Star Wars Villains and British Accents: A Cultural & Narrative Analysis

This is an AI-generated audio transcript, and it may contain errors. We may update or correct this transcript in the future. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about the information in this transcript. The audio is the official record of this episode. Craig Alright, welcome here to Edge Radio 99.3 FM. This indeed is media mothership. For another exciting jam packed episode. We’re broadcasting out of Edge Radio studios here in Nepal, Luna, Hobart TAS, and I’m your host, Craig Norris. On this show, we explore how media can shape our understanding of the world around us, and we’re streaming on edgeradio.org dot AU as well as. Live streaming on YouTube as well as twit. Speaker Which? Craig You can find us just by searching media mothership message us directly into the studio, either via our SNS on 0488811707 or send us a message on the YouTube or Twitch chat. This episode’s gonna be quite interesting. We’ve got some media news, media culture to go over, as well as some discussion of accents in movies and their significance. So keep listening. And today we’ve got our live musical. Or kind of accompaniment with the beautiful sounds of the kalimba. There we go live in studio. So let’s have a look at some interesting media news pieces that have come up over the last week or two so. Over in Japan, a Japanese actors dramatic Pokémon save data loss has gone viral during traumatic memories and sympathy from fellow gainers. This is an article from IGN yesterday. The subtitle is even if save data disappears, the memories remain. Let’s listen to a bit of the drama from the Japanese live streamer. So this. Actor Shinya Okada has been doing a video game, YouTube channel, and. He’d. He’d logged in to his what is it in his latest Let’s Play video posted April 29th. Widest cheerful enthusiasm as the article says, to continue his Pokémon Red Adventure gradually morphs into disbelief as the game asks him if he wants to start. From the beginning of Whitey’s startled reaction of weigh. What as he realises that all the hours he has put into capturing and training Pokémon have vanished. Our Pebble. Let’s listen to that drama. Speaker 3 Doing doing. Speaker 4 Chuck. Speaker Sorry. Speaker 4 Come on, not get up. Speaker Yeah. Speaker 5 Argument. You should still go to generation. Speaker All good. Speaker 4 Story torio. Speaker Hi. Close. And. Craig Alright. Yeah, thanks for listening to. That was a bit longer than I’d expected, playing that great clip, but just to bring people up to speed, I don’t know if your headphones working. Yeah. OK. I’m. I’m here now with co-host Taylor. Yeah. Hey. Hey. So what we’re looking at at the moment. Is a Japanese actors dramatic Pokémon save data loss that has gone viral yesterday during traumatic memories. So we were just listening to his YouTube clip collection there. This is from do you ever play the Pokémon? Games. Come on mate. I’ve had it. I know. Totally thank goodness for that. Yeah. Taylor Of course I have. But my first one was Ruby. I never played anything before that and then I went back. Craig OK. Taylor And played the originals. Craig Right, because this is the game he was playing was. Taylor Red blue. Speaker 7 Or grim. Craig Pokémon red. Yeah. Where does that? Where’s Pokémon red? Taylor That’s the well the first. That’s the first one. Craig Right, right, right. So. Taylor Red and blue in America slash the world red and green in Japan. Speaker Oh, really? Yeah. Craig Then why would they do? Taylor That I don’t know, but that’s why it was. That’s why they redid it for the. Game Boy, when they redid it, it was fire red and leaf green and people like, well, why isn’t it fire red and water blue? It’s like well, because in Japan it was green. It was never blue. Craig Mind blown. I mean, I wonder how many comments we’re gonna get. From that reaction because he. His his comment that he lost his save game quickly amassed 4.4 million views on the comments, so I’m hoping SMS and now anyway so the because he posted that my Pokémon Red Game Boy cartridge, so he I guess he was playing on an actual Game Boy. Control system rather than an email. Later, just vanished when he booted it up after X number of millions of hours playing it, and so he goes on seeing my remaining lifetime. I will not find another adventure to embark on. So rather dramatic. Yeah. So, yeah, he’s he’s unfortunate to have loss experience, attracted many sympathetic comments. People reminiscing about the sadness they’ve felt when they’ve lost valuable saves their children. Did you ever lose any saves? Particularly, I guess cartridge based systems like a Game Boy and 64 PS1 PS. Taylor I don’t. I don’t think I’ve ever had a loss like that. A corruption or anything like. Craig 2 memory card. Speaker 4 Correct. Taylor That I I take care of my thing. Craig I recently had that problem. Where. Taylor You save Scott. Craig Now what happened was, yeah, well, this was the game I’ve been save Scumming forever on. And that’s right. Yeah. I was using OneDrive to cloud save where the save files were going from Paradox. Taylor OK. All right, yeah. Craig For the game provider for Crusader Kings 3. And and I for some reason like I’ve been using 