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Revision as of 01:15, 14 June 2006 editJustinpwilsonadvocate (talk | contribs)214 edits the whole point of this section is that some have accused the character of fitting common stereotypes. these are the characteristics assoc with the stereotype (an incorrect racist stereotype, I agree)← Previous edit Latest revision as of 01:38, 17 January 2025 edit undoCitation bot (talk | contribs)Bots5,456,985 edits Altered template type. Add: title, author-link1, authors 1-1. Changed bare reference to CS1/2. Removed parameters. Some additions/deletions were parameter name changes. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Spinixster | Category:Fictional businesspeople | #UCB_Category 112/276 
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{{short description|Fictional character in Star Wars}}
{{SW Character|
{{Infobox character
image= ]<br /><small>Watto|
| name = Watto
color=Independent|
| series = ]
bgcolor=#fff|
| image = Watto EPI TPM.png
fgcolor=#000|
| alt =
name=Watto|
| caption = Watto as he appears in ''Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace''.
position=Junk store proprietor|
| first = '']'' (1999)
species=]|
| firstgame =
gender=]|
| last =
planet= ] (resides on ])|
| creator = ]
affiliation= Commercial|
| voice = {{ubl|]<br>(''Episode I–II'')|]<br>(''Droid Tales'')|]<br>('']'')}}
height= 1.37 meters |
| species = Toydarian
weapon= none|
| gender = Male
portrayer=] (voice)|
| occupation = Junk store proprietor
| position =
| lbl21 = Homeworld
| data21 = Toydaria
}} }}
'''Watto''' is a fictional character in the ], featured in the films '']'' and '']''. He is ] and is voiced by ] ]. He is a mean-tempered, greedy ], and owner of a second-hand goods store in Mos Espa on the planet ]. Among Watto's belongings are the ]s ] and her son, ]. He acquires them after winning a ] bet with Gardulla the Hutt, and he puts them both to work in his store. Anakin demonstrates an incredible aptitude for equipment repair, and Watto decides to profit from it by having the boy fix various broken equipment in the store. He eventually loses Anakin in a podracing bet with ] when he bets on a competitor, ], who is defeated by Anakin.


==Concept and creation==
In the '']'' fictional universe, '''Watto''' is an on-the-ball and grumpy owner of a second-hand goods store in ]. He is a tetchy, unkempt ] with a fondness of money and ]. While one of the minor stores of Mos Espa, Watto's junkyard was nevertheless a wealth of surplus equipment and spare parts.
] was specific with the ] team about what features he envisioned for Watto. Design director ] described the character's design as "this conglomeration of odd things that really didn't fit, but that in the end gave him a very unique and powerful personality".<ref name="bts" /> Lucas dismissed concepts including a pudgy parrot by ] (though Whitlatch recalls one of her designs influencing the direction for the character)<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bouzereau |first1=Laurent |url=https://archive.org/details/starwarsmakingof00bouz/page/17/ |title=Star Wars: The Making of Episode I – The Phantom Menace |last2=Duncan |first2=Jody |publisher=Ballantine |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-345-43119-6 |location=New York |pages=17 |author-link1=Laurent Bouzereau}}</ref> and a four-armed beast with a cigar by Iain Craig.<ref name="bts" /> Chiang repurposed the head from one of his early ] designs, featuring a hooked trunk and crooked teeth,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bresman |first=Jonathan |url=https://archive.org/details/artofstarwarsepi00bres/page/155/ |title=The Art of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace |publisher=Del Rey |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-345-43108-0 |location=New York |pages=155}}</ref> and added ] wings, meeting Lucas's approval. Additionally, Chiang gave Watto a vest and a tool belt, only asking for webbed feet and pants. Modeling supervisor Geoff Campell was skeptical of having a chubby alien with wings, so it was imagined that the Toydarians are filled with gas, with the wings propelling them instead of supporting their weight. Animation supervisor ] realized that the alien's teeth would need some modification, as the craggy teeth made lip-syncing difficult. To solve the problem, Coleman broke off one of Watto's incisors, giving him a "corner-of-the-mouth" vernacular. His expressions were based on video footage of voice actor ], photographs of Coleman imitating the character, and modeler Steve Alpin saying Watto's lines to a mirror.<ref name=bts>{{cite web |url=https://www.starwars.com/episode-i/bts/production/f19990617/index.html |title=Watto's Character Development&nbsp;– From Concept to CG |date=June 17, 1999 |publisher=StarWars.com |access-date=April 5, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112000442/http://www.starwars.com/episode-i/bts/production/f19990617/index.html |archive-date=November 12, 2007}}</ref> ] performing as ] in '']'' was used as an influence in the character's demeanor.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=G Force: George Lucas fires up the next generation of Star Warriors |last=Silberman |first=Steve |issue=5 |date=May 1999 |magazine=] |volume=7 |url=https://www.wired.com/1999/05/lucas/ |access-date=July 12, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410184952/http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/7.05/lucas_pr.html |archive-date=April 10, 2014}}</ref> The sound of his wings flapping is a looped recording of sound designer ] opening and closing an ].


