PT The Jar Jar Binks Appreciation Thread

This was after ROTS when he became the Emperor where the majority of the crowd was going wild.

The backslapping Jar Jar got after AOTC was great until after ROTS or rather years later.

We'll see what this interlude is but it sounds good in the sense that

1) Jar Jar is still around after ROTJ.

2) Jar Jar is made the scapegoat for what others congratulated him for then blamed him for.

I quite like that and it means that at any future point we have many years of crazy Jar Jar adventures.

Here's a Jar Jar article:


https://www.inverse.com/article/25336-rogue-one-ending-star-wars-jar-jar-binks

 

wow ,,,a pro jar jar article

 

Interesting to know JJB's fate. Kinda tragic.

 

I must admit...

It's fitting and not fitting. Like Jar Jar himself.

But, ah, to try and wrestle out of that contradiction, and propound a real view...

Look, they're doing their own thing, and obviously acknowledging the hatred and ill-feeling toward on Jar Jar both sides of the proscenium; which is kinda neat. On the other hand, in contrast to the arc of the prequels, it's regressing Jar Jar to something of a bumbling, self-immolating, infantile state. At the end of the prequel trilogy, Jar Jar may be a tragic figure who made a terrible mistake, but he still leaves the silver-screen magisterium with his dignity intact. He finished TPM a proud warrior who helped to unite two estranged cultures and heal a symbiotic circle, he at least took the burden off anyone else giving Palpatine emergency powers in AOTC (and he was doing what he thought was right -- much like all the other characters), and he was still serving the much-respected former queen of Naboo, and his world entire, in ROTS (despite, it seems, being liked or wanted around by no-one). Now he's... entertaining kids and splashing about in a fountain... and doing cheap slapstick like he's Jake LaMotta.

But there is a profundity to it; especially if one reads the full extract via the following link:

http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-new-star-wars-aftermath-novel-reveals-the-pitiful-1792481018

Banished by both civilizations; no friends, no family; no tribe that wants to claim him as their own.

It's tragically beautiful. I like two further things that are stated or implied in the extract:

i) "He does tricks. He juggles. He falls over and shakes his head as his eyes roll around inside their fleshy stalks. He makes goofy sounds and does strange little dances. Sometimes it’s the same performance, repeated. Sometimes the Gungan does different things, things you’ve never seen, thing’s you’ll never see again."

Things you've never seen, things you'll never see again. Something awesomely touching about that:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono_no_aware

ii) There's apparently the tentative suggestion, the delicate hope, that Jar Jar might be making a friend at the end. Someone he can teach the ways of the Force -- or the ways of the clown -- to. Well, shoot, everyone needs a friend, and a reason to exist, right? Maybe Jar Jar gets to retain a drop of dignity after all.

Colour me jarringly impressed.

 

Was rather indifferent to Jar Jar but liked the Gungans!

 

I just read that part of the book and man it really sucks for Jar Jar, but he at least made a friend in the end.

 

I think in the end it fits his tone poem:

One Friend: Jar Jar

"Sometimes da one who's clumsy, different, or even a little strange, just might be da friend yousa looking for."

 

Yep. I like it too. It's both realistic in-universe and also reflects the overall mood of people in the real world. Jar Jar is partly responsible for Palpatine's rise to power. He's not going to be warmly welcomed. He's thought of as nothing but a clown, so that's what he becomes full time.

 

You mean he, like Han and Leia, went back to the only thing he was ever any good at?

 

Can I just say, I'm not really a Jar-jar fan, but the existence of a thread like this makes me so happy.

 

Not really. If being used is synonymous of responsibility, he's as responsible as everyone else.

 

I'm a bit let down knowing that

Spoiler

becoming a street performer

is his fate. It is very undeserved in my opinion. If anything, he should be in the New Republic Senate.

 

Agreed. He should be.
It doesn't surprise me, though, that people went looking for scapegoats and found one (out of many, I bet) in Jar Jar. Sadly, people have a tendency to do that.
Even if the Senators would've liked to see him join their ranks, I guess he was too stigmatized for them to go that route.

Truly tragic.

 

Changing the subject a little bit, I kind of think Jar Jar apparently is strangely Shakespearean. Maybe just me. I like the "It's a long otello" (Othello?). Othello in Shakespeare's play is a General! (Bombad General?). He also says "Egads..." (which is also known as a euphemism to "Oh God" And he says this after Qui Gon talks about "your Gods demand....".

Finally his "fool" character arc so to speak is typical of Shakespear's fool or Jester which is a common feature in his plays;who tend to make an inadvertent move that outsmarts someone of higher society; he gives Padme the idea to use the Gungans as a diversion. Padme being the highest of the high in her society and Jar Jar is the lowest of the low, in his.

Plus when he struggles with some of the gadgets in Watto's shop, he's looks clearly like he's juggling.




Cheers!

MJ

 

Can anybody link me to that lengthy essay on Jar Jar's symbolism? I can't remember the link at all and I want to show it to somebody.

 

http://www.forcecast.net/story/home/The_Case_For_Jar_Jar_134218.asp

The writer is Paul F. McDonald. The author of this fabulous book:

https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Heresies-Interpreting-Philosophies/dp/B011T8I5M6

He also runs, or was running, a blog with the same name:

http://thestarwarsheresies.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Thank you, so much!

 

Happy to help a fellow Jar Jar fan!

 

The friend who wanted to read it is impressed and she thanks you, too. She said that this is the kind of stuff she writes as university papers and agrees with all of it.

 

You better believe it's undeserved. This turn of events for Mr. Bink's fate is complete fan service and nonsense. It doesn't add up at all with what we see in the movies and TV show for the life Jar Jar lived. Let's get it out of the way - yes Jar Jar would make an inspired

Spoiler

street performer

as we saw on the Clone Wars when he juggled dinnerware to charm and distract the Trade Federation. But for circumstances in life to force an old Jar Jar to pursue that as his only means of survival is ridiculous.