2 OneDrive accounts and and anyway the the account that had all those saves linked to them wasn’t syncing properly. Yeah, and by the time I sorted it. Out it it. Had lost those saves. So yeah, right back to like. Taylor And. Craig You know, two years ago, when I. Bought a game. So yeah, yeah, it does happen. It does. Taylor Happen. Well, actually, when we’re talking about old tech, that reminds me of, I think it was around two or three months ago. Nintendo said that they have officially run out of Nintendo 3D. Speaker Alright. Taylor Yes, like repair kits, right? If you have a 3DS and you break anything on it up until now, up until about three months ago, you could have at least sent it back and they might have fixed it. Or you might have sent it to some sort of store, and that store might have got the parts and fixed it. But now they have. They’re not making anymore. Speaker 6. Taylor It’s all gone. All of the reserves. Speaker See. Craig Are gone, you know, right to repair, right, right to repair. Speaker 5 Yes. Craig All right. So the the next story. It’s. Taylor Really a kalimba? Craig They’re great. They’re thumb piano. Yeah. Do you know how to play the kalimba? Taylor No, but I could probably pick it up in 5. Craig Then. Minutes alright. Well, you can be in charge. Of playing the. Tunes. Well, we’re going from story to story. So OK, next story. Speaker 7 OK, cool. Craig This is from Engadget Star Wars tales. The Star Wars tales of the Underworld will premiere on Fortnite beginning May 2nd, which blows my mind. So this. Speaker 7 Shouldn’t. Taylor You may the 4th. Craig Well, yeah, actually that that’s a great point where the 4th is actually the holiday. Well, the the fake Star Wars holiday, may the fourth be with you. It’s a bit of Star Wars news. So this is the new animated Star Wars series. And strangely, the first it’s at least Episode 1 is premiering on the game platform. Or Fortnite? Right. So could you imagine going playing for and logging into Fortnite, then taking your character because it says that viewing will take place in the in game location called Star Wars Watch Party Island? You’ve gotta go to this island, and then you’ll you’ll see a screen right on the island like a movie screen. What is? You’ve got your character. Taylor OK. OK. Yeah. But it’s not in game. Well, it is you. No. No, but it’s not in a like a. Craig Oh, the fighting is switched off. Taylor Game, not the fighting switched off because I saw a as a singer. I don’t particularly like. Craig Hey, please do it. You’re in this. K pop. Taylor No tones and eye. Craig Tones an eye. Taylor Yeah. Who did the dance? It’s one ohh, right? Yeah. She had a concert in Fortnite. Ohh, and you just basically load up into this screen and sort of like. There are all these visuals. There’s like the video of it, and then suddenly you’ll be, like transported down some sort of tunnel. And it’s like, all with the musics going. And it’s like a visualiser sort of effect sort of thing. So it’s it’s still sort of like a a playable experience rather than just watching something. Craig And. Wow. And living in the future. Kind of vibe like, OK, so yeah, it’d be interesting SMS. And now if you’re planning to do it, OK, NEXT story. Taylor Yeah. Craig Musical interlude. That’s quite good. Fallout creator says he was ordered to destroy source code that the studio has since lost. I had the I had had that in digital form and was ordered to destroy it. So this is a case. This is the file that created Tim Kaine and he was in an interview and he, he said. Yeah, this horrible thing happened and it’s happened in, well, in terms of its standard practise, he said. In his experience working with a company where after you finished the job, they’ll ask you to destroy all copies of the source code, right? And that they will then be the custodians and librarian guardian, guardian of the source code. Right. So it will be held. In the company, right, rather than the creator creator’s hands. So he said this happened a couple of times where he’s going to have destroyed everything as required, and then the company has lost it. Right. And he said he found this out because he. It was so this was like, years after he destroyed it. He goes. Where is it? You know? So then he says a few years later, after I had left the company, they contacted me and said, oops, we’ve lost it. And I thought at first they were trapping me into into confessing that he’d made a a legal error by keeping them. But he said no, no. I destroyed them like he told. Speaker 7 Yeah. Craig And it turned out that they’ve really lost them and they were hoping and they were hoping he hadn’t done what he was legally required to do anyway. So he’s saying, yeah, this is a problem because there are so many games out there in the 70s from the Seventies, 80s and 90s, that that source code is just gone because of mismanagement and. Taylor And we’re panicking. Yeah. I wish well. Reminds me of Doctor Who. How? Craig Like white doctor episodes ago on the BBC, taped over. Taylor Fair enough. Yeah, fair enough. But also in terms of. How we’re talking about how DS game, how DS has been. The DS NO3DS3DS is the one that has. They’ve got no more parts for it. So don’t they then have some sort of obligation to let