Star Wars Toy Pulled Over Racism Concerns

[The Straight Story]

Back in January, we reported on Lego’s response to racism complaints in regards to a LEGO Star Wars Jabba’s Palace toy. The Austrian Turkish Cultural Community had complained that the Jabba’s Palace looked similar to a mosque in Istanbul. There were also concerns that the figures in the LEGO set were portrayed as deceitful criminals, and it was offensive to tie them to the mosque.

At first, LEGO responded by issuing a statement that the Star Wars toys were based on fictional movie characters and that the Turkish cultural community was interpreting the toy wrongly. However, after continued discussion with the Turkish cultural community, LEGO has reportedly decided to pull the Jabba’s Palace toy from their line.

According to a statement from a press release by the Turkish Cultural Association of Austria, “We are very grateful and congratulate Lego on the decision from 2014 to take the Lego Star Wars product Jabba’s Palace out of production and no longer to have it on sale.”

Related posts:

http://comicbook.com/blog/2013/03/31/star-wars-toy-pulled-over-racism-concerns/

[el_bryanto]

1. That's an interesting one

Obviously the architecture that Lucas and his design team set for Tatooine was based, at least somewhat, on the architecture of the middle east - they are both desert cultures, and they wanted buildings that looked like they belong in a desert. I would be surprised that Lucas and his team deliberately copied a Mosque; but it's not surprising that they might well have design elements in common.

Of course the Phantom Menace displayed Lucas's tone deafness on cultural stereotypes so possibly I'm being too generous.

Bryant

[dkf]

5. O boy so now the entire series is racist and needs to be pulled?

Little did Disney know they bought such a loser property.

[el_bryanto]

6. Well that's not my argument

But those Turkish folks seem to think so. But again - if you are extroplating form the kind of architecture we have on earth right now, how do you assure that you are reflecting the best in those cultures or the worst?

Bryant

[graham4anything]

2. Jabba should stop drinking 48 ounce sodas and large tubs of popcorn. Jabba need listen to Mike.

[kudzu22]

3. That's funny, I didn't know that architecture determined one's religion

And by "funny" I mean "stupid". I saw no evidence that Jabba and his gang were muslims. Living in a round castle in the desert does not make one a muslim. Bunch of hyper-sensitive people looking to be offended if you ask me.

[shenmue]

4. Imagine if they cared about real problems?

Duh.

[LeftinOH]

7. If you look hard enough, you'll find something to get offended about

**anywhere**. Somebody has gone out of their way to find offense here.

[RZM]

8. They caved to this bullshit?

Ridiculous.

[Ron Obvious]

9. I thought this was going to be about Jar Jar Binks

Not a Star Wars fan in any case.