That #BoycottStarWarsVII tag is a trip down a dark path, but it also brings an important focus to the issues facing Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Social media has been positively humming about Star Wars over the past several days. The Force Awakens has been the magic words on everyone’s lips (or fingers) from the stunning new poster to the web-breaking ticket sales, to that jaw-dropping final trailer.

But The Force Awakens has made the news for another, less pleasant reason. A Twitter hashtag surfaced yesterday, titling a movement called #BoycottStarWarsVII, which took issue with the diversity in the upcoming film. Racism, white supremacy, and anti-Semitism abounds in the tag, which has outraged fans and commentators across the internet.

It’s easy to be distressed by this kind of excoriable rhetoric; it is, after all, designed to dehumanize and horrify those who are exposed to it. But after a few minutes of being stricken by the overwhelming terribleness of which people are capable, I noticed another response rising up on Twitter.

“Good.”

Good — boycott The Force Awakens. Good — stay out of my movie theater. Good — stop tainting Star Wars with your toxic existence.

Because whether or not the #BoycottStarWarsVII movement started in earnest or as an ugly joke, it sheds light on a truth that has stalked entertainment for years. There are people in the world — and especially on the internet — who imbue toxic ideologies into popular stories. Racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, militant lactose intolerance — you will find it all, in steaming, reeking, piles.

These vile theses have always been around, of course, but the modern era of the reboot has coaxed the cockroaches out the woodwork. Older stories, from Star Wars to comic books to ancient legends, have been given new context — and they often look shabby under the lights of social progress. So things change, sometimes imperceptibly, but always under a firestorm of nasty opinions demanding that the same stories be told in the same way for all time.

Art has the opportunity to challenge these opinions — more than politics, more than psychology, more than internet think pieces. In fact, I would posit that art has the imperative to challenge these opinions. All the more so when that art is set in the boundless atmosphere of science fiction, and all the more so when that science fiction enjoys the unlimited popularity of Star Wars.

While it’s impossible to tell without seeing the movie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens seems to have embraced this imperative. The three central characters are a young woman named Rey (Daisy Ridley) and two men of color (John Boyega and Oscar Isaac). Captain Phasma, a central villain, is played by Gwendolyn Christie, and Lupita Nyong’o will be playing a significant role — albeit in CGI.

There will be complex, interesting white guys in the movie as well, as there should be. Harrison Ford is returning as Han Solo, and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren looks like a fascinating antagonist. But The Force Awakens cast firmly buries the idea that Star Wars is a story for and about white men, with everyone else clinging to orbital characters for representation.

As an alternate hashtag proclaimed yesterday, Star Wars is for everyone — and it’s about everyone, too. JJ Abrams himself echoed this sentiment in a message posted to Twitter before last night’s trailer release:

So really, the #BoycottStarWarsVII hashtag (whether grassroots or astroturf) is a good thing. It’s an ugly good thing, but so was the destruction of the Death Star. The Dark Side has made itself known, and its withering in the light, leaving the rest of us to enjoy Star Wars without the subconscious taint of evil.

It’s a new day for the galaxy. Let’s make the most of it.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits the U.S. on Dec. 18.