Update: The Racist Star Wars Hashtag Was A Racist Troll Hoax

Update: In generally disheartening news for humankind, users on the 4chan message board have stepped forward and taken ownership of the #BoycottStarWarsVII hashtag. In an archived thread called WE DID IT, users shared a cascade of gleeful posts, patting themselves on the back for fabricating a "racial issue out of thin air."

This writer (likely along with many others who covered the offensive Twittering today) feels pretty foolish for giving the trolls what they wanted in this case — our attention. All the same, though: The fact is that a minority group used race to pit people against one another, malevolently and purposely, over the last couple of days is a major issue, regardless of the origin story. Plenty of bigots glommed on; plenty of others pushed back. And, the discussion about how to handle — and cover — trolling online rolls on another day without resolution.

The story was originally published on October 20, 2015 at 10 a.m. EST.

Well, that was quick. Before the much-awaited trailer for Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens was even released on Monday night, the highly anticipated film already had a racist hashtag trending on Twitter. One Twitter critic called the film an anti-white propaganda movie that promotes white genocide. Then, that same user went on to insinuate that J.J. Abram's Jewish heritage somehow colored the positioning of the film: She called him an "anti-white nut." The divisive tweets just kept on coming — until more level-headed fans took over the #BoycottStarsWarsVII hashtag and applied a little bit of their own force. You know: The steeped-in-reality kind.

Even Ava DuVernay threw her two cents in to that effect.

Although, perhaps the very best tweet was the one that used the Star Wars scroll format to explain why anyone calling the movie racist, is just plain wrong.

We couldn't have put it better ourselves. Now, let's all just get back to counting down the days until the movie is finally is theaters, shall we?