Comments

Raleisdumb

Stupidest thing I've read all week. The author is either under a deadline to produce material or an obvious racist who like to project their racist tendencies upon others.
ringwilson99

Dude, Star Wars was still totally incredible. WOw.

http://www.total-anonymity.se.tc
JediScholar

George Lucas is not a racist, but he is certainly insensitive on a human level and disconnected from any reality that is not white, affluent, and corporate; which is why he is essentially broken as a storyteller.
Rob

This is just stupid.

The whole article is stupid, but I only have the time and inclination to address the Gungans.

Jar Jar was communicating in Basic with the other Gungans for the benefit of the Jedi. It is made obvious in the very first scene in the Gungan city that they have their own language, when the first 2 other Gungans you see speak to each other in it.
rjschwarz

Kind of disagree on the Sand People one. You live in the desert and loose fitting white robes are gonna be practical. And they are bad shots because that ridiculous headgear they wear blocks their vision (same as Stormtroopers with their helmets). You might want to harass Lucas for picking on people with poor eyesite next.
Michael

Never mind that George Lucas has a black girlfriend…or that he dated a Jewish woman…this is such a stretch.

Rivervalleygalleria

Also the fact George Lucas is Jewish himself….
Rivervalleygalleria

Also the fact George Lucas is Jewish himself….

http://civlegacy.com/ Martin

Spot on. Similar stereotypes are seen all over the spectra in Hollywood films. And judging by some of the comments it's found everywhere, which should be no surprise. I don't think most people even think about it, or even know what underlying structures is affecting them though. Furthermore I sincerely doubt that Lucas intended to succumb to stereotyping, it's just that it's hard to not do it considering the hidden preconceptions we face everyday.

atom17

Wow, you’re an even bigger idiot then the guy that wrote this.

slobo

In what way?

The Darkning Shade

Yeah, me and my mum watched the Phantom Menace together once, and she named every racvial stereotype in the film as soon as it finished, they weren’t even the tiniest bit subtle. However, it should be pointed out that Lucas didn’t actually design any of them, he simply approved them in a rush whilst trying to make as many things that he could turn into toys as possible. so we shouldn’t blame him for Racism, but for sloppy manegment because he didn’t correct the racist stereotypes which other people tried to slip in.

wynette

When i first saw this star wars, i was absolutely horrified to the a Jewish shopkeeper and Chinese people, etc, being caricatured in such a unbelievable manner. How coud he get away with it? I was sure we would be hearing from the groups that were ridiculed and we did. Doesn't Mr Lucas, apparently having no racial sensitivity whatsoever, have handlers to point out the obvious?

Frank

you suck balls
Frank

you suck balls
Frank

you suck balls
Anonymous

….they’re aliens…not humans…

Star wars

this is gay
Star wars

this is gay
Star wars

this is gay
http://www.facebook.com/AnubisTheMystic Anubis

Clearly a racist in approach. Only a few non white characters in Star Wars, the majority of the other characters are white.
Pat

Just on more person looking for racism anywhere and everywhere. If all the characters were bumbling white idiots, he would have no problem with it. People like this could foul up a wet dream.
Anon

Only a racist person can see racism among most harmless things like these characters.
Chris

Clearly this is wrong. Stop looking for racism, im sick of people reverting everything they see to be racist, some people are over sensitive, there are plenty of examples of shows made by black people, featuring only black people.. im fine with that i watch it theres nothing wrong with it in my eyes, so when now we have a small amount of black people in a film and people cry about it! Stop looking for things like this you sad sad people and enjoy life!
O.o !?

if all the people where white, we would still call it racist, because then there is white and white only
rale blows pipes

What a dumb brainwashed PC pedaerast wrote that?
Jeffff

Whoever wrote this article: You are a moron. Please take your uppity head out of your ass.
iAmRogalsFist

this is the biggest load of garbage i think i've ever read
Typincs

All the stupid Star Wars fans gathered and rant on that fun post.

I rather dislike SW because it's childish, but have to admit the original series were good films.

