The Star Wars Thread

[crayauchtin]

Seriously all of this chatter and analysis and no one -- NO ONE -- has asked how there were humans flying in space in a part of the universe totally removed from Earth when this all took place "a long, long time ago"?

I just want to let you all in on a secret that George Lucas apparently missed.
A long, long time ago.... we did not have space travel!

[Neonivek]

I asked that long ago.

Humans are in fact one of the most mysterious races in all of Starwars to the extent that their home planet isn't even known (Only guessed upon)

Another theory was that Starwars credits took place within its universe and the movie is the equivilant of a in universe documentary... Except that Universal travel is still impossible.

The thing is Crayauchtin. NO ONE in Starwars has the ability to travel from one Galaxy to another.

[crayauchtin]

And yet you guys enjoy this series even though you admit that even within the context of its own universe it is not possible.

Like, I'm all for suspension of disbelief with fiction. But if the world you set up doesn't allow for the characters or story you've created to happen, you have a problem.

I think Star Wars is a decent story, but I really can't get into it because there should not be humans.

[Lambonius]

[Blackthorne]

Not killing the mood, Haids, just pointing out why we can't have nice things.


Bt

[Lambonius]

Sorry, I meant:

[Neonivek]

And yet you guys enjoy this series even though you admit that even within the context of its own universe it is not possible.

Like, I'm all for suspension of disbelief with fiction. But if the world you set up doesn't allow for the characters or story you've created to happen, you have a problem.

I think Star Wars is a decent story, but I really can't get into it because there should not be humans.

One theory is that in an even earlier time period there was a Universe faring race that picked humans up and planted them in the Starwars Galaxy.

[Deloria]

Seriously all of this chatter and analysis and no one -- NO ONE -- has asked how there were humans flying in space in a part of the universe totally removed from Earth when this all took place "a long, long time ago"?

I just want to let you all in on a secret that George Lucas apparently missed.
A long, long time ago.... we did not have space travel!

Well clearly they're ancient astronauts.

EDIT:

Neonivek, I like you. You say sensible things.
BT, the IA forums are a place where you censor things for yourself. No one is making you read this.

[Jafar]

The whole "A long time ago in a galaxy far far away" thing is basically just "once upon a time", but in space.
I'm pretty sure the "current-day" Star Wars universe has never been elaborated on, so it's just there for flavor.

[crayauchtin]

And yet you guys enjoy this series even though you admit that even within the context of its own universe it is not possible.

Like, I'm all for suspension of disbelief with fiction. But if the world you set up doesn't allow for the characters or story you've created to happen, you have a problem.

I think Star Wars is a decent story, but I really can't get into it because there should not be humans.

One theory is that in an even earlier time period there was a Universe faring race that picked humans up and planted them in the Starwars Galaxy.

Right, but this theory is something speculated on by the fans. And while I'm all for speculation by the fans.... I'm a little appalled that no one who was writing this thought that it might be something to at least mention as being odd.

And Jafar -- "Once upon a time" isn't just a generic "We're starting a story now" thing to say. It tells us the setting of the story is neither in the present or the future, it tells us it is in the past. It's not just "there for flavor" and if the people who wrote Star Wars think it is, that's just putting a point in the "not as well written as almost any other SciFi space opera out there" column.

[snabbott]

Seriously all of this chatter and analysis and no one -- NO ONE -- has asked how there were humans flying in space in a part of the universe totally removed from Earth when this all took place "a long, long time ago"?

I just want to let you all in on a secret that George Lucas apparently missed.
A long, long time ago.... we did not have space travel!

Who said they were human? Maybe they just look like humans.

[Jafar]

It never was a huge point that the story is taking place "a long time ago", otherwise, we would've gotten more of a framing device than just a few blue words before the movie starts.

The emphasis is on "a galaxy far far away". As in, a place far away where Earth might as well not exist, as far as the story is concerned.
Why do humans have space travel if it's "a long time ago"? Because this is a place where they've had space travel for a long time, not Earth.

