#neimoidians

[filigranerzeitgeist]

Baron Merillion Tarko and His Neimoidian Aide

Referenced from a cutscene from The Force Unleashed II. Drew it as a color study and because I liked the composition.

[cjvarte]

Characters & Creatures: Nute Gunray (Canon)

"The Separatists" is the thirty-sixth issue of the Canon reference booklets titled the Star Wars Encyclopedia and published by De Agostini, released on May 6, 2022.

Viceroy Nute Gunray mistaken General Grievous for a mere droid.

[nightbrothers]

Am I the only one who loves seeing how short Darth Maul looks next to the Neimoidians?

[archeo-starwars]

The Written Word by John Hazlett

[piedaterreincensorshipville]

In the rough draft of Star Wars Episode I, Jar Jar Binks didn't talk with an accent. However, he was treated by the humans of Naboo with a notable amount of racial prejudice, directly comparable to the historical experience of Black Americans: some of them made comments about the offensive smell of the Gungans, and the Queen's entourage ordered Jar Jar to stay in the cargo hold of her starship (likely meant to be analogous to Black people being forced to sit on the back of the bus in the US South). The idea was that the human heroes would have to overcome their racial prejudices and unite with the Gungans to win the day.

In subsequent drafts, George Lucas got rid of a lot of this (perhaps because it made the Naboo humans unsympathetic), but he also added in the idea that Jar Jar spoke in patois. The rough draft's depiction of Jar Jar as racially Black-coded was surely on Lucas' mind when he made his clumsy comic relief character speak in a pidgin dialect. Maybe he was influenced by the racially problematic depictions of Golden Age Hollywood cinema, but he should have known better than to resurrect such tropes. It turned what had been an attempt to decry prejudice into something that arguably perpetuated the stereotypes of old, with a brand new CGI veneer.

In fact, the movie is full of old racist tropes recycled beneath alien faces. It's why the Neimoidans, whose starships have round viewscreens straight out of Flash Gordon, also talk in mock-Asian accents that rehash the Yellow Peril stereotypes of Ming the Merciless. (Silas Carson as Nute Gunray was actually told to record his lines in imitation of a Thai actor reading the English dialogue phonetically.) And it also explains why in the podrace sequence, which is borrowed straight from the chariot race in the unabashed Christian propaganda film Ben-Hur, Watto the junk dealer has a long proboscis reminiscent of the huge noses seen in anti-Semitic caricatures.

The designs and voices Lucas got his artists and sound designers to create for the aliens in Episode I often pushed into deeply unfortunate territory.

[mortallyclearwonderland]

Star Wars and racism

Normally I don't like to talk about this topic and given Tumblr's reputation I might as well have a ''kick me'' written on my back but just like those people are allowed to write pages upon pages about how star wars is ‘‘problematic’‘ I’m  allowed to disagree. And I'm sure a lot of people have similar opinions but are too afraid to show it.

1. ‘’An alien has an accent therefore it's a caricature of whatever people have this accent.’‘ It's a huge galaxy with thousands of different species, planets, and cultures. Of course, not everybody will speak the same way. I think it's pretty cool and accurate. 

2. ‘’Toydarians, Muuns and Trandoshans are Jewish stereotypes.’‘ It's just like the Orc argument. If you think any of those creatures and your immediate thought is, Jew, maybe you're the racist.

Watto is the poster child of the Jewish star wars stereotype and I never understood that. Because of his accent? Because of his nose? When we see more Toydarians in the Clone Wars, we see they are nicer and nobler than Watto. Their clothes and their king's saber remind me of Polish szlachta. And even Watto has a great backstory that explains his selfish and greedy behavior. Basically, he took part in a war that left him traumatized and he took it out on others.

Random person: Then why didn't they explained it in the movie?

Me: Because that's not what the movie is about.

Random person: How was I supposed to know that not every single member of this species is an asshole?

Me: Basic logic. Just because a white person, a man, a Chinese person, or whoever was mean to you doesn't mean that everybody is like that.

Muun noses help them warm up to the cold air in the mountains that they live in. Their architecture is similar to that of Greece. In the clone wars, we see that they have somewhat of a clockwork theme. Because they're so good at math. That's more of the Alps and the Switzerland inspiration.

Neimoidians have Asian accents and hats. But their clothes and jewelry is more similar to the European aristocracy. Even their guards look Spanish to me.

Long story short the star wars aliens aren't supposed to represent one single group of people. They’re a mishmash of multiple things to create something completely new and alien.

Trandoshans were never a Jewish allegory. The voice actress for Cid is Jewish and some dumb people come to the conclusion that now all Trandoshans are Jewish. Cid is a Trandoshan! She's not even the villain. The actress was chosen because her voice fits the character. Also, Cid has a bar and her VA played in the show Cheers. This is grasping at straws to create a controversy.

3. ‘’But there are bad guys who are racist.’‘ ''But this guy was a victim of speciesism! Why is he a bad guy?'' ''But these are good guys why are they racist to other species?''

It's almost as if things aren't so black and white.

Someone can spontaneously be discriminated against and discriminate against other people. Chiss think of themselves as the best in the galaxy. Meanwhile, Thrawn is being looked down upon for being not human. A taste of his own medicine in a way. And it doesn't look like he thinks ''This is terrible! No one should be treated this way!'', it's more like ''I'm going to put up with this until I get to rule you all, you pathetic humans.''

That one episode of the rebels in which pretty much everybody calls the last Geonosian ''the bug''. Or during the Umbara arc when our beloved clones call the Umbarans ''shadow people''. Or how in the unfinished Utapau arc Anakin is a dick to a Toydarian because he reminded him of Watto. Or how Anakin hates Hutts, even a baby.

It's almost like the characters can have grudges against their enemies or form their opinions on their worst experiences.

Besides, in a galaxy where you can die any number of ways, be enslaved, full of alcohol, drugs, crime, and other terrible things name calling isn't that big of a deal.

It also shows the tragedy of it all. Every species suffered in some way and if they were allowed to talk about it and bond they might've been friends.

It’s getting long. I might write a part 2 or responses if I get any comments.

[kweh-chan]

Season’s Eatings!

[yourlocalquing]

Rune Haako, painted by moi