The “first” 3 episodes – and the author picked these characters mostly from them – were made only to make lots of money. Crap script, crapt acting, crap characters.
Jar Jar Brinks is the best example for that. He was written into the story to make it more family-like to get a bigger audience. His character so annoying that it's a tortore to look at it.

I don't think Lucas made up these characters deliberately so stereotypical. He's not a racist. It's just somehow the nature of these wannabe-monumental movies that they have such simplifications. For example in Harry Potter – which in a simmilar way also has to present a new world with new races – there is a scene with dwarfs who are bankers. A bit like Watto…

Good post!
Senatorquijano

Lucas is a bleed-heart and/or liberal.
otl400

Racist?? Are you kidding? I've seen Star Wars a number of times and these racist stereotypes never entered my mind. They are/were science fiction characters, nothing more. Yeah and I guess ET was a racist stereotype of short fat people?
Wat

since when is fat and short a race?
Oldirtyblastard

Sooo…are you playa hatin on jar jar or what?
Article = Horrible

This was a horrible read, possibly the worst part was the last comparison between Gangans and black people. You offer no evidence at all to imply that they represent black people, and instead rely on the sole fact that the character's voice and movements were made by a black person.

Also, Jewish is not a race, what you meant to say is Hebrew. If you were to visit Israel you'd notice that the Jewish people there are composed of individuals of all over the Western World and Eastern Europe.

Hebrew, Israelite, and Jew are all very different terms.

Palaver98

Ok, how about the fact that JarJar’s “accent” and word-order match almost *exactly* the old Amos & Andy and Al Jolson routines? “Meesum thinkin’… people gonna die?” = “Jus’ shakin’ the bushes, boss!”/”Mammy!” People who can’t see that are deliberately not looking with an eye for TV, radio, & film history. Oh, and his walk was like a ’70s blaxploitation film pimp. Maybe more people would have noticed if he was wearing a velvet suit, wide-brimmed hat, platform shoes and carried a cane…?

As for the Hebrew thing, just ’cause he got the proper term incorrect doesn’t nullify the stereotypical comparison. He could have said, “semitic”, and been accurate. I made no distinction, there. Yes, the stereotype is the money-grubbing businessman, and the large, hooked-nose. But, that could be anyone from the Middle East. Personally, I saw in Watto the stereotypical Arab/Persian convenience-store owner.

In both cases, as well as the obvious Asian caricature, it was pretty shameful. I grew up on the Star Wars (Ep.4-6) films. Waited in line in the rain all day to get opening-night tickets for Ephemeral Threat (Ep.1). Was ready to be wowed and, even if it was crap – was ready to still argue “Han Shot First” to the death. And I was appalled by the depictions.

I knew little kids wouldn’t get most of it, and they were the primary target audience. To them, JarJar was just a wacky, funny character. And, my biggest argument against the character was merely that a goofy character somehow had to inject his ‘antics’ into nearly every scene. It milked away any drama or excitement – except in the Sith bits, where the difference would be too… JarJarring. :p At least C-3PO would shut up and let things happen around him.

There was a lot of groaning and grumbling in the theater from adult-toned voices. Kids liked it. Many adults did, too. But I left the theater no longer a rabid SW fan. Before Ep.1, I’d even defend Lucas’ use of shameful “kiddy-type” pandering such as Ewoks (and the minute-plus death scene of one). Now, I just don’t have the energy.

Cyborg3k

Libs like Lucas never think THEY can be racist. It's always those hicks in flyover country who are the only bigots. I got the Asian Trade Fed guys about a second after they showed up for the first time. The others – yeah, probably.
WhatImCalled

What I don't like , Is the fact that nooen mentions the “White Guy” stereotype! Why, Just because they're white they have to be the good guys? Maybe the sand people are white underneath their robes, I'd feel better about that. I'm tired of people thinking white people have to save the universe EVERY time!!!
Garry-smod

The Author is just looking for something racist, and then come up with the dumbest accusations.
Lmrosati

Ideas about what unknown species from other worlds might be like has to be based on what we actually know. To construe Lucas's cultural extractions in dress, language and accents as “racist” is plain stupid. Could you do better?
http://www.dscomic.com/ Rob

I noticed these as well, and wonder why no one pointed out some of these to Lucas while making these films…

Vgft

@Keleiki12: I read what you wrote.

