# What was Lucas thinking with the Porkins character in Star Wars? **URL:** \ **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:** 3
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/41 "2009-09-17T17:03:47Z")
When Episode I came out in 99 I remember reading a few articles about how some characters were racist - for example the guy who owned Anakin’s mother had a hooked nose so that was making fun of Jews. And the Trade Federation bad guys were supposed to be Asian. I just watch these type movies for fun and I don’t really look for all these “hidden” messages. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/42 "2009-09-17T17:05:47Z")
Porkins has one point of notoriety in the battle, as being the only pilot as far as we know who was flamed by the Death Star’s guns and not another fighter. Score one for the Imperial AA crews. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/43 "2009-09-17T17:14:15Z")
Ewan McGregor’s uncle played pilot Wedge Antilles in Episodes 4-6. Are there any other families with more than 1 person in the Star Wars movies? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/44 "2009-09-17T17:39:06Z")
> [@Redwing](#): > > He’s not carrying torpedos, and the shaft is ray shielded. Why wouldn’t he be carrying torpedoes? He’s flying a Y-wing, a fighter-bomber designed to carry torpedoes. And if I was defending my only base from complete destruction, and the only weapon that could take out the attacker was a proton torpedo, I think I’d put them on every ship capable of carrying them. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/45 "2009-09-17T18:16:25Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Ewan McGregor’s uncle played pilot Wedge Antilles in Episodes 4-6. Are there any other families with more than 1 person in the Star Wars movies? Lucas’s son and daughters had cameos in both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, but I don’t think that’s what you’re really after. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/46 "2009-09-17T18:28:28Z")
I knew about Lucas’ kids , I was looking for actors related to other actors. I saw an interview with McGregor where he talked about going to see his uncle in Star Wars as a kid . Of course he had no clue 20 years later he would be in the movies. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/47 "2009-09-18T13:19:27Z")
> [@ministryman](#): > > Does Porkins look like the demographic of Star Wars fans? ummmm…yup. > > I’m thinking it was the first in a series of bunghole-smooching moves by the whoremaster Lucas to attract various audiences to this movie. You _do_ recognize how foolish this comment makes you look, right? You realize that when he was scripting the film, there _was_ no “demographic of Star Wars fans”? Go ahead and hate what Lucas has become, but to attribute that to the Lucas of the mid-70’s is ludicrous. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/48 "2009-09-18T13:25:28Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > 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. A Tellerite? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/49 "2009-09-18T13:45:30Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > Porkins has one point of notoriety in the battle, as being the only pilot as far as we know who was \*\*flamed \*\*by the Death Star’s guns and not another fighter. Score one for the Imperial AA crews. The Death Star had gay runs? Poor Porkins. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/50 "2009-11-19T15:39:08Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > You _do_ recognize how foolish this comment makes you look, right? You realize that when he was scripting the film, there _was_ no “demographic of Star Wars fans”? Go ahead and hate what Lucas has become, but to attribute that to the Lucas of the mid-70’s is ludicrous. I am almost 50, so I am eccentric, and I don’t care how foolish I am or appear. It was my opinion, interlaced with some humor. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/51 "2009-11-19T21:42:02Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Why wouldn’t he be carrying torpedoes? He’s flying a Y-wing, a fighter-bomber designed to carry torpedoes. And if I was defending my only base from complete destruction, and the only weapon that could take out the attacker was a proton torpedo, I think I’d put them on every ship capable of carrying them. Hey, do you have to make the budget?!?! Huh? Do ya? These torpedos ain’t free! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/52 "2009-11-19T22:18:17Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Even his chin strap isn’t fastened. Was his head too fat for the strap? It’s probably easier to eat a bucket of fried chicken with the chin strap off. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/53 "2009-11-19T22:23:56Z")
> [@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. Maybe the character was supposed to relate to most Star Wars Fans? Okay, that was a mean joke, and I apologize. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/54 "2009-11-19T22:26:20Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Bigs: “I’m going in. Cover me, Porkins.” > > Porkins: “Fuck you, man! My name is Jeff!” Dammit, you made me spit my drink on my keyboard! ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/55 "2009-11-20T04:11:25Z")
