Lego Accused of Racism With Star Wars Set 514
Ch_Omega writes "According to this article over at The Telegraph, Lego has been accused of racism by the Turkish community in Austria over a Star Wars model that supposedly resembles one of Istanbul's most revered mosques. The anger was provoked by 'Jabba's Palace,' a model of the home of Jabba the Hutt from Lego's Star Wars product range based on the blockbusting series of science fiction films. 'The terrorist Jabba the Hutt likes to smoke a hookah and have his victims killed,' said the statement posted on the organization's website. 'It is clear that the ugly figure of Jabba and the whole scene smacks of racial prejudice and vulgar insinuations against Asians and Orientals as people with deceitful and criminal personalities.'"
So many things wrong here... (Score:5, Informative)
First, Lego didn't design Jabba's Palace. I'm pretty sure that was under LucasArts' realm.
Second, Jabba's Palace is modeled like all the other homes on Tatooine. Except his is bigger. It's desert design influencing desert design.
Third, Jabba's not the only one smoking from a hookah like device in the movie.
Fourth, omg stop being the dumb.
Ridiculous (Score:5, Informative)
Victimhood is power - go get some (Score:5, Informative)
Re:I'm mad too (Score:5, Informative)
Actually Naboo Was Based on Hagia Sophia (Score:5, Informative)
Also
Re:No It Doesn't (Score:5, Informative)
Too bad Lego responded to this nonsense and even offered an apology
Responding is not bad; you said yourself that the company would have responded if you were in charge. And there was no apology either, the reply was "We regret that the product has caused the members of the Turkish cultural community to come to a wrong interpretation. " That's not an apology. That's saying these people are wrong.
Re:Ridiculous (Score:3, Informative)
Re:The solution is in your comment (Score:5, Informative)
Funny how nobody remembers The Mummy.... (Score:3, Informative)
in regards to Muslim 'good guys' (which I did find kind of funny since they're members of an order protecting against a 'pre-Muslim threat' (IE curse of an Egyptian God.)
But anyhow good guys concerned with protecting the world from an evil their forebears mistakenly wrought.
Re:here we go (Score:4, Informative)
The operation, supported by the Shah, was successful, and Mosaddegh was arrested on 19 August 1953. The coup was the first time the US had openly overthrown an elected, civilian government of another sovereign state.
Re:here we go (Score:5, Informative)
I want to agree with you here, but
I know hating on religion is all the rage these day, but racial stereotyping and sensitivity (like this article and discussion are about) have basically nothing to do with it.
does kind of conflict with
The Turkish Cultural Community of Austria released a statement calling for Lego to apologise for affronting religious and cultural feelings.
It looks like religion and stereotyping have everything to do with it. At least in their eyes. And let's be honest, most of the hate groups and violence we read about are perpetrated under religious excuse. Not a lot of militant atheists out there wiping out neighboring tribes for having religion, or blowing themselves up on public transportation, RPG'ing the kafir embassy, genital mutilation, firebombing health facilities, shooting doctors, or getting on TV to scream "GOD HATES FAGS".
I'm happy to give people the benefit of the doubt. Particularly in more civilized nations where the religious are less likely to kill people. But let's not go full-on hallucinatory.
Re:here we go (Score:2, Informative)
Re:here we go (Score:5, Informative)
In Turkey, this has always been more or less flexible, as it is in many branches of Islam.
It comes from two theological roots: The first that portraying the face of a prophet (including Jesus, Moses, etc.) is full of opportunities for blasphemy, the second that creating realistic images of living things usurps Allah's role as creator. In many ways, these reflect the Judaic prohibition in the Ten Commandments against creating carved images. This is one reason why Islamic architecture is full of those amazing geometric designs.
In Turkish art and architecture, this has been fairly relaxed, especially in Istanbul. Typically, images of a prophet simply cover his (I'm fairly sure that they're all male) face with a veil or show him from behind. Mosques in Istanbul are full of images of flowers and sultans often commissioned portraits of themselves, books with figurative art in illuminated manuscripts, and so on. Topkapi Palace is full of this kind of art.
I've been in Hagia Sophia several times and can't see the resemblance myself, beyond the fact that it's a domed building with a squared front.
Re:here we go (Score:4, Informative)
Re:here we go (Score:3, Informative)
Not to mention that Hagia Sophia is originally a orthodox basilica.. and so a orthodox design..