BellaKazza

The Most RETARDED thing I've read all week.
Sioux Sioux

LEARN ENGLISH AND THEN POST SOMETHING!
Anonimus

Prety smart!

The third race as far as I undersand are Venetians for couple of reasons:
1. shape of their hats resembles the shape of the venetian aristocracy hats
2. the seige of neboo seems to be an alegory to third crusade
In my undestanding, in third (1204) crusade Venetians transported the army of foreigners (crusaiders) that were originally supposed to go to Middle east. instead venetians manipulated them and used them to attack Constantinolopis for no good reason, in this situation innocent highly sophisticated merchant city.
Attack was done to steal trade supremacy in eastern mediteranean which was held by constantinololis until that time

3. arcnitecture of the naboo very much resemvles constantinopolis, e.g. royal palace on naboo and church of st. sofia, symbol of the city (later turned into mosque after turkish invasion of constantinopolis)

See for yourself
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agia_Sofia

http://sfrang.com/photogr/blog2/AgiaSofia.jpg

http://www.tdt3d.com/shared_files/uploaded/4217…
Rayrunit

well all i can say is considering star wars is a documentry , it just goes to show racism is galaxy spanning
B-dog

i completely agree with Raleisdumb, the only way the author could have come up with these ridiculous connections is if he or she was already racist against the actual races
tortoise+hare

holy wow! You at least have stuff like “hooked nose” and confusing Rs and Ls, but with the Gungans you just say that they speak terrible English, are unsophisticated, solve arguments by yelling, all that jazz and then say that they must be black people. You're the racist, not George Lucas!
pete

Of course the reference to jewish people being money hungery, and would sell their souls to make a buck is pretty close.
Being short and fat makes this seem close also
trivia

the only racist person is the one who created this ridiculous article. let me guess it was a white male.

you must be a really sad racist individual to spend your time trying to find likenesses between the characters of Star Wars and minorities.
ICALLBS

bullshit! The main antagonist (The Emperor) in Star Wars is white! So is count Dooku and Darth Vader (before he stepped into costume and became James Earl Jones)
Keleiki12

ok 1: Watto already had a beard. it just got longer b/c it's years later and he kinda let himself go. i mean do you not remember the bet he lost in the last movie? Duh, Anakin helped him a lot. 2: They are called sand people because they live on Tattoine. So yeah that's pretty much all sand on the surface. Doesn't mean it's linked to anyone on Earth. 3: yeah they sound japanese but all the different species have to have some kind of accent. plus they aren't the only evil species. did you forget who made a deal with them? DUH! Palpatine. Darth Sidious. THE EMPEROR. Clearly white and he is the head of the darth side in the movies. 4: Well where to start. Many flaws in your interpretations on this sexism thing. So we all know Leia is kool. you said that. So for Shmi. Well they couldn't free her b/c they had nothing to trade at the time. and they couldn't “pawn off a Jedi statue in Coruscant or something” b/c Watto wouldn't trust them. Plus he really wouldn't give up his last slave. and Anakin didn't come back I'm sure b/c he was in training. I think he would've gone back if he could've b/c we all know how much he loves his mom. but training to be a Jedi is a pretty big deal. and he had a lot to catch up on with his age. And Padme used to wear more robes in the 1st episode b/c wen she was queen she had to wear ceremonial robes. that's the tradition. and then in the second movie she was no longer a queen, she was a senator. there was no need for robes. duh. and all her outfits weren't like the one in the picture. and in the 3rd movie, SHE WAS PREGNANT! you don't expect her to go out into battle like in the second movie do you? and she didn't just mope around and cry the whole time. she still attended her duties to being senator just like in the second movie. she just didn't have so many death threats in the 3rd so then she didn't have to go across the galaxy, hide, and then later get stuck in battle. so it all ties together in a nonsexist, reasonably logic way. if you wouldn't be so stupid you would think about how these things tie together like this. so 5: wow you are an idiot again. of course. well for one, the gungans have a butt-load of technology. how do you think their underwater city Otoh exists? they need to contain the plasma and make sure the air is clean inside the bubbles that's not even the complex way of describing it, actually it's pretty far from it i didn't even mention so much. plus you don't even know how much stuff is in that city. read books, dont just watch the movies with you're eyes if you're gona go into this kinda crap. so suck it and do some research before you try another thing like this. (fyi i could've said a lot more abt this but i am tired and im sure ppl aren't even gona read this much but there is so much more to say abt your stupidity) SUCK IT!!!!!!!!!!!

