Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyAugust 15th, 2008
I have no intention of seeing the new Star Wars animated movie because, frankly, it looks stupid and boring. But now I may have another reason to avoid it.
MTV Movies has a commentary on a Hutt character which, if accurate, would have me yelling at the screen.
Ok, let’s be straight for a second: Jabba’s uncle, Zero the Hutt, a new character introduced specifically for the upcoming animated series, is a gay stereotype that makes what Jar Jar Binks represented to the island of Jamaica look subtle by comparison. It’s not the look or design that pushes it over the top into stereotype, of course, but the voice (performed by Corey Burden), a lispy, high-pitched twang purposively reminiscent of Truman Capote.
And the offensive voice wasn’t accidental. It was the choice of George Lucas.
“Zero, Jabba’s uncle, originally spoke in Hutt-ese, like Jabba and then he had a different sluggish voice just like Jabba, and then George one day was watching it and said ‘I want him to sound like Truman Capote.’ He actually said that and we were like ‘Wow!'”
or as Weeksy put it
…it very quickly moves into the main plot of the film, which is about our band of Jedi returning Jabba The Hutt’s kidnapped son to him, and later on getting involved with Jabba’s Drag Queen uncle Ziro…
No thanks, Mr. Lucas, I’ll not be seeing your movie. I prefer my homophobic stereotypes to be a bit more subtle.
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Steve Krotz
August 15th, 2008
Okay — considering that some of you may know me from comments here and on other sites and may have looked up my blog and read my profile, what I am about to say may seem incongruous but…
Using a voice for Zero the Hutt that intentionally sounds like Truman Capote is not, by itself, perpetrating a supposedly offensive stereotype. Truman Capote was a real person who was an internationally renowned author revered around the world for his talent and his in-your-face persona. And to anyone who ever heard him talk, his voice is instantly recognizable.
Whether or not this particular character is offensive depends entirely on how he is portrayed within the story line and whether or not there are any other subtle or overt homophobic aspects or dialogue within the movie. If Zero turns out to be a repulsive, hateful villain then I would have a problem with that. I haven’t seen the movie yet and really didn’t have any intention to do so. The Star Wars movies were great but, judging by the trailers, this animated version just doesn’t appeal to me at all. Unfortunately, now I feel that I have to go just to see how this character plays out and whether or not there are, indeed, any other homophobic references.
As much as many people don’t want to face it, there are gay individuals (as well as straights) who do have mannerisms and traits that could be considered emblematic of well known stereotypes. When those real people are encountered by others (gay and straight), the overt or subconscious reaction is almost always to pull back – to put a distance between them and us. This is wrong on so many levels. A perceived stereotype is not someone to be ashamed of or shunned.
Rob Lll
August 15th, 2008
Well, I haven’t seen it yet (and probably won’t) so I won’t judge. However, if true then it would fit into a pattern that goes back at least to “The Phantom Menace”. Not only did you have Jar Jar Binks (a “Rastafarian Stepin Fetchit” in the words of Joe Morgenstern) but also the character of Watto, the slave trader alien who owns Annakin, who blatantly resembles a standard Jewish caricature (big nose, greedy, vaguely Yiddish-sounding accent).
As well as being rather offensive, it’s also exasperating to me as a viewer. Really — you’ve got all these creative people together to create another universe and the best you can do is recycle old ethnic stereotypes? To me, that bespeaks real artistic laziness. Lame.
Emily K
August 15th, 2008
In Episode I there were also two ambassadors who were aliens that sounded like they were supposed to be having Chinese accents. And their lips didn’t really sync with their words, like so many old dubbed kung fu movies. Lucas has lost it. I realized that as a 14 year old who saw Ep. I in the theatre.
Emily K
August 15th, 2008
I also want to say that I too would have to see the context of the character. If Capote is being made fun of, I don’t see that as being homophobic. If LGBTQ’s are to be fully equal, we should be equally ready – as individual humans – ready to take on such mocking. If Truman talked that way, and Zero talks that way b/c he’s imitating Truman, then he’s talking that way to imitate Truman not gays in general. Otherwise we’re saying all gay people are lisping drag queens – hardly the case.
Timothy Kincaid
August 15th, 2008
Emily,
I don’t think that Zero is attempting to imitate Truman Capote. In the Star Wars universe, Capote hasn’t been born. Remember this took place “a long time ago in a galaxy far far away”.
Emily K
August 15th, 2008
George Lucas seems to have made it clear that Zero is based on Truman Capote. Doesn’t matter if he doesn’t actually exist in the Star Wars Universe. Just like in prehistoric times, Jackie Gleason didn’t exist. But Fred Flintstone is still based on him verbatim.
Bruce Garrett
August 15th, 2008
I’m thinking right now of the Boondocks strip where Jar Jar becomes a black nationalist. I’m thinking I might do a tribute cartoon after Clone Wars comes out, and have uncle Zero channeling Larry Kramer or Peter Tatchell…
AJD
August 15th, 2008
Unless Zero the Hutt shows up in a tight black T-shirt and starts wailing Barbara Streisand tunes, I’m not going to assume George Lucas meant him to be a gay stereotype. Let’s be honest: Regardless of his sexual orientation, Truman Capote had a comical voice.