In universe Jar Jar Binks did great things and is a hero in his own right. Jar Jar is the one who brought the Gungans and the Naboo together to fight off the trade federation. That victory ushered in a new era for Naboo, uniting its citizens as equals on land and underwater. And yes it's Queen Amidala and Boss Nass that formally make this alliance. It's Jar Jar that sets it up.

In recognition of this Boss Nass makes Jar Jar a general in the Gungan Army. Jar Jar then leads Gungans into battle against the battle droids. Through comedy antics and clumsiness Jar Jar single handedly took out dozens of droids and multiple tanks during the battle saving the lives of his fellow Gungans. And while he might not have done this with traditional valor, we don't see any other Gungan give the droids such a fight. He's a war hero. The other Gungans know that.

Because he's a war hero, and one of the better traveled Gungans at this point, Jar Jar then becomes the first Gungan to represent Naboo in the Galactic Senate. That is totally unprecedented and historic.

As a Senator we see Jar Jar go on a number of adventures in The Clone Wars. He helped Bail Organa sneak supplies through Toydaria and later aided in the capture of Nute Gunray. Jar Jar successfully led a squad of clones against Space Pirates to free Anakin and Obi-Wan. We saw Jar Jar twice more save his people on Naboo. Once in stopping the Blue Shadow Virus and later by unraveling a Separatist plot to turn the Gungans against the Naboo. The later resulting in Jar Jar leading the Gungan Army to capture General Grievous. Not long after Jar Jar again led the Gungan army to battle in the defence of Mon Cala where he saved the life of Senator Amidala and helped turn the tide of war against the Separatists.

And when mysterious things began to happening with the force sensitive people of Bardotta, it was the help of Senator Jar Jar Binks and not the Jedi who Queen Julia of the Dagoyan Order asked for. And it was only as Jar Jar's guest that Mace Windu was allowed to visit the planet. Again Jar Jar distinguished himself in battle, ultimately rescuing Queen Julia and assisting Mace Windu in foiling the plans of Mother Talzin. Did I mention that Queen Julia kissed Jar Jar when they were alone together? Well she did. And you know what Wookiepedia says that proves? No? Wookiepedia says it "proved that they were indeed very close."

It's true Jar Jar did propose giving more power to Chancellor Palpatine, but at that time Palpatine was very popular on Naboo and throughout the galaxy. And the rest of the senate voted to give Palpatine those powers. And since Naboo is also Palpatine's home planet, it's hard to believe everyone on Naboo turned against Palpatine even while Emperor, especially if the Empire didn't interfere with the people there. And from what we see at the end of Return of the Jedi, Theed looks just like it did during the Phantom Menace only with more Gungans. Meaning the Empire didn't bomb it, or build bases there. Life looks much the same. And yes the people are celebrating the end of the Empire, meaning they didn't like the Empire. But we still seeing a united society of Gungans and Naboo. That means the peace and mutual cooperation initiated by Jar Jar has become regular life on Naboo.

Does anyone really see Jar Jar as a big supporter of the Empire after the events of Episode 3? And looking back on all the brave things Jar Jar did. All the lives he touched and people he directly saved. The life the EU has given him after Return of the Jedi is impossible to believe. There would still be those on Naboo who remember the brave deeds of Jar Jar Binks and how his actions helped change their world for the better. Really he reshaped their entire society. What about his fellow soldiers in the Gungan Army? Would they forget his bravery? What about off world? Jar Jar is still a hero on Mon Cala. He united the Mon Cala and the Quareen just like he did people on his world. And what about Queen Julia? And Jar Jar has everyone else he knows from his days in the Senate. And even if he's tired of politics, Jar Jar has traveled the universe at this point and we see on the Clone Wars he has no problem making friends. No way Jar Jar ends up alone and exiled. Even Mace Windu liked him in the end.

 

This is the worst kind of fan service. The same type as we see after ROTJ when suddenly and somehow everybody knows that the Jedi were actually the good guys in the Old Republic but nobody (except Luke , Leia and maybe Han) knows the true about Emperor's death and most important, nobody cares why it happened as it is insignificant event.
Also, I think the fate of Jar Jar described in the book contradicts the end of ROTJ when we hear his voice saying: wessa free! and he was in the middle of the celebrating crowds in Naboo, was not an outsider. But obviously in the new times is OK to treat people /beings in general in that way.

 

That, and Ewoks suddenly being reduced to insignificant semi-animals. Not fair.

 

Hey Jar Jar and Chewy should get their own movie. Disney do it for the culture!!!

 

The new Jar Jar story bothers me. For all the years of unjust criticism, hate and impatience, not only from the characters in universe, but, from the fans, he is now delegated to further unfair persecution. The author makes him a focal point of the hate that the public has for the rise of the Empire, yet, the many Senators that sat by and even cheered for that rise are not?

Jar Jar's role in the creation of the Empire was Lucas's way of thumbing his nose at the haters. That this misunderstood character that was so despised, had such a critical role in the history of the movies that the haters hold up as the "real" Star Wars was supposed to be Jar Jar's revenge of sorts.

So now, Jar Jar is now persecuted by the in-universe characters as he was by the fans gives me no satisfaction. Would have much preferred that Jar Jar lived a peaceful life with a wife, kids, and a white picket fence. Or that he was a leader of the Naboo Rebellion against the Empire... This new storyline, no matter what the intentions of the Author are, allows those haters a certain amount of satisfaction in that Jar Jar is getting what he deserves...

 

I can't take this anymore, I will write a fic where he's redeemed.