RSC

You reply is even funniest, “b/c” you have no sense of humour.

i dont buy it.

anyone else feel like some of these were a bit of a stretch?
http://zulkbo.blogspot.com/ zulkbo

aaa..ha..
now i noticed
he he..
http://twitter.com/lexx2099 Matt Owen

no C3PO? As an erudite and slightly camp 1930′s English Butler myself, I find him extremely offensive. More tea sir?
Doodstormer

And the battle droids are just vehicles of anti-anorexia hate. Seriously, this has got to be one of the most idiotic things I have ever read.
Jsrich3

This has to be the most ridiculous article I have read in a long time. This is absolute nonsense.
Valtiel32

so because jar jar was voiced by a black person its racist?
facepalmfail

think he was off on this one, sand people refer to african americans. just like when an afro american gets into a fight, he is easily startled but will return in greater numbers too. Think about it.
Domesticwarvictim

Who took out Jango Fett? Boba Fett was just a Jango Fett clone. NOT the original. So who took out Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones? Who was the only character in the movies to single handedly take on Darth Sidious AKA Palpatine one on one and knock him flat on his backside? Yoda couldn’t do it. So who was the only character that did? That’s not how a racist would have had things turn out. If it wasn’t for Anakin then MACE WINDU would have taken out Palpatine and that would have been the end of all the sith and the problems they were behind. A racist would not have had Mace Windu be able to mop the floor with Palpatine.
G Brookes

I think there are more important questions to be asked about the starwars series than this.

Like why do storm troopers even bother wearing armour when dwarf furballs like Ewoks can knock them out with tree branches and not particularly big rocks. They don’t even stop any kind of laser fire… so what is the point?
Julliemtl87

Wow…Both the article and the author and anyone who agree with it are complete fails. The only racism there is is your own because only a racist would make these racist associations.
I speak Truth.

What can be said about this that hasn’t already been said? In all honesty its easy to draw the conclusion that the author of this page is in fact a closest racist, unable to deal with his own guilt upon the realization of his hatred for other ethnicity that he seeks to place blame on some one or something that he loves but would be easy for every one to hate: George Lucas.

The fact of the matter is, no normal person would have drawn conclusions such as these with out having them pointed out to them by either a racist or a bleeding heart apologist. I doubt the author is an apologist, accusing Lucas of racism would not make much sense, that being because Lucas has never made racist remarks or done any thing racist (Lando is not a stereo type of suave black men, the actor who portrays him is literally like that in RL, Mace windu’s light saber color was chosen by the prop department before they even knew Windu would be portrayed by a black man). There for the only conclusion that can be drawn is that the author must be projecting his own emotions on to some one who would be stereotypically racist: a fat, rich, white man. This end further supports this writers conclusion that the author must be a racist because of the implied accusation that a white, rich, fat man must be racist for no other reason other than him being fat, rich, and white.
Eru

and yet none of the religions, races or persons supposedly being picked on have an issue with this, how strange to have missed being slagged off so obviously.

Or it could be that in the US everything resorts to racism. (of course racism doesn’t actually cover religion, sex or nationality but don’t let that stop ya)
Eru

and yet none of the religions, races or persons supposedly being picked on have an issue with this, how strange to have missed being slagged off so obviously.

Or it could be that in the US everything resorts to racism. (of course racism doesn’t actually cover religion, sex or nationality but don’t let that stop ya)
Eru

and yet none of the religions, races or persons supposedly being picked on have an issue with this, how strange to have missed being slagged off so obviously.

Or it could be that in the US everything resorts to racism. (of course racism doesn’t actually cover religion, sex or nationality but don’t let that stop ya)
Vinter

Wow, talk about reading into things. Liberal guilt much? Twi’lek, Wookiees, Zabrak, Hutts, Jawas, Ugnaughts, Togruta, Rodians, Cerea, Nautolean, Aqualish, Kel Dor, Yoda’s race.

