# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/81 "2016-01-19T04:13:14Z")
Zombies… In SPACE! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/82 "2016-01-19T04:23:24Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > That wasn’t Porkins. Biggs had gotten Porkins killed minutes before that. “Stay on Target” was Gold 5. I’m sure he’s got a name and rich and extensive [del]fanwank[/del] backstory, but I don’t have the energy to search for it. He’s a dick anyway - he tells Gold Leader to stay on target, but when Gold Leader gets killed, he bugs out of the trench instead of trying to complete the mission. Ahh yes, lietuenant Harry Hector, callsign, “badger”. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/83 "2016-01-19T06:46:00Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > 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. Now I thought most rebel pilots WERE former pilots for the empire. In the radio drama for Star Wars, Biggs is talking to Luke before leaving for the academy that him and a buddy are planning on getting training then defecting to the rebels at a later date. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/84 "2016-01-19T12:39:21Z")
I was at the Arisia science fiction convention this weekend, and saw a T-shirt advertising _Porkins Ribs_ – “Red Sauce Standing By!” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/85 "2016-01-19T13:27:54Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > In the radio drama for Star Wars, Biggs is talking to Luke before leaving for the academy that him and a buddy are planning on getting training then defecting to the rebels at a later date. This scene was filmed, but ended up on the cutting room floor. So was the scene where Luke was out checking the condensers and caught a glimpse of the battle taking place overhead. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/86 "2016-01-19T13:30:33Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > You realize that when he was scripting the film, there _was_ no “demographic of Star Wars fans”? If you were in college back in the '70s, you obviously hung out with the wrong crowd… :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/87 "2016-01-19T13:59:49Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > This scene was filmed, but ended up on the cutting room floor. Had Lucas left it in, _“Biggs was right. I’m never going to get out of here!”_ would have made perfect sense. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/88 "2016-01-19T14:11:18Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Had Lucas left it in, _“Biggs was right. I’m never going to get out of here!”_ would have made perfect sense. Yes. Because of that cut scene no one could possibly have any hope of interpreting\*“Biggs was right. I’m never going to get out of here!”\* I mean, what did Lucas expect? That the audience would think that Luke had a friend named Biggs who had often said that Luke would never get out of here? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/89 "2016-01-19T14:15:02Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Yes. Because of that cut scene no one could possibly have any hope of interpreting\*“Biggs was right. I’m never going to get out of here!”\* I mean, what did Lucas expect? That the audience would think that Luke had a friend named Biggs who had often said that Luke would never get out of here? Everyone I knew who saw the movie sat there wondering “Biggs? Who the fuck is Biggs?” Including me. Have you never read Chekhov? ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/90 "2016-01-19T14:29:42Z")
Well, I was 5 years old when I saw it and I and all my 5 year old friends figured Luke had a friend named Biggs who had often said that Luke would never get out of there. You and I clearly ran with different crowds. About 5 to 10 years ago, for quite a stretch of time, an annoying number of SDMB posters would throw out a call of “Occam’s Razor!” as shorthand for “I wins all teh argooments because I knowz a text-booky term!!!111!!” For the past couple years, “Chekhov’s gun” has seemed to have taken its place. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/91 "2016-01-19T14:35:57Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Well, I was 5 years old when I saw it and I and all my 5 year old friends figured Luke had a friend named Biggs who had often said that Luke would never get out of there. > You and I clearly ran with different crowds. > About 5 to 10 years ago, for quite a stretch of time, an annoying number of SDMB posters would throw out a call of “Occam’s Razor!” as shorthand for “I wins all teh argooments because I knowz a text-booky term!!!111!!” For the past couple years, “Chekhov’s gun” has seemed to have taken its place. Clearly **The Force** has blessed you with unique mental powers. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/92 "2016-01-19T15:22:08Z")
I guess I’m one of the few who totally agree with the OP. The Asian stereotype and Jew stereotype are probably also right, but neither of them scream like Porkins, the fat fatso who somehow got to fly for the Rebels despite being such a fat fatso he couldn’t even close his chin strap. Poor guy. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/93 "2016-01-19T18:18:36Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Everyone I knew who saw the movie sat there wondering “Biggs? Who the fuck is Biggs?” Including me. I never had any problem with the line. Never heard of anyone else having trouble with it, either. > [@](#): > > Have you never read Chekhov? No, that’s Star Trek. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/94 "2016-01-19T22:16:17Z")
Porkins was one of my favorite characters in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/95 "2016-01-19T22:28:21Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > No, that’s Star Trek. No, Chekov is _ **Star Trek** _. Without the “h.” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/96 "2016-01-19T22:30:51Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I never had any problem with the line. Never heard of anyone else having trouble with it, either. Like Ralph Wiggum, you’re “special.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/97 "2016-01-19T22:37:35Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Porkins was one of my favorite characters in the movie. What did you do with the rest of the 2 hours 4 minutes when Porkins wasn’t on screen? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Evil\_Prince\_Zorte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@The\_Evil\_Prince\_Zorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Evil_Prince_Zorte)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/98 "2016-01-19T22:49:31Z")
J.J. Abrams- “Greg! I’m making Star Wars VII! That means you get to be in a Star Wars movie, like you get to be in all of my movies!” Greg Grunberg- “Yay!” J.J. Abrams “You get to be an X-wing pilot!” Greg Grunberg- “Yay!” J.J Abrams- “Except, you are basically Porkins” Greg Grunberg- “Yay!” He had a line that was essentially “They’re coming in behind us! We can’t shake them!” My daughter asked “Why was that guy smiling when he said that?” I told her it was because he was happy he got to be in a Star Wars movie. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2016, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/99 "2016-01-19T23:47:43Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > What did you do with the rest of the 2 hours 4 minutes when Porkins wasn’t on screen? > > 🙂 If you missed that much of the movie’s sub-text, there’s no helping you. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349/100 "2016-01-20T00:03:32Z")
Thank Christ no one has grabbed this straight line in the last 7 years: > [@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… [“He’s more machine now than man. Twisted and evil.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONdLEqzhXOI) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-lucas-thinking-with-the-porkins-character-in-star-wars/510349.md?page=6)