Fan Reaction To Jar Jar Almost Led An Actor To Suicide

[Psab keel]

I stumbled across the video last night and perhaps it's because I too struggle with depression that I could relate. It's not to say that I had an even remotely similar situation to his but I empathize with him.

This isn't some means of bolstering my moral standing with others. I just happen to find writing therapeutic and when I write something down I have a better understanding of an idea. Plus I just feel for the guy. I couldn't imagine being lambasted so vehemently. I was bullied growing up, but man, to have it be so public must have been humiliating.

Sure I could have written about this in some journal that got tucked away where no one would have ever seen it, but perhaps we should talk about these things from time to time. Perhaps it's because I know I've gotten into heated debates with people here on theRPF that I feel compelled to keep my temper in check and remember that just because I can say something doesn't mean I always should. I only speak for myself so this isn't aimed at anyone. I guess I'm just feeling self aware about it.

 

[joeranger]

I couldn't laugh at JarJar until I saw Seth Rogan's tatoo in FanBoys. I was mad at George Lucas for pandering to a merchandising market.

I wasn't mad at the actor although I thought it was cartoonish racism. Watching the video, he says he put so much of his heart and sole into JarJar that they cannot be separated. At best, JarJar is a negative stereotype. He is partially responsible.

JarJar is a huge part of what went wrong with Star Wars, in my opinion, but I was no longer the target market for the new movies.

I wonder if Jack Gleeson feels personally hated for playing King Joffrey.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

The only way to put a major dent in the hate spewing online, frankly, is some methodology to remove the anonymity. If you had to sign your name, your real name, to everything you wrote, nearly all the stuff would never get posted. Anonymity makes people virtual tough guys with no shred of decency.

It’s the same empowerment people feel behind the wheel of their car to flip someone off....they would NEVER do the same if walking past each other on the sidewalk.

 

[NeoRutty]

Watched an interesting vid with comedian Chris D'elia... he was talking about how the never-ending punishment from keyboard warriors can drive you insane if you can't ignore it. He does his best, and then every once in a while, someone will come on Twitter and attack him, and he'll choose that person to give a taste of what its like to recieve that level of hate...

He'll retweet that person, take him down comedically, then let him wake up to 2700 people tweeting at him that he sucks...

They always message him after, "come on man! not cool!"...

If you get that kind of crap every day, especially for being part of one of the most divisive/hated trilogies??

Craziness.

 

[firesprite]

I couldn't laugh at JarJar until I saw Seth Rogan's tatoo in FanBoys. I was mad at George Lucas for pandering to a merchandising market.

I wasn't mad at the actor although I thought it was cartoonish racism. Watching the video, he says he put so much of his heart and sole into JarJar that they cannot be separated. At best, JarJar is a negative stereotype. He is partially responsible.

JarJar is a huge part of what went wrong with Star Wars, in my opinion, but I was no longer the target market for the new movies.

I wonder if Jack Gleeson feels personally hated for playing King Joffrey.

His experience playing Joffrey is why Gleeson stopped acting. Also, Lena Heady hates doing cons now because people never want to approach her because they can't separate her from Cersei.

 

[Egon Spengler]

People are morons for going after actors over their characters and the way they depicted them. It's one thing to not care for a character, it's another to go nuts on the person performing it.

 

[Darth Fetty]

16 years had passed - it's easy to forget how excited people were for another Star Wars movie.

Off topic comment, but just realized that a longer amount of time has passed between now and the release of TPM than there was between TPM and ROTJ.

And this year will be TPM's 20th anniversary... just felt old with this realization.

 

[joeranger]

His experience playing Joffrey is why Gleeson stopped acting. Also, Lena Heady hates doing cons now because people never want to approach her because they can't separate her from Cersei.

OK, that really sucks because Jack Gleason did such an amazing job. Lena Heady did an amazing job. I actually have "a thing" for her . JarJar was a buffoon. He is hated because of how idiotic and insulting the character was...

