For many, discussing race brings up issues they’ve never really thought about and aren’t necessarily willing to confront since it’s never been a problem for them before. For others, it reiterates issues they’ve been experiencing their entire lives, and yet they get uneasy at bringing them up since some people from group A refuse to acknowledge them. This is part of why, when the late, great Carl Sagan decided to address such an important subject while discussingStar Warson a 1978 episode of Johnny Carson’s show, the audience had no idea how to react.
It started off as an interview like any other, or at least like any other with a world-renowned astrophysicist who has a mind for social concerns. During one of Sagan’s many appearances on Carson’s run ofThe Tonight Show, the discussion turned tothe subject ofStar Wars, as many did during those years. Sagan was quick to point out how unlikely it would be for a galaxy far, far away to evolve life that looked so remarkably similar to the humans on Earth, given all the variables involved. The audience, while not exactly rowdy, seemed to at least enjoy the ideas brought forth by this beloved scientist and humanist. But then things changed.
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“It’s extremely unlikely that there would be creatures as similar to us as the dominant ones inStar Wars, and there’s a whole bunch of other things; they’re all white,” Sagan rather abruptly offered during his discussion, resulting in an ice-cold silence from the audience. If nothing else, it definitely proved how uncomfortable people were back then (and how many still are today) when such matters are brought up in conversation. “The skin of all the humans inStar Wars, oddly enough, is sort of like this,” he continued, gesturing to his own hands, “and not even the other colors represented on the Earth, much less greens, blues and purples and oranges.”
It’s fascinating to watch either way. Even Carson himself seemed thrown off a little by Sagan’s statements, fumbling around a bit with his own retort about how there are plenty ofstrange-looking aliens inStar Wars. But Sagan went on to win back the audience a bit with his usual charm, earning some chuckles when replying with how, even with all the various creatures, everyone in charge of the galaxy still “seems to look like us.” Even with the most humorous part of the clip, it’s still wild and welcomed to see someone thoughtfully discuss systemic racism so many years ago.
Keep in mind, this was beforeThe Empire Strikes Backcame out, so the world didn’t know about Billy Dee Williams as thenow canonically pansexual Lando Calrissianat this point. But even so, one Black person is hardly enough to dilute those pale waters. Sagan, who tragically passed away in 1996, seemed to be ahead of his time with this line of thinking, especially since even the slightest efforts in favor of diversity these days still inspire waves of hate and vitriol. Ironically,Star Warsitself still sees much of that hatred, such asthe racism faced by John Boyegaever since his introduction to the series.
It’s a bit depressing to see Sagan bring up these issues decades ago when the current world still seems to struggle with just accepting people as they are. But perhaps it could also be used to fight some of that negativity. Any time somebody tries to argue that pushes for diversity and inclusiveness are just some new thing forcing its way into their beloved space wizard stories, show them this video. People have been openly pushing for true equality since the beginning of time itself, and hopefully, they never stop. Diversity is more popular than the alternative, after all.
