TPM stereotypes? Are(n't) they real???

JediMaster415 · Post by **JediMaster415** » 2004-11-26 10:29pm

I'm taking a Japanese course right now and my teacher comes from Japan. She speaks Japanese-accented English (there are times you actually have to concentrate for a moment to understand her) but she doesn't sound like the Neimodians.

Gorefiend · Post by **Gorefiend** » 2004-11-27 03:16am

I cant help it but to me they sound more like Frenchmen oO

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » 2004-11-27 03:58am

I mean it's just an accent. People got all up in arms about Watto too, saying he sounded Arabic. He didn't sound like any arabic accent I know either.

When I was kid we lived in Wisconsin for a couple of years, in an apartment building, my next door neighbor was this old Polish gent. I swear before heaven he sounded just like Watto, so you can guess what I thought when about a decade or so later I saw Watto on the screen. Until meeting several marines of Polish orgin (2 years after TPM) I honestly thought that that was the bog standard Polish accent, to the point I thought that the folks pushing "watto the jew" were fucking insane and in need of despreate help.

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » 2004-11-27 04:12am

The people pushing these ideas have obviously never seen those videos of Lucas's creative process. He says "I need an alien slave trader." His team of artists come up with ideas, and he goes around with his stampy thing.

Winston Blake · Post by **Winston Blake** » 2004-11-27 05:51am

Gorefiend wrote:I cant help it but to me they sound more like Frenchmen oO

Holy shit now i can't hear them as anything BUT French.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2004-11-27 01:50pm

Actually, the Neimoidans really reminded me of Italians accent wise, because I know several italians. Asian never even crossed my mind.

Post by **Coyote** » 2004-11-27 04:03pm

I never saw them as Asians either. My theory goes right along with Darth Wong's: there are only so many ways a human voice can make an accent, and any one of them is bound to end up sounding like something. People who look for trouble will find it one way or another, even if it exists largely in the realm of suggestion.

Considering how reverent Lucas was in basing his ideas on the works of Kurosawa, it seems incongruent that he would turn around and knowingly mock that same culture which provided him such a wealth of stylistic ideas.

I never saw Watto as a "Jew Vendor" either.

Mark S · Post by **Mark S** » 2004-11-27 04:32pm

Gorefiend wrote:I cant help it but to me they sound more like Frenchmen oO

My brother thought that too.

Sonnenburg · Post by **Sonnenburg** » 2004-11-27 05:58pm

What I've always thought was: If Lucas wanted to make them sound stereotypically Japanese, why wasn't the line, "Of course, as you know our brockade is perfectry regar"? I wonder what Rord Sidious would have had to say about that?

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2004-11-27 07:38pm

The Neimodians sound like Mojo Jojo from the Powerpuff Girls (which is widely regarded as a spoof of Japanese anime like Sailor Moon). AOTC added at least one more Neimodian voice that sounds really different (maybe to avoid the accusation?).

I think if there is anything to how the voices sound, it's a reference to old movies, and that's what's going on here, not that "asians" actually sound like Neimodians.

Also, the movie about the auto companies is called "Gung Ho" IIRC, and it was made in the 80's.

Executor32 · Post by **Executor32** » 2004-11-27 09:09pm

Gil Hamilton wrote:They sure down sound Japanese "Engrish" to me or even a Charlie Chan knock off. They've got a funky accent, but it's not like any Asian accent I've heard. After all, if GL was going for a Japanese "Engrish" accent, choosing the title "Viceroy" is a really interesting choice, since that word would be really tricky to say in Engrish. I can just see the Viceroy's aide going "Biceryu! Biceryu!"

I'ts not really that hard. It'd probably be either "Baiseroi" or "Baisuroi," depending on whether or not you wanted to pronounce the 'e'.

Trekdestroyer · Post by **Trekdestroyer** » 2004-11-29 05:52pm

The actors who played the Nemodians were Thai actors, which might explain the asian sound of their voice.

The Original Nex · Post by **The Original Nex** » 2004-11-29 07:08pm

I personally don't see any human accents on aliens, but people have told me they think Watto sounds Italian.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2004-11-29 10:12pm

The Original Nex wrote:I personally don't see any human accents on aliens, but people have told me they think Watto sounds Italian.

Where the hell-a you get that idea?! *gestures*

Bob the Gunslinger · Post by **Bob the Gunslinger** » 2004-11-30 02:23pm

Trekdestroyer wrote:The actors who played the Nemodians were Thai actors, which might explain the asian sound of their voice.

The first time I saw the movie, me, my brother, and all my friends picked up on the accents theing. There was debate abouyt which Middle Eastern stereotype Watto was, but we all recognized the Neimodians as Japanese accents. The reason: We'd all seen a marathon WWII propaganda cartoons. Try watching "The Ducktators" or some of the old Bugs Bunny shorts and you'll notice that the stereotyped Japanese voice is very similar to the Neimodians (who also have slanted slit-like pupils--a somewhat damning coincidence).

When he found out that the voice actors were Thai, my friend asked "Did Japan invade Thailand in WWII? Why do they [the voice actors] hate them so much?"