How firing Gina Carano makes us all less free.
Dropping the Shock Trooper
I confess to being a huge Baby Yoda fan. From the moment my fourteen-year-old son showed me a scene from THE MANDALORIAN featuring the little green wrinkly kid with gigantic ears and a mischievous grin, I was all-in. Showcasing terrific storytelling, casting, and F/X, the spinoff show has been an enormous hit.
Arguably even better than the STAR WARS franchise that spawned it, the series has driven millions of Disney+ subscriptions and been exalted by entertainment critics, diehard fans, and newbies alike. Alongside Baby Yoda, secondary characters bring humanity and comic relief to the story of the masked protagonist.
The show’s celebrity roster has been impressive, featuring surprise cameos by the likes of Nick Nolte, Amy Sedaris, and Werner Herzog. Together, they make every episode fresh and unexpected. From acclaimed directors and actors to iconic celebs and stand up comics, their diversity has added to the show’s instant and lasting appeal.
Among the stellar cast include, up to now, Gina Carano, a champion mixed martial artist, fitness model, and actress. Her character Cara Dune added fun and excitement to seven of the show’s eighteen episodes across both seasons. She played a charismatic, strong-willed survivor of the destruction of Alderaan, a feisty Rebel “Shock Trooper”.
Hot off the Hollywood presses is the latest shock, Gina’s permanent removal from all Lucasfilm production present and future. Fired because “her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable,” Gina was shortly afterward also dropped by her talent agency, UTA.
Controversy surrounding the actress’ incendiary social media content isn’t new, going back to November when she shared posts mocking mask wearing and alleging voter fraud. But the proverbial last straw came with a recent post and pic that drew equivalence between the Holocaust and ironically “hating someone for their poliitcal views.”
Agreeing to Disagree
Let me be clear: I think the controversial posts that got Gina into hot water are indeed “abhorrent”. Anti-masking and anti-vaxxing have cost thousands of lives throughout this global pandemic, and the cultish movement to discredit the election is based on misinformation and the rejection of foundational democratic principles.
And as the child of Holocaust-surviving parents, I’m not exactly a fan of comparing any form of current grievance, political or otherwise, to those faced by my Hungarian relatives in Auschwitz and Dachau in WWII. False equivalence is the most common logical fallacy, fueling “fake news” and conspiracy theories old and new.
That all said, I also find abhorrent the zeal by which people are deplatformed and careers are destroyed. Where do we draw the line between personal and professional lives? At what point does private opinion impact public action? And importantly, what are the societal implications of a culture where certain speech is tolerated over others?
LucasFilm, UTA, and any company have the right to fire employees as they see fit, so long as they don’t wrongfully terminate through discrimation, retaliation, or other illegal actions. Fans of these companies products similarly have the right to voice their own opinions, be they siding with #fireginacarano or #canceldisneyplus.
But let me ask: What’s the connection between an employee’s professional performance and their personal opinions? Social media has given everyone the power of becoming a publisher, able to make their personal opinions public. If their opinion is “abhorrent” is it automatically “unacceptable” — and therefore subject to cancellation?
Who is to judge? Based on what criteria? Gina was beloved for her MANDALORIAN character, and is now fired because of a few tweets and Instagram posts. Will Bill Burr be next? Must Migs Mayfield join Cara Dune in oblivion because his real world avatar crossed someone’s line when hosting SNL or doing stand up in Vegas?
A Plea for Reasonableness
American society has come a long way from the legally mandated enslavement of our fellow human beings to women’s suffrage, civil rights protections, an African-American president, and openly gay business leaders, entertainers, and politicians. Given all that, we clearly have more work to do, and much farther to go.
Getting there is a chaotic, uneven road, paved with dissenting opinions and ongoing strife. Democracy is by nature messy, and a pluralistic society is by definition fraught with controversy and discord. The open, unabashed, and energetic exchange of ideas is the fuel of freedom and independence, and the essence of individual liberty.
Oppression is the opposite, a dire path toward tyranny hewn from censorship and centralized control. Rationally debating a point is a far cry from rebuke, and rebuke still better than censure, let alone career-destroying cancellation. Ask: What does Cara Dune saving Baby Yoda have to do with Gina Carano posting stupid shit on Twitter?
By delineating ostensibly “acceptable” from “unacceptable” opinion, no matter how “abhorrent,” we bequeath ourselves judge, jury, and executioner, eventually silencing conversation and debate altogether. I comfortably embrace these two opinions at the same time: 1) Cara Dune is a bad ass; and 2) Gina Carano is a dumb ass.
Obviously the line needs to be drawn somewhere, guided by reasonableness, common sense, and the justice system. Harvey Weinstein was a serial abuser of women, a convicted criminal who deserves to be silenced and belongs in jail. But if everyone’s opinion alone immediately triggers retribution, then who would be immune to cancellation?
Should Gina, given her high profile celebrity status, been wiser to STFU online? Sure (see above, “dumb ass”). But the fact she didn’t shouldn’t bar her from doing a job she excelled at, nor should it ever inhibit you, me, or anyone else from freely expressing our opinions online or anywhere else. Let’s all grow up. Baby Yoda would surely agree.
Comments