3. Jar Jar Binks and the Racism Argument
Let's be honest. Jar Jar Binks is rubbish. He was a horrible character created for the sole purpose of selling toys to kids. George Lucas is no idiot folks. He knows how much money he made from the Star Wars action figures over the years so it makes perfect sense for him to throw in characters that would only appeal to those out there who are too innocent to see just how sh*t he was. However it isn't whether Jar Jar Binks is rubbish that caused the biggest arguments online but whether or not his depiction could be interpreted as racist. You can't deny he has an Afro-Caribbean twang when he speaks and people have argued that many of his mannerisms reflect various stereotypes about being 'a laid back clown' or baring similarities to the Black and White Minstrel acts of yesteryear. George Lucas of course has denied any racial motivation in creating the character and let's be honest how many of you out there were mad at how racist Jar Jar was when you first saw The Phantom Menace? Surely you're first thoughts were actually along the lines of "Who is this God awful character and when is he going to die?". Star Wars has courted controversy ever since the 1970's for it's use of black and white imagery to reflect good and evil but to draw from that alone that Lucas and co are a bunch of racists is tenuous at best. Jar Jar's voice is supposed to be childish and cute. It's really that simple.