a list of names from star wars and their cultural origin (just so we're clear that these names aren't actually funky sci-fi names that Lucas and Co. made up, but names that come from actual irl peoples and cultures and were left mostly uncredited read: stolen)
padmé; from padma, or lotus flower, another name/symbol of the hindu goddess lakshmi
pooja; (padmé's niece) means 'prayer' or 'an act of worship', usually associated with hinduism
ahsoka; most likely inspired by the indian emperor ashoka
aayla; a turkish muslim name which means 'a ring of light around the moon'
barriss; turkish in origin, means "peace"
smhi;most likely a form of the name lakshmi, a hindu goddess
shaak ti; from the name 'shakti', an Indian name which means "energy"
depa; obviously from the words 'deepa' which means "light/lamp"
yoda; possibly from the punjabi word 'yoddha', which means "warrior"
jamillia; from 'jamilla/jameela', a Muslim name which means "beautiful"
tatooine (planet); literally an actual city in tunisia
mustafar (planet); from the arabic word 'mustafa', meaning "chosen one". note the symbolism that darth vader made it his home
jedi; from the arabic 'al-jeddi', meaning "master of the mystic warrior way"
din; although pronounced differently at times, din is a muslim word of arabic origin which means "way/creed/path of life"
when you take inspiration from the majority, it's not a wonder as to where it came from. not many people see the name Luke or Leia and have to scratch their head and turn their brain inside out to know the origin. western culture has so heavily dominated everything for centuries - oftentimes forcefully - that these names are passed over as normal and unexciting
the problem comes when you take words and names from minorities, especially when they have deep or religious meanings, and turn it into something to fit your space fantasy. people see them and think 'how exotic!', which turns this into yet another form of modern day orientalism that flies under the radar of most. it turns into yet another scenario of eastern religions or cultures being deemed 'other' or 'exotic'
for those of you unfamiliar with the term 'orientalism', this is what it means in a nutshell - it's a way of defining how the west looks at the east, and how eastern cultures become fetishised or appropriated over time, ultimately to be seen as inferior, other, or something exotic and exciting
think: all the fantasies and stereotypes that surround the seductive geisha, the mysterious and sexual sultan's harem, the exotic belly dancer, the barbaric tribes of the deserts, etc etc
this is also why these thought patterns and forms of appropriation are dangerous:
it becomes even more problematic when you take direct words or inspiration from eastern cultures and religions and leave it uncredited, and therefore, un-normalised and further exoticised
edward said's work is revolutionary for people like me, and though it's a bit heavy academic reading, it is absolutely wonderful and will help you to understand why these things are wrong and where these stereotypes and common tropes came from. the history is long, bloody, and steeped in white superiority, but necessary to know and understand if we want to do anything to change it!!
I’ve noticed that if you bring up the fact that Judy garland did blackface people are quick to mention that she didn’t mean to and was forced to do it which idk I feel like that doesn’t really matter
sakurajohansson
like people are allowed to be hugely uncomfortable with it…. celebs have been on shitlists and deemed unforgivable for less
i feel like artists like judy garland never get to be seen as the brooding genius type. ppl think she was just raw talent and emotion that sang big and loud and ppl loved her cuz she was a beautiful mess. there’s just this fundamental divide between woman and man artist that meet a similar demise–the men are viewed as having been too brilliant for this life and the women are viewed as having been essentially too incompetent to make it work. when most ppl offer up judy garland or marilyn monroe as a tragic figure i feel like it’s with little regard to their work and intellect and dedication to their art. anyway that’s why i love any shot of judy garland that’s really deep and introspective. like there she is, my van gogh
Privileged folk ridiculing safe spaces is so funny as if men don’t refuse to enter “girly” stores and have “man caves”, as if white people don’t avoid black neighbourhoods, as if straight people don’t ostracise gay people from their social circles, like who’s really the one with the safe spaces lol
that’s the thing about power dynamics. Your boss has no problem entering your work space randomly, while you can’t enter his office as freely. Same mechanic is happening here, only that when you refuse to let your boss (privileged people) enter your space (safe space), they feel offended because they think they’re entitled to entering your space all the time.
