# People "boycotting" New Star Wars Film on Racial Grounds **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 20, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295 "2015-10-20T23:32:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/101 "2015-10-22T03:29:15Z")
> [@Construct](#): > > Again, Star Wars had white people, fascism, a hero with a thousand faces, etc. It was a great film and a great example of Western culture. Of course, there’s nothing particularly “Western” about Joseph Campbell’s hypothesis of [a worldwide “monomyth” involving the “hero with a thousand faces”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hero_with_a_Thousand_Faces). The classic examples of such heroes in Campbell’s work include the myths of Osiris in Egypt and the Buddha in India. The crucial point of this fundamental “monomyth”, in Campbell’s argument, was that it was common to all humanity. Which, one could argue, is one of the things that makes Star Wars such a classic and popular film: it deals with themes that are timeless and universal rather than specifically “Western”. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/102 "2015-10-22T03:43:41Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > the British Eddie Byrne as General Willard Well if he were alive I’m sure that’d be news to him. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/103 "2015-10-22T03:49:46Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Well if he were alive I’m sure that’d be news to him. 😕 Am I missing something? The existence of a different Eddie Byrne, for example? I are middle-aged geekoid and I do not pop-culture any goodly. [IMDB bio of Eddie Byrne:](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0125952/?ref_=tt_cl_t14) > [@](#): > > Eddie Byrne was born on January 31, 1911 in Birmingham, England. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) and The Mummy (1959). He died on August 21, 1981 in Dublin, Ireland. ETA: Oh I get it, it’s because I mistakenly said “British” instead of “Irish”. Byrne was born in Birmingham but he was of Irish descent, nationality, and residence. Sorry about that and thanks for the catch! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/104 "2015-10-22T04:59:14Z")
When is somebody going to proclaim, “_Its A TRAP_!”? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/105 "2015-10-22T07:03:50Z")
Cephalopodocentrist! ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/106 "2015-10-22T08:02:12Z")
I think the real problem of that far, far away galaxy is that many of the hottest females are blue or green. The white race will soon be powder blue, or cerulean dammit! ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/107 "2015-10-22T11:10:24Z")
> [@Construct](#): > > Star Wars had an exclusively white cast and was … … roundly criticized for it. People mocked Lucas that he had characters from all over the universe but no human of color appeared on screen. > [@Rigamarole](#): > > I never argued any such thing. > [@Kimstu](#): > > Actually, you did. You said that … Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/108 "2015-10-22T11:11:40Z")
Oh, is that why Billy Dee Williams was cast as Lando Calrissian? ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/109 "2015-10-22T11:15:11Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Oh, is that why Billy Dee Williams was cast as Lando Calrissian? That was suggested at the time, but I think that’s a bit insulting to Mr. Williams. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/110 "2015-10-22T11:50:27Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Of course, there’s nothing particularly “Western” about Joseph Campbell’s hypothesis of [a worldwide “monomyth” involving the “hero with a thousand faces”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hero_with_a_Thousand_Faces). > > The classic examples of such heroes in Campbell’s work include the myths of Osiris in Egypt and the Buddha in India. The crucial point of this fundamental “monomyth”, in Campbell’s argument, was that it was common to all humanity. > > Which, one could argue, is one of the things that makes Star Wars such a classic and popular film: it deals with themes that are timeless and universal rather than specifically “Western”. And of course “Star Wars” was heavily influenced by Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress”, which strangely had no white people in it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/111 "2015-10-22T12:18:03Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Oh, is that why Billy Dee Williams was cast as Lando Calrissian? If so, that proves affirmative action works, because I can’t imagine a white guy being as good. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/112 "2015-10-22T13:29:37Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > And of course “Star Wars” was heavily influenced by Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress”, which strangely had no white people in it at all. Not so much “heavily influenced by” as “a sci-fi retelling of.” Which makes this part all the more amusing: > [@Construct](#): > > It was a great film and a great example of Western culture. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/113 "2015-10-22T13:55:59Z")
[What. The. F-ck?](https://newswatch33.com/bizarre/man-commits-suicide-over-star-wars-main-character-being-black-boycottstarwarsvii/) The shallow end of the gene pool is a bit cleaner this morning. (Star Wars fan kills self over main character being black. Seriously.) ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/114 "2015-10-22T14:34:48Z")
> [@MeanJoe](#): > > [What. The. F-ck?](https://newswatch33.com/bizarre/man-commits-suicide-over-star-wars-main-character-being-black-boycottstarwarsvii/) > > The shallow end of the gene pool is a bit cleaner this morning. > > (Star Wars fan kills self over main character being black. Seriously.) Per the link, his suicide note reads in part “I cannot live in a world being overran by Blacks.” What a terrible fucking waste. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/115 "2015-10-22T14:40:10Z")
Here’s what I don’t get (actually, I don’t get any of this, but I get this least): if we measure cultural dominance by who gets cast in Star Wars movies, it seems obvious that the world is controlled by old white British guys. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/116 "2015-10-22T14:40:11Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > How would it not? In any case, I’m not supporting the boycotters, but my point was that it’s ridiculous to imply that _they’re_ the racist ones for bringing up that objection. I’ll go see the actual movie before I form an opinion. Maybe I haven’t been paying attention, but I didn’t realize you were such a jackass. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/117 "2015-10-22T14:47:57Z")
> [@MeanJoe](#): > > [What. The. F-ck?](https://newswatch33.com/bizarre/man-commits-suicide-over-star-wars-main-character-being-black-boycottstarwarsvii/) > > The shallow end of the gene pool is a bit cleaner this morning. > > (Star Wars fan kills self over main character being black. Seriously.) I find it hard to believe that someone named Mr. Garrison could endure nearly 20 years of South Park but kills himself over this. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/118 "2015-10-22T14:49:41Z")
> [@andros](#): > > Per the link, his suicide note reads in part “I cannot live in a world being overran by Blacks.” > > What a terrible fucking waste. ☹ At least the waste is over in this one case. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/119 "2015-10-22T14:59:27Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Maybe I haven’t been paying attention, but I didn’t realize you were such a jackass. For more, check out his posts quoted in [post #66](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=18793163#post18793163). ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2015, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295/120 "2015-10-22T15:05:39Z")
According to snopes: > **[Did a Man Commit Suicide Over a Black 'Star Wars' Character?](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/suicide-black-star-wars-character/)** > > Fortunately, fanaticism for the 'Star Wars' franchise has not developed to this extreme. …the article is a fake. At least there’s some hope for humanity after all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-boycotting-new-star-wars-film-on-racial-grounds/735295.md?page=7)