There are so many creatures in Star Wars, you can create a stereotype and paste it onto any of them.
It must suck reading subtext into everything created, even when it’s not there to begin with.
Have you ever considered that YOU are the racist for assuming these things, even when there’s no evidence to support it aside from your own stereotypes? Not all creatures reach intelligence simultaneously in the Star Wars universe, the Chiss species didn’t invent space travel until tens of thousands of years after everyone else.
Maybe the gungans didn’t evolve to that point where they were intelligent enough to speak before the Naboo settled the planet. Then logically they would learn the same language as the only other intelligent species on the planet.

This post is pure psychology, pretentious bullshit masquerading as hidden subtext. Reading into something that isn’t there.
It’s about as valid as me claiming that the US are evil zionist christ-haters because they use an eagle as their national symbol, same as Nazi Germany and the Roman Empire, one which killed 6 million jews, the other which crucified Jesus and persecuted the early christians.
Berryman13

Perhaps to avoid this atrocity in future ventures, Lucas should acquire the permission of every single person on the planet before making his movies. Because without that, he might make an offensive character, movie scene, or entire movie concept. We cant have that! because after all, the opinion of one busybody loser that probably wont even watch/wouldn’t enjoy the content is much more important than what the audience that the movie is catered to might feel about it.

I’d imagine that killing freedom of speech must be a tough job, even for the ever growing PC Movement. One day at a time, right? Youll be well on your way to accomplishing that feat if articles like this become more prevalent.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FYVA2AYDE4LX4SRIIUY2WYLNNQ Bun Bun

You are such a stupid ASS !! The Races other than the white race in Star Wars? Talking about aliens? They are not a race, they are completely different species. And so are you saying as far as HUMANS go, there were never any blacks or anything in the movies. Which there are, but, even if their weren’t NO one in the movie is human anyway, right? ARGH articles like this make me so angry. Even if it was 100% true, WHO CARES? Oh yeah, jarjar binks IS acting like a black, cause LOOK a black dude did his voice AND his gait. ROFLMFAO Okay, he’s black then? Are you saying the actual man who does the voice shouldn’t talk or walk like that either Who’s the racist now?
BennieLavs

I would have compared the Gungans to Native Americans if anything… but thats still stupid. How does the voice actor of Jar Jar being black make them emit black stereotypes? The voice actor for Bart Simpson is a female, does that mean that Bart secretly wants a sex change?
Lul

yes! and beer bottles are racist too
Brostallin

I love how NO ONE reading this could take it as a joke.
Cooper Angelo

mountain out of mole hill
Pip

Comments section is fairly predictable. An article points out the racist stereotypes in Star Wars by using humour and a torrent of outrage is produced. The author is personally attacked and accused of being PC, of being a racist, of being stupid…

And of course, the main theme is something like, “There is no racism. You are just looking for it”. I’ve seen this sort of reaction to anti-racist sentiment many times before. I personally liked this one though, “You are a moron. Please take your uppity head out of your a$$”. Ha, ha! It seems some people get a bit worked up when somebody else points out obvious racial stereotyping!

I know after I first saw Phantom Menace I came out of the cinema thinking, “Why do the writers hate the Japanese?” I mean the caricatures were obvious and embarrassing. I’m still surprised that all that stuff actually made it into the film. Lucas must have really lost the plot.

Anonymous

troll
Smiddles

It looks like you wanted to call yourself Satanist but lost the nerve and rearranged a bunch of letters.
Smiddles

It looks like you wanted to call yourself Satanist but lost the nerve and rearranged a bunch of letters.

dru

There is nothing remotely black about Jar Jar Binx. He happens to be portrayed by a black actor. The fact you would draw this conclusion from his race being essentially dumb just screams closet racist.

