Seriously, is this the best George Lucas could do to include some sexual diversity in the Star Wars mythos?
Now, according to this blog, there has been an openly gay character in the extended Star Wars universe.
And, of course, the "sexuality" of C3PO is under some debate.
But the point is, both "Capote The Hutt" and C3PO, if they indeed are meant to represent homosexuals, represent them as stereotypes.
Isn't there any room at this point for a non-stereotypical gay Star Wars character of more importance than one created for a related videogame or paperback?
But that's the charm of the Star Wars universe, isn't it? It's like seeing everything through the eyes of an eager eight-year-old boy raised on old movie serials from the 1930s and 40s. Lots of fun and adventure, low on subtlety, bits of unintentional offensiveness here and there.
(That's why I like Star Trek just a little bit more. Though they could do a better job in this department as well, as documented here.)
If this were a Pixar flick I dont' think anyone would care. They'd say, "that sounds like Capote. How clever" and be done with it. (Remember that character in the Incredibles? I won't even say the name but if I said "homosexual Incredibles character" we all know the one the comes to mind.) But because it's Star Wars it's like tring to amend scripture. It's not scripture and people shouldn't get worked up. See it or don't see it and by all means, make fun of it on the introwebnet because that's what the introwebnet is for but don't go crazy. Like you said, "It's like seeing everything through the eyes of an eager eight-year-old boy raised on old movie serials from the 1930s and 40s. Lots of fun and adventure, low on subtlety, bits of unintentional offensiveness here and there."
ReplyDeleteI...I like that art? I haven't seen it, & I don't doubt that there is a horrific element of tokenism. That said, big gay uncle archetypes are fine? Just, you know, not to exclusion. Whatever. Lucas, stop. Everyone! Quit paying attention. We know what Jedi are, we don't need to pay attention to him anymore!
ReplyDeleteExiting the theatre after the midnight showing of Phantom Menace, walking past the line of people eager to enter the the theater, I blurted out, "I can't believe Obi Wan and Qui Jon are gay!"
ReplyDeleteIn retrospect, given the themes of the first movie, and the celibacy of the Jedis, I feel that movie would have been better had Qui Jon been female.
What's curious is that nobody bats an eye (or raises an eyebrow) when some alien lifeform lusts after a humanoid.
"Remember that [gay] character in the Incredibles?"
ReplyDeleteGazerbeam? :)
Well, it's not like the Trade Federation characters weren't blatantly offensive Chinese stereotypes, or that Watto was a fairly blatant Israeli stereotype (complete with a big floppy hook nose), and Jar Jar might as well been saying "Massa" instead of "Yousa."
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen Clone Wars nor really paid all that much attention to it, but if it just happens to have a flamboyant alien that has, let's say floppy wrists made of jelly, are we really that surprised?
but Lucas is going to get away with it because he's Lucas. He's got a giant pile of F-you money and sole control over a billion dollar franchise. He could do a remake of Birth of a Nation and get away with it if he wanted to.
P.S. Add me to the list of people who doesn't know who the gay Incredibles is supposed to be. I'm not taking shots, I'm just genuinely at a loss as to who that's supposed to be.
this is even a surprise for people???
ReplyDeletewhen did lucus not use stereotypes to create characters or model them after characters in other works.
while he seems to do big macro world building quite well, his details are full of schlock and mimicry.
original character is not his strength.
Part of the big problem is that outside of the weak Luke/Leia/Han incest triangle and the (forced) obsession over Padme by Anakin, there isn't much space for romantic development in the SW universe.
ReplyDeleteMaybe there could have been a Lando "equivilent" in the prequels that comes onto Anakin or Obi-Wan or something but how do you not make that unstereotypical? Anyone guy coming onto Ani as strong as Billy Dee did with Leia in Empire would basically "The Birdcage" in a galaxy far, far away.
I don't read the Expanded Universe at all, and I do understand that Luke is married, but how awesome would it have been if Luke turned out to be gay?
Nothing crazy or weird or stereotypical or slash-fiction-y hooking up with Han Solo about it, just in addition to being the last Jedi and redeemer of his father, he happened to be gay.