==Appearances==
==Relationship with the Skywalkers==
Watto first appears in '']'', the first title chronologically in the '']'' series. He has both an ability for haggling and a resistance to the "Jedi mind trick", a technique used to persuade people. He is both a junk dealer and slave owner on the planet ], possessing both ] and her son ]. When challenged to a bet for Anakin's freedom by ] along with what he needs to repair his damaged ship, Watto agrees due to him refusing to take Republic change. After Anakin beats ] (whom Watto bets on), a competing racer that he challenged throughout the race he participated in, he was let go. However, Watto (who believes Qui-Gon scammed him) at first considers calling off the bet, but gives in when Qui-Gon threatens to tell the Hutts of his double-crossing. Watto makes a final appearance in the sequel '']'', which takes place 10 years after ''The Phantom Menace''. The now-adult Anakin returns to Tatooine to find his mother. Searching Mos Espa, he finds Watto sitting outside the shop at a small stall. They reunite on somewhat amicable terms and Watto tells Anakin that he sold Shmi some years ago to a moisture farmer named ], who freed and married her. Watto then takes Anakin and ] to look through his records to find her.
Amongst Watto's belongings were the ]s ] and her son, ]. He acquired them after winning a ] bet with ], and he put them both to work in his store. Anakin demonstrated an incredible aptitude for equipment repair, and Watto took a liking to the youngster. Despite the fact that he was unprincipled enough to own slaves, Watto was a reasonable master. It most likely had to do with the point that the boy was a major source of profits for Watto, not only in servicing his machinery, but also contending for Watto in the Podraces.


Watto makes multiple further appearances in the ]; one such appearance details his time on his home planet before he came to Tatooine during a war. It also tells how he sustained his broken tusk and disabled leg. He later learns his business savvy from the ]s, native to the planet Tatooine. In the ] ''Star Wars'' comic book ''Star Wars: Visionaries'', Watto is shown to have been killed by ] (whose appearance here predates the canonical revelation of his survival of the events of ''The Phantom Menace'') during Maul's process of tracking down his nemesis ], to gain vengeance for his defeat during the Battle of Naboo.
Anakin was an astonishing pilot, the only human to participate in the treacherous speedy sport of Podracing. However whenever Anakin would race against the scheming ] ], Watto would always put money on Sebulba for the reason that, "he always wins!"


His son Blatto makes an appearance in the non-canonical television special '']''.
Watto's greed and gambling got the better of him when the ] ] and the young Naboo royal, ], crossed his path. Watto wagered all his money -- and Anakin as well – on Sebulba. For once Sebulba lost the ] to Anakin, costing Watto everything.


There has been an uncommon amount of Watto merchandise made over the years since 1999. In 2019, the Watto ] was first realized at the 2019 Galactic Con as an Exclusive. Watto has also been produced as a ] figure and featured in the ] video games, in addition to numerous other appearances in the form of collectibles and other merchandising.
Watto ultimately sold Shmi Skywalker -- in an effort to recove some of his losses -- to a moisture farmer named ]. The unlucky trader reported as much to a grown Anakin Skywalker, when he revisited ] a decade later to see his mother.


== Controversy == ==Reception==
Editors for ] ranked Watto 78th in their list of Top 100 ''Star Wars'' characters. They wrote that he was "one of the most confusing scientific anomalies" due to "the idea that a creature so potbellied is able to stay afloat for so long". They added that he was "no prince" for his unscrupulous deals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/star-wars-characters/78.html |title=Watto |work=] |access-date=18 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100815225722/http://www.ign.com/star-wars-characters/78.html |archive-date=15 August 2010}}</ref>
It has been suggested that this character is racist in that it portrays an old
In the book ''The Holy Family and Its Legacy'', author Albrecht Koschorke discusses the presence of "The Holy Family" in ''The Phantom Menace'', stating that while there was no "solicitous guardian watching over the mother and the holy child," Watto acts in a similar position as a "man who possesses ]al powers without being the father."<ref name="holyfamily">{{cite book |title=The Holy Family and Its Legacy: Religious Imagination from the Gospels to Star Wars |last=Koschorke |first=Albrecht |year=2003 |publisher=] |isbn=9780231127561 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yO8vWE_fbvAC |page=183 |access-date=27 February 2015 |translator-first=Thomas |translator-last=Dunlap}}</ref>
] (] or ]) caricature. He has a large nose, beady eyes, gravelly Yiddish-sounding accent, and he is unaffected by Jedi hypnotism, saying that "only money works on me":