Sanathist

Not sure how it “screams closet racist” as there is a lot more than just being bumb. Could we imagine that he may be Rastafarian though? You know: Jar Jar, Jah Jah…

Simonp Rocks

the long nose part was funny and then after there wasn’t even a hill to go down it was just free fall into retardation
Pat

Of course there’s stereotypes… There’s nothing wrong with them either. When you enslave a group of people or commit genocide that is wrong. Having fun in a Sci-fi movie by basing different alien races off of classic stereotypes (many of which hold true) is completely harmless and kind of entertaining.

Pat

Also George Lucas is not Jewish. He’s Methodist.

Mikemilne

I saw it right away, and have been shocked ever since that there was and is no outcry.
Anonymous

worst movie
Anonymous

I think the sand people may easily represent Bedouins are Berbers, rather than Arabs. But really, any group of nomadic desert dwellers fall under this archetype. Except, of course, for the fact that most Arabs are not nomadic, but rather are city dwellers or farmers.
Anonymous

The race ones kind of make sense, but I think you’re grasping at straws with the claims of sexism with Anakin’s mother and Padme.

First, Anakin’s mother. The Jedi did try to free Anakin’s mother, but Watto absolutely refused to let her go, she wasn’t for sale. He didn’t want to lose both his slaves to the Jedi after already losing Anakin. A big part of the Jedi’s problem was that they didn’t have any money that was worth anything in Tatooine, and that’s the whole reason they had to make the big bet on Anakin to win the pod race. They couldn’t buy Shmi’s or Anakin’s freedom because they couldn’t afford it, even if Watto was willing to sell them. Before Anakin was freed, the Jedi did press Watto to release them both, but Watto was too adamant against it and of course, there was the infamous line, “Your Jedi mind tricks do not work on me.” So Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had to settle for one, and in this case, the most central character to the entire Star Wars saga trumped his mother in the freedom priority. There’s nothing sexist about that at all. As for not getting much screen time, it’s just because she’s a minor character in the overall plot of the story, not because she’s a woman.

As for Padme, did you forget the last half-hour of Episode 2? She was kicking ass with the best of the Jedi, and she still showed that trademark decision-making and confidence from the first movie. In Episodes 2 and 3 she was part of the diplomatic mission to the Republic from Naboo, still showing that although she left the domestic political sphere of Naboo after her term as queen was over, she still had significant sway in Naboo politics. By Episode 3, though, Senator Palpatine was consolidating his power, and it was actually her call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum that essentially brought down the Old Republic. Sure, she was being manipulated by Palpatine to do so, but only some of the Jedi weren’t fooled by the ruse until Palpatine showed his true colors. Padme only really stopped working hard at her job when she became visibly pregnant, and at that point she had to stay home for her and her children’s health, and to stay hidden, since it would have revealed Anakin’s forbidden actions.

So no, I don’t see Star Wars as being sexist. Like I said, the racism claims have a point, but there really isn’t much of a foundation at all to any sexism claims.
Aebben09

lighten up ;p this is funny as hell, star wars kicks ass
andris

Haha great read! Too bad 14 year old fanboys can’t comprehend sarcasm.
Anniemosienko

I’m really surprised by all of the angry comments. The article is very good – ot particularly astute in that the stereotypes are so obvious – but still very good.

Smiddles

The article is hilariously dumb. But whatever.

DaftInvader

George Lucas isn’t a jew, however he sure is GREEDY!
po

only a racist person? Or maybe just a person who isn’t satisfied with how commonplace and accepted it is to be a horribly narrow-minded bigot.
Jd Switzer

This writer is defiantly racist. Look im white and to compare star wars characters is absurd. To say that these alien characters are bases on racial stereotypes is even more insane. Now i could understand if these characters were humans but there not. George Lucas wasn’t being racist at all.
Look at what the the attributes of the roles that were needed. I could give an example of each one and how’s its not racist but Im not. Look their aliens not people u racist writer. So don’t compare them to humans. I really hope this writer was fired or written up or something. if the the writer sees this message… your a fucking douchebag and a fucking racist you prick
Smiddles

Anti-racists with overactive PC radars are so entertaining. In fact, I’ve been Googling phrases like “Twilight racism,” “Harry Potter racism,” “LOTR racism” and “Matrix racist” my entire lunch break just to get a good laugh at the borderline – heck, who am I kidding – downright loony articles I get.