it be emulated or is it just gonna go into the ether? Speaker 4 What? Craig Yes, for prosperity. Speaker 5 Great point. Craig Yeah. Yep. Yep. Well, emulate this SMS in now. Send us a message on the chat if you have, you know, the revolution starts here. Next story. Yep, you’re doing well. It’s beautiful. George Lucas here in the next story posted on Goose Mondo as well as a couple of other spaces. Anyway, article from. Taylor Gizmodo, saying you know The funny thing about that first of all is I’ve always looked at that and it says very clearly. Gizmodo, Gizmodo. Craig It does too. I know Mondo Mondo is much better modo. Sorry go, Gaius Moto. Their headline is reveals why Yoda talks like that George Lucas does. Nice. Nice to see what they’ve done there. The Star Wars creator recently settled a long standing question about the Jedi Master, so let’s play the clip that this is part of. So here’s George Lucas recently talking at. I think it’s like a. Taylor Comic Con sort. Craig Of thing. It was, yeah, something like that, yeah. Speaker Why does Yoda speak backwards? Speaker 5 Well, I will tell you, thank you. Yoda had a very distinctive way of talking because and it it was done purposely. Speaker 4 Yeah, it’s. Speaker 5 Because if you were speaking regular English or being was he? People don’t listen that much. But if he has an accent or it’s really hard to understand what he’s saying, they focus on what he’s saying. Speaker 4 Jedi Master Yoda, you seek Yoda. Speaker You know him? Speaker 4 To him, alien. Speaker 5 And what he was, he was basically the philosopher of the movie. So he was talking about all of the things, you know, in long talking scenes and stuff where I had to figure out a way to get people to actually listen, especially 12 year olds. Craig All right, so George Lucas’s answer there in terms of why Yoda speaks kind of inverted is, so it will. Force people to listen to what you’re saying because it’s like what? So it’s that kind of slow down and listen effect which what do you what do you think? Speaker 7 Yeah. Taylor But should, but as as a as a movie maker, shouldn’t everyone be listening to what your characters are saying all the time? You just make everyone speak like that. Craig Well, I mean we. That’s great. I like that theory. If this is true. Well, I did. I did ask some leading theory. Speaker 7 Yeah. Craig You know, so let’s start with John first. John Fisk is one of my favourite cultural studies theorists. OK, he came up with the concept of cultural economy and textual poaching. So I asked techy PPT to say what John Fisk said about your distinctive speech patterns. Taylor Would have. Craig OK. So in terms of cultural economy theory, so this is a theory about how media creates hierarchies of meaning and value. Yoda’s speech marked by inverted syntax. Immediately sets them apart from other characters, cause I guess no one else speaks in inverted syntax in styles. Taylor And 2D2. Craig Does who knows what syntax that is right beeps boops the so it immediately sets apart. I guess within the sassing. It’s. I guess it could signal wisdom, mysticism, unconventional worldview, right. Because you’re you’re you’re like. Of inverted syntax so unconventional, his speech pattern functions as a form of cultural capital. Possibly right, because it distinguishes him as ancient, enlightened figure whose wisdom transcends conventional language structures. Speaker Yeah. Craig Right. I mean that or crazy person. Taylor Yeah, exactly. Craig Right. It goes on to say in the broader cultural economy of Star Wars, Yoda’s speech reinforces his outsider status. Which I guess. He is an outsider. He’s certainly the only do. Yeah. Taylor Little green, pointy eared. Goblin dude. Craig There aren’t many others, no. He’s not part of the dominant linguistic order of the Galaxy, much like how much? Yeah, that’s right. Well, I’m going to get around to that. Much like, how marginalised groups often develop unique linguistic styles to set them apart. Yeah, like, have you ever encountered any? Taylor American English is. Craig Unique linguistic styles in your experiences of subcultures bumping into groups of young hooligans. You know, with their own. Taylor Yeah. Well, I I guess, I guess what I disagree with there is that usually this sort of in culture, slang etcetera is used with other members of that species, whereas Yoda doesn’t speak to anybody else that speaks like. Craig That, well, maybe his native tongue is back to France. Speaker 5 Hmm. Speaker Hmm. Craig And then when he translates to speak English, he keeps that up. Taylor Yeah. Craig In terms of Fisks idea of textual poaching, so that’s where, you know you’ll parity or you’ll you’ll adopt bits of a franchise to call you put stickers of Fortnite on your laptop hasn’t happened yet. Sexual poaching, right. It’s a reinterpreted. Taylor Hasn’t. Craig Each pen has been widely parodied, quoted, and adapted. By. Yeah. So I mean certainly in terms of if you want to do a voice like kind of gravely. Hmm. Taylor Brilliant. Craig That’s pretty good. That was pretty good. Speaker 7 Yes. Craig Voice as well as then talking in inverted syntax. Taylor You’ve been practising that, haven’t you? Craig Yeah, yeah, yeah. So yeah, a lot of lot of pop culture significance