===Allegations of antisemitism and anti-Arab sentiment===
* "...the most blatant ethnic stereotype is the hook-nosed merchant insect who owns young Anakin" (Hoberman, ''Village Voice'', 1999)<ref name="Hoberman">J. Hoberman: {{cite web
It has been suggested that the character is offensive because of his perceived similarities to a ], having a large hooked nose, beady eyes, unkempt facial hair, speaking in a gravelly voice, and being portrayed as greedy and covetous. ] of '']'' called him "the most blatant ethnic stereotype" due to his hooked nose.<ref>{{cite news |title=All Droid Up |newspaper=] |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/film/all-droid-up-6419714 |access-date=25 February 2016 |date=May 19–25, 1999 |first=J. |last=Hoberman |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160709135651/http://www.villagevoice.com:80/film/all-droid-up-6419714 |archive-date=9 July 2016}}</ref> Bruce Gottlieb of ] criticized him as well, comparing his character to the ] notion that the Jewish race is "behind the slave trade".<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Merchant of Menace |last=Gottlieb |first=Bruce |journal=] |date=May 27, 1999 |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/1999/05/the-merchant-of-menace.html |access-date=11 June 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051030152814/http://www.slate.com/id/29394/ |archive-date=30 October 2005}}</ref> ] of '']'' stated that Watto was also described as a ], but that he was "more comprehensively anti-Semitic—both anti-Arab and anti-Jew."<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/racial-ventriloquism/tnamp/ | title=Racial Ventriloquism }}</ref> She added that Watto reminded her of an "anti-Semitic caricature published in ] at the turn of the 20th century."<ref name="holyfamily"/>
| title=All Droid Up
| publisher=The Village Voice
| url=http://www.villagevoice.com/film/9920,hoberman,5854,20.html
| accessdate=June 11
| accessyear=2006
| date=May 19 - 25, 1999
}}
</ref>


Jane Prettyman of ''American Review'' noted that after leaving the theater, she heard two young boys describe him as "that weird little Jew guy with wings". Prettyman described his depiction as "not at all subtle", and said that "it can be counted on to flush out already-formed Jew-haters among young audiences and give them permission to continue their hatred out loud."<ref>{{cite journal |title=George Lucas serves up anti-Semitic stereotype in Star Wars Episode I |journal=] |url=http://www.americanreview.us/back71.htm |access-date=11 June 2006 |date=June 3, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060512082325/http://www.americanreview.us/back71.htm |archive-date=May 12, 2006 |first=Jane |last=Prettyman}}</ref>
* "Even in a galaxy far away, the Jews are apparently behind the slave trade" (Gottlieb, ''Slate'', 1999)<ref name="Gottlieb">Gottlieb, Bruce: {{cite web
| title=The Merchant of Menace: Racial Stereotypes In A Galaxy Far, Far Away?
| publisher=Slate
| url=http://www.slate.com/id/29394/
| accessdate=June 11
| accessyear=2006
| date=May 27, 1999
}}
</ref>


Others have disagreed with this interpretation.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kempshall |first1=Chris |title=The History and Politics of Star Wars Death Stars and Democracy |date=2022 |publisher=Taylor & Francis}}</ref> Andrew Howe states that Watto's "nose seems less a cultural referent to Shylock or Fagin than to an elephant's trunk".<ref>Douglas Brode and Leah Deyneka, Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars: An Anthology , Lanham, Scarecrow Press, 2012, p.20</ref> Others have described Watto's accent as Italian, and not Jewish.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cocca |first1=Carolyn |title=Superwomen Gender, Power, and Representation |date=2018 |publisher=] |page=119}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Canepari |first1=Michela |title=A New Paradigm for Translators of Literary and Non-Literary Texts |date=2022 |publisher=Brill |page=85}}</ref> Andy Secombe himself, who provided the voice of Watto, when asked about the similiraties between the character and Fagin, stated that Watto is not Jewish, and the accent he used for voicing the character is Italian. He also cited ]<nowiki/>s performance in ] as inspiration.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Andy Secombe interview {{!}} Watto {{!}} Star Wars |url=http://starwarsinterviews1.blogspot.com/2010/01/andy-secombe-interview.html |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=Andy Secombe interview {{!}} Watto {{!}} Star Wars}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-08-19 |title=Interview with Andy Secombe, the voice behind WATTO! |url=https://cambridgestarwarssoc.wordpress.com/2020/08/19/interview-with-andy-secombe-the-voice-behind-watto/ |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=CUSWS |language=en}}</ref>
* "Although a number of groups have protested that Watto is an insulting Arab stereotype, he struck me as more comprehensively anti-Semitic -- both anti-Arab and anti-Jew" (Williams, ''The Nation'', 1999)<ref name="Williams">Patricia J. Williams: {{cite web
| title= Racial Ventriloquism
| publisher=The Nation
| url=http://www.thenation.com/doc/19990705/williams
| accessdate=June 11
| accessyear=2006
| date=June 17, 1999
}}
</ref>


