Things We Saw Today: Adam Driver Thanks Fans for Fundraising in the Name of Ben Solo

Sometimes fandom is nice! I know, it feels like it’s rare nowadays, but it’s still pleasant to be reminded of the good in the world fans can do. After fans of Kylo Ren, Adam Driver and the ship of Rey and Kylo – aka “Reylo” –  were disappointed by their favorite fallen character’s fate in The Rise of Skywalker, they decided that they would show their affection not by harassing people or yelling online, but by raising funds for a charity created and supported by Adam Driver: Arts in the Armed Forces.

Arts in the Armed Forces was founded by Driver – who enlisted in the marines after the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001 – to, as they state on their site “use the powerful shared experience of the arts to start conversations between military and civilian, service member and family member, the world of the arts and the world of practical action.”

The Reylo and Ben Solo family started a GoFundMe campaign the same day as The Rise of Skywalker was released and fans began to realize that their favorite didn’t get the ending they wanted for him. We won’t debate whether Ben Solo’s end was just right now, but Adam was, in my opinion, the strongest performer in the film and I definitely see why fans are drawn to him. This campaign was called “The Rise of Ben Solo” and blew past its initial goal of $10,000 in a day.

In the weeks since the GoFundMe has raised just over $53,000 for Driver’s charity and today Driver himself sent a message of thanks to the fans.

A message from AITAF Founder Adam Driver pic.twitter.com/EFbSSSn2q0

— Arts in the Armed Forces (@AITAF) January 7, 2020

We don’t have to agree on Ben Solo or Reylo, but we can agree that fandom is at its best when it creates a place for people to support others, be kind and do good through art. Good work, Kylo fans!

(image: LucasFilm)

Here are a few other things we say today:

• Prozac Nation author Elizabeth Wurtzel has died at age 52. (via USA Today)
• The CW just renewed pretty much everything on their lineup that’s not already in a final season. Yes, that includes Dynasty. (Via TVLine).
• Yay!

• The first national US observatory to be named after a woman! @LSST is now the NSF Vera C. Rubin Observatory (Rubin Observatory or VRO for short). https://t.co/j3EpAwwLSF

• Here’s a nice promo video: https://t.co/7lYTgFjGlF pic.twitter.com/JPMhESSS56

• — ★ dr amanda bauer ★ (@astropixie) January 7, 2020

• Lindsay Ellis takes on the myth of the Girl Boss:
• As Weiststein goes to trial, we need to think about the men we allow to make comebacks. (via HuffPo)
• Somehow men have found a way to blame women for … the lack of women in games? (via Kotaku)
• And finally, The Honest Trailer For … Every Quentin Tarantino flick.

That’s all we saw today, dear Mary Suevians. How about you? Are you back in the swing of things after the holiday or ready to go back to bed?

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