I hope this doesn’t offend too many huge Star Wars fans out there; you know the die-hard types that actually put “Jedi” down as their religion on important forms, and hope to one day actually construct a real light saber in their garage workshop. I mean no harm, but please hear me out as I have a confession to make…
I LIKE JAR-JAR-BINKS. NO, SCRATCH THAT!
I FUCKING LOVE JAR-JAR-BINKS!
…phew. I feel so much better. Sorry about that…
You see, I was like you – I couldn’t stand him. I quite enjoyed the newer movies on the whole (it was my childhood after all), but where Liam Neeson and the huge array of new bad guys succeeded, the presence of Jar Jar Binks always threatened to give me high blood pressure. Yes, even at that young age. There was just something about being forced to watch an absolute moron stumble through scene after scene, which made me want to throw my milkshake and/or Lego blocks at the television. Every time I watched that part with the big fish on Episode I, I hoped…no, I prayed, that somehow the outcome would be different – that this time he would be ripped apart, while Qui Gon and Obi Won swam away holding up their middle fingers…unfortunately that’s not how video tapes work, and consequently didn’t ever happen.
But…I’m very happy to say I had a change of heart recently.
You see, there’s a child in my kindergarten class who really struggles, and I mean struggles. I actually think he has some kind of learning difficulty which has been either missed or totally ignored (I suspect the latter sadly), this of course is no laughing matter, so I try to give him extra help wherever and whenever I can. I even suggested that he stays behind a couple of days so I can give extra (unpaid) lessons in my spare break time. Long story short, I love this kid, because he’s an all-around amazing little dude.
Problem is, he reminds me of someone…everything he says is always “meeesaaa don’t like this”, or “meeesaaa want to come with you”, and “meeesaaa day startin pretty okey day”…okay fine, I made the last one up. But yeah, he speaks in unintentional ebonics – JUST LIKE MY OLD NEMESIS JAR JAR! But what’s more strange is that I don’t mind it so much, I correct his grammar and sentence structure, but it doesn’t annoy me…I certainly have no wish to see a huge alien fish eat him alive.
Maybe I’m more mature than I was? Hmmm…nah, definitely can’t be that.
So anyway, a couple of days ago I re-watched Episode I, for the first time in a long, long time (for errr, research), and you know what? I found him utterly charming and thoroughly amusing. There I said it!
I feel a little bad for the hate mail and packages of dog shit I sent George Lucas many moons ago. Oh well, you can’t change the past…right?
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John Lee Taggart 
In Episode 1, I thought the kid who played Anakin stumbled around moronically in epic proportions compared to Jar Jar. While I’m still not a fan of Mr Binks, I can understand your new found likatude for the character. And that student does sound like one amazing little guy.
As for the hate mail and bags of dog excrement. He deserves them for Howard the Duck. And the awful dialogue from Episodes 1 through 3.
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You hit the nail on the head with this, like two minds! That kid was a little cheeky scamp (and not in a loveable way) hard to believe he went on to such heinous things…urgh, the teen wasn’t so much better.
I wonder what the Disney ones will bring…hmmm…
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I have high-ish hopes for the Disney ones.
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Jar Jar isn’t all bad, hes still not my favorite character, by far. Hes not as bad as young Boba Fett.
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Definitely agree with that!!
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“packages of dog shit” hahahahahaha!! Really??? How creative of you 😀
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Sometimes a kids gotta do what a kids gotta do!
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🙂
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Meesa Lika Dis.
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hahaha! Well played sir!
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I’m not even a Star Wars fan (I am expecting to be flooded under an avalanche of hate mail now) … but I loved this!
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haha, you might be ~ but not from me! Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reading!
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You know, I can barely recall that movie. But the Jar Jar guy is completely memorable. For all the wrong reasons, of course. But he’s my first thought when that movie is mentioned. What does that tell us?
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That, errr…yeah I’m stumped. I was a huge fan at the time (Darth Maul dressing gown and all) but looking back it was regrettable.
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Ahh Jar Jar – other than Lando Carlrissian Lucas’s only attempt at diversity. Jar Jar was sort of Jamaican, right?
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haha, exactly, it’s far too an intentional move. I remember at the time people were getting upset about Jar Jar, but in reality he was just a scapegoat for how much it all throughly SUCKED!
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Great post. I did always like Jar Jar though. I’d have to say all his dialogue is way better than any of the interactions between Anakin and Padme in the second and third movies
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Thanks a lot! Yeah the young Anakin irks me even more, especially now when I re watch them with less youthful forgiving eyes! Talk about lack of chemistry…well just bad acting.
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Growing up with the newer Star Wars movies I always enjoyed the comedic relief that Jar Jar brought to to table! It was only recently when I overheard some colleagues speaking that I realised there’s a huge amount of hate among hardcore Star Wars fans for Jar Jar. What is there to hate? He’s brilliant!
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hahaha, the legit Star Wars fans out there would have him burned at the stake, for sure! I found him pretty annoying, but like someone else has said , that was eclipsed by how irritating the young Anakin was…urgh…
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I couldn’t get behind Jar-Jar when the movie came out, but I have to admit, I’m impressed by how he’s built up an impressive Internet community with his blogging and podcasts and hanging out with Wil Wheaton.
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true… “Oh well, you can’t change the past,”
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haha, I guess there is not much point dwelling on it 😀
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Well done! (You’ve reminded me of how very long ago I fell off the Stars Wars wagon, um starfighter, and a few of the reasons why…)
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I like Jar Jar too John.
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So many Jar Jar fans are coming out of the woodwork Catherine! I’ll have to let him know, he’ll be pleased.
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I liked your post, but now I’m afraid. I can’t believe the amount of Jar Jar fans that are out there. I can’t believe that closet Jar Jarians are actually coming out! This is disturbing, I shall run away because I don’t want to be assimilated.
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I know, that surprised me too actually! He does have a lot of fans (or so it seems!) Who knew? !?!
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I’ve always loved Jar Jar! I don’t get why everyone hated him. And I realized recently that I say exsqueeze for more often then I say excuse me. That gets me funny looks sometimes.
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hahahaha excellent stuff! I said that the other day, and laughed to myself…no one else understood ~ FINALLY someone understands! 😉
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We need a Jar Jar support group!
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A refreshing point of view! And I love that it was inspired by a kindergartener. I myself have never been able to get on board with the passionate hatred for the poor Gungan. I mean, would he have been missed were he omitted from the films? Absolutely not. Is his presence integral to…well, anything that happens? Nope. Is he ridiculous and unnecessary beyond belief? Sure. But do I love to quote him every time I leave from visiting relatives in another state to return to my house by yelling, “Weesa goin’ home!”? Yes. Yes, I do.
And I agree with A. M. Freeman. Jar Jar support group! Let’s get tee-shirts!
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Star Wars was the first movie I ever saw in a theatre. I can’t say I really understood it at the time, but the costumes were amazing!
And I never kept up with the other episodes … so I had to look up Jar Jar. My husband knew who Jar Jar was and immediately associated him with annoyance. I had to know and this is one video I came across:
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