It’s popularity doesn’t negate or invalidate people’s feelings about the movie though. I’m not saying “Well, it was popular, so your criticisms don’t count” I have problems with TFA as a movie, too. What I’m saying is that trying to reframe its obvious and observable success both financially and critically as a mass exercise in tolerance doesn’t make any sense to me if you’re trying to reflect reality at all, nor does trying to frame TLJ’s reception (which was remarkably good if not AS remarkable as TFA’s) as a result of the general audience’s collective pent-up rage being unleashed.
Preach on, Broom Kid. I’m not the biggest fan of the sequels at all, but it’s kind of dumb that people are trying to Trotsky the universal critical and commercial success of TFA into some sort of mass exercise in tolerance. People liked TFA, it’s just the next two movies being so controversial that soured its reputation.