversy about "political correctness" having guided the storytelling and hidden liberal agendas from Disney are the US, with both liberals applauding and conservatives bitching too loudly. No big surprise, the US are socially well over a decade if not two behind the rest of the western world on all those issues. It's not so much that Disney as a US agenda, it's that they have the rest of the world to take into account, even if domestically the diversity in their movies still pass for painting-by-numbers political correctness and ruffles some feathers. It will be great when the US has moved beyond that stage, though since they've managed to turn this into a liberal vs. conservative divise and polarized issue (like apparently everything else), it's probably not for the short term...

It didn't sparked that much comments (or snark) elsewhere that I could see reading reviews, at least certainly not heated ones, or either too enthusiastic or controversial. Finn being black is even less a cause for comment outside the US (except maybe that thing about the Chinese asking LFL to remove or seriously reduce the black guy on the posters...).

It's really one of those US things again.



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Star Wars : The Force Awakens review (spoiler free) - 17/12/2015 09:18:26 AM 2067 Views
Love your review! I'm seeing it tomorrow night at 9pm. Can't wait! *NM* - 18/12/2015 01:20:16 AM 654 Views
Some (relatively spoiler free) thoughts - 18/12/2015 12:27:22 PM 1126 Views
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Agreed, Driver did a great job..... - 19/12/2015 05:46:44 AM 931 Views
Replies and spoilers - 18/12/2015 03:04:37 PM 1015 Views
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Re: Replies and spoilers - 18/12/2015 05:51:29 PM 894 Views
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Re: Replies and spoilers - 20/12/2015 09:51:22 AM 1081 Views
Re: Replies and spoilers - 21/12/2015 06:31:54 PM 1242 Views
The books... - 21/12/2015 09:05:28 PM 986 Views
Re: The books... - 22/12/2015 03:12:52 AM 931 Views
In general agreement ** potential Spoilers ** - 19/12/2015 06:06:23 AM 892 Views
There are books? - 19/12/2015 11:19:07 AM 952 Views
Re: There are books? - 19/12/2015 05:41:45 PM 1006 Views
So Darth Plagieus might still be in? Sweet. - 20/12/2015 04:44:21 AM 869 Views
Palpatine's master? - 20/12/2015 02:25:45 PM 866 Views
I mean the novel of that name. - 22/12/2015 09:47:16 PM 901 Views
Re: I mean the novel of that name. - 22/12/2015 10:05:49 PM 987 Views
Yeah, I think we're talking about the same one. - 24/12/2015 12:05:57 AM 876 Views
Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 19/12/2015 06:07:16 PM 969 Views
I don't think any of that had to be explained. - 19/12/2015 12:16:07 PM 859 Views
I'm more or less in complete agreement (spoilers) - 19/12/2015 08:22:21 PM 977 Views
Some thoughts about the Force... - 20/12/2015 06:04:43 AM 1039 Views
Re: Some thoughts about the Force... - 20/12/2015 08:06:40 PM 841 Views
Re: I'm more or less in complete agreement (spoilers) - 20/12/2015 10:07:36 AM 947 Views
Also, SPOILER thoughts. - 18/12/2015 01:00:32 PM 1107 Views
Re: Also, SPOILER thoughts. - 18/12/2015 01:11:30 PM 987 Views
You're making me reply to two posts - 18/12/2015 03:29:23 PM 978 Views
The death (spoilers) - 22/12/2015 10:30:05 PM 932 Views
Re: You're making me reply to two posts - 29/12/2015 05:24:39 AM 967 Views
Re: Also, SPOILER thoughts. - 29/12/2015 05:19:54 AM 910 Views
I have tickets for tonight - 18/12/2015 04:47:17 PM 946 Views
Arbrams impressed me(spoiler free) - 19/12/2015 05:17:42 AM 1043 Views
'Revenge of the Sith' (3rd prequel) was actually a decent movie - 18/12/2015 10:46:52 PM 967 Views
They were all good. Internet geeks suck. - 18/12/2015 11:38:36 PM 919 Views
Re: They were all good. Internet geeks suck. - 19/12/2015 12:19:10 AM 1027 Views
Well - 19/12/2015 05:53:56 AM 868 Views
Re: They were all good. Internet geeks suck. - 19/12/2015 07:46:06 AM 1079 Views
people forget they were kids movies *NM* - 19/12/2015 01:17:10 AM 636 Views
Yeah, people take the whole 'Star Wars' thing too seriously - 19/12/2015 02:59:29 AM 981 Views
BTW, Daniel Craig is totally forgiven for Spectre. He was a Stormtrooper (spoilers for role) - 18/12/2015 11:40:44 PM 877 Views
Yip that's true *NM* - 19/12/2015 07:46:59 AM 613 Views
And Simon Pegg was the alien who ran the trading post Rey always went to *NM* - 20/12/2015 02:30:59 PM 715 Views
I got the impression he was actually her boss or contractor - 28/12/2015 12:48:48 PM 1027 Views
Pretty much... - 29/12/2015 12:08:58 AM 934 Views
Absolutely, yes *NM* - 29/12/2015 01:54:52 PM 670 Views
