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ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Asian Men Deliberately Excluded from Star Wars?
ow that the fifth installment of the Star Wars saga has hit theatres, it's official: Asian men have no place in George Lucas's vision of the future. An Asian female Jedi was glimpsed in the most recent installment, but not one single Asian male has been spotted in any of the five movies.
The absence is all the more remarkable given that Star Wars borrows its themes and fight scenes so obviously from samurai and kung-fu flicks. On a purely demographic level, it's difficult to imagine a distant future in which Asians will not be the preponderance of humanity. Even on a mundane economic level, Asians account for at least a third of today's global box office and video revenues.
The utter absence of Asian men in the latest installment is even more glaring in light of the promises Lucas made in response to Asian protests over the omission of Asian actors coupled with suspicious attachment of Asian cultural traits to unsavory alien grotesqueries in The Phantom Menace. Lucas had even hinted that images of Bruce Lee would be used in the installment now known as The Clone Wars.
In The Phantom Menace Lucas used Asian martial artists both to choreograph and perform the kendo-inspired light-saber sequences. But as if wishing to take back the decision, in The Clone Wars Lucas's PR machine made a point of showing that the fight sequences were choreographed by a white man and performed by the actors themselves. That explains why they were so leaden and lackluster, but raises the question why?
Could it be that George Lucas wants to avoid calling attention to his large debt to Asian action films?
Is Lucas afraid that including an Asian man will invite critical focus on the new movie's sub-par swordfight sequences?
Is Lucus slyly inviting viewers to see wizened little Master Yoda as a winking representation of Asian men?
Despite his avowed interest in Chinese and Japanese martial arts, culture, literature and films, is Lucas a closet racist after all?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 06:38:56 AM)
Of course Lucas is a closet racist!
First of all he doesn't get out much from what I heard from his damn Skywalker Ranch in Cali. So he is pretty much isolated unless he comes across a Asian Sci-fi effects director.
He is only going to associate with the people he is most comfortable with which is his own people.
I am surprised that in these movies you only have two main black actors Billy Dee Williams and Samuel Jackson as the only minorities to appear in the Star Wars Series. Ok! Jar Jar Binks is his interpretation of a Jamaican..
It is not a laughing matter that No Asians, American Indians, Hispanics -male or female have appeared on his movies. Maybe he wishes the future in his mind as a pure lilly white fantasy which all his movies portray.
NdNgurl!! :
It not a big G-damn laugh because even though you American Indians are fewer it is likely for your race to have a lesser representation in the movies. BUT for us it is a bigger deal because we represent 4% or more of this wonderful population and we don't even get the time of day for these racist movie producers.
And besides this is a forum for Asian/Pacific people so why not we talk about our issues and frustations at large? You can start your own American Indian site and bitch all you want there.
Enough
Friday, May 24, 2002 at 10:45:22 (PDT)
Whatever and Get It Right,
Stop the bickering! From what I've heard and seen, Watto is based on the negative stereotypes of both the Italians and Jews. Some people representing both groups were upset at Lucas, they thought Watto was either a money hungry Jew-like character or an Italian Grease Ball Mafia alien. Others thought he had the features of both and I tend to think the same as well.
It's interesting how Lucas portrays Watto with ambiguity (he's neither Jew- like nor Italian-like but a combination of both). The reason for this is because the White Ethnics such as the Italians and the Jews are assimilated and successful with political clout. Lucas probably didn't want to offend them so he decided to portray an alien with "fuzzy" traits of both groups, giving people lingering thoughts of whom he was portraying with Watto.
On the other hand, we all agree that the Viceroys spoke with a FOB Chinese accent, and Jar Jar and his Gungans were blacks in behavior and appearance.
Here are the portrayals of some of the other Star Wars Characters, all of them based on Anglo characters
The original Jedis and their families - Puritanical-Good hearted Anglos with a sense of integrity and honesty.
Han Solo - "Western Cowboy type" Anglo on the wild side but still a good person
Chewbacca - somewhat of a horse to Han Solo
C3PO - a gay Anglo intellectual (Harvard-type linguist)
R2D2 - a pet or a dog of C3PO
People of the dark side - Anglos who practice witchcraft
The Empire - Imperial Britain
Star Wars is based on many things
Friday, May 24, 2002 at 10:17:52 (PDT)
Yes, Lucas is a racist and an ultra-conservative. You can get academic analyses on Star Wars movies and its creators Lucas and Speilberg. You will be absolutely amazed to learn what those movies are really about....
Look in any large research universities' libraries for good books on the study of "Popular Culture" or "American Studies."
Also, "Rising Sun" is listed on this website as a movie "good for Asians." It's not. It is a japan bashing movie set in the 1990s during anti-Japan import tensions. The movie is very complex, so it seems "Asian-friendly." You can read about it in some of Ronald Takaki's writings. It's not a good Asian flick at all....
Bezerkeley
Friday, May 24, 2002 at 09:15:10 (PDT)
AC Dropout,
Even if 500 people got the bootleg DVD for a Star Wars Movie, do you seriously think that would make a dent in the profits or that George Lucas would even care? Those movies will make billions worldwide, he won't miss your $9.
Viet Guy,
I agree, I think people should just enjoy the movie for what it is instead of inspecting minutely every single aspect of everything just to validate their belief that George Lucas is a racist. Who will be attacked next, ET?
me
Friday, May 24, 2002 at 08:36:08 (PDT)
"Never seen any of the new installments. Heard they suck now."
heck given the rate computer graphics are progressing they might as well use CGI like 'final fantasy' for the next episode. it's all a big cartoon now.
villageidiot
Friday, May 24, 2002 at 08:08:01 (PDT)
Actually, in the DVD features, the custume designers say that some of Queen Amidala's wardrobe was derived off of Asian (female) outfits
TAG
Thursday, May 23, 2002 at 21:04:47 (PDT)
Ahhaahaha, the moment i saw the title of this forum i couldnt help but laugh hysterically, where the Asian men in Geroge Lucas' films?? Well would like to ask where are the Indian people in any movie? I mean i dont see Indian actors represented in American cinema, and call me crazy but i think that an asian indian american actress would have been better for the leading female role in the Scorpian king rather than Kelly Hu, only because Indians look a little more like Egyptians. And i know there are a lot of Indian actors and actresses out there [as in america]. But i have become used to not eeing my race represented in anything in America, and here there is a forum on how Asian men are no where to be seen on Star Wars! thats a big laugh
NdNgurl!!
Thursday, May 23, 2002 at 17:17:00 (PDT)
Let's start a petition to buy only the bootleg DVD the same day Episode III hits the screens worldwide. That should get Lucas' attention.
Never seen any of the new installments. Heard they suck now.
AC Dropout
Thursday, May 23, 2002 at 09:11:31 (PDT)
Oh goodness people, it's just a movie!
"Is Lucus slyly inviting viewers to see wizened little Master Yoda as a winking representation of Asian men?"
WTF?? Yoda is green not yellow!
It was a good movie, better than the first I think. The only reason why Sam Jackson was in the new Star War's movies is because he's a good actor not becase he's black. The movie is one big fantasy, so enjoy as it is.
Viet guy in Houston
Thursday, May 23, 2002 at 08:13:25 (PDT)
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