there. Well, I mean Halley’s theory. Me. Yeah, I can keep beating on about this, he says pretty much the same thing. Well, actually, I did another search which was applying Blake Snyder’s save the CAP framework to explain what your speech pattern means. And that was interesting because it did pick up moments of. Taylor Ohh yeah yeah yeah. Craig Where Yoda’s mannerisms could be linked to a plot point so. Speaker M. Craig You know, the first one is the kind of the setup and theme, right? It’s the argument there is that you’re just speech immediately signals that he is different. So I guess if you’re setting up the theme that in Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker escapes from health, he goes to debate a train with the Jedi master doesn’t know what Yoda looks like, but. Encounters this green pointy goblin, and because it’s talking in inverted syntax, I guess it’s setting it’s a setup and theme establishment that it’s. Different you’re encountering difference as to whether or not that’s ancient and wise difference. Looks like it doesn’t think that’s the case with the first encounter. It then goes on to talk about the the second. Storytelling beat that can happen is the catalyst and debate beat. So in this way, it’s so the catalyst is events that propel a hero into action. So when Luke Skywalker meets Yoda, he initially doubts that the small, strange creature is in fact wise, because he’s talking in back, inverted syntax. So it’s a catalyst, this moment aligns. With the debate. To Luke Skywalker is debating, you know, surely you’re not Yoda. Do I trust Yoda or this green pointy goblin dude? And when the green pointy goblin says he is Yoda? Yeah. Do I trust him because his speech pattern does not seem to be wise. Bad guys close in, right and there to beat 3. This is interesting to me. Snyder’s framework emphasises that obstacles should intensify the story as the story progresses. So as the story goes on, you get to act two and three. There should be more and more obstacles and they should be more intense. Yoda speech becomes more cryptic and challenging. It says as Luke struggles with his training, his unconventional syntax forces Luke and the audience to slow down and reflect. And this is what I guess George Lucas is saying about that decision. He wanted the audience to slow down and reflect. It’s interesting that this is saying that. In terms of storytelling in universe, maybe what’s happening here is Yoda is also getting looped to slow down and reflect by delivering his wisdom in inverted syntax. You reckon if you’re a teacher you should invert syntax to help students slow down and reflect on the points you’re making. Speaker 7 This. Speaker No. Taylor Who’s your favourite Star Wars character? Craig Ohh denga, he’s the one that has toilet paper wrapped around him. He’s one of the burning hunters in Empire Strikes Back. He was meant to be a key villain figure with Boba Fett in return to Jedi, but then they dropped that storyline in terms of it then. Taylor All right. Craig Team. Closing the yard vac with Darth Vader. But yeah, it’s, I mean I choose that because it’s such a weird, stupid decision. Say Dengar, but I always thought his action figure looked really cool and I was disappointed with how he was used in the movies because he basically is there. In one scene he doesn’t say. Anything I don’t think he does. Anything. Yeah, you can read my fan fiction. He’s your favourite sales. Taylor Character. I probably don’t have one now, but when? I. Was a kid, Mace Windu. Craig Do. Really. Yeah. You’re doing the prequels? Yeah. You know, these windows? Cool. You know, Samuel Jackson can’t know that. His. Yeah, I mean, he features heavily in a lot of the memes that come out of the Star Wars universe particularly. Speaker 7 Yeah. But I I I liked him. Taylor His pre meme when I was a kid, I liked it because he had a purple lightsaber and. Craig Well. Taylor That was my favourite colour. Craig Was from what I remember, that was deliberately Jackson’s choice. He asked for the purple lightsaber as a teacher. I mean, I mean, cause he’s a teacher, right? He’s he’s training other padawans. Does he train? He certainly. Taylor Yeah. Craig Busts anakins balls, right. He’s the one that says you can’t become a paddle. You can’t become a. Taylor I wouldn’t put it like that, but yeah. Craig Master. Yeah, right. Yeah. You know, maybe that tough love that he’s doing. Yeah. All right. Well, let’s, let’s. To answer new story, new story. Taylor Thing. Craig Oh, that’s beautiful. Oh, OK yeah, yeah. No, that that was very helpful. Get them ready, screened to work. OK, so I want to go into Andor now. There’s an article on Polygon talking how Andors creator isn’t shy, but is inspiration for the Empire in Season 2 and basically it’s linking it back to kind of it’s Nazi symbology and the idea of a kind of right wing dictatorship. Nazi rise with a kind of nascent rebellion. Now, I don’t want to talk about that. I want to talk about. An interesting interview with the three actors that play the the leading Imperial bad guys. So it’s Ben Mendelson who plays, you know, one of the big Imperial. Honchos, I think is like the the the second in charge after Darth Vader for. Taylor I can’t. I can’t think of what