Flare Sci-Fi Forums: JarJar Binks Protests

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Posted by Xentrick (Member # 64) on :

Just read at another Internet site that some SW fans are accusing Lucasfilm of racism because of JarJar.

The news story sited e-mail responces at a SW:TPM page being 10:1 against JarJar, and some bigshot film critics making comparisons between JJB and Steppin Fetchit or Butterfly McQueen ("Gone With The Wind.")

Opinions?

Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :

Well, I doubt it's intentional. But I have to admit, I did come out of the film feeling a little odd about some of the characters. Though some of that is due to having read about this before I saw the movie, thus making it perhaps more apparent than it really was.

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"Should have changed that stupid lock. Should have thrown away the key. No no, not I, I will survive, right down here on my knees."
--
They Might Be Giants

Posted by The Excalibur (Member # 34) on :

Annoying as Jar Jar is, I don't think he is a raceist statement or anything.

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WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE

Posted by Jeff Raven (Member # 20) on :

"We in here, monsters out dere, all sinkin an' no power?! When you-sa thinkin we-sa in trouble?!"

heheh.. As I like the Gungans and JarJar, I agree with Excalibur, they aren't a racial statement at all. Even with JarJar's faults, he still comes out on top. Anyone who would attack such, is just looking to stir up trouble, and mainly be a pain in the butt.

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"We are all a product of the environment we live in.... the rest, good or bad, may be free will." Charles C. Bohnam

Posted by Cargile (Member # 45) on :

Jar Jar's lack of command of the human language is strictly biological. Look at his mouth. Look at his tougue. If you had that vocal equipment, you'd talk like that too. If Jar Jar did speak fluenently, it wouldn't have been very realistic at all. Someone goes out to make an alien character seem more alien and get tagged as a racist? The only people that see racism are the people looking to hard for it.

[This message was edited by Cargile on May 29, 1999.]

Posted by The Excalibur (Member # 34) on :

I liked Jar Jar better on the second viewing.

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THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE

Posted by Simon on :

Are they intending to have him in the next movie?

Posted by Trinculo on :

I read at Cinescape an editorial by Steve called "The Phantom Fetchit". Fetchit was a stereotypical black comedic figure of the 1930's and the 1940's. In that same editorial, he mention the parade at the end of the movie as being a stereotypical black parade of the same era. I believe he is correct on both counts. I have seen the old films that had blacks in them. They were terrible. The most horrible film I have ever seen was "Houlilah", a film of 1929 where blacks living in shitty conditions were shown to be happy about their fate and dancing. I also agree with Steve that G. Lucas was not attempting to be racist. Mr. Lucas doesn't come across as a racist. He appears to me to be an adolescent who hasn't grown into full adulthood and is very naive about certain aspects of the world-such as the black stereotypes of fifty years ago.

Posted by Jeff Raven (Member # 20) on :

Uhhh...I think you're looking into this too deeply, Trinculo. First of all, why would you think that the parade at the end of the movie is reminiscent of these black parades from old films?
I mean, come on, the Gungans were NOT living in shitty conditions.
Second, these may be stereotypes of 50 years ago, but they aren't today, and as you've said, Lucas aimed this film at kids, not 60+ people who might still have these stereotypes...

Third, If Lucas worried about being politically correct about everything, making sure what he made wasn't going to construed as something that might have been politically incorrect 50 years ago, we wouldn't have a movie...

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"We are all a product of the environment we live in.... the rest, good or bad, may be free will." Charles C. Bohnam

Posted by Trinculo on :

Jeff Raven: I am responding to comments made by a writer at Cinescape. Please read the editorial which appeared on Tuesday. The voice of the editorial's author is one I agree with. Mr. Lucas has placed himself in a very particular bad situation with the Jar Jar Binks character.
My comments about past films should be viewed as being solely about those films.
Next, there were no black parades as far I know from the old films. There were films that show blacks dancing and singing.
I do not like political correctness. However, the behavrior of the Gungans and their civilization has created one of the strongest criticisms I have seen in years about films.

To everyone, please read the editorial. Thank you.

