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‘Star Wars’ Fans Are Angry and Polarized. Like All Americans.
nyt ^ | Annalee Newitz

Posted on 12/26/2019 1:40:42 PM PST by Mount Athos

The “Star Wars" franchise is among Disney’s most lucrative properties.

A recent study by Morten Bay, a University of Southern California digital media researcher, revealed that over 50 percent of the venom directed on Twitter at Rian Johnson, director of “The Last Jedi,” came from the same sources as Russian election meddling.

Using the analytical tools that other technologists deployed to uncover Russian influence during the 2016 election, Mr. Bay found that “bots, trolls/sock puppets or political activists” were using the “Star Wars” debate “to propagate political messages supporting extreme right-wing causes and the discrimination of gender, race or sexuality” and that “a number of these users appear to be Russian trolls.” So it seems that it was political operatives, not fans, who were denigrating the movie and fomenting some of the virulent racism and misogyny against its cast.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS:
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To: headstamp 2

“And furthermore, it was the strawberries and there appear to be Russians in my soup!”

I found one in my sock drawer and I am positive I heard what sounded like Russian coming from my coffee maker.


21 posted on 12/26/2019 2:15:46 PM PST by billyboy15
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To: Alas Babylon!

At the very least, Tweeters are narcissists. Same for many on Facebook, many bloggers and many Millennials. IMHO.


22 posted on 12/26/2019 2:18:29 PM PST by polymuser (It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and so few by deceit. Noel Coward)
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To: Mount Athos

I wonder if every article in the NYT mentions “russians”?


23 posted on 12/26/2019 2:20:06 PM PST by bkopto
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To: facedown

Exactly. Paid “research” by Disney (IMO) to deflect criticism of their handling of the franchise.


24 posted on 12/26/2019 2:22:16 PM PST by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: Mount Athos

And if you don’t like Star Wars and buy tickets to see it, you’re an extreme right-wing Russian bot zombie. Against the wall with you.


25 posted on 12/26/2019 2:23:04 PM PST by Telepathic Intruder
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To: Mount Athos
Using the analytical tools that other technologists deployed to uncover Russian influence during the 2016 election, Mr. Bay found that “bots, trolls/sock puppets or political activists” were using the “Star Wars” debate “to propagate political messages supporting extreme right-wing causes and the discrimination of gender, race or sexuality” and that “a number of these users appear to be Russian trolls.”

Mr Bay is off his meds.

26 posted on 12/26/2019 2:28:22 PM PST by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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To: Mount Athos

Is this from the Babylon Bee or the New York Times? And which is more reliable now?!


27 posted on 12/26/2019 2:29:05 PM PST by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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To: Rummyfan

2 Oct 2018: CNET: No, half of The Last Jedi haters were not Russian trolls
Commentary: Numerous reports say The Last Jedi negativity was influenced by Russian bots and trolls, but the reality is far different.
by Jackson Ryan
Of the 967 tweets analyzed, 206 expressed “a negative sentiment” toward the film and its director.
Of the 206 negative comments, 61 were real people reported to have a political agenda, 11 were bots and only 33 appeared to be trolls. Of those 33, just 16 appeared to possess characteristics consistent with Russian troll accounts. In reality, less than one in 10 tweets were from Russian trolls — nowhere near the 50 percent being widely reported...
https://www.cnet.com/news/actually-half-of-the-last-jedi-haters-were-not-russian-trolls/


28 posted on 12/26/2019 2:30:35 PM PST by MAGAthon
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To: facedown
‘Star Wars’ Fans Are Angry and Polarized. Like All Americans.

Well...everyone knows that everyone hates Trump! LOL!

29 posted on 12/26/2019 2:31:17 PM PST by gr8eman (Stupid should hurt! Treason should hurt more!)
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To: Mount Athos

Mission accomplished. Thanks Disney!


30 posted on 12/26/2019 2:31:25 PM PST by proust (Justice delayed is injustice.)
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To: Mount Athos; Drew68

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Pitch Meeting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2zZFtq13c4

Pretty sure Screen Rant is NOT a Russian


31 posted on 12/26/2019 2:32:06 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: Mount Athos

I was in line for the first showing May 1977 in Denver. I made the first showings for the next two, also. When the next 3 came out, I made the showings.
Now, these years later, I bought the force awakens and rogue one together. They lacked plot, they did not follow along, and left me with that “is there more to the story?” The writing was worse than game of thrones season 8!


32 posted on 12/26/2019 2:33:53 PM PST by Terry L Smith
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To: Mount Athos

Oh, noes! Found out about us they did.


33 posted on 12/26/2019 2:37:35 PM PST by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: Mount Athos

What a bunch of BS.


34 posted on 12/26/2019 2:38:44 PM PST by dougherty (I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. - Michelangelo)
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To: Mount Athos

The Russians have always hated Star Wars. ;)


35 posted on 12/26/2019 2:43:43 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Mount Athos

Morten Bay:

Expertise:
Advertising, Computation and Informatics, Digital Media, Entertainment, Ethics, Los Angeles, Media Literacy, Organizations and Networks, Policy and Law, Politics, Popular Culture, Public Diplomacy, Science, Social Justice, Social Media, Technology and Innovation

Biography:
Morten Bay is an award-winning research fellow at the Center for the Digital Future and a lecturer in digital and social media at USC Annenberg. He holds a PhD in information studies from UCLA.

Bay has spent the last two decades researching emerging technologies and their impact on Western societies from both commercial and academic viewpoints. His current research focuses on political communication on social media and how emerging technology impacts democracy, social justice and the economy overall. ...

https://annenberg.usc.edu/faculty/morten-bay

Another “scholar” in a worthless “woke” field.


36 posted on 12/26/2019 2:47:42 PM PST by SharpRightTurn (Chuck Schumer--giving pond scum everywhere a bad name.)
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To: Drew68

Anyhow, a 23-year old, pro-Trump coworker of mine (who isn’t on Twitter) couldn’t stop gushing about it. Said it was the best Star Wars he’d ever seen.
___________________________________________
A woman caller to Rush said the same/similar earlier in the week.

My BIL, a former hedge fund employee who styles himself a ‘socialist’ (without one act in evidence of same), hated it.


37 posted on 12/26/2019 2:56:06 PM PST by reformedliberal
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To: Mount Athos

Oh no! The Left has figured out how the Russians do bad things!! Now they can’t complain anymore!


38 posted on 12/26/2019 2:59:04 PM PST by VeniVidiVici (Democrats are worse than Communists)
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To: Mount Athos
This has been misinterpreted.

He's saying that about 50% came from "political trolls," some of whom were Russian, but most of whom were Americans.

But who is a "political troll"? Most likely it's somebody he disagrees with.

So people who have political opinions also have opinions about Star Wars. No surprise there.

39 posted on 12/26/2019 3:05:52 PM PST by x
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To: Mount Athos

40 posted on 12/26/2019 3:10:10 PM PST by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
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