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J.J. Abrams On "Star Wars" Cast's Racial and Sexual Diversity
Yesterday at Comic-Con, director J.J. Abrams held forth on the racial and sexual diversity of the actors portraying the characters of the Star Wars franchise. From CNET's article:
For Star Wars, it's a complex debate. The franchise has included prominent and strong female characters, like Princess Leia, as well as central characters played by black actors, such as Cloud City administrator Lando Calrissian, played by Billy Dee Williams, and Jedi Mace Windu, played by Samuel L. Jackson. On the other hand, Jar Jar Binks, a computer-generated alien in 1999's "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace," drew fire from some critics, who said he called to mind demeaning black film characters such as those played by Stepin Fetchit in the 1930s.
(Not to mention other cultural stereotypes that pop up in Episodes I, II, and III.)
He is Atepin Fetchit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
If you see jar jar as a black stereo type, maybe you are a racist who sees black people as annoying assholes who can't speak properly?
When people compare Jar Jar to Black peeps they are not really being serious.. it is all a faux argument intended to stoke controversy and whore attention for fame and profit. No matter how repetitive and stupid it becomes people still fall for it over and over again. I am outraged by *** please give me another 15 minutes.
According to Lucas himself, the neimoidians were speaking with a transylvanian accent. Jar Jar was speaking in an accent Ahmed Best could do. Lucas felt it would make aliens seem more alien if they had accents, and actors only know how to do human language accents so he picked some of those. In retrospect it was a stupid decision, but it wasn't intended racistly.
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You're intentionally missing the point. there's a cultural history found in movies, tv and books that portray black people as subservient and uneducated stereotypes. This portrayal reinfoced class and racial structures of the day that served to keep black people "in their place". Long tradition of this. summary mentions stepin fetchet. uncle remus. blackface comedy. jar jar is a direct decendent of this line of humor. either you're being purposefully obtuse, or maybe you're from iceland or something and completely unexposed to american culture and history.
So, if you see a subservient and uneducated non-human character on screen, that makes you think of black people?
Interesting. But with such a mindest, I wouldn't complain about other peoples "racism".
bickerdyke