Is Ziro the Hutt from "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" a derogatory gay stereotype?

You know, after Phantom Menace came out I used to joke that Lucas had been listening to us all bitch for years about how there was no way he could have possibly come up with anything more annoying then the Ewoks.  My joke was that Lucas took that as a challenge ("Oh they think I can't create something more annoying than Ewoks?  Well I'll show them!") and the result was Jar-Jar Binks.

But that was hardly the only racist stereotype.  I was there opening night, at midnight, for Phantom Menace and as soon as we saw the money-hungry Nimoudians and they spoke in a Japanese accent I cringed in my seat. This was going to be a very un-PC ride, that much I could tell.

So now I wonder if Lucas is spitefully reacting to long-standing complaints that there are no gay characters in the Star Wars universe at all (other than C3P0) and is once again picking up the gauntlet and slapping the detractors across the face with it.

I admit I'm kind of over Star Wars too.  The prequel trilogy just sucked.  It was more about Lucas showcasing just how far ILM's FX technology had advanced in two decades rather than showing off tight, well-written scripts.  The story quality compared to the first trilogy was just shockingly bad, even with far better FX.

So I find myself a little surprised, but I have no desperate urge to see Clone Wars. After standing in absurd lines as a child decades ago, and showing up at midnight to see each of the prequels as they opened more recently, I find myself no really caring if I see this or not.

didn't JUST start with Jar-Jar Binks. I mean the entire trilogy was layered with Asian overtones. Pasty a** white guys running around in kimono-like outfits doing martial arts with glow stick katanas with names like Qui Gon Chi (I mean really?), Princess Amidalla (sp?) looks like a rocked out Geisha and then we have the much despised Jar Jar, who is more of a victim in this whole ordeal if anything. Yet you didn't actually see too many Asians in the entire trilogy. So it doesn't surprise me that we have a slightly, if not, outright asexual gay stereotype in this movie. It was only a matter of time.

While I was never a huge fan of Star Wars (I grew up in a Star trek home), I did appreciate the raw enjoyability of the original trilogy and watched the prequel trilogy hoping the find that same joy that I'd experience as a young child, but now I wince, if not breakdown and cry when I hear another game, movie or television series is being conceived of for the Star Wars franchise.

So here is my plea to Mr. Lucas: You don't have to work anymore, so stop. Please. For the love of God, Jedi and the Force. Stop.

Considering how poorly imitated some minorities were in Lucas' second trilogy is it surprising that he would consciously make a choice to have a character mimic Truman Capote.  Whose speaking voice has become synonymous with the gay male stereotype.  The writing in the second trilogy was atrocious and has anyone seen the latest installment of the Indiana Jones franchise.  Maybe George Lucas should leave the script writing to someone else.

Would it kill them to have a gay HERO in one goddamn episode of Star Wars? Jesus.

 Get some fucking balls Hollywood!

I was a Star Wars fan untii, like many others, the prequels arrived. But those first three (yes... even JEDI) captured my imagination and got me hooked on robots, Jedis, wookies... and Han Solo!

I think what's happened is that a large part of his original fan base became blinded by the original trilogy and became worshiping Lucas as some sort of King (or heaven forbid, a God). And now all these years later, all these disciples are still continuing to preach and get the next generation into it, creating a never ending cycle. In other words, we're never going to see it fade. At least not for a looooong, looooong time.

From what I can remember the Hutts were all notorious and dangerous crime lords. The idea that one is a dandy of sorts doesn't bother me, but the voice of Truman Capote? There is just a disconnect there because you are lead to believe creatures like Ziro and Jabba naturally have these amazing billowing and croaking voices. It just seems a natural fit for such a large creature that is mostly all mouth and gut. Certainly, Ziro could have a softer demeanor or even speak with a more eccentric voice, but to copy such a well-known celebrity is a bit ridiculous. (...and yes, perhaps even shameful)

I don't think we'll ever see gays in the SW universe either. I think we'll have to leave it to our own imaginations that they're there someplace. Perhaps on some distant circuit party planet, dancing under a giant disco ball Death Star.

This is one (str8) man's fantasy world and when he's calling the shots, he's going to make things that he wants to see. Maybe one day, one of his kids or his grandkids will wake-up and take the responsibility of bringing honor and dignity back to this franchise. But I'm not holding my breath! I'll just hang on to my old Han Solo posters and action figures and be happy with that.

Part of what was cool about the original trilogy was the fact that the aliens were alien!  They almost never spoke English and their voices and mannerisms were not identifiably aligned with any real world human grounds.

At the time this was very innovative, especially relative to Star Trek where the aliens usually looked pretty human and spoke English. It allowed for greater immersion into the idea that this was another galaxy filled with alien being.

I don't know what happened to Lucas as he aged but the second trilogy was instead filled with blatant attempts to make the aliens not only sound more human, but sound like specific human stereotypes.  Hence Jar-Jar sounded Jamaican, Watto sounded like an Arab and the Nimoudians sounded like the Japanese.  Now instead of forcing American audiences to read subtitles these aliens spoke English with recognizable accents.

It really detracted from the experience and also gave hints to possible racism on Lucas's part.  Now he's adding gay stereotypes to the mix.  The Hutts are non-humanoid and Jabba neither spoke English nor used a recognizable accent. He had a booming voice you would expect from a ccreature with large lung capacity. To make his uncle sound like Truman Capote (and purple from the look of things) seemingly serves no purpose except to play with stereotypes again.  All in all not pretty.

Kids will be opened to his comical appeal. I think it’s a good, healthy character to have. It was hilarious, and he thought that there will be kids out there being opened to the extreme diversity that Ziro offers makes me more happy about his existence than if there would have been no gay representation at all. It opens a new generation up to the old queens of the world, and I love it.

Ziro was great. A funny, fantastic character.

I'm gay, and for he first time since Obi-wan Kenobi walked on screen, I felt represented in the Star Wars universe.

Probably should have seen it before you bashed it.