Oh Gawker/io9, we just... we don't... Whatever.

"PotbellyJoe and 42 others" (potbellyjoe) 01/12/2016 at 15:01 • Filed to: None

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Wow, way to try to make it about the actor. The hate was never about the actor, it was about a shitty and poorly written character that, when dumped from the storylines due to the harsh response, became the epitome of everything wrong with the prequels.

Let’s consider that there was a grander plan for Jar Jar, then Lucas was too chickenshit to play it through. If there was no plan on where the character arc was going (my theory) then Lucas was a fool to introduce him. It shows the shallow foresight of the prequels that in some cases had better tech than what followed in the main saga, and here we have a character who has no reason to exist, and if it is to fit with canon, has no future in the series, so we do not want to tolerate the foolishness that Jar Jar brought.

But yeah, io9, it was the acting that screwed it up. Why the hell, if you were Best, would you take it personally? Does Samuel L. Jackson take it personally when he plays a stupid, or poorly conceived role? No, he becomes the loudest critic or at least takes it with a grain of salt. The fact that the actor enjoyed his Jar-Jarring role and thought he was doing something great, that is the issue. He has no concept of a good character and he now is dealing with it because it surprised him. That’s on him. Most, at the first time they experienced Jar Jar knew it was awful.

I just can’t feel bad for this guy.

“Boo hoo, I got the shittiest role in a mega-movie.”

Noted. Grow up. Move on.

Birddog > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/12/2016 at 15:16

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I just finished reading that.

Nerf Herders.. They over complicate everything.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/12/2016 at 15:20

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Meh, stopped watching the interview.

I never had a serious problem with Jar Jar, I always felt he was pretty fun. I think people just get upset that there was a goofy guy in a major role. I really believe some people forget that Star Wars is fiction - and I’m a big Star Wars fan.

Takuro Spirit > Birddog 01/12/2016 at 15:21

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I mean, maybe Steve does, but don’t blame it on the whole BAND.

wiffleballtony > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/12/2016 at 15:26

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Honestly, it’s just one more example of how Lucas had no respect for the story he created or the careers of those who made it far greater than he could have imagined.

Michael Parker > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/12/2016 at 15:27

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I don’t know - Yoda was actually a pretty goofy guy. People didn’t seem to have a problem with him.

wiffleballtony > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/12/2016 at 15:29

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The problem is that the prequels were treated as a light hearted children’s action movie, with stupid droids. The series also trampled on the canon that had previously been authorized. Jar Jar was just an easy obvious target because his slap stick incompetence didn’t mesh with anything.

PanchoVilleneuve ST > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/12/2016 at 15:29

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As a passionate supporter Darth Jar Jar theory (seriously, the only way The Phantom Menace makes sense is if Jar Jar was actually a Sith Lord in disguise and was pretending to be an idiot while pulling all the strings in the background the whole time, working like an even more powerful dark side version of Yoda in Empire), I can say with confidence that the reason why he signed on to do the prequels and play a character that terrible with such incredible gusto (real talk, he really gave it his all) was that he was assured by Lucas that while he’s an annoying buffoon now, as time goes on it will slowly be revealed that he’s the ultimate villain of the series.

Cash Rewards > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/12/2016 at 15:33

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There’s a write up on Reddit for a conspiracy theory how jar jar was a force user, and supposed to be the sith, but Lucas chickened out after the bar reception. It’s fun and silly, but it highlights how so much about jar jar in the plot didn’t even make sense (hence, he must be a force user/Jedi mind manipulator). I think that’s a lot of the issue with him as a character, it addition to his offensive stupidity.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > wiffleballtony 01/12/2016 at 15:34

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Exactly. If nothing else, let history show the only guy who didn’t understand Star Wars was the guy who wrote it.

And I mean that sincerely.

Indiana Jones didn’t need subtlety, there was no subtext of humanity, ethos, or pathos. It was just a good fun story. And shit, even then he gave us Temple of Doom.

Star Wars was better than anything he’d ever written, larger than even he knew at the time and he is simply incapable of recreating that magic, so instead he just shits on it.

I don’t want to say he got lucky, because he didn’t. He wrote it at a time when his muse was high and he nailed it.

The edits and changes he has made to near perfect characters, sully the very foundation of their principles. And then he changes the entire Ewok celebration at the end of RotJ, minor yet illustrative of his inability to understand that you can’t change an icon.

Allegorically, Michelangelo never put clay on David afterwards.

wiffleballtony > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/12/2016 at 15:36

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Apart from Greedo shooting first, the biggest red flag was the extended Jabbas Palace dance scenes.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > wiffleballtony 01/12/2016 at 15:36

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exactly. What the heck was that?

