If you like Star Wars, and if you have absolutely any compassion, you need to speak up against the colorism and racism in The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch.
I don’t care if you think “unwhitewashtbb” is incorrect about certain things. I don’t care who you like or don’t like in the fandom. This isn’t about supporting a singular individual and something they started. This isn’t about who you like or don’t like. This is beyond one person.
This is about supporting the fans of color. This is about supporting real life people. People who just want to see representation on screen, people who keep getting slapped in the face my mainstream media.
This is about Polynesian fans, who watch Clone Troopers, some of our only representation, be reduced to a Rambo ripoff. This is about watching our round features be erased and replaced by eurocentric standards. This is about Wrecker, Portrayed as the “strong dumb” Clone, looking the most Polynesian. This is about Tech, the smartest Clone, looking white.
This is about Black fans, who’s representation is drawn ashy and grey. Who have to sit and watch character designers disregard their skin and hair texture over and over and over. Who get told “well it’s hard to animate curly hair” or “darker tones are harder to render” whenever they point out the racism. Disney is a billion dollar company. They have the means. It’s not hard. It’s racism.
This is about Asian fans. Who had to relive racial trauma. Who watched as their only representation came in the form of Imperials. Murders. Who watched, as Fennec Shand was designed and animated to look nothing like Ming-Na Wen.
This is about Jewish fans. Who spend every week staring at a greedy lizard be voiced by a Jewish woman, who cares about nothing but money.
It’s about Muslim fans. Who had an entire race based on them. Only for their main representation, a Jedi healer, become a terrorist
This movement isn’t about you. It has nothing to do with who you hate or who you like.
It’s about all the fans of color out there, who feel defeated, degraded, mocked. Who feel ugly in their identity, because they have been tossed aside for so long. Who wanted to be Jedi when they grew up, but now they can’t even image a world without racism.
Fans who feel ignored. And alone.
It’s about standing up for them.
It’s about standing with them.
So say something. Do something.
Please.
Tweet about it. Post about it. Write essays. Email LucasArts and Disney. Support fans of color.
It’s not about a hashtag.
Just speak.
The Bad Batch panel is today at Star Wars Celebration, so it felt like a good time to bring this back.
Do not let the hype of a new show or the atmosphere of Celebration cloud your judgment and make you forget how actively racist and ignorant season one of The Bad Batch was.
This show was hurtful and disrespectful and ignorant.
Support fans of color by speaking up and speak out against racism in Star Wars.
Here’s a modern Omega for you guys. This was the most complicated hairstyle I’ve done but my friend sent it to me and I knew it was destined for her. The dress is based off of one of my old ones that I found. And freckles because why not? Also she is totally trans and no one can convince me otherwise. If there’s anything I need to change, please let me know!
@a-lil-perspective i know you were interested in my bad batch art. hope you enjoy!
Okay so they dropped the trailer for Season 2 of The Bad Batch, and apparently Cody is in it. Evidence was the facial scar.
But his armor looks grey/black, so perhaps a repaint? Because it’s hard for me to think he’s the only clone with a facial scar. But his scar is pretty distinct. And his armor has an antenna like his OG armor.
But then we have this shot here, which is him and Crosshair and Cody is in his OG armor. It looks like they’re aiming at Omega and some chick.
The antenna is on the same side for both armor sets, which could just be the placement area for the device. Again, it’s likely he’s not the only clone with an antenna attachment.
BUT!!
The gif could take place prior to the still shots, which could mean that between these scenes, Cody repaints his armor. But there is also no sign of him having had his chip removed in the still shots.
So idk. Personally, I hope we see him in the Obiwan series. There is potential for that since Tem did stuff for a clone veteran and there’s bts stuff of him in a bodysuit with a lady dressed as an Imperial Officer.
An image of a nebula overwritten with alternating pale yellow and white text which reads:
Calling all Star Wars fans!
Please join us in writing letters and emails to Disney and Lucasfilm to express your displeasure with the whitewashing, ableism, and antisemitism in The Bad Batch and postmark them for May 4th!
Contact info + sample letters are available here: bit.ly/uwwtbb-letter
We the undersigned are Star Wars fans reaching out due to our deep concerns with the new series, Star Wars: The Bad Batch. We feel that elements of the show, including many character models and aspects of the writing, are alienating and harmful to fans of color.
