CT What was the reaction to Mon Mothma?

We all know about people’s reactions to the original Star Wars, Vader being Luke’s dad, the great Jedi Master Yoda being a little green alien, Ewoks, Leia as Luke’s sister etc etc but was there any reaction to finally meeting the de facto leader of the rebel alliance? Were there any of the anti feminist people we hear today whining that Star Wars was becoming too PC having a woman as their leader?

 

I never heard anyone complain about that as a kid or since

 

Stuff people saw as a kid is grandfathered in. It's just "the way things are". Stuff they see now as adults - even if it's the exact same idea - can get pilloried for the flimsiest of reasons.

 

I've never understood why people complain about strong women in Star Wars. It's been like that since the very beginning with Leia yet people try to make out like it's a new thing. Even worse is that that they make it out to be a bad thing which IMO is just sexist.

 

I was surprised there was someone in the Rebellion with more political rank than Princess Leia. In ANH and ESB, she seemed to be the one in charge of overall direction of the movement. It wasn't until RotJ that it became clear that she was only leading one cell.

 

I don't know, but I can't look at her now without saying "F.Y.I all you single guys. My emotional stage, really isn't the greatest"

 

There was no negative reaction to Mon Mothma that I was aware of.

I clearly remember as a kid questioning why the Rebel leaders on Yavin weren't the same Rebel Leaders on Hoth. For Return of the Jedi I accepted the leadership change how it went fighting the Empire. I was more interested in knowing who the new leaders were. I liked that there were two new military leaders and for the first time we met the main leader of the Rebellion. I saw Mon Motham as the president of the good guys.

Guess I never saw Leia as the main political leader. Still Mon Mothma is crucial to the movie as her existence allows Leia to leave the Rebellion and search for Han and go on the mission to Endor.

In the Sequel Trilogy Leia finally fills the Mon Mothma role doesn't she?

 

I find it more interesting how few female characters there are at all. The fact that Leia and Mon Mothma were in positions of leadership helps balance this out.

 

The "rubber-head aliens" in the OT - the freaks, monsters, etc. used as background characters - were overwhelmingly male. Even in the ROTJ "Lost Pilots" reel, there are female pilots, and alien pilots, but no female alien pilots.

 

I didn’t pay her much attention. I was too baffled by MOD Edit Not the best behaviour for a covert mission.

Baz Edit: Not appropriate.

@anakinfansince1983 @cubman987

 

I had a more isolated experience of Star Wars as a kid. It was something only I seemed to love that much back then, so I can only reference my own reaction to her. I remember feeling that she was a wise, strong leader, but also a sensible, caring one. Except for the strong leadership bit, she felt like the exact opposite of the Emperor to me (she obviously is, but those were my impressions as a 5 years old).

 

I always liked how much we did NOT see of the rebellion. It wasn't really clear who was on charge on Hoth (operationally it seems to be Riekan, but Leia must have some sort of leadership role). The generals and admirals in ANH are not seen in ESB or RotJ. This all hints at a much larger though fractured alliance.

 

Oh really??? How do you know that? In fact, how can you know which of the other aliens, like the Jawas, Dianoga, Wampa, Rancor, Sarlacc etc. are male or female?

 

That's such a great point. When the Ninth Sister Inquisitor was introduced in a Darth Vader comic, I remember thinking "oh, what a shame that they didn't include another female Inquisitor"... she was female alright, just a Dowutin female! I've liked that character ever since for being so far away from the traditional female beauty standard so traditional in comics and such.
Actually, weren't several Cantina characters, at least in legends, female? I remember Sai´torr Kal Fas, Chachi de Maal, Wioslea, Kabe, M'iiyoom Onith, Kitik Keedkak among others...

 

Never really put much thought into Mon Mothma. Female leaders have always been a normal thing to me anyway, just look at the Queen of England! The fact that having strong and leading female characters can annoy people makes me laugh, because it shows just how pathetic they are.

I remember when The Last Jedi came out, someone actually took their time to edit out every single female character. I still can't get my head around that. But I guess since my mind isn't screwed up like theirs, I never will understand it.

Ahsoka, Rey, Jyn, Padme, Leia, Satine, Hera, Sabine, Satele, Shaak, Aayla, Luminara, Enfys, Tallie. Female Star Wars leaders have always kicked ass!

 

That was exactly my impression when I first saw ROTJ in 1983.

 

The more I think about it Leia should have been in the Mon Mothma role. But this gave us the big 3 on another adventure, so it was a good choice.

 

The UK had a queen and a female Prime Minister at the time, I don't think it ever became a talking point, I guess there would probably be more fuss if we got a female main villain now amongst feminists.

 

I doubt she even registered much to a pre-adolescent kid. I know she didn't to me. It was all about the core characters.

 

I don't remember much, if any, of a reaction. They didn't introduce her as the leader of the Rebellion. So I think she was looked at as just another leader.

 

We Brits were so woke in the eighties. It’s funny to think that Thatcher’s reign influenced society in such a way that cinema goers didn’t question the plausibility of a female Rebel leader. Forget Right to Buy, and crushing the miners, her true legacy is our acceptance of Mothma.

 

Originally, not even her name was clear in the rumors, which had her as either Momontha or Mom Montha. A friend remarked that an older female character named Mom was certainly … interesting, especially considering that TESB already had dropped such a bombshell regarding family relations.

 

I can’t comment on how it was originally received but as a kid the fact that we were finally meeting the overall leader of the good guys was an indicator that things had gotten serious. It’s also interesting to me that the idea of a female being the leader is in any way abnormal wasn’t even a concept to me at that age, even though I would have happily told you that girls drool, have cooties, and go to Jupiter to get more stupider.

 

I think they did a good job portraying Mon Mothma as a leader of the Rebel Alliance. Her look, mannerisms and general way she presented her self was very regal and authoritative. Even as a little kid it was easy for me to assume this was a woman in a high position among the Rebels.

She's probably my favorite minor character, in all of SW! For years I had wanted to see more of her, and I was delighted that a younger version of her was in ROTS-sadly those scenes were cut from the film, but not from my mind! Then, finally a payoff: She played a larger part than ever before in Rogue One!