Subject:
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Panaka is yellow?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.starwars
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Date:
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Wed, 22 Dec 1999 15:36:22 GMT
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Viewed:
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551 times
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I'm sure the topic of race amongst mini-figures is an ancient one, but I just
wanted to hear theories from the more informed AFOL's this time.
I'm pretty sure TLG just wanted to circumvent any racial issues by making ALL
the heads "yellow." There've been a few exceptions in the past, though...very
queer exceptions. Most notably, there's a DACTA set featuring an Asian family,
and the skin color is tan, presumably in a consequently-admitted side-stepping
of the inherent stereotype of "yellow skin." I also recall seeing tan-hued
American Indians.
Panaka's character in SW:I is a black man; there are even pictures of him
inside the instruction manual, but his mini-fig is still the requisite yellow
in complexion. His hands are brown (a new piece, by the way), but I would
assume these are gloved hands, otherwise I'd be even more troubled. It's
almost as if Lego is showing the pictures, saying, "See? This is the character
you are playing with in the model. Just in case you were confused..."
Is it really that big a deal to make brown mini-fig heads? Would the
cartoon-like "black dot eyes and smile" imprint not show up well enough on a
brown piece, therefore making it necessary to use "white dots and a red smile,"
making some kind of horrific "Sambo" effect? As an artist, I'll admit that I
can't even figure out a solution here.
However, this appears to be a no-win scenario. I just wish the whole thing
about "yellow is the official international Lego mini-figure skin tone" wasn't
a mysterious unwritten rule that we have to figure out for ourselves.
I apologize if this posting should have been elsewhere...it really was a
question which started with my little Flash Speeder set (I love green pieces!).
I also apologize if at any point I failed to cover all the necessary bases when
discussing a touchy subject like this. I sincerely mean to defend, not offend.
Dave (jot and jab)
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Message has 5 Replies:
 | | Re: Panaka is yellow?
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| Dave, (...) I think that the Flash Speeder minifig is not Panaka. In the movie, the flash speeder was used in the first moments of the seizure of the castle / government building, and he was not driving it, and that is what IMHO TLC (TLG, LG, LC) (...) (25 years ago, 22-Dec-99, to lugnet.starwars)
| | | Re: Panaka is yellow?
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| (...) I really think that what you have written hear gets to the root of the problem. For one I agree with you that it would be nice to get some sort of offical stance from LEGO regarding the issue but beyond that I think there are some very (...) (25 years ago, 22-Dec-99, to lugnet.starwars)
| | | Re: Panaka is yellow?
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| (...) I think the brown officer's hat is also a new piece. (...) This was, in part, the reason I was given at Consumer Affairs (admittedly, a loose theory by the rep I was talking to) as to why female minifig heads came so late, comparatively. (It (...) (25 years ago, 22-Dec-99, to lugnet.starwars)
| | | Re: Panaka is yellow?
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| (...) All human LEGOfolk are yellow, including Asians and Native Americans. Why should LEGOfolk of African descent be any different? Was there a fuss when the Islanders showed up, and they were yellow? I'm not entirely sure what racial group they're (...) (25 years ago, 23-Dec-99, to lugnet.starwars)
| | | Re: Panaka is yellow?
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| (...) family, (...) character (...) smile," (...) pieces!). (...) when (...) offend. (...) Who is to say thats panaka, I mean the pics at the top of the instructions show other people too, who is to discount the queen in regular getup. I've heard (...) (25 years ago, 27-Dec-99, to lugnet.starwars)
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