Posted by RobS on :

I have been to many sites saying that he wasnt needed in the movie well.... thats not true if you look around he got Obi Wan and Jon Qui to to where they needed to go and showedn the queen where to go to ask for help....

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Rob Shaw
Website: http://www.stonecrick.com

Posted by Jedi Weyoun (Member # 110) on :

*loved Jar Jar* I grew up in Memphis which has a VERY high African American population...after seeing the movie I can say very matter-of-factly that the Gungans DID NOT speak "BlackJive" or ebonics. That was the way Lucas and the actor who did Jar Jar's voice overs chose to help characterize him. Just like Qui-Gon and Obi Wan had British/HighEnglish accents, Amadala spoke in monotone, and the two guys from the Trade Federation spoke like they did. In creating characters you have to use certain things to distinguish them, give them personalities, etc. In movies, dialect is the MAIN one used. personally, i thought Gunganspeak was cool. *L*

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Clones are People Two

"The Force is like duct tape: it has a dark side and a light side, and it holds the universe together"
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Posted by Androgyne on :

C'mon people..... Jar Jar is NOT a racist character. I personally enjoyed Jar Jar. I enjoyed the whole film, even when Anakin was blowing things up. I thought it was fun, and a fantastic ride.

Everyone, please watch "Chasing Amy" to see the REAL story of racism behind Star Wars. =) hehehe

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Yellow + Blue = Green

Posted by RW (Member # 27) on :

JW: You mean BLACK poulation?

I always think African American is insulting. Like, "we white people are Americans, but you black people are African Americans, so you're not really American"

But apart from that what's wrong with saying black and white people?!

Posted by Jedi Weyoun (Member # 110) on :

RW: technically, it's used b/c it's more politically correct. "native americans" don't enjoy being called "indian"...at least, the ones i've spent time with in new mexico don't. and frankly, i wish we could just call everyone a "person" instead of having to distinguish them by the color of their skin. sometimes i refer to myself as 'anglo-american'...the term being used these days if not caucasian, which if you know the derivation of the word, has NO relevance whatsoever to being 'white' skinned. i don't know. personally, i'm more comfortable referring to someone's heritage than their skin color, b/c colors tend to have more of a racial stigmata attached to them.

anyway...that's just the way i am. i hope i haven't offended anyone by saying all that...i certainly didn't intend to.

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"Fear attracts the fearful"
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Posted by Aethelwer (Member # 36) on :

Race isn't a reference to one's skin color, it's a reference to ancestors, cultural history, some genetic traits, etc.

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http://frankg.dgne.com/
"Speak softly, drive a Sherman tank." - TMBG

Posted by RW (Member # 27) on :

I think American Native sounds much better than Native American :]

But, white people are kind of white, but not really. Black people are kind of black, but not really. BUT Indians are not at all indian, it was a stupid mistake someone made and to still use it now is a bit stupid.

Also, I didn't say we shouldn't refer to everyone as persons, it's just, kind of, when it really makes a difference we could use it. I mean, if someone sees me with severe sunburn in a particularly hot summer and comments on that, and he's black, should I say: "Yeah, you're lucky, you have an African-American skintone"? Hm. THAT is what I mean. I am not a racial segregationist if you think that (and if that's even a word)!!

Posted by Xentrick (Member # 64) on :

RW, the way I've heard it, "African-American" was not an insult applied to the "blacks" by the whites to differenciate them. It is a term first used by some in the "black" community to identify themselves.

See, "black" was a name they were assigned. They didn't have any choice in the matter. The same with "Negro" or "colored."

"African-American" is just a modern term, and a little more convenient than "Americans of African descent."

Posted by RW (Member # 27) on :

But if you call yourself "white" if you're whitish, what's wrong with calling "blackish" people "black"?

Oh hell, forget it, I won't convince anyone that I am not a retarded racist..

Posted by Jedi Weyoun (Member # 110) on :

*growls at her internet connection* i got booted while i was trying to post this last night, and apparently the connection wasn't available again until almost 4am, by which time i was sleeping. *L*

----------------------No, RW. I wasn't thinking by that that you were racist at all. I see your point...I just have a different perspective.

