Survey Finds Correlation in Sexism & Conservatism in ‘The Last Jedi’ Backlash

A recent survey found a correlation between hostile sexism and conservative, anti-PC beliefs with those who express the most dissatisfaction with 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'.

Quantitative social scientist Mark H. White II surveyed over 5,000 people, rating various opinions of the Star Wars franchise, political correctness, and sexism.

First, White was able to separate those surveyed into three categories: Those who love all films in the Star Wars saga, those who dislike just the prequels, and those who dislike only 'The Last Jedi'. From there, White was able to identify hostile sexism with the statements "Most women interpret innocent remarks or acts as being sexist,” and “Feminists are making unreasonable demands of men," and benevolent sexism with the statements "Women should be cherished and protected by men,” and “Many women have a quality of purity that few men possess.” Lastly, responders were asked where they rate themselves between very liberal and very conservative, and how much they agree with the statement, "Needing to be ‘politically correct’ creates an atmosphere in which the free exchange of ideas is impossible."

In the results, White found a higher number of conservatives and anti-PC opinions in those who listed themselves as only disliking 'The Last Jedi'. Those who fell into the 'Hostile Sexism' and 'Anti-PC' categories rated 'The Last Jedi' lower than any other group as well as rating the characters of Rey, Rose Tico, and Vice Admiral Holdo lower than other groups did.

White noted that while there is a correlation found between sexism & politics and 'The Last Jedi' backlash, he concludes its not a one-to-one direct correlation,

Looking at responses from over five thousand Star Wars fans, it is clear that sexism and disliking political correctness are positively related to disliking Disney’s sequels, though it is also not a one-to-one relationship: Some people defy this trend and dislike the movies while holding progressive attitudes about women.