Creators of the “Jabba’s Palace” Lego set have been declared racist by the TCCA. It has not been determined if the TCCA declaration of racism extends to Star Wars creator George Lucas or the artists and set designers of Lucasfilm. Jar Jar Binks has refused to comment. (Photo: Lego)
The Hagia Sophia Museum in Istanbul, Turkey is indeed beautiful. Originally built by the Romans as a Christian church, it was later used as an Islamic mosque and is now a secular museum. It has recently been learned that copying any part of its architectural styling is considered to be racist by the Turkish Cultural Community of Austria.
Perhaps you thought the recent Django figures controversy was a lot to do about nothing. Well, now toymaker Lego has been accused of racism for producing a child’s building block set that, when fully assembled, creates a Star Wars building. Yes, you read that right. A BUILDING. If you mistakenly believed that toy buildings couldn’t be offensive to anyone, then you’ll be surprised to learn otherwise in the recent article published in the UK Telegraph, which announced…
“Lego has been accused of racism by the Turkish community over a Star Wars model that supposedly resembles one of Istanbul’s most revered mosques. The anger was provoked by “Jabba’s Palace”, a model from Lego’s Star Wars product range based on the series of Star Wars films.
Austria’s Turkish community said the model was based on Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul and that the accompanying figures depicted Asians and Orientals as people with “deceitful and criminal personalities.” The Turkish Cultural Community of Austria (TCCA) released a statement calling for Lego to apologize for affronting religious and cultural feelings.”
The “offensive” Jabba the Hut and other figures from the Jabba’s Palace playset. (Photo: Lego)
In a surprising addtion, the TCCA declared that the “accompanying figures” of outer space aliens that resemble Asian or Oriental human beings are also racist. Lego fans may be further interested to learn that “Austria’s Turkish community” has a great dislike for one of Star Wars most popular characters, Jabba the Hut. As the Telegraph article reveals…
“The terrorist Jabba the Hutt likes to smoke a hookah and have his victims killed.’ It is clear that the ugly figure of Jabba and the whole scene smacks of racial prejudice and vulgar insinuations against Asians and Orientals as people with deceitful and criminal personalities.”
Lego has since replied to the TCCA, denying any known link between the fictional Jabba’s Palace on the fictional planet Tatooine, and any real, existing structure on any real planet, including Earth. Lego public relations manager, Katharina Sasse, said of the controversy…
“The Lego Star Wars product Jabba´s Palace does not reflect any actually existing buildings, people, or the mentioned mosque,” she said. “The Lego mini-figures are all modelled on characters from the movie. We regret that the product has caused the members of the Turkish cultural community to come to a wrong interpretation, but point out that when designing the product only the fictional content of the Star Wars saga were referred to.”
Coming up next week: Marine biologists announce their boycott of Spongebob Squarepants toys, declaring that the new Squidward and Plankton action figures “smack of racial prejudice and vulgar insinuations against sea creatures as lifeforms with deceitful and criminal personalities.”
