The controversy surrounding The Acolyte, a canceled Star Wars show, has taken another dramatic turn as a group of its fans launched a campaign to demonetize several YouTube channels that criticized the series.
The targeted channels—Geeks + Gamers, Ryan Kinsella – RK Outpost, and Nerdrotic—have been accused of inciting harassment against marginalized actors, particularly women of color. The fan group’s demand letter calls on YouTube to enforce its community guidelines and remove monetization from these creators, claiming they have contributed to a hostile environment within the Star Wars fandom.
This attempt to cancel YouTubers over their critiques isn’t entirely surprising, especially in today’s climate where opposing opinions are often framed as harassment or bigotry. What the fan group conveniently omits, however, is that the star of The Acolyte herself had put out a diss track accusing her critics of being racist. Naturally, this only fueled more criticism, as many Star Wars fans took issue with being labeled in such a manner.
For too long #StarWars Fandom has been under attack by the lowest elements of @YouTube.
No more!
It’s time for @TeamYouTube to finally take action and hold the channels accountable. #StopMonetizingHate pic.twitter.com/hKfuNUV7G8
— The Star Wars Underworld (@TheSWU) September 4, 2024
It’s notable that the largest Star Wars channel on YouTube, Star Wars Theory, was left out of the demand letter. This omission is likely strategic, as the creator of that channel is not white, making it harder to frame him as part of the alleged harassment against “marginalized” actors. It’s a curious case of selective outrage, tailored to push a narrative while ignoring the full context of the situation.
At its core, this campaign is yet another example of the so-called “woke brigade” seeking to punish dissenting voices. By going after monetization, the group is effectively trying to silence creators who make their living off YouTube. While they claim that demonetizing these channels isn’t the same as censorship, it’s clear that this action would severely impact the livelihood of those involved—and that’s precisely the goal.
I’ve spoken at length about all this in the past but the only way things get better is if @TeamYouTube does something to discourage this kind of content – until then it will only get worse. pic.twitter.com/Y5R3Ds796F
— Mollie Damon🎃 (@MollieDamon) September 4, 2024
Some of the targeted YouTubers have already responded. Geeks + Gamers pointed out several inaccuracies in the letter, making a strong case that the accusations against them are exaggerated, if not outright fabricated. Fortunately, YouTube has so far resisted the pressure to remove or demonetize any content, stating that the channels have not violated their rules.
The backlash against The Acolyte was not without reason. It became Disney’s lowest-rated Star Wars show, and much of the criticism centered around the insertion of woke politics into the story. The fans and critics who called it out weren’t attacking marginalized actors; they were pointing out genuine flaws in the show’s execution and storytelling.
