Now, when thinking of Star Wars, most people don't really assosciate it with racism or racist characterisation, but apparently some people do.

The movie that has come most under fire of all six of the Star Wars movie is The Phantom Menace. To be more precise, some people have problems with Jar-Jar and the Trade Federation

According to people, Jar Jar is a characterisation of black people. From his floppy ears down to his walk. According to some Jar Jars style of talking reminds one of a Caribbean pidgin style of talking. The way they talk also makes them seem uneducated, which some critics say, means that black people are uneducated. They also point to the fact that the Naboo, who are white live in beutiful cities in the sun whilst the Gungans who are "so obviously black" live in the murky depth of a swamp.

Let me break this down.

The character Jar-Jar Binks is played by a black person, Ahmed Best. Ahmed Best said himself that he had very much room on how to interpret Jar Jar, so the speech and how Jar Jar acts is very much Bests invention, not so much Lucas. Why would Ahmed Best do such an "obviously shallow" characterisation of his own race?

As mentioned above, Ahmed Best made up most of Jar Jars speech and to me, it doesn't even sound remotely Caribbean or are the critics saying that Caribbeans say stuff like "Exsqueeze me?" or "Mesa okee-day!". Who's doing the racist characterisation now?

I must admit, the Gungan race seems a bit primitive at first but that's before we see Otoh Gunga. Come on! The built a city of bubbles in a lake! How cool is that! You must be pretty intelligent to do that. I believe Lucas has done this show differances between two cultures that are segregated and how a society that is segragated can't work

One last thing. Only white people live with the Naboo? Are the critics blind? I am pretty sure Amidala had a black advisor in the palace and what about Captain Panaka, isn't he black? What about the black pilot in the battle against the Trade Federation?

And I feel I must point out the fact that there are several black people sit on the Jedi council. Mace Windu, Adi Gallia, Depa Billaba and later on Stass Allie appears. With so many black people in Episode 1, don't you think at least one would have protested against this "obvious stereotype"?

The fact that the "uneducated" Gungans lay their life on the line for a deception at the end of The Phantom Menace shows that the Gungans is a noble race. I guess the critics missed this in their bashing of Lucas

On to the Trade Federation. Critics say that the Trade Federation is a blatant characterisation of Asien people. Apparently, the looks and the aggresive economic ways of the Neimodians are supposed to represent a Japanese people and Japanese companies.

Now, when you watched The Phantom Menace, did you think that the Neimodians were Asian instantly when you saw them? I didn't and I haven't since reading this.

So let's break it down.

Critics claim that the eyes and dialect of the Neimodians are supposed to look/sound like Asian(s). Now, if we take a look at the eyes of the Neimodians, we notice that they're slittet like a lizard or any other reptile. Now, do Asia people have lizard eyes? No.

I think this guy at Stardestroyer.net put it better:

My eyes aren't "slitted". My children's eyes aren't "slitted." My parents' eyes aren't "slitted." Asian eyes do not bear signs of reptilian horizontal "slits"- our pupils are round just like everyone else's

And to their dialect. When hearing the dialect, I think it sounds like...wait for it...an alien dialect. I think it bears no resemblance to any dialect on planet Earth

Now, if the Neimodians were saying thing like "Send in the Dloidlekas" and " Oul brockade is pelfectry regar" then I would be suspicious of Lucas real intentions, but there is no such thing.

And to the aggresive econimic behaviour. Can anyone think any instance where a Japanese company has acted aggresivly towards other companies? I can't. Ok, they have stormed the market, but those guys to some good stuff so, I see nothing evil with that

Onto Attack of the Clones. Some critics have been voicing their discontent over...you're not going to believe this...

Jango Fett and the Clones!

They believe that is symbolises Mexicans trying to get into the US. They're convinced because Jango "looked totally Latino". Even though Temura Morrison and Bodie Taylor are both of Maori descent.

I can't get my head around where they get this "Mexicans-getting-into-the-US" thing from. It's an army. An army getting ready for war! It's not like it's an army of people that are going to invade Coruscant and start taking low paid jobs. Sheesh.

Another stereotype people have been complaining over is Watto who is supposed to be a stereotype Jew. Ok, he's got that tin hat, the hooked nose and he's a shop keeper. Before reading this stuff I hadn't noticed it. It makes me wonder what's in the head of these critics.

I hope these people are aware that before creating a certain character that there's loads of concept arts and loads of different variations of a character. Lucas didn't say "make me an alien Jew".

The Original Trilogy hasn't escaped critiscm either. People have asked why there are only white people in the main cast? Obviously, these people have no idea how a movie is made.

Let me go through that. You make up a role, you cast that role and and the person that fits into the character gets the role. Be it white, black, asian or any other race or nationality. So I guess that Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher made a good impression on Lucas because it was them that landed the roles of Luke, Han and Leia.

Critics have also been at Lucas for casting a black man in the role of a scoundrel i.e Lando, meaning that black people can't be trusted. I guess those people must have walked out of the cinema when Landos betrayal was shown because he later redeems himself, evacuates Cloud City, saves Leia and Chewie, saves Han, ends up as a General in the Rebel Army and destroys the frikkin' Death Star!

The fact that he is portrayed as a scoundrel to begin with is because he's the friend of Han Solo, another character we're lead to believe is a scoundrel to begin with. Billy Dee Williams even auditioned for the part of Han Solo, so Lucas must have though that he fitted as Hans' friend.

There's yet to be any complaints about Revenge of the Sith. But I guess critics will find some way of complaining that Greivous is too Swedish or something like that.

And let me finish off by saying this to the critics. Haven't you noticed that the ultimate villain in Star Wars, Palpatine, is played by a white man? Haven't you noticed that the good guy that falls from grace is a white man? Haven't you noticed that all of the officers in the Empire are white? Haven't you noticed that every single bad guy is played by a white guy!? Does that mean Lucas is racist towards white people? No! Is this a characterisation of all white people? No! Have I, as a white person, been offended? No!

Why haven't you people complained about that? Why? Tell me...

Star Wars is a celebration of diversity and that is a theme that runs through all six episodes. The Naboo couldn't defeat the Trade Federation themselves but when they got over their differances with the Gungans, then they could defeat the Trade Federation with a united front.

It's no coincidence that when the diversity disappears that the times get darker with the armies of the Republic consisting of the same man and the army of the Separatists consisting of the same droids.

There's a reason why there's such a diversity in the Rebel Alliance and that the Rebels stand for hope and freedom. It shows us that only together, hand in hand can we makes this a better world to live in. If we just rub out all those lines that seperate us, nationality, language, religion and so on and just see everyone as human beings, then we can start working for a more prosperous and happier world.

That is what Lucas is trying to tell us.

Acknowledgment

http://www.stardestroyer.net/Empire/Essays/Racism.html#StarWars
http://www.screamingpickle.com/members/SW/detroit_racist_panel_episode_II.htm