'Star Wars' director Rian Johnson calls for diversity with a resounding 'Hell yeah!'
There are a galaxy's worth of stories to tell. Maybe it's time to hear some new voices.
People are really hyped about the new Star Wars movie, and based on early reviews, it seems like they're in for a treat.
"The Last Jedi" marks the ninth film in the Star Wars franchise, and it comes complete with all the hallmarks of its predecessors — whirring lightsabers, laser blasters, adorable robots, and wise old dudes with magical powers. By most accounts, it's a must-see.
This is me being excited about "The Last Jedi." Image from Star Wars/Disney.
However, there is one thing that's been the same across every film — the kind of thing you'd hope would be different for a film franchise in its fourth decade — and it's pretty noticeable when you look at all the directors it's had so far.
As you can see here, they all look pretty simil — oh wait, wrong photo.
Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images.
Ah! Here. Sorry about that. Where was I? Ah, right, so if you take a look at the film's directors, you'll notice a clear trend. They've all been white men.
Clockwise from top left: Star Wars creator George Lucas, "The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams, "The Empire Strikes Back" director Irvin Kershner, "The Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson, and "Rogue One" director Gareth Edwards.
Now, of course, there's absolutely nothing wrong with being a white man. Some of my best friends are white men. My dad is a white man, even. Nearly into double digits, however, you'd think that an epic film franchise like Star Wars would want to branch out a bit to see some fresh new perspectives. For instance, imagine what an Ava DuVernay ("Selma") or Ryan Coogler ("Black Panther") Star Wars film could look like, or maybe Patti Jenkins ("Wonder Woman") or Jordan Peele ("Get Out"). How cool would that be?
One person who thinks the franchise could use a bit of diversity in the director's chair is "The Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson.
When asked by Yahoo Movies U.K. whether it's time to diversify the Star Wars director's chair, Johnson responded with an enthusiastic, "Hell, yes, it’s time!"
"There are so many incredibly talented female directors, directors of color out there, and so many I would love to see play in this universe," he added. "Yes, please. I would love it to happen."
Johnson speaking at a press conference. Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Disney.
Unfortunately, that's not a decision Johnson gets to make. It doesn't look like there are going to be any big changes to the white, male director lineup in the near term. J.J. Abrams is set to return as director for Episode IX, Ron Howard is slated to take helm of 2018's "Solo: A Star Wars Story," and Johnson is getting his own trilogy. While things are set for a bit, the fact that the Star Wars universe keeps expanding could be cause for a new hope (Get it? Like the name of one of the movies? Get it?) when it comes to seeing some off-camera diversity.
The Star Wars franchise has done a phenomenal job when it comes to boosting on-screen diversity in recent films, and it's paid off in a big way.
Both 2015's "The Force Awakens" and 2016's "Rogue One" had female leads with a racially and gender diverse supporting cast. They both were massively successful at the box office ("The Force Awakens" made more than $2 billion, and "Rogue One" made more than $1 billion) and impressed critics as well ("The Force Awakens" nabbed a 93% Rotten Tomatoes ranking, and "Rogue One" got an 85%).
Lupita Nyong'o, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, and Oscar Isaac starred in "The Force Awakens." Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney.
So while the franchise definitely deserves major kudos for its casting in recent films (perhaps they learned a lesson after the disasters that were the prequels), it'd be pretty great if the next time out, they gave someone different a try behind the camera to tell brand-new stories with a fresh perspective in that galaxy a long time ago and far, far away.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.