"This Interview Will Make You Feel Bad for Hating Jar Jar " Topic

….Binks

"If you ask any Star Wars fan what they hated most about the prequels they'll most likely tell you it was Jar Jar Binks. A lot of hate was directed at him and he was essentially the lightning rod for the creative flaws in The Phantom Menace, he was so hated a film critic (Daniel M. Kimmel) published a collection of 42 essays titled Jar Jar Binks Must Die. That's pretty heavy stuff, considering no one even thought to ask how Ahmed Best, the guy who was cast as the infamous Gungan, felt about all this criticism – or essentially being labeled as Star Wars fanboy's 'Public Enemy No. 1'.

In a recent interview with Jamie Stangroom, a YouTuber who presents a series called Are These The Actors You're Looking For where he talks to cast members big and small from the film, he and Best discuss his time on set and the fallout from the negative reaction Jar Jar Binks caused. In the interview he reveals that:…."
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Amicalement
Armand

I dislike the character Jar Jar Binks, but I'm grown up enough to know that Ahmed Best is an actor, and that Jar Jar is pretend. Just as I have admiration for Wil Wheaton, and still don't like Wesley Crusher, even after all these years.

Not a chance, I can hope the actor gets every staring role but Jar-Jar can die a thousand deaths

I doubt 98% of the fan base had any idea of his name until about two years ago.

Then he was brought out as an example of how racist homophobic misogynist fanboys were destroying Star Wars.

I feel a bit bad for the guy, but if Hollywood and the press are so sure he got a bum rap, where were they 15 years ago?

How could you feel bad for not liking that character. He has no redeeming features. He is CGI, poor CGI (unless that was changed in the last redo). He has the most annoying voice in cinima history. He looks and acts like a cartoon character. He is in the prequels. Did I miss anything?

The actor is completely lost in all the CGI, funny walks that put the ministry to shame and grating voice.

The Gungan became nearly extinct after it was discovered how tasty they were… ;-)

I just take note that Captain Gideon has his account locked… what happened there?.

Amicalement
Armand

Because jar jar is bad.

A Jar Jar thread without Captain Gideon is just plain wrong!

I can feel bad about how Mr. Best was treated, but that doesn't change my negative opinion of Jar Jar (or, for that matter, my negative opinions of the Prequels as a whole). Jar Jar was an annoying and utterly useless character, written as comedy relief in a movie that didn't need it by someone with a poor grasp of humor (i.e. Lucas).

I didn't even know there was an actor. I thought Jar-Jar was pure CGI. But I always detested the character, for much the same reasons as H Man.

That said, Mr. Best is a professional actor. He knew when he took the role that many people associate roles with actors--and he knew what the role was. If I'd known what that role was, Lucas would have had a harder time getting my money.

VCarter is right…! (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

I don't harbor any ill will against Mr. Best. But he could have chosen a voice that was less Space Jamaican and more alien. The accent just lent itself to accusations of racist caricature (and, yes, I know Mr. Best is black).