Star Wars defends new hire Arielle, accused of bias against white people. Why were you silent about Gina Carano, Twitter asks
The official Star Wars Twitter account has called out “bullying and racism” targeting the host of its new show, who has a record of remarks apparently labeling all white people racist, or at least racism-adjunct.
Actress and geek media personality Krystina Arielle was picked by Lucasfilm to be the face of ‘The High Republic Show’, a bi-monthly behind-the-scenes video series exploring the new Star Wars sub-franchise. ‘The High Republic’, launched last year, is the latest attempt to branch out from fan-favorite characters and stories of old and establish a new hub for content supposedly more befitting modern readers.
The announcement was not taken well by some fans, who are not happy with the combative political side of Arielle, who is black and an outspoken critic of racism. She has made many remarks about white people which may be seen as insulting. Arielle apparently believes that the experiences of black people cannot be comprehended by their white counterparts – so much so that it takes a black person to properly write a black character.
You don't get to pat yourself on the back for being "diverse" if you have white writers guessing how black characters might respond in a situation. It doesn't matter how many black people you outsource your questions to. Try hiring us. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
— Krystina Arielle 🦖 (@KrystinaArielle) August 17, 2019
White men: this is not the subject for you to try and speak authoritatively in my comments. I said what I said.
— Krystina Arielle 🦖 (@KrystinaArielle) October 23, 2020
White people: fucking stop it. Your racism won’t save you. Your ignorance is not an excuse. https://t.co/7nTKHrb34L
— Krystina Arielle 🦖 (@KrystinaArielle) March 23, 2020
With online uproar surrounding Arielle, Lucasfilm came to her defense. “Our Star Wars community is one of hope and inclusivity. We do not stand for bullying and racism,” the official Star Wars Twitter account posted.
Our Star Wars community is one of hope and inclusivity. We do not stand for bullying and racism. We support @KrystinaArielle.
— Star Wars (@starwars) January 23, 2021
The statement was seen as hypocritical by many commenters, who pointed out that the company didn’t bother to extend the same support to other people involved in Star Wars who had faced hostility due to their political views. Conservative actress Gina Carano of the highly successful TV series ‘The Mandalorian’ was targeted with particular viciousness, including in replies to the post hailing Arielle.
I never heard of Krystina... but I’m confused where your tweet of support for @ginacarano was? She’s been endlessly bullied for things she’s never even said. Stop picking favorites and be truly inclusive by supporting ALL your talent equally no matter who they vote for ✌🏻♥️. pic.twitter.com/7MLWGBuy19
— Andy Signore (@andysignore) January 23, 2021
This whole thread is harassment against Gina Carano. The hypocrisy is off the charts. https://t.co/LrFJdgPADm
— Memology 101 (@NewsM101) January 23, 2021
People on the other side of the culture wars were not convinced either. Lucasfilm and its head company Disney stand accused of many sins against social justice and equality in the eyes of the woke crowd. And they were instantly brought up in addition to calls to fire Carano.
“Systematic mistreatment of black characters” pic.twitter.com/drdhz8z86r
— Satine Burgoa (@BurgoaSatine) January 23, 2021
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