Don't feel put down by the unworthy defense of such a distasteful term, Mach5.
The term "childhood rape" is an extremist form of expressing displeasure at how a new version of an existing franchise in film or tv show (Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica are examples). If someone absolutely hated the Star Wars prequels, the JJ Abrams' Treks, or the reimagined Battlestar Galactica, there's a good percentage chance that they will use the imagery invoked by the term "childhood rape" to get across their point that other people are stupid for even deigning to enjoy the thing they hate.
Yes, the term "childhood rape" is petty, manipulative and distasteful. It utilizes the notion of a young, impressionable, innocent and vulnerable time in one's life, and juxtaposes and contrasts it with a violent sex crime. It is meant to make those of us who like the more recent movies or shows that they hate seem to be (nigh criminally) wrong... as if we are equally responsible for their self-imposed PTSD. As if those of us who enjoy the new movies or shows that so offended them are sex offenders.
The intent is to suggest that that which they fondly remembered as a child has been savaged and brutalized (apparently from behind) by some new, reimagined, version, or by a movie that seems to fly in the face of what they knew growing up about a particular franchise.
For me, personally: Hey, Star Wars VII flew in the face of a lot of what I knew about Star Wars... but I embrace it. Ok, new canon? Bring it on! Star Wars is
back, baby!
Humans can fire bowcasters, and pretty much anyone can use a lightsaber. That flies completely in the face of what I've always known about Star Wars. (Bowcasters were supposed to be nearly impossible for humans to fire, let alone wield, and lightsabers were supposed to be extremely dangerous for an untrained user to even attempt to wield.... I thought Han, at least, showed the proper respect for just how dangerous a lightsaber can be in TESB. But then again, Luke picked up a lightsaber and swung it around with ease....so TFA can't be too far off, can it?
).
But is that any reason to complain? Is that any reason to invoke a distasteful form of hyperbole to express any hatred? No.
It's the new canon. I embrace it. The only thing the new canon runs roughshod over is the EU (and apparently RPG) stuff. It doesn't disrespect or trash anything that's happened on screen before. It hasn't diminished my enjoyment of Episode VII. Nor did the prequel movies diminish my feelings about Star Wars in general. (I enjoyed the preqs.)
When someone wants to start wailing about how much their fond memories have been violated, the term "butthurt" works just as well. (But I think that term might be frowned upon around here..... so the same should the term "childhood rape".)
Personally, I think if one is going to use the term "childhood rape" to describe their displeasure at how a new movie or show turned out, then such folk should go seek PTSD or special victims' counseling. If one is going to invoke the term, they should seek the help to get past it.
). Avatar's initial box office run grossed $749.8 million, a number that TFA did beat on Monday when it had a total gross of $750.2mil. Avatar earned another $10.7mil in a re-release bringing it up to $760.5mil, a number that TFA will take (if it has not already) today.