Why are there humans in this galaxy? Because giving all of the actors alien makeup would be a nusiance, and renaming the species to something like Humes or Nahooms would be silly, and alienate (hehe) the audience.
You might as well ask why there are humans in any other series that doesn't take place on or ever mention Earth.

Who said they were human? Maybe they just look like humans.

C-3PO said they were human.

[Blackthorne]

Seriously all of this chatter and analysis and no one -- NO ONE -- has asked how there were humans flying in space in a part of the universe totally removed from Earth when this all took place "a long, long time ago"?

I just want to let you all in on a secret that George Lucas apparently missed.
A long, long time ago.... we did not have space travel!

Well clearly they're ancient astronauts.

EDIT:

Neonivek, I like you. You say sensible things.
BT, the IA forums are a place where you censor things for yourself. No one is making you read this.

Very true, but it doesn't mean I can't point out something idiotic when I read it.


Bt

[KatieHal]

Play nice, kids. If you don't wanna join in on the discussion, don't. If you want to add something constructive to it, do.

And in the immortal words of Wil Wheaton--don't be a dick.

[Deloria]

Except it's not idiotic if people think it has value - which they clearly do, hence the debate.

[darthkiwi]

I know.  But witnessing people doing it is tedious.  And then making demands on the series based on said discussions makes talking about Star Wars these days almost unbearable.

I was arguing because I was frustrated at the simplistic view of good and evil that Star Wars puts forward. Discussing it might lead to us thinking about good and evil in fiction in new ways which might lead to someone eventually making something inspired by that discussion, because they were stimulated by it.

Basically, if you can't stand a discussion, that's your problem.

I get the problem with humans and space travel and everything, but isn't that a problem of all fantasy/scifi set in a fictional world? For example, it's all spoken in English (or whatever language the book/film is in). But English only came about because of the conquest of England by first the Angles and Saxons, then the Normans. Without those events you do not get English. So how can it exist in all these fantasy worlds?

But I agree, having humans in these places is even more of a problem. You could say that the world's language is "translated" into English (or whatever) for our viewing pleasure, and that actually they have their own language. (Although this breaks down when you get puns, poems etc.) But for the entire human species to exist somewhere else takes some thinking about. But like I said, this happens in Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and pretty much every fantasy book. The unusual thing about star wars is that, despite being scifi, it's not set in the future but in the past (though it might as well be a parallel present or future), so you can't just say "Oh, it's the future, space travel is all good now."

TLDR: I guess we just use the suspension of disbelief. You see a spaceship full of humans, you automatically think "Oh, it's a spaceship, and here are some humans!", rather than "Well how did THEY get there?"

[Neonivek]

Well the second issue Darthkiwi is the "Galaxy far far away".

Moving Galaxy to Galaxy is rather impossible in Starwars.

A theory is that the precursors had galactic travel and went to the Milkyway galaxy and took some humans as slaves.

[Delling]

I feel like all these explanations for the humans boil down to--

A wizard did it.

See also: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.


I was more interested in the light/dark balance discussion.

(Though that's because if I think about the humans in Star Wars too much, I start to feel like Cray (this once led me to read up on the "official" reasoning, etc.... never again.)

[Deloria]

I feel like all these explanations for the humans boil down to--

A wizard did it.

That seems to be humanity's response to all genesis questions.

[Lambonius]

Ugh.  The discussion of why there are humans in Star Wars because OMG ITS IN THE PAST AND NOT THIS GALAXY FTL SPACE TRAVEL WTF?! is pretty much the most idiotic and pedantic Star Wars nerd conversation I've ever heard.  And believe me, I've heard a lot.  Darthkiwi summed it up nicely--it DOESN'T MATTER; it's a f****** fantasy.  It's like watching or reading LOTR and saying, "wait, this makes no sense; there aren't talking trees in real life--TOLKEIN WAS A HACK!!!"  Consider for a moment how stupid that comment sounds, then check yourself.

Sorry, Katie.  I think I may have crossed the "play nice" line.  I patiently await the inevitable Lamb-slap emoticon and my possible banning.  It was worth it.

MOD EDIT: And WHAM, one week posting ban. I said play nice and I meant it.