Subject:
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Re: A couple stupid SW questions...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Wed, 14 Jun 2000 02:08:31 GMT
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Viewed:
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185 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Schuler writes:
> In lugnet.starwars, Eric Joslin writes:
> > Now. Other than the dog's accent, can you tell me in what way he is a
> > "stereotype" of Latin-Americans?
>
> But isn't that the point? The Nemoidians exhibited no obviously Asian
> characteristics as far as I saw, but they were castigated as Asian
> stereotypes. Likewise, Watto was denounced as a stereotypical Jewish or Arab
> merchant (I've heard both), though again I didn't otherwise see anything
> particularly representative of either culture.
I read a similar article a while back (could have even been the same one,
can't find it now, though) and IMO the guy who wrote it was a tosser. Someone
told him to "get a grip" and he's never let go!
I fail to see how anyone could draw any racial stereotypes from Star Wars (or
the Taco Bell add for that matter). Sure, the Nemodians could have spoken in
some dreamed-up language with subtitles (like Jabba) but then there would have
been complaints about that too. I sometimes wonder where everyone's sense of
humour has gone. Some people take themselves too seriously.
Where are the complaints about the Warner Bros cartoons with Speedy Gonzales
(offensive to Mexicans?) or Sylvester and Tweety (offensive to people with
speech impediments) or Yosemite Sam (offensive to... Cowboys?). And where are
the animal activists protesting against Grandma always beating up on Sylvester
and Daffy? I'm sure the anti-gun lobby would have something to say about the
flagrant misuse of firearms by Sam and Elmer too (Hey, doesn't Elmer have a
speech impediment too? Man, has he got it coming!!).
Why are we (as a general world community) so humourless when it comes to this
sort of thing. In Australia the police can't even include in their description
of a person "wanted for questioning in relation to...." that they're "Asian"
or "Middle-Eastern" or "Mediterranean" or "African" and especially not
"Aboriginal" in appearance as the spokespeople for those "communities" get all
upset and it portrays them all as criminals. No-one gets upset at the
"Caucasian" description, and these community leaders don't concern themselves
with berrating the perpetrators as the ones who are actually giving their
community the bad name and not the police (funny, it's only the community in
question who seem to draw this conclusion).
A couple of seasons ago JAG had an "Australian" officer join Harm and Mac.
That had to be the worst imitation of an Australian accent I have ever heard,
but so what?
So the Taco Bell doggie has a Mexican accent. I thought Taco Bell was meant to
have a Mexican theme about it anyway. Hey, at least it's a Chihuahua and not
an Old English Sheepdog, Irish Setter or German Shephard!
</vent>
Pete Callaway
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: A couple stupid SW questions...
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| (...) But isn't that the point? The Nemoidians exhibited no obviously Asian characteristics as far as I saw, but they were castigated as Asian stereotypes. Likewise, Watto was denounced as a stereotypical Jewish or Arab merchant (I've heard both), (...) (24 years ago, 13-Jun-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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