it looks like. Craig You’ve got Dennis Gove, who plays that kind of wimpy. Guy and and then the the, the. They’re asked in this interview why are Star Wars villains British? Taylor OK. Speaker Pay attention. Speaker 8 Now, is there anything you’d care to tell me before I waste more of my time figuring out what it is you are up to? Speaker 4 Near security violation will be brought to the Emperor’s personal. Speaker Which? Speaker 3 Of course, you’re perfectly placed to answer this because you’re respectively American, Australian and Irish, of course. So why is it so extraordinarily fitting that in this Star Wars universe that the really evil people are fitted with British accents? Speaker 8 The Empire, darling, it just everything sounds a bit more evil when you do it in a very, very strong. English accent. Craig Just put it there. What do you think in terms of British accents and everything sounds more evil when you deliver it in an English accent. Taylor I like I can, I’ve I’ve seen that that they’ve pretty much done that in a lot of the modern movies, but I kind of disagree. I think there’s one more accent that does it a lot better. Craig Yeah, that’s that. Ohh yeah. Yeah, yeah. Taylor South African. They’re going back to Indiana Jones, going back to. Craig I mean. Yeah. OK. It’s interesting that I was recently watching Gladiator too. Yeah, and that maps out like that. All the bad guys are British accents in terms of what Tatcha PTC’s John Fisks interpretation of this being and cultural appearance. So again, cultural economy examines how media and cultural products shape or reflect social hierarchies. In Star Wars, the Galactic Empire is portrayed as an authoritarian regime like Nazis. And British accents often signal, well, not Nazis. But they’re not against Nazis, but they signal power, control and the leaders. And I guess historically from them as a colonial power, you know, we’re talking to the Dutch East India Company, the history of imperial colonialism in the. 17th, 18th and 19th century. So signals power control and elitism. Historically, Hollywood has used British accents to represent sophistication and intelligence, which aligns with the empire’s structured, hierarchical nature. This plays into audience expectations. British accents evoke a sense of calculated. Any making the antagonist more imposing. So yes, if you want to short cut or shorthand, you know this is a bad guy. Bruce section well, Ben Mendelson, the Australian actor, offers a really, really I think different approach to this question a little later, but we’ll listen to some further answers from the. Taylor OK. Craig Interview with the actors. Speaker 8 Turn out the lights. Because I tried to do it in Irish initially when I got the scripts and I rang Tony and I was like this just is not gonna work. They’re not gonna have an Irish woman in the empire. I’m sorry. We just don’t sound evil enough. And then we tried American and it didn’t work. So we all fall back on. Speaker 4 The British and there’s a historical reason for it too. Yeah, we’re talking about American films and, you know, the villain would be played by the heavyweight actors, and they tended to be. Rich and whatnot. So you had an English, you know, a you had your Vincent prices etcetera, etcetera. The lakes. Speaker 1 Poems became black stack. Speaker The land withered is before a. Speaker 4 Plague, you know, pushing, etcetera. Speaker Etcetera, we will. Speaker 5 Deal with your rebel friends. Speaker 4 Yeah. Ian McDiarmid? Yes, the mighty. Speaker 8 Yeah, the mighty end. Craig So put it there. And an actor. What do you think so far? You know that you know, when early in Hollywood, I mean, not that. You are acting in the 19. Taylor Ellen. Hollywood. Yeah. Craig 30s but I thought it was a really interesting point in terms of saying that they’re often cast. You know, the villain royal needs a lot of heavy gravitas and hitter, so they’ll, they’ll cast someone, maybe with theatrical. Training right. Someone that comes from theatre, maybe an old school actor, which is inevitably going to be British. That kind of Shakespearean theatrical training. Yeah. Peter Cushing. I mean, Vincent Price isn’t British, but nevertheless, he does affect the British accent and some of the horror. Taylor Yeah. Globe theatre. Yeah. Craig Films in McDermott anyway. The guy that plays the emperor. Because that theatrical Shakespearean training, do you reckon the villain role does require someone that that has better acting chops? Taylor I’m not sure like if. Craig You’ve got a bad actor doing a villain role. It’s more likely to fall apart as a movie or an act theatre act than if the hero is a bad actor. Speaker Hmm. Craig Like does the the villain have to do all the heavy lifting in terms of makes the? You know the feeling can make the good guy look better, but it’s hard for the if there’s a bad actor as the villain. It’s hard for the hero to make that bad actor look better as a villain. I know. I mean, I think like, well, I think like the Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves with that had. Taylor That’s interesting, isn’t it? Craig Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves that star it. Was. Taylor I mean, I mean all I can think of in terms of like