Author Topic: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls?
norway 
Registered: Sep '00
23587_Snowspeeder
Date Posted: 8/19/08 7:25pm Subject: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls?
I guess by now it's no secret that I found her character very annoying and completely at odds with her supposed sheltered upbringing (amongst the Jedi in the temple).

I think she was only added to make the series appeal to young girls, which I think is kind of sad. I mean, it's ok to try to appeal to girls but not at the expense with the logic of the story. I don't believe her personality fits with the background she is given.

Shadow posted this in another thread:
Shadow posted:
I think Ahsoka's role was tailored to play to the "kid" demographic. And as I noted in my earlier post, I have no real problem with that, although I do think that it can be a bit of an irritant for some viewers, esp older ones. There is a fine line between cheeky "cute" and cheeky "annoying", and depending on your outlook, Ahsoka could fall on either side of that line at different points in the movie.

I also think the movie wrestles with the innate problem of the Jedi taking a "kid" into dangerous combat. If she is TOO much of a novice, the Jedi will seem ISANELY reckless or heartless. If she is TOO competent, then the danger seems much less severe or real, or the Jedi don't seem all that impressive.

Personally, the "Snips" and "Skyguy" nicknames were just a BIT much for me.

And I completely agree with him.

I can tell already that it bothers some of us more than others, and that the majority of posters here even approve of her. So I wanted a thread devoted for discussing Ahsoka alone. And I would love to discuss the Jedi upbringing and how it would mold ones personality in their teens.

Thanks for any thoughts and insight. I appreciate that many disagree with me. I don't want to bash or argue, just explore this character in depth. Hopefully I'll grow to appreciate her more, because as is, I can only hope she dies a long and painful death before the series' end. happy

 

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UltimateJustin 
Registered: Jun '05
14808_Anakin Skywalker
Date Posted: 8/19/08 7:34pm Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls? - Date Edited: 8/20/08 9:20am (1 edits total) Edited By: Imperial_Hammer
And does having Anakin refer to someone as "Snips" make him a *****/*****? Discuss.

I_H Edit: Langauge

 

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JEDIGUNSHIP 
Title: New Big Brother 5 Player
Registered: May '08
48614_Big Brother 5
Date Posted: 8/19/08 7:39pm Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls?
Well, I believe that her very portrayal in the movie is not actually how the crowd responds to her, but how Anakin responds. You see, he would have a different bond with a female padawan than a male padawan, like he was with Obi-Wan. I think that it was a way to show another side of his personality. However, I do agree that you bring up a valid point.

 

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norway 
Registered: Sep '00
23587_Snowspeeder
Date Posted: 8/19/08 7:56pm Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls? - Date Edited: 8/20/08 9:20am (1 edits total) Edited By: Imperial_Hammer
UltimateJustin posted:
And does having Anakin refer to someone as "Snips" make him a *****/*****? Discuss.
Lol, good point. Add that in as well. And where exactly did he get 'Snips' from?

I_H Edit: Cleaning the Quote

 

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DarthDuckie 
Registered: Jan '04
Date Posted: 8/19/08 9:39pm Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls?
A lot of anime aimed at kids has this type of precocious, smart arse pre-teenage character who obviously appeals to some demographic as they keep appearing. I just thought she was very un-Star Wars and her personality completely mis-matched her supposed background.

 

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Robimus 
Registered: Jul '07
43729_IG-88
Date Posted: 8/19/08 10:16pm Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls?
I think they are trying to appeal more to little girls with Asoka. Just as Transformers Animated is trying to do the same with Sari Sumdac. The producers know they are going to automatically get the male audience with such franchises, so they introduce an important female character to try and broaden the appeal a bit. Very likely it will work. happy

 

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maderic 
Registered: Oct '04
23524_Xanatos
Date Posted: 8/19/08 11:41pm Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls?
In a word, yes.

 

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Jedi_Keiran_Halcyon 
Registered: Dec '00
17824_Kieran Halcyon
Date Posted: 8/20/08 12:07am Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls?
Make a live-action Clone Wars movie all about Ashoka, starring Miley Cyrus.

It will make more money than the other movies COMBINED. devil

 

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SaberJedi2 
Registered: Apr '07
46294_Obi-Wan Kenobi (3168)
Date Posted: 8/20/08 4:38am Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls?
Jedi_Keiran_Halcyon posted:
Make a live-action Clone Wars movie all about Ashoka, starring Miley Cyrus.
devil


Please god no! I would quit my fandom right then and there.

As far as appealing to young girls, yes. George has also said that he needed to show maturity in Anakin and giving him a Padawan was the best way of accomplishing this.

