Disney Renames Iconic Star Wars Ship To Remove Racist Connotations
Star Wars cult favourite character Boba Fett has had his ship renamed, with Disney reportedly seeking to avoid accusations of racist connotations.
The news was broken by LEGO, who announced it was dropping the original ‘Slave 1’ name from Boba Fett merchandise following a request from Disney, who own the rights to Star Wars.
‘Slave 1’ is a name that hasn’t as yet received any high profile criticism, but could clearly be perceived as problematic. While neither Disney or LEGO have confirmed the exact reason behind the renaming, ComicBook speculates the decision was taken to ‘remove an association to the more common connotation of the word “slave”.’
Explaining the decision, LEGO Star Wars Design Director Jens Kronvold Frederiksen said:
Everybody is [changing the name] … It’s probably not something which has been announced publicly but it is just something that Disney doesn’t want to use anymore.
Going forward, LEGO said Boba Fett’s iconic ship would now be called ‘Starship’. The move comes as Disney+ prepares to launch its latest Star Wars spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett, which will see Temuera Morrison reprise his role as the legendary bounty hunter.
4 months agoWhile the ‘Slave 1’ name is not explicitly linked to the history of slavery in the United States, Disney is one of a number of companies re-examining the potentially racist connotations of their products. Popular brands like Uncle Ben’s and Aunt Jemima’s have also been renamed the past year after it was pointed out that the names and iconography were rooted in racist stereotypes.
In 2017, Disney retired all merchandise of Princess Leia in her iconic gold bikini outfit and chains after a fan campaign claimed that the depiction was sexist and objectifying.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
