# What was Lucas thinking with the Porkins character in Star Wars?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 16, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349 "2009-09-16T19:10:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/1 "2009-09-16T19:10:41Z")
[Porkins](http://starsmedia.ign.com/stars/image/article/824/824206/jek-porkins-20071001033021125.jpg) was the overweight X-Wing pilot in the first Star Wars movie. I can’t get over how ridiculous that character is. Sure he’s overweight, but did he really have to name him Porkins? Even his chin strap isn’t fastened. Was his head too fat for the strap? The whole character just seems like a cruel joke. Has Lucas ever talked about why he included that character?
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/2 "2009-09-16T19:14:03Z")
Because Jar Jar Binks was still two decades from fruition.
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### Author:  [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/3 "2009-09-16T19:20:59Z")
_Red Six standing by._
I assume he was just a friend of Lucas who was thrown in fill up holes in casting.
His [Wookiepedia article](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jek_Tono_Porkins) is longer that most US presidents’ on wikipedia.
ETA: Wow, he was the “Think about the future” guy in Batman.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/4 "2009-09-16T19:25:48Z")
People actually care about what the name of the character is when the name is not used in the movie?
It seems to me it’s more realistic to have a group of rebels not have every pilot look like a male model. They are supposed to be a group of rag tag people, not all look like George Clooney.
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### Author:  [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/5 "2009-09-16T19:28:05Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> People actually care about what the name of the character is when the name is not used in the movie?
>
> It seems to me it’s more realistic to have a group of rebels not have every pilot look like a male model. They are supposed to be a group of rag tag people, not all look like George Clooney.
His name is in the movie if memory serves.
IIRC
The actor tells a story that he was originally supposed to be an alien pilot with a pig nose but the prosthetic didn’t look right. I believe he’s joking but I could be wrong.
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### Author:  [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/6 "2009-09-16T19:29:10Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> People actually care about what the name of the character is when the name is not used in the movie?
You should know that absolutely every _THING_ that appeared in any Star Wars movie for more than 1 frame of film has an intricate back-story that somehow interweaves between every series installment, regardless of whether they have any significance within the film they appear in. And I mean that officially, not stuff made up by the fanboys.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/7 "2009-09-16T19:31:44Z")
What percentage of people who watch Star Wars care about all the back story stuff?
You know this almost reminds me of a certain skit Shatner did on SNL. I bet you know which one I am thinking of.
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/8 "2009-09-16T19:34:32Z")
Obligatory:
[How Not To Fly an X-wing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFPI54fOWoo)
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/9 "2009-09-16T19:40:56Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> What percentage of people who watch Star Wars care about all the back story stuff?
>
> You know this almost reminds me of a certain skit Shatner did on SNL. I bet you know which one I am thinking of.
Providing additional details on that backstory is a multi-million dollar industry, so I’m guessing it’s a fairly high percentage.
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### Author:  [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/10 "2009-09-16T19:50:39Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> People actually care about what the name of the character is when the name is not used in the movie?
It is.
“I’m going in. Cover me, Porkins.”
“I’m right with you, Red 3.”
My understanding has always been since these are assembled rebel pilots, they shouldn’t all be military types.
More curious is why none of them were alien life forms until ROTJ.
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### Author:  [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/11 "2009-09-16T19:57:45Z")
Hey, he’s Fake Jabba! I didn’t know that.
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### Author:  [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/12 "2009-09-16T20:06:22Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> It seems to me it’s more realistic to have a group of rebels not have every pilot look like a male model. They are supposed to be a group of rag tag people, not all look like George Clooney.
I’m not saying that he shouldn’t be overweight. But of all names that an overweight character could have, why Porkins? That’s a name I would expect in Animal House. That’s practially like having his name be Fatso. And to top it off, the guy is not even with it enough to latch his chin strap. His scene is a closeup on his face. You know Lucas et al. saw the strap and didn’t do anything about it. They must have had a reason.
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### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/13 "2009-09-16T20:08:38Z")
> [@filmore](#):
>
> [Porkins](http://starsmedia.ign.com/stars/image/article/824/824206/jek-porkins-20071001033021125.jpg) was the overweight X-Wing pilot in the first Star Wars movie. I can’t get over how ridiculous that character is. Sure he’s overweight, but did he really have to name him Porkins? Even his chin strap isn’t fastened. Was his head too fat for the strap? The whole character just seems like a cruel joke. Has Lucas ever talked about why he included that character?
Only to Top Men.
Top. Men.
🆒
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/14 "2009-09-16T20:08:39Z")
I thought the pilots just had call signs, not names - except Luke. But my excuse is I saw the movie back in the original theater run. 🙂 In other words, I am a semi-old fogey.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/15 "2009-09-16T20:09:47Z")
> [@filmore](#):
>
> I’m not saying that he shouldn’t be overweight. But of all names that an overweight character could have, why Porkins? \ They must have had a reason.
You mean in the same movie with a bounty hunter named “Greedo”? Or a rogue gun-for-hire with the last name “Solo”?
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### Author:  [@Jorge\_Burrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorge_Burrito)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/16 "2009-09-16T20:11:44Z")
Put me in the category of call sign/nickname. At least for me and my friends many of the nicknames we have for each other are not exactly flattering.
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/17 "2009-09-16T20:14:33Z")
> [@Jorge\_Burrito](#):
>
> Put me in the category of call sign/nickname. At least for me and my friends many of the nicknames we have for each other are not exactly flattering.
Bigs: “I’m going in. Cover me, Porkins.”
Porkins: “Fuck you, man! My name is Jeff!”
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/18 "2009-09-16T20:17:15Z")
BTW , I am pretty amazed it took 4 whole minutes before Jar Jar was mentioned in this thread. Normally he comes up quicker than that.
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### Author:  [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/19 "2009-09-16T20:22:52Z")
> [@Munch](#):
>
> You mean in the same movie with a bounty hunter named “Greedo”? Or a rogue gun-for-hire with the last name “Solo”?
Greedo – A villian. Derogatory names are appropriate
Solo – A neutral word that reflects the character’s behavior.
Nicknames should be appropriate for the character. If it was a callsign, I would expect all other pilots to have similar, tongue-in-cheek names (like as in Top Gun).
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### Author:  [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/20 "2009-09-16T20:23:39Z")
> [@filmore](#):
>
> I’m not saying that he shouldn’t be overweight. But of all names that an overweight character could have, why Porkins? That’s a name I would expect in Animal House. That’s practially like having his name be Fatso. And to top it off, the guy is not even with it enough to latch his chin strap. His scene is a closeup on his face. You know Lucas et al. saw the strap and didn’t do anything about it. They must have had a reason.
Why do you care so much about that chin strap ? Hell, why would anyone bother to put on an open face helmet in space is beyond me, much less strap it. If your cockpit gets dinged you’re gonna suffocate in minutes anyway, so why bother ?
Besides, if I recall properly, isn’t leaving one’s helmet unstrapped standard procedure in combat ? Or maybe that’s just infantry ?
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