Re: Star Wars Racist?
Camille Scaysbrook (c_scaysbrook@yahoo.com)
Mon, 02 Aug 1999 10:32:04 +1000
Jim wrote:
> JaJa Binx wasn't American black, he was more Jamaican or Haitian. How
> could you possibly mistake that? But his whole society spoke that way --
> including the Leader figure.
Yes - I think this is the point Colin was making. The whole race was
designed to look and speak like a nation of demented Amos and Andies and
perpetuate the myth that black people are stupid and amusing because they
are a little different to us. I'm not sure it was a conscious thing on
Lucas' part but it's been noticeable enough that people around the world
have commented upon it (most notably in the South Park movie, if you picked
up the very oblique reference). Anyway I ultimately thought Jar Jar was a
badly conceived character used mainly to sell drinks, popcorn and
lollipops. C-3PO and R2D2? Now there's a gentle, well rounded but still
comic relationship. How they managed to put that much personality into a
little machine that just beeps is beyond me. It's also testament to the
moment my boyfriend and I saw as the saddest part of the movie - when those
little droids get shot off the spaceship at the very beginning. Bit of a
worry, really.
Camille
verona_beach@geocities.com
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