Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the director of an upcoming Star Wars film, has found herself in the middle of a viral statement proposing that she aims to cause male viewers discomfort with the new movies. This claim stems from a 2015 meeting with Jon Stewart, where Obaid Chinoy stated,
"I like to make men uncomfortable. I enjoy making men uncomfortable."
Rather than explicitly targeting the Star Wars franchise. Her comments addressed broader goals of shifting perspectives and norms, not instantly generating unease among fans of the series.
In her recent Star Wars projects, Obaid Chinoy has emphasized enhancing women's presence in this world of films instead of making uninitiated male audiences uncomfortable. Her emphasis also reflects Lucasfilm’s drive to deepen further the roles occupied by women in significant positions within storytelling.
Her 2015 comments showed her direction in activism and social change but were not a direct insight into what she had planned for the Star Wars series as an artistic endeavor.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's statement was deliberately made to arouse debates on gender equality
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s statement on enjoying the fact of upsetting men came about her career as an activist and filmmaker. At the 2015 Women in the World Summit, Obaid-Chinoy answered affirmatively when the host, Jon Stewart, asked about the balance of being an activist and an artist and if she was playing to specific audiences as part of her artistic calculation.
She stressed the need for challenging and confronting societal conventions, mainly patriarchal structures. Her statement expressed her intention to generate debates and induce changed ways of looking at women and gender equality. She also said it was important to have uncomfortable conversations that people may not want because they may force them to look inward and change their minds about something.
Obaid Chinoy's recent involvement as the director of the Star Wars movie has once again brought attention to her previous remarks. She has expressed her enthusiasm for the project and highlighted the significance of having a female influence on storytelling within the Star Wars universe.
It seems that she is dedicated to crafting a captivating storyline for this film, emphasizing promoting female representation in such a well-known franchise. Her marks about making men uncomfortable referred to her previous work and activism and had nothing in common with her approach to the Star Wars project.
Moreover, any further development of the Star Wars narrative, specifically one featuring Rey Skywalker, would be bound to stir up much controversy since people have mixed feelings concerning the sequel trilogy. Some criticisms of these movies have been different, and some genuinely deserved, while others seem misogynistic.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's abundant hate amassed due to multiple reasons besides her 2015 interview remarks
There was considerable debate surrounding Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's recent hiring to direct a film in the Star Wars franchise. Critics, predominantly from traditional viewpoints, contended that Disney was attempting to promote "progressive values" in a way that could potentially compromise the franchise's appeal.
For instance, political analyst Matt Walsh shared a 2015 video clip criticizing Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's perspective on feminism and forecasting the film to underperform financially. These responses reflect a more extensive discussion regarding the relationship between entertainment, politics, and social topics, especially relating to franchises with substantial cultural influence like Star Wars.
It seems that certain disapprovals have misogynistic regard and a possibility that she might not have enough experience for such a prominent project. This debate illustrates the difficulties of increasing diversity in major film franchises. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will be the first female director in any film from the Star Wars series. Regrettably, though, this milestone has drawn flak from some who are against what they view as 'woke' culture in movies.