PT Why Anakin Skywalker should’ve been removed from the Jedi Order for sexual harassment

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opin...moved-jedi-order-sexual-harassment/924410001/

The Jedi Council's inability to remove a toxic, misogynistic predator from their ranks ultimately brings about their downfall.

Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. Christensen played the role in the movie "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" (2002) and reprised it again in "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" (2005)(Photo: Merrick Morton, Lucasfilm)

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In anticipation of the Star Wars: The Last Jedi movie release, like many others, I’ve been rewatching the series. To my horror, while viewing Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones, I realized that Anakin Skywalker (even before overtly becoming evil) was a sexual predator in the workplace!
Skywalker's role in the destruction of the Jedi Order and the establishment of the Galactic Empire is the impetus for the ensuing movies in the franchise. There would be no bad guys in a majority of the films if the Jedi Order had removed a workplace predator from their ranks.

While this may have happened a long time ago in a galaxy far far away, it deserves to be called out now. By allowing a predator in the workplace, and not doing enough to fight sexual harassment, the Jedi Council ultimately engineers its own demise.

Members of the Jedi Council should’ve removed Skywalker from the Jedi Order after his many missteps while protecting Sen. Padmé Amidala. If they had, Chancellor Palpatine would have been unable to leverage Skywalker into destroying the Jedi Order, dismantling democracy and creating the first Galactic Empire.
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Strike 1

Skywalker, who is officially assigned to protect Amidala from an assassination plot, begins crossing professional and personal boundaries as soon as he’s alone with her. While Amidala is packing her bags for a long trip with her state-appointed protector, Skywalker starts making inappropriate advances. She flat out tells him, "Don't look at me like that," because "it makes me feel uncomfortable." He simultaneously offers a facetious apology and undermines her own position of authority over him.

Skywalker has already overstepped his boundaries in a professional setting. She calls him out on it, and it should be the end of the story. But he insists on harassing Amidala for the duration of the film, making her feel, at turns, uncomfortable and unsafe.

Strike 2

Even during meals, Skywalker is relentless in his pursuit of Amidala. She attempts to make light conversation about Skywalker's Jedi vows, but he uses this polite discussion as an opportunity to pounce, declaring that he can’t be “with the people I love.” He immediately follows this up by confessing to her that he remembers her in his dreams. Skywalker is telling an elected official, who is obligated to be in his presence, that he has been dreaming about her.

It’s an unhealthy obsession — not anything close to love. And where can Amidala go? Her life is in danger, and she has no choice but to stay with Skywalker, who is at turns her protector and her predator. On top of all of this, Skywalker has supernatural powers — he’s one of the strongest beings in the entire galaxy. Talk about a power dynamic!
Strike 3

Skywalker, who is still a Padawan learner and not yet a Jedi knight, isn’t content with threatening Amidala's sexual agency, but insists on undermining her professional authority as well. On her home planet of Naboo she discusses with the queen where she would like to stay while in hiding. Skywalker takes this moment, in front of an assortment of nobility and elected officials, to throw a tantrum and assert his dominance by telling her that he’s “in charge of security.”

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Later, when they’re alone, Skywalker decides to confront her with his feelings. He tells her that since they met (when he was a child), “a day hasn’t gone by when I haven’t thought of you.”
That’s just plain creepy!
Strike 4

Then he places the blame on her — because of course a woman can’t exist professionally without it threatening some self-centered man. He tells her, “You are in my very soul, tormenting me. What can I do?” Um, how about realize this is a you problem and let Amidala live her life?
It’s shocking that the Jedi Council, or at least some of its members, like Masters Yoda and Windu, didn’t know about these flagrant violations of professional and personal boundaries. After all, can’t they use the force?

The Jedi Council's inability to remove a toxic, misogynistic predator from its ranks ultimately brings about its downfall — when Anakin Skywalker joins the dark side and becomes Darth Vader. Maybe if the Jedi were more concerned with gender equality, and less concerned with balancing the force, then they would still be around today




It's true. Until I read the article I thought of Anakin as a tragic hero, one to be greatly admired and cherished. My eyes have now been opened.

Now he's nothing more than an intergalactic Harvey Weinstein. He's The Empire's Bill Cosby. The GFFA equivalent of Jimmy Saville.

I hate to say it, but Anakin is a monster. I also believe this explains Hayden's terrible performance. Being of sound morals, he did not wish to give agency to the Star Wars Jerod from Subway through a good acting performance.

 

Damn....this really puts things into perspective. I don't think I can watch the PT again.

 

As always George Lucas was there before us, culturally and artistically, with us only belatedly catching on. Can't you see how he prefigured the workplace revolution of the 2010s? Are you unable to recognize his almost uncanny anticipation in foregrounding sexual harassment and abuse as a defining characteristic of emergent villainy? It's just a sampling of what makes the prequel trilogy such a timeless masterpiece.

 

...You're trolling, right?

 

You were able to watch it before?

 

In our youth we watched the prequels for pleasure. Increasingly, we recognize that we have a duty to watch them. We're not in this for our own amusement any more than George Lucas was.

 

Darth Weavile so you condone sexual harassment in the workplace? Shame on you.

cubman987 you're you. Shame on you.

 

"I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. And by everywhere, I mean everywhere. [wink]"

I often imagine this line being spoken by Clarence Thomas to Anita Hill.

 

But what are prequels?

 

Prequel - noun

1. a story or film containing events which precede those of an existing work.

 

Thanks.
Are there such movies for Star Wars?

 

I can’t tell if you’re trolling.

But just in case you are not, there is a Star Wars film called Rogue One, set before Star Wars. You might want to check it out.

 

They're not trolling, at least not intentionally. They're just overwhelmed by their anticipation for TLJ, and this type of behavior is an outlet for them. They're eagerly looking forward to their chance to see a new SW film and then over time learn all the reasons why they should hate it and how to best mock it. Since they can't stand the wait, they have to find some way to keep themselves occupied before they can target TLJ.

 

It's certainly not professional, but being attracted to her and it being obvious isn't an awful thing. He's not staring at a part of her body or groping her or anything like that.

Except she doesn't care about that dynamic and isn't effected by it. And that's assuming she even recognizes Anakin as being in legitimate power over her, which I never got the impression she does.

Again not professional and even overly sharing. Not what I'd call sexual harrassment. Not appropriate conversation though.

Of course it's not love. That's part of the reason Anakin falls to the darkside. His feelings for her are more infatuation and unhealthy fixation than love. Anakin's inability to want to form a healthy connection is why he's unable to let go when he discovers her upcoming death.

He is in charge of security, isn't he? I don't know how that's undermining her professional authority.

Sure, it's creepy I guess. Though there are creepier things in the Star Wars movies.

Isn't this after they kiss? But regardless, saying that she's in his soul isn't blaming her for his feelings. It's being melodramatic.

 

Well now I'm an anti-Prequel fan. Gonna look for more meaningful relationships like Reylo. Thanks OP!

 

What the...?!

How does something like this gets published? And are people actually taking this seriously? What the hell is going on?

 

Ah, it's the hate brigade from JCC. Nothing to see here. Move along.

 

The problem is Anakin didn't take a page from the previous gen. Back in the day, meaningful relationships were to tell women they could use a good kiss and pin them to walls till they admit their love. That's why the Han Solo way is the way to go.

 

Juxtapose this against Padme telling Anakin she doesn't want to pursue a relationship and Anakin going "Oh...okay" and completely dropping it.

 

Exactly and in terms of physical interaction, the most he does is when they were on the lake.

 

Ah, the good old “hey, look over there!”

 

Shambles.