having a big heavyweight as like the villain, the size of the lamb. Craig Yeah. Yeah, that’s right. With. Oh, yeah, so OK. Taylor I can’t remember his name. Craig 1st. Taylor OK. Yeah. Prince of thieves. Let’s go with that. Craig Vincent, because you had Kevin Costner. Hmm. And in fact, we’re talking about accents. I was listening recently to a podcast that was saying how, when Kevin Costner first was on stage and performed his English accent because he’s playing Robin Hood. Speaker Yes. Craig The director was so unimpressed with his English accent. Then he said you’re just playing it as American. Just you’re just playing the role with an American accent. But that was really stolen by Alan Rickman, who played the Sheriff of Nottingham, who really was seen to steal the movie as the villain again. Speaker 5 Hmm. Craig Wonderful British accents. And that that seems to conform to that idea of, you know. You want your Bruce Willis playing off Halloween Rickman in die hard? I don’t know. I mean, Alan Rickman’s accent and die hard is kind of German English. Taylor Sort of thing. Yeah. Yeah. Well, when? When when I was most recently on stage. I didn’t play the villain, but I played the comedy. Aspect. Craig Of it was Agatha. Yep. Taylor Agatha Christie played the comedy aspect of it. What sort of accent did I have? Welsh. Welsh. Craig How does it? Where does the Welsh accent go? Taylor Seasonal mists and mellow fruitfulness. Close bosom friend of the maturing sun. Craig That’s perfect. We should do more voices. OK. So Ben Mendelson saying one of the things that made it more likely to have British accents was. Taylor Having a a seasoned actor, yeah. Craig Heavy headed. Yep. Let’s hear how it goes. Speaker In time you will call me master. Speaker 1 At last, we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have. Speaker 4 Revenge. The Rebel alliance is too well equipped. Speaker Yes, my Lord, intensify the forward batteries. I don’t want anything. Speaker 4 To get through, where’s my airway? Speaker 8 It was easy last season to talk about the empires being Oh yeah, we want to be in the empire. It was kind of. There was a little bit of Campari to it anyway. Yeah, this. Season, that’s all. Gone. It’s really gone. It’s not. Speaker 1 Yeah, yeah. Speaker Company work? And then those are finished. Speaker 8 I think Fiona doing her own accent as Cassian’s mother was so inspired. It was so beautiful to have an Irish woman being the leader of that, like the start of his rebellion. Speaker 7 People are standing up. Speaker 8 It was. I felt very, very proud, but I’m really enjoying, you know, mincing about as a terribly posh English person. What are you doing, Mr. Khan? Speaker 5 Cassian and or as a murderer and a threat to the empire, I have been trying to. Speaker 8 Find him and then Genevieve, obviously, is also Irish. Speaker 9 The public. Although resentencing directive. Is the next step on an all too predictable March toward complete, unchallenged authority? Craig I’m just reading ahead through some of the TPT props I did. Yeah, it’s again going via Blake Snyder’s save the cat, which is a kind of writing Bible that people some people use to write scripts for movies, breaking it apart in terms of the. Choice of accents in terms of why villains often have British. Since. He defines some of the reasons in terms of plot narrative, how I was just reading the the catalyst in debate moment. The catalyst is again the event that propels the hero into action in Star Wars. This is often the empires oppressive action again delivered in British accents, the British accented. Speaker M. Craig Villains create a clear ideological contrast between the empire and the rebellion. Rebellion particularly. I guess if the rebellion are speaking other accents. Like there we. That the fact that the some of the rebellion figures are Irish have have very strong Irish accents that the native Irish tongue or American accents. Snyder says that or that could be mirroring historical conflicts like the American Revolution, where British rule was resisted. So historically, yeah, there’ll be moments in American history. Where they fought the British. Mm-hmm. American Revolution. So the British were the bad guys. That. In that struggle of of of independence. Taylor I mean that that does make sense like in terms of like historical things like that, but the people like for it to be so ingrained within our culture has to be something different. Craig Well, yeah. And I think I think part of it is that that the, the history of British cultural well British economic and cultural imperialism in the 17th, 18th, 19th centuries, you know, the the horrible, horrible history of American. Sorry, American. British imperialism into India or Australia that invasion. You know, it’s part of that then also I do like the idea that part of it could also be them hiring, heavy hitting actors, actors that have that gravitas, Shakespearean, theatrically trained actors. So you’ve got Alec Guinness, a good guy though, right? But very British accents. So actually it’s a counter point to that, but maybe it’s the the exception that proves the rule. Did you? Do you have any other feelings around accents in Star Wars the the use of British accents? Taylor Not really. Craig