PT The Jar Jar Binks Appreciation Thread

...Okeeday

 

I think there was a place for a comedic sidekick in TPM but I'm afraid GL got it all wrong - appreciation thread I know but just saying.......

 

A sobering post on Twitter from Ahmed Best.



Whatever you think of any of the characters, there are real people behind each one of them, and they don't deserve any vitriol.

 

Wow. There's a hole in the world like a great black pit and it's filled with people who are filled with... bantha poodoo and its morals aren't worth what a pig could spit and it goes by the name of Star Wars Fandom.

 

Too bad speaking out against fan toxicity was unfashionable back then.

 

Ahmed, if you read this, I just want to say thank you for your performance. It was great and brought joy to countless SW fans.

 

I was really sad to read this online. As much as Jar Jar grated on me as a character, no actor/actress should ever be reduced to feeling like this, nor have their careers impacted upon or judged by their portrayal of one character.
Its quite disgusting and pathetic that you would have some so called "fans" lowering themselves down to the level of being the scum on excretment and issuing death threats to actors or actresses. Those people are the lowest of the low human beings; if you could even call them that.
I'm glad Ahmed has come through the other side and found a better place in life and is now able to look upon that spot with different eyes. And I'm really glad that he has a son now and has got to experience all of that magic that comes with having a child.

 

I wouldn't limit any blame to just fans, but also critics, media outlets, and talk show hosts, etc. Whiny fans aren't going to affect his career prospects. Something he has said that really bothered him that he very much disagrees with was people calling him/his character a racist stereotype, which I still see occasionally, even here.

 

I agree with you completely. Sometimes, especially in light with recent events involving Kelly Marie Tran and Daisy Ridley (and even Rian Johnson too), one (meaning me - and probably others too) can get carried away with the point of view that fans are solely responsible for the emotional stress that these people can receive on social media for something the fans don't like. But you are right, critics, media outlets, talk show hosts and even throw in there social commentators (from blog sites, youtube shows and so on) too, they also play a role in taking people (actors and actresses) from a place of happiness to a place of emotional stress based on things that occur in a franchise like Star Wars that doesn't unfold in how they would have liked.

 

Came here to post the Ahmed Best news. The anger that some in our fan base bring to their passion is unhealthy. Not only for them but to others. Talking about this all more hopefully helps.

 

I found it all so vitriolic back then that I walked away from forums and the like for a long time. I know people say it's worse now but it wasn't much different (maybe less inane death threats from emotionally stunted manchild types) it's just that there were less platforms for the haters. Regardless, such toxicity is bad for the bones. God knows what it must feel like for the people in the centre of it all. I really feel sorry for the guy and all he's been through. Double sadness because I'm one of the clan who quite likes Jar Jar.

The media are notorious for ramping these things up, especially in the UK. Even (former) broadsheets like The Guardian have dropped their standards so much that you can't go a week without an article appearing about how crap Star Wars is doing in the eyes of the public. The media love to see productions, stars, or just people who are doing well in life, fail at something and then fling as much dirt on top as they can to keep them six feet under.

There's nothing wrong with disliking a character and saying why but to abuse the person playing it is so many shades of wrong. Sometimes I think some people watch Star Wars but they don't get it's actual core messages of friendship, unity, diversity and courage. They just see people blowing things up.

Stay strong, Ahmed. Lovely to see you in that photo with that special focus in your life. Family is important in life. It's important in Star Wars.

 

This broke my heart. Oh my god.

 

I hope this news makes cyber bullies think twice about their disgusting vitriolic rants.

 

^ True that

 

Sad news is: they won't.

Bad people that are hell bent on ruining one person's life because of a fictional alien character in a space movie for 12 year olds just won't have the necessary empathy to improve.

Call me a pessimist if you will.

 

Yeah, the kind of people who do this sort of thing just don't care about other people's feelings, especially when it comes to people who only exist to them as abstractions in the media.

 

And yet he still liked the role enough to come back for TCW, too. Someone give this man a sainthood.

 

I was shocked and saddened to read about this on the BBC News website. It's good that he has pushed through his difficult period and come out the other end. I wish him the best for the future.

This demonstrates that the darker side to movie criticism and fandom in general has been around for a long time. I do, however, believe that this has gotten worse in recent years. I also believe that the number of decent, moral and respectful fans far outnumber the basement-dwelling trolls who throw abuse at creatives. We may not enjoy every character, book or movie, but we can always express this in a civilised manner without trying to rip another human being to shreds in the process.

 

This news was really shocking for me too. I'm glad he's in a better place in his life now.

I've always enjoyed Jar Jar, including in the TCW cartoon. I've never quite gotten the Jar Jar hated phenomenon (except more academically as a group think/conformism example, perhaps).

The last time I went to see TPM in the theater during its original run was a matinee at a dollar theater in Pittsburgh PA, I think it was the tail end of its theatrical run. The audience was full of children (6 or 8 years old, perhaps, I'm guessing it was a birthday party) who loved him. They thought he was hilarious, they laughed loudly at every little thing he did.

 

I thought Jar Jar was funny also. In TPM, C3PO gives a running commentary of him which is nice. In AOTC, he nicely compliments Palpatine's "acceptance speech" of reluctance. And I do hope Jar Jar was indeed made Governor of Naboo as a thank you (jobs for Palpatine's boys). As for TCW, I loved that episode where the bad guys thought that Jar Jar was a Jedi Knight. And the scene where Padme asks C3PO whether the droids destroyed the starship. When he says no, she pauses and says, "Jar Jar?" It's a lovely scene. I prefer Jar Jar to many new characters that have emerged in the sequel era that is for sure. Long live Bombad General Binks!

 

I wonder what happened with the fandom where a lot of people seem to be more aware of just how toxic the fandom can be now.

There was a time with the prequels where it seemed almost ok to rip on everything about them. But since TLJ there seems to be more of awareness that perhaps the ripping on them and the franchise in general may have gone abit far.

 

Not sure why people are lumping this in with the current issue of "toxic fandom". What Best says in this tweet is that the negative media backlash against his character damaged his career, which put him in a dark place. Presumably the irreparable damage to his dreams & aspirations were understandably hard to deal with. It's very unfortunate. Lucas admitted during the production of TPM that Jar Jar was a massive risk that could go either way. Naturally the young actor who portrayed him was also sharing in an enormous risk, especially given it was his first major role. For better or worse it was always likely to be career defining.