In response to the uproar caused by hashtag campaign #BoycottStarWarsVII several of the film’s castmembers have embarked on a daring campaign of their own. After the jump, find out what they have in store and why it’s sure to be trending very, very soon.
Many people out there in the twitterverse have voiced some serious qualms about the new
Star Wars movie based on the diversity represented among the cast. We here at FakingStarWars adhere to an intense set of rigorous journalistic ethics so we can’t comment on their intentions. (Fact: We only deal in facts.)
However, many of these people have made it known that they are upset that the new Star Wars cast seems to pander in some ways to minorities. Significantly, actor John Boyega is of African-British extraction, Daisey Ridley is definitely a woman, and Oscar Issac has Cuban blood flowing through his ethnically ambiguous veins. In stark contrast to the cast of the Original Trilogy, there is a fear this diversity will compromise the integrity of the new film just to meet the demands of a vocal and politically-correct global viewership.
The campaign to boycott Star Wars has not fallen on deaf ears. Thousands have retweeted and agreed to boycott the film. Said William Walters, a grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, “We are protecting the heritage of this film franchise for generations to come. It’s bad enough the most iconic Star Wars figure of the originals is clad in all black, but to feature a dark skinned protagonist? Poppycock! At
best they can be sidekicks with sketchy back stories.”
Inspired by this boycott campaign, Boyega, Ridley, and Isaac released a joint statement read by Isaac yesterday in African, English, Peruvian, and Guavian languages. The actor explained, “Look, we didn’t realize the harm we were doing to the franchise when we decided to sign up. Our biggest fear was that our work would somehow ruin Star Wars for fans by making it too diverse or overly accessible to different cultural groups. Por favor understand-o, that was never our intention. We were just really excited to be in the movie. We are sorry that our hasty decision has caused so much distress.”
The actors went on to publicly sign the boycott, and asked all Star Wars fans everywhere to do the same.
“People’s feelings aren’t something to mess with,” said Boyega. “I wish there was a way we could go back to the segregated galaxy far, far away that we can all enjoy.”
Jacen’s cousin, our news correspondent, also followed up with James Earl Jones to get his view on the matter. Jones was quoted as saying, “I have to say I’m proud of those young kids for standing up for what’s right. They realized the error in their ways, and are now making Star Wars right again. They’re righting the ship I worked hard to maintain, and they should be commended. Follow their lead and boycott this film! Disney should know better than to make the Star Wars universe inclusive!”
It remains to be seen whether the announced cast of Episode VIII will revert back to the judeo-anglo-saxon cast so beloved by fans of the original trilogy. Of course, actor Benicio Del Toro certainly hasn’t helped his cause by stating a desire to wield a pink lightsaber. In any case, stay tuned to FakingStarWars for the report!