 

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iLoveAnakin7 
Registered: Apr '05
47584_Anakin and Obi-Wan
Date Posted: 8/20/08 7:48am Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls? - Date Edited: 8/20/08 7:50am (2 edits total) Edited By: iLoveAnakin7
Actually, I think he was trying to appeal to young BOYS. Just look at the way homegirl is dressed! A tube top? rolling_eyes

I'm a girl and I already love SW, (and I can point to at least 1,000 more girls all collected in one area on the internet that adore SW as well). Have since I was nine. GL overlooks the fact that many females already are fanGIRLS (we get vastly overlooked, dismissed, and ignored of course in everyday fandom as if SW is for boys only).

Perhaps that was his point with Ahsoka. Or perhaps he believes in equality, and wanted to show more female Jedi, because they DID exist in his universe. I have to admit that I liked seeing a girl kick ass for once...even if she was a little 14 year old. But she had a lightsaber and a prominent speaking role, and she could hang with the men. Even at 20, that still appeals to me, and gives me hope.

 

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snowspeeder_gunner 
Registered: Apr '07
Date Posted: 8/20/08 8:49am Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls?
iLoveAnakin7 posted:
Actually, I think he was trying to appeal to young BOYS. Just look at the way homegirl is dressed! A tube top? rolling_eyes


AGREED. I have no idea how that even stayed on.


However, I feel like Ahsoka was just another disappointment in a long line of annoying girl action heroes. I hate that they all have to be "cheeky" or "witty". Can't they just show a girl who is good at what she does without making her a smart alec?

 

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boletus 
Registered: Jun '08
47598_Plif Muk Muk
Date Posted: 8/20/08 8:51am Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls?
I didn't find her nearly as bad as some people suggest she is. I think it could be expected that there was a sassy teenage girl somewhere in the Jedi temple. I mean I teach girls like this on Earth and I'd find it hard to imagine that they don't exist in a galaxy far far away. I mean we're talking hundreds of systems, so of course we'd find at least a couple hundred. Anyway, it appears to me that she was chosen specifically for Anakin. It was decided she should be his apprentice probably because of her attitude and personality. It's part of Anakin's ongoing training. And when it's mentioned that training her isn't the problem, but letting go when the time is right is his true test it echoes of his attachment issues which ultimately bring his fall to the dark side. I think she works in her role.

People say it's "un-Star Wars" but I don't want the same character with a new face, I want something different. I assume a galaxy would have plenty of diversity, and I think she brings something different to the series (& movie) and as long as they are careful not to over use the "Sky Guy" stuff and develop her character more she'll become a fine addition to the universe. Now we've met her, lets get to know her.

 

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kecen 
Registered: Jul '05
42119_Floating Stormtrooper
Date Posted: 8/20/08 10:58am Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls? - Date Edited: 8/20/08 10:59am (1 edits total) Edited By: kecen
I'm expecting a trap curtain to open and for Ahsoka to admit she's really older and that she just has a Gland Problem and this has all been a clever trick by the Jedi council. Oh, nevermind.

I think the nickname Snips might be because Anakin is familiar with Shaak Ti, another Togruta, and Ahsoka has very short horns compared to her.

I've been into the Star Wars fandom since I was...maybe 11 or 12. The game that drew me in? Jedi Starfighter. The main character was a grown woman, Adi Gallia, but what I fell for was Nym, the Feeorin space pirate. If Ahsoka had been a member of a space pirate crew or a police decoy, that would have been more interesting. Any female character would have done (as long as she wasn't ancient and tucked away into the Jedi archives). It's still too early in the fandom to say where Ahsoka's character is really going. She may have some secrets yet, or make an awful, awful mistake that also puts Anakin in danger. For all we know, her winning streak is a setup for a failure.

Sari from Transformers was one of the unexpected parts of the animated series, for various reasons. I don't see many "minorities" on cartoons as the main characters, excepting the exotic ethnic shows.

 

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JediMasterShawn 
Registered: Mar '05
19942_A New Hope
Date Posted: 8/20/08 11:03am Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls?
I think it is pretty obvious that one does not become a self respecting and respected Jedi until much later in life, i.e. after apprenticeship. Maybe they went a little overboard on her being disrespectful, but the overall idea that younglings are far different from the Jedi in regards to maturity isn't really new (Sean Stewart's Yoda: Dark Rendezvous comes to mind).

 

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iLoveAnakin7 
Registered: Apr '05
47584_Anakin and Obi-Wan
Date Posted: 8/20/08 11:11am Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls?
kecen posted:
I think the nickname Snips might be because Anakin is familiar with Shaak Ti, another Togruta, and Ahsoka has very short horns compared to her.


According to the novel, he gives her that nickname because she is "Snippy". wink

 

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Go-Mer-Tonic 
Registered: Aug '99
8199_Han Solo
Date Posted: 8/20/08 11:29am Subject: RE: Was Ahsoka only added to appeal to young girls?
I liked the character, and I'm an old dude. happy

 

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