A few weeks ago, I watched Return of the Jedi with a friend who is not up on Star Wars and hadn't seen the movie in years. Having a fresh perspective does wonders
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Definitely not unusual for the time, and much kinder than, say, the treatment the ape-men in Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World. While I find it all intellectually interesting, it is sad that we have this tradition.
I have such mixed feelings on the Gungans. On one hand, you're right that they do have developed technology and culture, and the movie at least recognizes that they have legitimate grievances against the Naboo. But Jar Jar is so over the top, and Boss Nass is comic (and fat and greenish like Jabba to boot). I think George at least was trying, which is good. And I think it's a lot easier to see that there is a nuanced situation with the Gungans than it is with the Ewoks. So that's an improvement.
I can't think of a non-comic alien either, except maybe a few background characters.
It's similar to how he tries to break out of sexist stereotypes, but then falls back into the old "woman sad without man! woman needs protecting!" storylines. Sigh.
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I have such mixed feelings on the Gungans. On one hand, you're right that they do have developed technology and culture, and the movie at least recognizes that they have legitimate grievances against the Naboo. But Jar Jar is so over the top, and Boss Nass is comic (and fat and greenish like Jabba to boot). I think George at least was trying, which is good. And I think it's a lot easier to see that there is a nuanced situation with the Gungans than it is with the Ewoks. So that's an improvement.
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It's similar to how he tries to break out of sexist stereotypes, but then falls back into the old "woman sad without man! woman needs protecting!" storylines. Sigh.
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