The importance of the Star Wars character Jar-Jar Binks.

Good debate ROFLmywaffle. Just want to make it clear that in the following materials I'm always attacking your arguments and not attacking you: 1. First off I'd like to point out that your argument in the last round ceded the point that Jar Jar is generic. To quote: "To address what you said about Jar-Jar's role possibly being filled by a new generic character, THAT'S WHAT HE IS." Let me follow it by laying the most common definition (relevant for our purposes) for two terms: Important--Of MUCH Significance. (Webster's Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language 1994.) Generic--of, applicable to, or referring to all the members of a genus, class, or kind; general. ("") You've already ceded the point that Jar Jar is generic. If so, then he is--BY DEFINITION--unimportant. Why? Because he can be replaced by anybody in a general class. Were he important, special, not only significant--but of greater than normal significance (already a term of note above the ordinary or generic) no one could replace him. But as you've already said he's generic, run of the mill, unimportant. Any old joe schmoe, class B3 generic "humor" character could be plugged into his role and there would be--again by definition--no difference. Well, there might be one difference I suppose. People might be able to understand the new character. 2. As to your argument that Jar Jar can be easily understood after "a second" I would like to point out the following quotes from a couple of expert critics on the intelligibility of Jar Jar: "Jar Jar Binks, with his incomprehensible accent..." Reviewer Paul Clinton of CNN.com and "[Jar Jar's] pidgin English degenerates from pseudo-Caribbean patois to Teletubby gurgle." J. Hoberman Village Voice. These two are illustrative of a very common opinion that Jar Jar Binks is unintelligible, despite your argument that if you "take a second" you can understand him. These two critics, men who do this for a living mind you, could not understand what he was saying after an ENTIRE MOVIE. This is hardly just an "accent" this is an unintelligible wreck. Important characters have important things to say. It was both unimportant to the writer/director that he be understood by the audience and, it turned out, unnecessary for the audience to understand him to follow the plot of the movie. Therefore what Jar Jar said has no significance, which makes Jar Jar an unimportant character. 3. Addressing your point that Jar Jar acts in a way that affects the story I would first direct you to point I above. We're already in agreement that he is a generic character. As a generic character any old joe schmoe character could be plugged in and do exactly what he did, therefore Jar Jar's presence is basically unnecessary and insignificant to the story and therefore unimportant. Additionally, Jar Jar's side lost the battle on the ground in episode I. They were only rescued when Anakin blew up the orbital controls for the droids after the battle already ended. His actions on the battlefield ultimately had no causative impact on whether his side won or lost the battle and were therefore--you guessed it--unimportant. As to the proceedings at the Galactic Senate (in addition to point 1) I would point out that Jar Jar only proposed the motion. The clone war was already raging, the Emperor had already laid his Machiavellian groundwork, he also ensured that the majority of the Senate would vote for his proposal, and he made sure that someone would second Jar Jar's motion. Did Jar Jar's vote constitute a majority on it's own? Do we say that the author of a bill passed the bill when dealing with our own Senate? No, we don't. The power lies in the majority--that is what's important in a Senate. Jar Jar was just a patsy, an unimportant last link in the chain. If he hadn't done it the Emperor could have found someone else to deliver on this technicality. Just as he found some other patsy to second it. Patsies are a dime a dozen and completely insignificant. 4. You didn't address my argument that important characters get audiences to return and pay money for the sequel. A sort of "cost-benefit analysis" to determine a character's significance. I can only assume assent from your silence and your agreement that an important character would provide a significant positive impact monetarily to the franchise. Jar Jar Binks did not do this therefore he is unimportant to Star Wars. 5. From the standpoint of many strict materialists Jar Jar does not exist, but is a figment of the imagination. That which does not exist is an illusion, is ephemeral and has no real significance on day to day life. Therefore Jar Jar Binks is unimportant. Good fun. I look forward to your answer.