"Victoria Mahoney Joins ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ as ..." Topic

….Franchise's First Black Female Second Unit Director

"J.J. Abrams is walking the walk, not just talking the talk. There's a lot of discussion in Hollywood right now about inclusion, and opening up positions that are traditionally held by white men to a more diverse range of individuals. Just as in other aspects of society, there have been barriers that have kept women and people of color out of some key roles in Hollywood, as evidenced by the fact that with A Wrinkle in Time—a movie released in 2018—Ava DuVernay was the first black female director to ever be given a budget over $100 USD million. It's been a bit of a feedback loop, as women and people of color have had a harder time getting these big jobs because they supposedly don't have the experience necessary, but they can't get the experience without being hired for the jobs in the first place. Not to mention the fact that white male directors who make a $5 USD million Sundance indie are handed the reigns to massive franchises like Star Wars or a Marvel movie straight away.

So it takes people in positions of power to enact actual change, and that's exactly what Abrams is doing with Star Wars: Episode IX. It was announced yesterday by DuVernay that Victoria Mahoney will be serving as the second unit director for Episode IX, making her the first African-American woman to serve as a director in any capacity for the Star Wars franchise. For those unfamiliar, a second unit director is in charge of a film's "second unit," which is mostly reserved for filming stunt sequences and complicated action set pieces. This second unit shoots simultaneously with the first unit, which is comprised of shots involving the principal cast and is overseen by the director. Some filmmakers direct their own second unit, like Christopher Nolan, but on a film as massive as Star Wars it's impossible to do both, and the second unit on a movie like this is a massive undertaking…."
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Amicalement
Armand

If Wrinkle is any indicator, a bad feeling about this is indeed warranted. This sadly appears to be a political decision not a merit based one.

Any remotely mainstream entertainment is going to be wall to wall white man hate for the foreseeable future. That's just the way it is.

They just keep making "CGI" Crap and call it art. They can't write or film a good movie anymore. People winnie about the old studio system but people had to learn there craft the hard way by making lots of films.

Gee the last movie sucked so we need more virtue signaling….

Yeah, Desmond, that's just the way it is. Kind of makes up for all those centuries of black, red, yellow, brown man hate now doesn't it?

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

Either way since Star Wars is now no longer escapist space fantasy so much as just punishment for the unique evil of my people I find it somewhat less fun.

I think a lot of people feel they were sold Equality and instead received a package of Righteous Vengeance Upon The White Devils and are now checking the small print of the contract.

This is encouraging news, and I'm happy, I guess. But it kind of raises an awkward question…

Was she the best person for the job?

If yes, that's great, good for her, but are you really a hero of diversity for hiring her? After all, she was the best person for the job. This article, or at least this excerpt, isn't focused on her accomplishment but on what a good guy JJ Abrams for "walking the walk".

If she's not the best person for the job, what does that mean? That her race and gender were more important than getting the job done? that people of her race and gender need special accommodation? That the white establishment has somehow redeemed itself?

If Mr. Abrams is being celebrated for giving her special gift, not something she has earned, isn't that offensive patronizing?

I suspect the fault here is more with the article than the actual facts of the case. But still, I think we need to be careful about how we think about this issue and what we say about it, otherwise we just trade old offenses for new ones.

You are, I fear, a trifle behind on modern progressive thinking. Ideas like ‘best person for the job', ‘meritocracy', ‘objectivity' ‘science' and ‘freedom thought speech and expression' have been discovered by the diligent work of humanities professors at elite universities to be synonymous with whiteness and patriarchy and therefore wrongthink to be opposed by all means necesscary.

God help us all.

Glup!….

Amicalement
Armand

+10 for Tango!

>Glup!….

Star Wars isn't a stupid sci fi movie anymore. It is the severed head of a defeated foe to be paraded around in victory and then displayed on a spike outside the victors hut as a warning to all who would dare to defy the Tolerant Progressives.

—

By and large I think I preferred it when my Autistic Special Interest was stupid sci fi movies instead of the evils of the progressive left.

True equality is when we dont notice it, this only comes with time.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Dezmond, thank you. I couldn't have put it better myself. You are not alone.

Regarding StarWars/whateverthehellitis… absolute rubbish from any perspective involving storytelling, integrity, and intellect… a rehashed CGI cash cow turned into a propaganda franchise to be consumed by the driveling tasteless masses.
Sad really, as the original movies were silly fun and genuinely creative in a lazy sort of way.
Disney is pushing too hard maybe, if the current public backlash is anything to go by.