On the other hand, given the many racial stereotypes that show up in the movies — Watto the Jew, Jamaican Binks and the Chinese Trade Federation — I’m by no means dismissing the possibility that it’s meant as a gay stereotype.
Just as I felt proud to be a William Gibson fan after reading about the Orson Scott Card ordeal, I’m glad to see there’s at least one advantage to having always preferred Star Trek. I know that’s smug, but still — Gene Roddenberry seriously wanted to have a gay character in TNG before he died. It was only because Majel Barrett (the woman who does the computer voice and plays Counselor Troi’s mom) thwarted the effort that it didn’t happen.
Lynn David
August 15th, 2008
Well, you know….. slugs are somewhat sexually ambiguous anyway.
Emily K
August 15th, 2008
AJD, Roddenbery was still able to explore sexuality in an episode where a species of beings with no gender come to visit the Enterprise, and one declares that it is actually a she – and falls for Riker. But her people force her to return to an androgynous identity, and she renounces her feelings for him, leaving him.
But that sucks about Troi’s mom. I loved the computer voice but always hated Troi’s mom. Damn. Know how groundbreaking that would’ve been?
The Chinese-acting characters were Traders? Jesus, Lucas was really going by bigot’s rote, wasn’t he? Considering we Americans export more goods from China than anywhere else. the Jamaican laid-back goofy stepin fetchit “comic relief,” the evil Jew slave trader businessman… Why is it the first 3 movies lacked all that shit?
Kato
August 16th, 2008
Coming from someone who is more acquainted with Star Wars than Capote, I saw this film with no preconceptions, and I had no idea there would even be a character called Zero. Although I personally didn’t take any offence towards Zero, it was palpable to me he was portrayed to fit a certain stereotype.
Perhaps I should just blame myself for making that assumption based on Zero’s appearance, but his contrast to Jabba was clearly no accident, and whatever the creators’ intent, there was intent nevertheless. Perhaps their intent was merely to portray Hutts in a different light, and to diversify the species much like other species in the Star Wars universe, and the public are the only ones trying to make it offensive.
His stereotypical portrayal had no real contribution towards the story, and the plot would have worked just as well had he been portrayed in a similar style to Jabba, but achieving difference for the sake of being different is more inclusive than offensive in this particular context. Obviously the only way we, as humans, would make any connection to this difference would be to apply the stereotype with which we are all familiar.
Stereotypes are exaggerated expressions that most of us can identify, and in the context of this film, perhaps such overtness was required in order for any recognition. The purpose of such portrayal and recognition? Whatever the answers are, I won’t immediately jump to negative conclusions.
Zero’s portrayal was insignificant to his role, and there were were only two times where I thought about his portrayal over his role: the first was when I saw him being introduced into the plot, but after a few seconds it left my mind and I was back into the flow of the story; the second was when I read the content of this post, and this was when I couldn’t figure out the content by the post’s title.
Ben in Oakland
August 16th, 2008
I’ve always maintained that the star wars movies were all as morally muddled as they could possibly be, all the while presenting themselves as examplars of moral people resolving moral dilemmas morally.
Luke can’t kill the emperor, especially not out of anger, because the killing owuld taint him. but wiping out the death star is just fine– after all, they were bad AND anonymous. And Darth Cheney, excuse me, Vader, REDEEMS himself by doing what Luke was too delicate to do?
Anakin, because he loves too much, becomes Darth cheney, excuse me, Vader? His training as a Jedi obviously did not include any self-examination, thoughtss about loyalty, right and wrong. Sith happens. We’re supposed to be sympathetic to a sort-of hero who is obviously not all that bright?
Ben in Oakland
August 16th, 2008
Why is my comment awaiting moderation?
Jim Burroway
August 16th, 2008
Ben,
I have no idea. I looked it over and don’t see anything that could have triggered an anti-spam response from our software.
I just released it from moderation with my apologies.
Ben in Oakland
August 16th, 2008
thanks, Jim. I think it was the comment “sith happens”. let’s see if it happens again.
kermode
August 16th, 2008
Not sure to what extent this matters to the discussion, but per canon, Hutt are, in fact, as a species, all hermaphroditic. While most Hutts choose to identify as male, some identify as female.
David
August 17th, 2008
“now I feel that I have to go just to see how this character plays out and whether or not there are, indeed, any other homophobic references.”
Maybe that is the reasoning for creating a character that may, or may not, be an expression of an homophobic stereotype –
create controversy to generate an audience.
I’d concluded from the previews not to waste the money or the hours to see the film, this controversy isn’t going to get me to go either, but it might work on some people.
Alonzo
August 17th, 2008
I agree with Steve.
I also think we as people get way to sensitive sometimes.
GDad
August 18th, 2008
I did see the movie on Saturday. Ziro the Hutt was about as stereotypical as they come. He did speak with a pronounced Truman Capote voice. He also had what appeared to be a brooch or a hat that was decorated with ostrich feathers. (It’s hard to tell hat from brooch when the wearer doesn’t have a distinct head or neck.)
On top of that, Ziro was painted up with so much makeup that Divine would blush.
It was pretty sad.
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