 

[shpider]

I will say that I hated Jar Jar until I met Ahmed at The Apple Store (prob 10+ years ago)... He has to be one of the nicest people I have ever met... Granted, I did help him with his computer issues... But he was nice to everyone...

When he first brought his computer in, there was a survey girl who offered him $20 to take a survey as to his experience at the store... He told her that he would be happy to take the survey but that he didn’t need the $20 and that she should keep it for lunch... After she told him that he pretty much had to take the $20 and that she couldn’t accept it, he left and came back with a bunch of flowers for her that he had purchased downstairs with the $20...

He came in the next day to pick up his computer and was kind enough to sign my Jar Jar alarm clock doll... The interaction with him and the whole “Darth Jar Jar theory” have done a lot to make Jar Jar more tolerable.

 

[Egon Spengler]

I will say that I hated Jar Jar until I met Ahmed at The Apple Store (prob 10+ years ago)... He has to be one of the nicest people I have ever met... Granted, I did help him with his computer issues... But he was nice to everyone...

When he first brought his computer in, there was a survey girl who offered him $20 to take a survey as to his experience at the store... He told her that he would be happy to take the survey but that he didn’t need the $20 and that she should keep it for lunch... After she told him that he pretty much had to take the $20 and that she couldn’t accept it, he left and came back with a bunch of flowers for her that he had purchased downstairs with the $20...

He came in the next day to pick up his computer and was kind enough to sign my Jar Jar alarm clock doll... The interaction with him and the whole “Darth Jar Jar theory” have done a lot to make Jar Jar more tolerable.

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That's awesome man! He seems like a really cool dude!

 

[firesprite]

Awww, I love that he brought the girl flowers. That is so sweet!

 

[Psab keel]

If he did the convention circuit I would love to meet him.

 

[Halliwax]

If he did the convention circuit I would love to meet him.

Me too. I would love to meet Kelly Marie Tran. First thing I would do is apologize for all the haters

 

[Psab keel]

I may not like the characters they played, but that doesn't mean I can't like the person who played them.

 

[Halliwax]

I may not like the characters they played, but that doesn't mean I can't like the person who played them.

Exactly brother!!

 

[firesprite]

Me too. I would love to meet Kelly Marie Tran. First thing I would do is apologize for all the haters

I'd just like to give both of them, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Jake Lloyd for that matter, big hugs.

 

[Halliwax]

I'd just like to give both of them, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Jake Lloyd for that matter, big hugs.

Yup! It’s things like this that can ruin a persons career because they lose faith in themselves

To attempt suicide over fans not liking you..... very rough...

 

[CutThumb]

Look, nearly all actors will take on parts in their careers that will sometimes win them acclaim ( give them an Oscar!!!) or approbation (give them a Golden Raspberry !!!) . Its how they are able to deal with this that distinguishes just how successful they will be in getting all types of roles in the industry going forward. In reality the character they play, bares little or no resemblance to themselves or their life experiences. Its just they are extremely good at pretending that they do. Its called acting.

Sometimes the characters they playing are so powerfully loved or hated by the viewing public that it spills into their actual personal life. Given that social media is really a very recent phenomena people are always going to vent their hatred at the most obvious target ie the actor. George Lucas was roundly criticized for his prequels, particularly his stereotypical writing and casting choice of "alien" characters. It wasn't that long ago that the worst thread in this forum was the one dealing with the Prequels criticism.

So this is nothing new under the sun. Its a great shame and rather horrible that people are forced to suffer it, but its not just actors. Its everywhere now, and its a deeply depressing fact that social media enables people to focus their hatred (or love) for anything or any person in the world. Except people never suffer when that feedback is positive.

PS. Just read they cannot get anyone to present "The Oscars" this year, for the first time ever, mainly because of the criticism and close scrutiny they get from social media.

 

[The Searcher]

PS. Just read they cannot get anyone to present "The Oscars" this year, for the first time ever, mainly because of the criticism and close scrutiny they get from social media.

I don’t think the 1989 Oscars had a host(for those of you who forget, it was the one where Rob Lowe and Snow White performed together).

 

[Psab keel]

The Oscars are a joke.