It would have been really cool.
I also don't know what Incredibles character the commenter was talking about, then again I didn't understand most of his/her post.
ReplyDeletePeople probably replied with the answer when you asked if there was a healthy non-angsty gay relationship in the Marvel Universe and it is Wiccan and Hulkling.
With Star Wars you hit in the head, it's supposed to be dumb and socially irrelevant so it's par for the course.
Also, WHAT WHAT IN THE HUTT!
ReplyDeleteThe general look and feel and character design for this film looks hideous to me.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the supposed "homosexual Incredibles character" thing, I also couldn't figure out who the first commenter meant. I wracked my brain until I thought "could he mean Edna Mode?" Which is impossible, as that's a guy doing a voice for an older, bitchy, vaguely European woman, which in no conceivable way amounts to a "homosexual character" even if you subscribe to the peculiarly American view of all drag being "gay."
Try Babylon 5 or Doctor Who?
ReplyDeleteRemember that character in the Incredibles? I won't even say the name but if I said "homosexual Incredibles character" we all know the one the comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking hard...
I got nothin'.
-M
Everyone knows Lando was gay
ReplyDeleteI'm gay and to be honest... tokenism and stereotypical representations of gay people is nothing new so it's not really worth getting worked up over it.
ReplyDeleteI'm just looking forward to seeing if the Clone Wars lives up to all the hype. Here's hoping...
would we even know if there was a 'non-stereotypical' gay character in Star Wars?
ReplyDeleteI always thought Lando was putting it on a little too much... he's got something to hide.
I hope the gay Jabba goes on to interview two Imperials that were arrested for killing two farmers on Tatooine.
ReplyDeleteSyndrome was gay?
ReplyDeleteHe was willing to kill his GF/beard to get at Mr Incredible. And he idolized him.
And he had a swishy cape.
1) I really wish they would make the movie Patrick was describing.
ReplyDelete2) The Incredibles. Androgynous looking female character voiced by a man. Really? No one else caught that? Maybe it's just me.
3) Does my profile pic look like I'm a woman?
He must mean Edna. I guess. She didn't come come across as a dyke to me, though, just as an eccentric.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Star Wars, I figure that all the Storm Troopers are probably gay. Until they tell me otherwise, why not?
"Androgynous looking female character voiced by a man. "
ReplyDeleteBy what bizarre criteria can that possibly be interpreted as "homosexual Incredibles character"? It's a guy doing a funny old (-er than him anyway) lady voice. It's no more homosexual than the pepperpots from Python.
I saw the film on opening day, and it didn't strike me at all that Zero the Hutt is gay.
ReplyDeleteA definite flamboyant partier, sure. Any Hutt who hangs out in a cantina all his own is bound to love the party life, but gay? Not from what I saw.
Now maybe if he'd come on to Dooku or something, maybe then.
I'm not really sure why, when all of the characters in Star Wars are stereotypes shallower than the kiddy pool (I mean, even people who like the original trilogy - the "good" trilogy - admit it's Lucas robbing westerns and samurai movies blind for archetypes and stereotypes), it's such an outrage that the gay characters aren't infused with depth and layers of characterization.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty sad that it's okay to write sucky, shallow, stupid white hetero males, but as soon as you have a woman, a homosexual, or someone else be in some way flawed, it's indicative of misogyny, homophobia, or some other hatred.
I saw the flick. My six year old loved it. Capote the Hut is barely in it and sounds nothing like Capote and a lot like Cartman from south park. Is he gay? I have no idea. He's a talking slug thing. He's basically Ursula from the Little Mermaid with Cartman's voice.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if Hutts are even gendered. I mean, they're big slugs or worms. I thought perhaps they're hermaphroditic and they only adopt gender performance as some kind of social construct so questions about their sexuality might be moot...
ReplyDeleteAnd then I thought, "What the hell is wrong with ME?!!"
Uh, if I remember correctly back when I used to be into star wars, Hutts are actually asexual and become female and reproduce on their own during cycles in their life.
ReplyDelete