I don’t think some of y’all understand how genuinely hurtful and degrading your continued forgiveness and romanticization of The Bad Batch show is
It’s hurtful to see people forgive and ignore the blatant colorism and whitewashing. It’s hurtful. Because as a Polynesian, Temuera and I share so many features. My face is round and my nose is wide and and my eyes are so dark you can’t see the pupils. And it hurts to see features I share stripped and tossed aside. It tells me that I’m not good enough for respectful representation.
It hurts seeing the Wrecker, the only Clone who looks even remotely Polynesian, be portrayed in a way that feeds and fuels harmful stereotypes against my people. He’s the stupid, strong one. It hurts seeing Tech, smartest clone, be the naturally palest clone. As if my skin isn’t worthy of intelligence.
It hurts seeing the Imperials, a fascist metaphor, be the main source of representation. Why were so many of the Imperials people of color? Why don’t we deserve to fight alongside the heroes?
Seeing people support that show as it is, only reminds me that most people will never respect people who look like me enough to stand up for us in the small things, much less the big things.
What is White Washing and What Does It Have To Do With Star Wars?
Even if you’re not a Star Wars fan, this post is for you. Whitewashing is a problem that goes beyond just fans. It’s something that must be acknowledged by everyone in order to make change.
Today, Disney’s show The Bad Batch was renewed for Season 2. This is an animated show centered on Clone Troopers. These troopers and the original character that’s been Cloned, are played by Temuera Morrison in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith as seen below:
The Bad Batch are a group of genetically modified Clone Troopers, with desirable battle skills.
The leader has keen senses, one is super strong, one is a genius, one is a sharp shooter, and one has joined the Batch after being held as a prisoner of war.
So how does this all tie into white washing? Well! Let’s first ask ourselves what white washing is.
Webster defines it this way:
Whitewashing • to alter (something) in a way that favors, features, or caters to white people
Whitewashing is used to make things more Eurocentric. In media, whitewashing is often used to ignore, speak over, or disregard characters of color.
The most famous example of whitewashing is in the 2017 movie “Ghost in the Shell”. Where Scarlet Johansson plays a Japanese character. Everyone remembers how shocked and disgusted the internet was when this was announced. Not only did this casting choice ignore Asian actors, it also made the character more eurocentric, erasing her identity, and the representation she gave.
Wiki has a full article about white washing in film which you can read here
But bringing it back to animated Star Wars. The Bad Batch are genetically modified clones. They’re often seen as “better” than regular Clone Troopers, and are called in for missions no one else can do. Imagine the A-Team. But this brings us to what the Bad Batch look like:
These are supposed to be Clones, exact copies, of the man I showed you earlier. The large one, Wrecker, is the only one who actually looks like a Man of Color. And guess what. He’s the dumb one. The light one with the glasses? He’s the smartest one.
Whitewashing doesn’t stop at skin tone. This show has a very angular style, but art style is not an excuse. This art style CAN animate round features as seen on the background character Captain Typho:
The Bad Batch faces are thinned, with high cheek bones. They have round eyes, as opposed to hooded almond eyes, they’re thin, as opposed to a solid frame and build. Here’s a quick side by side comparison:
As noted by the red lines and color pallets, these designs are clear examples of white washing. We know they CAN animate round features, but they CHOSE not to. Captain Typho, is hardly in one episode. So what conclusion does this draw?
Star Wars has a history of being white centric. Finn was the only lead Black character and he was tossed aside. Lando is a side character. The main cast is all white.
Disney and Lucas Film will not allow POC to be the center of Star Wars. Even when they have no choice, they instead whitewash to make the characters more eurocentric. They do everything in their power to ignore and disregard POC and characters of color.
So what can you do?
Say something! Tweet about it! Make a post on Tumblr or Instagram! Tag Disney, LucasArts and anyone associated.
Use tags to spread the word! You can tag it #RacismInStarWars #StopStarWarsRacism #UnWhiteWashTBB
Sign the petition! Unwhitewashtbb has a petition and an open letter to Star Wars, I encourage you all, fan of Star Wars or not, to sign! If you want to make a stand against Racism, this is a great place to start.
This issue is bigger than fandom drama. This is a problem that effects real people. Whitewashing is harmful, it makes POC feel ignored and disregarded. It makes us feel insecure in our identity. Personally, white washing always makes me feel ugly. All I can think is “If Star Wars, my childhood favorite, thinks my features are undesirable, what does that make me?” That runs around in my head like crazy. And I feel worthless. Like garbage. This is beyond who you like or don’t like in a fandom. It’s beyond one person.
