I don’t see the point of this thread. It paints the community with an incredibly broad brush, as though we all hate George, which we don’t. And it reeks of passive aggressiveness for no good reason, as though you think you’ve “got” us somehow.
I’ve heard all the back and forth arguments over the years about the role George played in the making of the films. And I’ve listened to people’s perspectives on what it was like when the OT and the prequels were coming out. I’ve heard all of this before, and I can safely say that no, the internet didn’t invent the idea that the prequels were bad after the fact.
The prequels, especially the first two, got a very mixed reaction when they first came out. As the novelty of the films wore off, the common sentiment about them shifted more toward the negative by the late 2000s. It was inevitable that the pendulum would shift back towards the positive eventually, especially since we now have the sequels to compare them to.
RedLetterMedia were wrong when they called George Lucas “the second luckiest man in show business.” But people who worship George as this auteur who can do no wrong are equally mistaken. George was the visionary, but the work of those around him to refine that vision and bring it to life shouldn’t be downplayed. As usual, the truth lies in the middle.
There’s nothing concrete to suggest that George chose to sell Lucasfilm because of people hating the prequels. He once made an offhanded comment that he was tired of his work being attacked, but considering his age and his desire to spend time with his family, him selling Lucasfilm was likely inevitable. I know George wanted Disney to use his sequel ideas, but by 2012, there was little to no chance he was going to make the sequels himself. And I hate to disappoint you, but George would never come back to run this franchise, no matter what they offered him. I have no doubt he’s enjoying his retirement with his family.
Also, I know it sounds like you discovered his channel recently, but I don’t recommend bothering with a guy like Anomaly Inc. I’m familiar with him, and he has some serious issues, and just overall isn’t a good person.