The latest rumor going around the internet is that Finn and Poe will become a gay couple. I thought I would throw out a few thoughts on this issue.
First, Star Wars is pretty sacred. I don't want anything to tarnish it, and am still not fully over Jar Jar Binks.
Gay actors in general---No big deal. Jody Foster was almost Princess Leia, and I imagine she would have played the role great. I could care less about the gender identity of the actor/actress who plays a role.
How does it affect the storyline---This is in my mind the most important question. When Lando was cast as Billy Dee Williams, it had no impact on the film. It could have been a white actor, and assuming the actor played the role just as well, nothing in the story changes. The focus of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi at no point was ever about Lando being black. Same with Mace Windu.
If the story is mainly about the good vs. evil that is traditional of Star Wars, and as a side detail one or both of these characters happen to been gay, no big deal. On the other hand, if the story is contrived to emphasize the gender identity of either of these characters, and it detracts from the main story, in my mind that's a significant problem. Star Wars is sacred.
Case in point, The Walking Dead has made a point of including a few gay characters. At no point has it detracted from the story, and I am still a big fan.
Evidence for Gayness---Poe and Finn embrace at one point, which Han and Luke did in the original Star Wars. Poe lets Finn keep his coat. Neither of these is conclusive.
Evidence against Gayness---Because they didn't really give much screen-time to Poe, and he was basically just a glorified Wedge Antilles, there isn't much evidence at all that Poe is Straight. Finn, on the other hand, seems to be clearly attracted to Rey, and insists on trying to rescue her. In contrast, when the tie-fighter crashes, he puts almost no effort into looking for Poe, despite seeing that he wasn't in the crashed fighter. On top of that, Finn specifically asks Rey about a boyfriend (as a possible reason why she is so insistent on returning to Jaaku)
Conclusion---Finn most likely appears to be Straight. Poe is simply not developed enough as a character to draw any conclusions.
First, Star Wars is pretty sacred. I don't want anything to tarnish it, and am still not fully over Jar Jar Binks.
Gay actors in general---No big deal. Jody Foster was almost Princess Leia, and I imagine she would have played the role great. I could care less about the gender identity of the actor/actress who plays a role.
How does it affect the storyline---This is in my mind the most important question. When Lando was cast as Billy Dee Williams, it had no impact on the film. It could have been a white actor, and assuming the actor played the role just as well, nothing in the story changes. The focus of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi at no point was ever about Lando being black. Same with Mace Windu.
If the story is mainly about the good vs. evil that is traditional of Star Wars, and as a side detail one or both of these characters happen to been gay, no big deal. On the other hand, if the story is contrived to emphasize the gender identity of either of these characters, and it detracts from the main story, in my mind that's a significant problem. Star Wars is sacred.
Case in point, The Walking Dead has made a point of including a few gay characters. At no point has it detracted from the story, and I am still a big fan.
Evidence for Gayness---Poe and Finn embrace at one point, which Han and Luke did in the original Star Wars. Poe lets Finn keep his coat. Neither of these is conclusive.
Evidence against Gayness---Because they didn't really give much screen-time to Poe, and he was basically just a glorified Wedge Antilles, there isn't much evidence at all that Poe is Straight. Finn, on the other hand, seems to be clearly attracted to Rey, and insists on trying to rescue her. In contrast, when the tie-fighter crashes, he puts almost no effort into looking for Poe, despite seeing that he wasn't in the crashed fighter. On top of that, Finn specifically asks Rey about a boyfriend (as a possible reason why she is so insistent on returning to Jaaku)
Conclusion---Finn most likely appears to be Straight. Poe is simply not developed enough as a character to draw any conclusions.
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