Just saw it! Holy shit, shit, shit, shit.....it was amazing. - 19/12/2015 05:38:44 AM 932 Views
Loved it (Spoilers) - 19/12/2015 06:16:54 AM 883 Views
Fantastic characters, great entertainment, no originality, no logic - 29/12/2015 03:33:43 AM 921 Views
Your Mom has no originality or logic! *NM* - 29/12/2015 11:39:41 AM 662 Views
JJ Abrams should be able to do better than my Mom - 30/12/2015 04:20:54 AM 848 Views
I gave it a B+ overall but I think the characters are its weak spot - 29/12/2015 05:08:15 PM 784 Views
JJ Abrams' movies are character-driven, Lucas' movies are plot-driven - 30/12/2015 04:38:49 AM 833 Views
Lucas has created some of the most iconics chacters in movie history ? - 31/12/2015 02:29:02 PM 855 Views
So, Rey (Possible Spoilers ahead) - 30/12/2015 10:11:01 AM 931 Views
Re: So, Rey (Possible Spoilers ahead) - 30/12/2015 07:10:56 PM 1261 Views
Re: So, Rey (Possible Spoilers ahead) - 30/12/2015 09:24:08 PM 890 Views
Re: So, Rey (Possible Spoilers ahead) - 31/12/2015 04:58:24 PM 847 Views
It was fun, and I look forward to the next ones, but can't say I was that wowed. - 30/12/2015 09:26:10 PM 876 Views
Why is time for female lead and why does the lef think subtraction is the answer to inequality? - 04/01/2016 01:37:37 PM 719 Views
Because the six other movies had zero female Jedis of any importance? - 04/01/2016 05:58:25 PM 940 Views
Just another check the box movie, then - 04/01/2016 06:02:41 PM 816 Views
Oh, come on. You're really going to complain just because they had a woman and a black guy? - 04/01/2016 11:48:52 PM 891 Views
They are talking abou tmakin ght Gunslinger black - 05/01/2016 02:05:36 PM 852 Views
Yeah, Star Wars is just part of the larger trend. It can't be viewed in a vacuum (pun intended). - 05/01/2016 02:38:34 PM 813 Views
That's not really what I said, you'll note. - 05/01/2016 07:48:08 PM 1018 Views
I don't think it was Disney's business acumen. - 06/01/2016 06:59:46 PM 1086 Views
Wow. That's... sad. - 06/01/2016 09:32:37 PM 938 Views
Re: Wow. That's... sad. - 08/01/2016 03:08:58 AM 924 Views
I am noit sure how well that 7-12 girl demographic will work in merchandising - 08/01/2016 06:30:47 PM 916 Views
Your premise is entirely wrong. - 12/01/2016 05:53:26 AM 848 Views
Actually, they do have a major character who is Latino. - 12/01/2016 07:15:31 PM 867 Views
The culture wars are just about blacks and feminists. - 13/01/2016 02:31:20 AM 900 Views
All that Paul said - 17/01/2016 05:13:59 PM 1488 Views
LOL - 05/01/2016 06:33:50 PM 856 Views
Funny that people use strwmen arguments to make themsleves feel smart - 08/01/2016 04:22:22 PM 929 Views
It's not a straw man - 08/01/2016 04:52:03 PM 901 Views
it was story of a father and son so it makes sense to male leads - 04/01/2016 06:59:33 PM 772 Views
Male leads, sure, but it wasn't just the leads. - 04/01/2016 11:28:12 PM 910 Views
Was finn as strong as Leia? I would say not even close - 05/01/2016 05:55:51 PM 883 Views
I don't see how it makes sense to compare their roles, but Finn is certainly plenty strong. - 05/01/2016 07:38:05 PM 879 Views
Finn reacts and is pretty much drug through the story - 06/01/2016 02:52:58 PM 860 Views
Re: Finn reacts and is pretty much drug through the story - 06/01/2016 05:50:08 PM 877 Views
I don't have an issue with a strong female jedi - 07/01/2016 02:49:44 PM 864 Views
Re: I don't have an issue with a strong female jedi - 07/01/2016 03:26:34 PM 906 Views
The reall issue it looks like Luke sucked as Jedi master - 07/01/2016 07:14:31 PM 842 Views
Sorry, no. - 06/01/2016 06:56:09 PM 919 Views
What a load of crap. - 08/01/2016 10:29:35 AM 828 Views
I only partially agree - 08/01/2016 03:27:10 PM 876 Views
Sorry if science isn't your thing but no what I said is true - 09/01/2016 11:49:15 PM 995 Views
Re: Was finn as strong as Leia? I would say not even close - 08/01/2016 10:01:16 AM 791 Views
Well said *NM* - 05/01/2016 12:01:25 PM 676 Views
Because it isn't "subtraction"... - 08/01/2016 09:33:24 AM 848 Views
Of course it is - 09/01/2016 10:19:53 PM 819 Views
Okay so about the big bad guy *spoilers* - 05/01/2016 06:27:37 PM 907 Views
I may be alone on this, but... - 05/01/2016 08:07:26 PM 908 Views
Re: I may be alone on this, but... - 05/01/2016 08:42:42 PM 830 Views
What speaks against is for me... - 05/01/2016 10:57:44 PM 1243 Views
Re: What speaks against is for me... - 06/01/2016 10:08:35 AM 976 Views
It's all good stuff, like the first book in a good sci-fi/fantasy trilogy! - 07/01/2016 06:44:45 AM 951 Views
I think it's pretty obvious... - 17/01/2016 07:43:19 AM 945 Views

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