I can see eating a bucket of chicken with your neck strap undone and your jumpsuit slit up the back, but the part I can’t stand about the Star Wars fighter scenes is… The fighters all buck and jump in a rhythmic motion, like they are all mounted on the automated pony ride you used to put a nickel in outside the grocery store. The damn gravy would be spilling all over the targeting computer. “Luke! You’ve switched off your targeting computer! Are you going to aim using The Force?” “I got no options, fucking gravy all over the damn place in here. R2, get me some napkins. Shit! I lost R2, switching to manual mop up. Just a little bit left over here… Crap! Hit the _Launch Torpedo_ button with the moist towlette” “Direct hit, kid! One in a million!” ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/56 "2009-11-20T04:45:23Z")
> [@Duke\_of\_Rat](#): > > The fighters all buck and jump in a rhythmic motion, like they are all mounted on the automated pony ride you used to put a nickel in outside the grocery store. Actually, there’s two extremely annoyed British stage-hands hauling on ropes, rolling their eyes whenever George gives direction, and waiting for it to hit 5pm, so they can immediately leave for a pint at the bar. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/57 "2009-11-20T07:07:01Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > **Why wouldn’t he be carrying torpedoes?** He’s flying a Y-wing, a fighter-bomber designed to carry torpedoes. And if I was defending my only base from complete destruction, and the only weapon that could take out the attacker was a proton torpedo, I think I’d put them on every ship capable of carrying them. Its been a while , so correct me if I get this wrong. He had already made one pass, fired his weapons and they just impacted on the surface. He was covering his wingman making the second pass. As the airforce would say , he was winchester. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/58 "2009-11-20T07:39:25Z")
I just wanted to give a shout out to “DACK,” one of the best throwaway characters of all time, from ESB. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/59 "2009-11-20T15:07:24Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > Its been a while , so correct me if I get this wrong. > > He had already made one pass, fired his weapons and they just impacted on the surface. He was covering his wingman making the second pass. As the airforce would say , he was winchester. > > Declan That’s not what happened on screen. We see a total of 3 trench runs. The first is Gold Leader, Gold ?, and Gold 5, all in Y-wings. Vader & his wingmen kill Gold Leader & Gold ? before they reach the vent, and Gold 5 abandons the approach, and is killed immediately after. Then Red Leader, and 2 other Reds, in X-wings start their attack run. The 2 Reds are killed, but Red leader manages to launch his to torpedoes, but they just “impacted on the surface”. Then Red Leader is killed. Finally, Luke, Biggs & Wedge (Reds 5, 2, & 3) start their run. Wedge has to drop out, Biggs is killed, the Falcon shows up in the nick of time, and Luke successfully launches his torps. So if there was a previous run where Gold 5 used his torps, it wasn’t actually in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Redwing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@Redwing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redwing)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/60 "2009-11-20T17:36:09Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > That’s not what happened on screen. We see a total of 3 trench runs. The first is Gold Leader, Gold ?, and Gold 5, all in Y-wings. Vader & his wingmen kill Gold Leader & Gold ? before they reach the vent, and Gold 5 abandons the approach, and is killed immediately after. Then Red Leader, and 2 other Reds, in X-wings start their attack run. The 2 Reds are killed, but Red leader manages to launch his to torpedoes, but they just “impacted on the surface”. Then Red Leader is killed. Finally, Luke, Biggs & Wedge (Reds 5, 2, & 3) start their run. Wedge has to drop out, Biggs is killed, the Falcon shows up in the nick of time, and Luke successfully launches his torps. > > So if there was a previous run where Gold 5 used his torps, it wasn’t actually in the movie. There’s plenty of reasons why Gold 5 could’ve been torp-less, and others as to why he’d have ditched the run. Let’s see, launcher inopperable, thus no load; he was shitty bomber so they saved the torps they had for people with a shot; he didn’t have time to activate his targetting computer before reaching the wall; he was so rattled by the sudden deaths of his flight that he forgot about them; Vader was using the Force to disrupt his concentration; and on and on and on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349.md?page=4)