Star Wars Racist?

Colin Pink (colin@cpink.demon.co.uk)
Fri, 30 Jul 1999 11:40:12 +0100

I don't want to start up a thread on Star Wars again.  Which had to be
one of the most boring topics ever but:

Am I the only one who found it dreadfully racist?

The film contains some truly appalling racial stereotyping:

The evil trader federation speak like the Japanese - revealing US fears
of Japan?   (Funny in this film considering the Jedi idea is presumably
derived from Samurai).

The comic relief, Ja Ja Binx race, can't remember what they're called,
move and talk in an awful pastiche of the stereotypical way American
blacks are supposed to walk and talk.  Reminded me a bit of the awful
comic relief in old American movies of the big black mama servant figure
rolling her eyes.

The droid army moved and spoke in the robotic way characteristic of the
US armed forces.

The goodies, (our 2 Jedi heroes and the Queen) mostly spoke in painfully
'correct' English accents.

Given the vast audience this tripe reaches the barely submerged racist
elements are rather worrying.  It clearly isn't all a galaxy far far
away but much closer to home!

-- 
Colin Pink