I love me some George Lucas, and by that I mean the idea of George Lucas. The man was walking around with a beard and flannel shirts decades before he visited your local craft brewery, and he hasn’t changed at all since he sold the massive empire he built on the basis of a little science fiction film called Star Wars released in the late 70s.
It’s awesome.
However, while I think Lucas is a perfect example of a great American success story: a kid from Modesto makes a movie with a Wookie; earns billions of dollars – the man has not been immune to criticism.
We’re not talking about nerd rage for making Greedo shoot first or putting a window washer droid in there. Attack of the Clones (go look that one up if you don’t remember, it’s weird), wokesters have taken shots at Lucas over the years.
Their complaint? Well, I hope you sit down for this one: They think there were too many white guys.
Lucas spoke about it recently at Cannes (which I believe is pronounced “can”; as in “Hold my beer, will you? I have to go to the…) and pointed out something about the universe he created that some people seem to forget. : Most of those who inhabit it are extraterrestrials.
The legendary filmmaker spoke with Variety before being awarded an honorary Palme d’Or. Good for him. Usually you have to make a shitty, pretentious movie to get one!
“They were like, ‘They’re all white men,'” Lucas said of some of the criticism he’s heard over the years. “Most people are aliens! The idea is that you’re supposed to accept people as they are, whether they’re big and hairy or green or whatever. The idea is that all people are equal.”
Well, here’s a new idea from Mr. Lucas.
George Lucas on his way to an honorary Palme d’Or, still in flannel. You like to see it. (Photo by Dominique Charriau/WireImage)
Star Wars taught a simple lesson that people seem to have forgotten or ignored
He is right, first of all, the humans there are not necessarily humans as we know them, and their history in the universe is not the same as ours.
If you think about it, race plays no role in Star Wars. The characters are who they are, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or amount of fur.
So there was no diversity for pleasure in this world. There’s no scene where they look at the squadron of X-Wing pilots sent to attack the Death Star and someone starts criticizing their diversity:
“Um, this squadron of X-Wing pilots looks a little too white and straight, don’t you think?”
“You know what, you’re right. And I apologize for overlooking this because of my Alderandian privilege.”
“Sorry about Alderaan, by the way…”
“It’s happening. Anyway, Porkins, why don’t you stay here… actually, on second thought, we might need a big g– I mean, a ‘person of size’ there -high too. So, on second thought, you’re going to tell Red Five to sit down. Maybe send Bothan up there or something…”
No, not in there. Not in the movie. Instead, they got the most talented X-Wing pilots they could find. Race was not a factor.
That used to be what we were looking for, and I think that, more than you think, that’s exactly what the overwhelming majority of people do.
It’s strange how sometimes Star Wars the universe is more idyllic than ours, and they have lasers that can blow up entire planets.
Kudos to Lucas for having this insight after all these years and still being willing to tell critics they didn’t get it.
Gn entert
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