Female 'Star Wars' Fans React to the Star Wars Theory YouTuber Drama in the Best Way Possible
Published Jan. 16 2024, 1:34 p.m. ET
Let's be frank, Star Wars fans. When isn't there drama circulating among the community? The fanbase for the long-running space epic franchise has long been known for its highly divisive discourse. From personal attacks within debates on whether or not certain projects are good, gatekeeping other fans from enjoying or not enjoying certain aspects, to downright bullying professional actors off of social media, facets of the Star Wars fandom have spewed every form of toxicity imaginable.
What should be a wholesome community of folks who collectively enjoy Star Wars can often seem like an unwelcoming and even unsafe environment. And more often than not, that can come from other Star Wars fans.
Take Star Wars Theory for instance. This prominent YouTuber has been accused of using his content to gatekeep women from enjoying Star Wars and they've responded in kind. Let's break down the drama.
Star Wars Theory has kicked up all sorts of internet drama.
Niatoos Dadbeh aka Star Wars Theory has been a Star Wars content creator since 2016, making all sorts of videos surrounding updates and developments in the Star Wars universe. He has since become one of the most prominent Star Wars content creators in the world and currently has over 3.3 million subscribers as of this writing.
However, his content seems to have pivoted more toward hateful speech. According to fans like @behartwithnoe on Threads, Star Wars Theory has started to feature alt-right commentary. Reportedly, he has been accused of making up drama and working off baseless rumors simply to make videos. In one instance, he even used an AI deepfake of Star Wars actor Mark Hamill in his short film, to which the actor responded negatively.
In January 2024, he even hosted female psychologist Sadia Khan who claimed that women "want to be victims" and that women "don't care about Star Wars." In his video, he and Sadia discussed commentary surrounding a new female director for an upcoming Star Wars project, to which gatekeepers and misogynistic fans have reacted negatively.
Not surprisingly, many female fans of Star Wars spoke out against these statements. Many such content creators responded to the psychologist's statements by showing off their love for Star Wars. These have come in the form of TikToks and Instagram posts that feature montages enjoying Star Wars without the need to be validated by other male fans.
In the days following the response and backlash, Star Wars Theory has seemingly doubled down on his sexist commentary. In a follow-up post on Jan. 14, 2024, he claimed that he "[does not] hold [his] gender as a place of elitism" as an argument against women being proud of being able to tell stories within the Star Wars universe.
As of this writing, Star Wars Theory continues to post regularly to his social media accounts.