Yoda accents. No, you can’t really. I mean, most Windows accent. Now that’s an accent. That’s American independence. That’s. And particularly because he fights off against the emperor. That’s Ian McDermott. I think the actors name is. Who’s British and performing in Shakespearean British. Yeah. Yeah. So it’s it’s, it is striking. You know, everything from certainly, you know, the Romans in, in any movie I watched Ben Hur over Easter, Lord of the Romans are theatrical British performance. Right. And they’re all, like, chewing up the scenery with. Taylor Ohh my ohh. Craig The Shakespearean background. Taylor Yeah, same with Life of Brian. Craig Yes. Yeah. Are there any? Do they do any? Of them not speak. British they Polish English in that. Taylor I remember when I was a kid, right. And as a treat the teacher put on Ben Hur to. Craig Watch. OK Charlton Heston classic. Taylor The full Ben Hur across the whole day. Craig Is that 3 hours 3 plus hours? Taylor Three plus hours, plus the intermission it. Craig It’s fantastic. Taylor The worst thing I’ve ever sat. Craig Really. I mean. Ohh yeah yeah. I mean, if you’re doing for school, anything’s gonna suck. Yeah. I mean, unless there’s some sexy scenes in it or something. Taylor But it was like a trait sort of thing and it just it went on for. Craig Well, yeah. But I mean I I quote it recently again introduced my daughter to it. She hadn’t seen it, loved it. But I do. Speaker 7 So long. Craig Think. Taylor You know that’s a. Lie. Well, we. Craig Split it over 2 nights, right? So we, I mean, it really does have two bite sized films in it in terms of the first film, you forget. Taylor OK. Yeah. And then the chariot race, which goes on. Speaker Well, yeah, yeah. Craig Because I mean, the first film has the Climatic Third act of the the galley battle with the was it the Persian? I think first Roman galleys. Taylor For. Craig And and and that’s pretty much where that ends. And then the second film, yeah, then has the huge chariot race, which I yeah, I think really holds up. I mean, sure, singing at school. I mean that’s going to that’s going to knock a lot of points off of its. Taylor Entertainment value. Actually. That reminds me. Do you remember back in? So it was in. I think it was 9 no 2002 between 2002 and 2006. Every DVD had that. You wouldn’t steal a handbag, you wouldn’t steal a car. Yeah. Speaker Oh. Craig Ohh yes yes, the anti piracy warning. Taylor Anti piracy warning interesting thing came out about that over the week. The this last week the font they used was pirated. Craig Alright, yes, it was the font. Let’s try and remember it was the music. The font was pirated. Yeah, they didn’t get permission. They didn’t pay. And it’s just this blatant hypocrisy, isn’t it? I mean, you know what type of? I mean, I wonder if people that got well, you wouldn’t get busted because of that ad, but nevertheless, it it does show you the hypocrisy behind and also the difficulty of navigating. Speaker 7 Yeah. Craig That proprietary environment sometimes, yeah. And a media mothership. That’s why we have the wonderful sounds of our kalimba kalimba. Kalimba action here on mother emoji. Yep. So we’ll be releasing a CD. Probably by one. Yeah, I’m thinking we’re getting some great tunes coming in SMS. And now if you have any climber requests. Yeah, I’ll do it. Mothership. So. I guess the other thing that I found interesting about that clip we just heard was when the actress the actress saying how proud she felt of hearing her native language, the native dialect, sorry, the the Irish dialect. Speaker Right. Craig Our accent being spoken in in stalls hand or have you ever felt an overwhelming sense of pride when you’ve heard the Australian accents when you burst through in a movie? Speaker 7 Christ. No. No, it’s. Craig TV show. Taylor Like, it’s really jarring every time it happens, isn’t it? I mean, yeah. Craig Recently encountered A jarring experience. Taylor No, because I generally tend to stay away from it. Craig It is interesting when the Australian accent is nestled in a whole other, you know, smorgasbord of accents. Speaker 7 Alright mate, really touches through. Craig I often find it plain. Yeah. And and often is quite quite a poor. Poor. Yeah, it doesn’t. I mean, in terms of soft power, I guess what we’re talking about here is the kind of attraction positiveness someone feels towards an ephemeral thing, like an accent. You know, the British accent has a lot of soft power as we’re literally unpacking it here with Star Wars. We’re saying, you know, why is British accent used for all these kind of reasons around villainry and power and menace that could convey authoritarian control. Right. That’s a huge amount of soft power. It’s not them physically being aggressive or sounding. You know, angry or powerful, but it’s it’s just the power of the accent. The Australian accents. Yeah. Yeah. When, like, you got crocodile Dundee, crocodile hunter. So you might see that accent comes up as well. Yeah, a parody of that kind of Aussie, you know, outdoor. Taylor All Aussie adventures. Craig Rural, you know Bush kite, right? But that we’ve been stuck with that since. Forever, right? It really is not at all part of the cultural imagining today. And you’ve got various