Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #154 - "Get used to it." The Force Awakens & Diversity

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #154 - "Get used to it." The Force Awakens & Diversity

Hi Mom,

More stuff in my continuing series of stuff I care about much more then you do, but when I share with you, then you listen politely and let me know your proud of me for being a strong intellectual and full of curiosity and as you always encouraged me to be.

I wrote about the racist and bigoted backlash against the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, almost 50 days ago in Hey Mom #106.

Entertainment Weekly published a great special issue on Star Wars and The Force Awakens in November, which I have been slowly reading. I just finished it, every word. I was especially struck by this article, "The Face of Change,"  about new cast members Daisy Ridley and John Boyega as "shaking up" the Star Wars universe. It seems silly to talk about the casting of a strong woman and a sensitive black man (actors are both British, so "African-American" does not apply here) in character roles. Egads, there's people of color and women in the universe with white men and women (and Wookies and Droids). What a shocker!! How shall we protect ourselves from all these people of color and women?

Let's set aside the fact that it's an interesting racial comment that the AWOL stormtrooper Finn has black skin but wears armor that is all white. SO MUCH potential for analysis there.

But here's what Boyega said that I really loved, which is the core of today's short post. First, he comments on how children do not seem to care about the gender of characters or the color of their skins as much as adults seem to care. Children will pretend to be these characters no matter what they look like. Following that, Boyega said

"we've been having a continuous struggle with idiots, and now we should just force them to understand--and I love the way I just used 'Force' there, by the way--just force people to see that this is a new world. There are loads of people with different shades and backgrounds. Get used to it."

Hell, yeah!

Well said, John Boyega.

I am starting to get really excited for this movie.

The Force Awakens opens December 18th.

"I was raised to do one thing, but I've got nothing to fight for." ―Finn[src]


Have someone give you a kiss, and tell you that I love you.

Talk to you tomorrow, Mom.

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- Days ago = 156 days ago


- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 1512.08 - 10:10