Firing Gina Carano was Necessary

What we say and do has consequences. Further, what we say on the Internet sometimes comes back to bite us in the literal behind.

This morning, The Mandalorian star Gina Carano (Cara Dune) was fired due to an Instagram post that is without a doubt, offensive.

“Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors…even by children. Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views,” 

Her right leaning politics is not the issue here. The issue is the correlation between being a Republican in America in 2021 and being Jewish in Nazi Germany.

Being Jewish in Europe during World War II was a death sentence. Belonging to the Republican party is not a death sentence.

I take offense to her statement for two reasons. The first is that the entire narrative of Star Wars is about the importance of protecting democracy and human rights from autocracy and hate. The second is that I am a Jewish woman who lost family in The Holocaust. Comments like these make it seem like the six million have been killed all over again.

Only time will tell if Cara will be written out completely or if Carano will be replaced. But there is one thing that is certain, firing her was the right decision.

Best Books of 2020

1. Hearts, Strings, and other Breakable Things by Jacqueline Firkins: This modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1814 novel Mansfield Park is one of the best professionally published fanfictions I’ve read in a long time.
2. Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man by Mary Trump: You Know Who’s only niece, Mary Trump tells her uncle’s story as only a close family member can.
3. Joe Biden: The Life, the Run, and What Matters Now, by Evan Osnos: This biography tells the President-elect’s story from a human perspective, giving the reader an insight that the news headlines cannot.
4. Bronte’s Mistress, by Finola Austin: Austin delves into the myth of the affair between Branwell Bronte and Lydia Robinson, his older and married employer. Giving voice to Branwell, his youngest sister Anne and Mrs. Robinson specifically, she introduces the reader to the woman behind the rumor.
5. Rage, by Bob Woodward: Legendary journalist Bob Woodward takes the reader into the current Presidential administration and the chaos created by you know who.
6. The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron: Cameron’s book follows the story of Stefania Podgorska, a Polish-Catholic teenage girl who saved thirteen Jews during World War II.
7. Jagged Little Pill: The reader is taken into the world of the hit musical, Jagged Little Pill: The Musical.
8. Pretending: A Novel, by Holly Bourne: April believes that she is damaged goods, romantically speaking. When she creates an alter ego named Gretel, the results are surprising.
9. A Star is Bored: A Novel, by Byron Lane: Lane, a former assistant to the late actress and writer Carrie Fisher, spins his time working for her into a hilarious and entertaining novel.
10. Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and the White Nationalist Agenda, by Jean Guerrero: This insightful and frankly scary book tells the story of Presidential aide Stephen Miller.

Carrie Fisher: 4 Years Gone, and it Still Hurts

Today is the 4th anniversary of the passing of Carrie Fisher. Though somethings have changed, the ache remains. Though I never had the chance to meet her, her example of living in spite of the challenges she faced continues to be an inspiration.

In honor of everything she represented and still represents, I will let her Star Wars co-star and on-screen twin, Mark Hamill take it from here.

Wherever you are Carrie, we miss you. RIP.

We Have to Talk About The Mandalorian Season Finale

Warning: This post contains major spoilers about the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian. Read at your own risk if you have not see the episode.

The purpose of a season finale on a television show is to clean up the loose ends while giving the audience a taste of what might be coming next season. If I had to rank my favorite season finales, the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian was one of the best I’ve seen in a long time.

While the episode itself was nothing but awesome, there is one reason it was mind blowing: Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). At that point in the Star Wars narrative (please correct me if I am wrong), there is only one Jedi with a green lightsaber and that level of force abilities. I didn’t know whether to scream or cry out with joy when he removed his hood. It’s been a few days since I saw the episode and I am still getting tingles.

And of course, Hamill, with his usual cheeky style, teased what might be coming via Twitter.

Seen anything good on TV lately?

— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 18, 2020

It was nice tie in to the original trilogy, telling us exactly where the series fits in with the Star Wars timeline.

I may just re-watch it, it was that good.

The Mandalorian Review

The expansion of any science fiction universe straddles a very thin line. It has to stand on its own two feet. But, it has to also fit in with the existing narrative and characters.

The Mandalorian premiered last year on Disney Plus. The title character, known as Mando (Pedro Pascal) earns his bread as a bounty hunter. Set in between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, his latest job is to retrieve Grogu (otherwise known as Baby Yoda or The Child). He starts to walk away, but his conscious gets the better of him. Now he has a target on his back.

I am almost done with the first season and loving it. It has enough Easter eggs to keep the fans happy. But it is not so imposing that a newbie viewer has to understand every nuance about the Star Wars Universe to enjoy the program.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

The Mandalorian is available for streaming on Disney Plus.

P.S. Baby Yoda is absolutely adorable.

RIP David Prowse

If one were to compile a list of movie villains, the character of Darth Vader from the Star Wars film series would likely be in the top five.

David Prowse, the actor who physically played Vader (James Earl Jones provided the voice) passed away yesterday. He was 85.

May his memory be a blessing. Z”l.

Two Years Cannot Dull the Pain of the Pittsburgh Shooting

One of my favorite quotes from Star Wars the following:

“Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger… anger leads to hate… hate leads to suffering.

Yesterday was the second anniversary of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Those were murdered that day (Z”l) because they were Jews.

Unlike the America that my parents and grandparents were born into, my early years were free of antisemitism. I lived in multi-cultural world that respected everyone, regardless of labels or ancestry.

October 27th, 2018 changed all that. It was a slap in the face, a cold reminder that antisemitism is still alive and well in the United States. It has been said that time heals all wounds. But time can never take away the pain of that day.

But even with the heartbreak, there is still hope.

Our people and our faith has been threatened countless time over the millennia. But we are still here and we will always be here.

While we carry on as we always have, the memory of those killed that day will live on forever, in spite of the heartache that comes with that loss.

May their memories be a blessing.

Happy Birthday, Carrie Fisher

Today would have been Carrie Fisher‘s 64th birthday.

Instead of droning as to why she was and still is an inspiration to millions, I will let her work speak for itself.

We miss you, Carrie.

#Carrieonforever

A Star is Bored: A Novel Book Review

Among the non-acting jobs that one can have in Hollywood, the most unique is that of a personal assistant. That person is as close to their boss as a family member or friend, but at the end of the day, they are still a paid employee.

A Star is Bored, written by Byron Lane, was just released last month. Charlie Besson is working a dead end, third shift job at a local news station in Los Angeles. Then he gets an opportunity to interview for a personal assistant for actress and writer Kathi Kannon. Over the next three years, Charlie becomes much more than her assistant. But will he able to live his own life, or spend the rest of his days living vicariously through Kathi?

I loved this book. Lane, who worked as an assistant to the late Star Wars actress and writer Carrie Fisher, uses his personal experience to tell Charlie’s story. Like her real life counterpart, Kathi is bawdy, outspoken, and emotional, but also feels deeply. Though he is aware of Kathi’s flaws, Charlie remains loyal, in spite of the nagging urge to go his own way.

I absolutely recommend it.

Flashback Friday-Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed (2007)

On the surface, the Star Wars movies appear to be your standard science fiction films. But fans know that these films are much more than they appear to be.

Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed premiered in 2007 on the History Channel. The documentary describes how George Lucas based the narrative on history, popular myths, and religion, among other things. It also explains why the films continue to be relevant decades after they originally premiered.

There are those who dismiss this series as kids films. Which, in truth, they are as Lucas himself has stated many times. But they are so much more than movies for young audiences. There are lessons to be learned about humanity, about the past, and more importantly, about the future.

I recommend it.