Frank: Race is a completely inappropriate term anyway. BUT what i MEANT was the idea placed on people of a particular descent. For example: I have a friend who is English. I met him on the internet, and for a couple of months, I figured by natural assumption, that he was an anglo guy with a tuft of dark brown hair. came to find out, his father was from Zimbabwe. As far as I know, though, he considers himself 'english'...not 'african british' or whatever the heck they call it over there if they even HAVE to. When you think "Native american" or "american indian" you picture tonto or sitting bull. I had a lady in one of my classes this past year who was about 1/4 cherokee. she looked as anglo as i do. she might even have been HALF cherokee. i don't remember. then there was a guy in another of my classes who was full blooded Hopi. maybe he was albino or something, but he was PALER than I am. I didn't even know that was possible! so yes--"Race" refers to the group of people from which one is descended, determined by a geographical location and specific traits which are assigned to those groups in order to identify them. as i have said, it is totally invalid--at least from the anthropological pov. what i was referring to is that when someone thinks of someone as belonging to a specific "Race", a skin color immediately comes to mind, rather than an individual no different from ourselves, ultimately. in fact, skin color is really no different than HAIR color, and other pigments in our bodies. what would happen if we were to start distinguishing people by what color their hair was? (well...other than blondes, that is....*L*) but seriously--that's my point. now the whole blonde-brunnette thing is really just a joke...even if it does happen to apply to some individuals. there are probably few people who take it completely seriously. is a blonde REALLY any different than a brunette or a red head? NO! of course not! and we don't segregate people by what their hair color is, or refer to them by it that way--at least not as frequently as with the terms 'black', 'white', 'indian', whatever. my point is, colors are pointless. the recently deceased shel silverstein wrote a poem called "No Difference"

quote:

Small as a peanut,
Big as a giant,
We're all the same size
When we turn off the light.
Rich as a sultan
Poor as a mite,
We're all worth the same
When we turn off the light.

Red, black or orange,
Yellow or white,
We all look the same
When we turn off the light.
So maybe the way
To make everything right
Is for God to just reach out
And turn off the light!

Thanks. I'm done.
*steps off soap box and walks away* *turns back around and flips the lightswitch off* much better

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"Fear attracts the fearful"
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Posted by RW (Member # 27) on :

Is there an atheist's version too?

Posted by Jedi Weyoun (Member # 110) on :

Of the Shel Silverstein poem? not likely..most of his stuff is Christian themed....particularly the Giving Tree. hehe.

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"Fear attracts the fearful"
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Posted by Androgyne on :

Weyoun, are you advocating the destruction of our sun? =) hehe

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91qk.lcc co51.24ahx ma3x5./bk
Yellow + Blue = Green

Posted by Jedi Weyoun (Member # 110) on :

Um...no, Androgyne...that wasn't quite the point i was making. perhaps if i put it *another* way: Why couldn't we all be COLORBLIND?!

pleh.
DC Talk--"Colored People"
"Pardon me, your epidermis is showing
Yessir, I couldn't help but note your shade of melanin
I tip my hat to the colorful arrangement
Cause I see the beauty in the tones of our skin

We're colored people and we live in a tainted place
We're colored people and they call us the human race
We've got a history so full of mistakes
Yes we are colored people who depend on a holy grace

A piece of canvas is only the beginning
It takes on character with every loving stroke
This thing of beauty is the passion of an artist's heart
By God's design we are a skin kaleidoscope

We've got to come together and thank the maker of us all

We're colored people and we live in a tainted place
We're colored people and they call us the human race
We've got a history so full of mistakes
Yes we are colored people who depend on a holy grace

Ignorance has wronged some races
And vengence is the Lord's
If we aspire to share this space
Repentance is the cure

Well just a day in the shoes of a colorblind man should make it easy for you to see
That these diverse tones do more than cover our bones as a part of our anatomy

...red, yellow, black and white....
colored people..."

deep song, but it seems to get the point across

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"Fear attracts the fearful"
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