Australian actors, you know, Russell Crowe, thinking of Gladiator Ben Mendelson himself. We just heard from them, but they rarely, it seems, give a Hollywood movie performance in their. Stray and. Tonne. Taylor Oh yeah. I mean, that was his name, Thor. Fellow. Craig Chris Hemsworth. Yeah, yeah. Didn’t perform Thor via Australian accent. Performed it via British accent, you know. Yeah. Taylor No British. Yeah, well. Craig Are there any superheroes that have us? Taylor Back onto Irish accents. Craig Yeah. Taylor Do you have like can you name an Irish movie? Craig I well, there’s a really abominable well, not abominable, one of Sean Connery’s first films is I feel it was cool, but it was it was it, he, he. He played an Irishman in, you know, 1920s island. Taylor OK. Yeah. Craig Yeah, well, an Irish film, yeah. Taylor I’ve got one that you might like. OK, with your extensive experience in horror, genre comedy, sort of space grabbers. Craig Oh, let’s do it. OK, grabbers. I’ve not heard. Taylor Of it, it’s an Irish made film, Irish starred film and it’s all about. These. Creatures that. Are coming up from the sea and like birthing eggs on the beach and these eggs hatch and they start killing everybody, and then they figure out that the only way to. Craig Oh wow. Taylor Sort of be saved is to get blackout drunk and then when the creature tries to eat them, it gets poisoned by the. Craig Alcohol. Ohh. Really? Yeah. So this is the trailer. Very spooky sound effects. This came out in 20. 12. So he’s been grabbed then? Speaker There’s always a quiet places where the mad **** happens. For their pilot whales. They died at sea. Can’t be self a sea monster. Speaker 4 This is something totally different, something something alien. Taylor You don’t believe me? Speaker None of this. Yes. Speaker 7 Christ, it’s a nice. Speaker Evil incidences. Speaker 8 Alrighty. Speaker 4 You are so lucky, she. Speaker 1 Didn’t kill you. You were drunk. Speaker 4 If we taint our blood with booze with poisonous sweets. Speaker 5 It’s extraordinary. Speaker 4 Stay out of the rain and we drink. Speaker You’re throwing a party. It’s a welcome party for. Me. You’re leaving in a fortnight. Speaker 8 Just a goodbye party. Whatever. Speaker She’s right at. The door. There’s none. Have you got some tags? On you not on me, no. Craig It does remind me a bit of, you know, the real world phenomena of where you find something you think is actually bad for you is good for you. So, right. So like, you know, bit of red wine actually some of that each week is good for you. Coffee, you know, doesn’t that have wow and this week? Taylor Yeah. Craig Be good for you. So it does. I think it does play into that as well as what a delightful idea. Grandmas came out in 2012. How did you? Taylor Come across that so the way that I came across that is so the police officer, the female police officer that you see in. There. Craig Yeah, and wonderful Irish accents. Taylor Yes. Ohh, I forgot what her name is, but she’s in the Doctor Who audios where she plays Molly O’Sullivan and so. Craig Ah. Is that a companion or? Taylor For one particular audio adventure. Craig Right. Taylor Which doctor? What is it 9? No 8th Doctor Who? The movie. Craig Ohh really Paul Mcgahan, the forgotten doctor? Yeah, right. Oh, fascinating. Taylor Yeah. But not in the audio. World he is the style of. Craig Ohh totally yeah yeah. Audio, precisely. Such a fascinating little. Taylor World. Craig You know, transmedia movement of fandom there that the audio adventures is where his. Can cause he performs it sure right. I mean it’s. Wow, I’m sure we’re going to be asked. Speaker To. Craig To do that. Wonderful. Alright well. So anyway, so that’s how you came across it. You then did a search of the. Taylor Yeah, because because I I was like trying to figure out who this woman was. And oh, she’s in a movie. So it was the first movie I bought on. ITunes actually was that. Craig Movie. Oh, really? Wow. Wow. I’m glad you didn’t, you know, just steal a handbag. Yeah. All right. Well, orphant orphant, thanks for listening. This has been Craig and Taylor here from media mothership on each radio. We’ll post some show notes and clips up on YouTube and Twitch as well as I’ll produce this up as a podcast next week. I’m not sure, not sure about what we’re doing. We’ll be doing something you can listen to previous episodes on YouTube, Twitch, and at edgeradio.org dot AU or your podcast. Taylor About what? OK. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Craig Provider of choice. Yeah, right. I’m not touching. Taylor And Patreon. Craig To like get at least 500 fans. Find out more about media mothership on Facebook and Instagram. Keep listening now to. It’s radio. Do we have any announcements of your show? Starting up soon. Taylor It’s not still still still going towards it, yeah. Craig Dawn nascent. You want to plug your YouTube YouTube. Your Facebook page. Speaker 7 What? Craig For it, if people are interested in. Taylor Ohh yeah yeah yeah. Youtube.com facebook.com/D M for aeroplane. Send your tracks in. Craig DM for aeroplane. Yeah. So if you want, if you got some great kalimba tunes. Taylor Yeah. Craig Send them in to DM for Airplay and they might be played on. Taylor Yeah. Craig Taylor’s new show.