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > PanchoVilleneuve ST 01/12/2016 at 15:38

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That’s fine. And then it’s just a case of Lucas being too chickenshit to complete the story.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Michael Parker 01/12/2016 at 15:38

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True, but no where near the goof ball status of jar jar. I remember Yoda making me laugh pretty hard sometimes.

450X_FTW > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/12/2016 at 15:39

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MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > wiffleballtony 01/12/2016 at 15:40

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Yeah I dunno. It might be for me that I like star wars stuff so much - I’m not turning it off.

wiffleballtony > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/12/2016 at 15:40

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It’s one of those things where I just wonder who was asking for more dancing in their star wars. The Han change was to pander to some moral thing about killing I imagine. Which is also what makes the Droid army so lame.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Cash Rewards 01/12/2016 at 15:41

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I’ve read that kind of stuff about Jar Jar and I think the transition would’ve made sense, especially with how he helped the Emperor get in power.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > 450X_FTW 01/12/2016 at 15:41

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supra-squirrel > PanchoVilleneuve ST 01/12/2016 at 15:41

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Sooooo, Darth Darth Binks?

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > wiffleballtony 01/12/2016 at 15:44

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Well, Yub Nub was somehow offensive and needed a change too, right?

I went back and watched the originals with my boys and had to explain to them that Lucas was an idiot and the original scenes made more sense. That puts me in a difficult position as a father.

PanchoVilleneuve ST > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/12/2016 at 15:44

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That’s the real tragedy of the prequels, for me. How clear it is that Lucas caved and compromised what would have wound up being amazing.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > supra-squirrel 01/12/2016 at 15:45

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Ani, Meesa Meesa Yousa Father.

450X_FTW > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/12/2016 at 15:49

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Cash Rewards > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/12/2016 at 15:49

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Yeah, it was one of those reads where I started as “what? That’s ridiculous,” but by the end was was like “well, let’s not rule anything out....”

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Cash Rewards 01/12/2016 at 15:51

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Yeah, i think it fit his character to just be “stupid” and easily manipulated by force tricks though.

Cash Rewards > PanchoVilleneuve ST 01/12/2016 at 16:00

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I’ve read that theory, it makes a surprising amount of sense. Like, A LOT of sense.

Cash Rewards > supra-squirrel 01/12/2016 at 16:01

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Yup, he was supposed to be the real Phantom Menace. According to internet crackpots. Who might actually be on to something.

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Cash Rewards 01/12/2016 at 16:05

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Seriously, like I said, the prequels, especially The Phantom Menace, don’t make sense without it being the case.

supra-squirrel > Cash Rewards 01/12/2016 at 16:06

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Its a very credible theory. There’s a stand-up comedian that has a bit about it for om a few years ago, can’t find it though.

Also, it makes the prequels sooo much better if yu take a shot every time jar jar is annoying

WiscoProud > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/12/2016 at 16:32

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I read an article that made a good case that his first wife was largely responsible for the first three movies. The article made it sound like they were going to be like the prequels, but she edited the hell out of them and reigned in his dumber ideas. The article went on to speculate that he redid them following their divorce to spite her, and its also why the prequels were so bad. She obviously wasn't around to reign him in.

WiscoProud > wiffleballtony 01/12/2016 at 16:34

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The slap stick shit is what killed it for me.

wiffleballtony > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/12/2016 at 18:30

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Don’t get me wrong I still watched it.

wiffleballtony > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/12/2016 at 18:31

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I am somewhat considered the star wars oracle/curmudgeon of the family so I get that honor as well.

Agrajag > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/12/2016 at 22:19

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I found Jar Jar annoying, but feel Anthony Daniels gets nowhere near enough shit for that factory scene in Attack of the Clones. That and the “Let’s go play ball” kid in Phantom Menace are worse than anything Jar Jar or Anakin did.

Interestingly, any person I’ve met who has a passing interest in Star Wars finds Jar Jar hilarious. And people I’ve introduced to Star Wars prefer the prequels over the originals. I don’t get it.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/12/2016 at 23:05

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Given this has 200+ stars I don’t think people hated he actor. “ Thewalkingdude

BloggyMcBlogBlog

1/12/16 12:52pm

I think this is a rare occasion where people don’t really blame the actor for the character being so shitty.

Sometimes the public gets it right. Jar Jar was ill-conceived long before Best came on board.”

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Agrajag 01/12/2016 at 23:08

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“And people I’ve introduced to Star Wars prefer the prequels over the originals.”

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > WiscoProud 01/12/2016 at 23:13

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In the original ben was just going to shut some door and leave they leave the death star.

Agrajag > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 01/12/2016 at 23:22

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Pretty much my reaction.