===Appearances in other media===
* "As we left the movie theater, a couple of young boys around age 12 made reference to "that weird little Jew guy with wings." The movie's depiction in Watto was not at all subtle. It can be counted on to flush out already-formed Jew-haters among young audiences and give them permission to continue their hatred out loud." (Prettyman, ''American Review'', 1999)<ref name="Prettyman">Jane Prettyman: {{cite web
''Crazy Watto'' is a two-minute-long ] that made its debut on the ] in 2000. The film is a ] of used car deal ] shown on ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/pickle/archives/2005/05/crazy-watto-str.shtml|title='Crazy Watto' striking deals at Cannes|last=Pickle|first=Betsy|date=May 16, 2005|publisher=]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100828013459/http://blogs.knoxnews.com/pickle/archives/2005/05/crazy-watto-str.shtml|archive-date=August 28, 2010|access-date=July 9, 2019}}</ref> featuring Watto. He offers up for sale familiar objects such as an ].<ref>{{cite web|date=February 23, 2003|title="CRAZY WATTO" review|url=https://www.runleiarun.com/fanfilms/crazywatto.html|access-date=July 9, 2019|website=RunLeiaRun.com}}</ref> The film played at the ],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/events/star-wars-fans-to-play-cannes/|title=Star Wars Fans to Play Cannes|last=Ball|first=Ryan|date=May 12, 2005|publisher=]|access-date=July 9, 2019}}</ref> and is a popular fan film at many ]s. The film was originally hosted by ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theforce.net/fanfilms/shortfilms/crazywatto/|title=TFN FanFilms - Short Films - Crazy Watto|website=]|access-date=July 9, 2019}}</ref> but is now part of ] on ].
| title=George Lucas serves up anti-Semitic stereotype in Star Wars Episode I
| publisher=American Review
| url=http://www.americanreview.us/back71.htm
| accessdate=June 11
| accessyear=2006
| date=June 3, 1999
}}
</ref>


Actor ] portrays a version of the character as the co-host on '']'', where he is the cantankerous, somewhat prankish sidekick to ]’s ]. Newman has performed the character onstage and over numerous streaming performances, often clad in a tight blue spandex costume.{{cn|date=April 2024}}
==Expanded Universe==
===Canon===


==References==
Prior to coming to Tatooine, Watto was part of the Ossiki Confederacy Army during the conflicts of his homeworld of Toydaria. In one battle, Watto suffered injuries that left him with a broken tusk and a disabled leg.
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
On Tatooine, Watto learned much of his business savvy from dealing with the native ]. Not only does he have a talent for haggling, but also cannot be affected by Jedi mind tricks. His preferred targets were outlanders -- whom he regarded as easy marks. Though Watto's junkyard is one of Mos Espa's smaller stores, he stocks such a broad collection of machinery that it is well patronized. If Watto didn't persistently gamble away his earnings it would turn a tidy profit.
* {{Star Wars Databank |subject=watto|text=Watto}}

* {{Wookieepedia|Watto}}
===Non-canonical===

In the ] Star Wars comic book ''Star Wars: Visionaries'', Watto was killed when the still living half-cyborg ] tracked ] to Tatooine, seeking revenge for his defeat (as seen in '']'').

==Behind the scenes==
Initial designs for Watto were of a more bird-like nature, including plumage and a beak. Another manifestation would lay claim to tentacles and a cigar. Watto's face, on the other hand, originated in an early ] picture by Design Director ]. The hooked trunk and crooked teeth were carried over to the Toydarian design.

Animation supervisor ] realized that the alien's dental work would need some modification when the time came to create Watto on screen. Watto always speaks (typically to grumble), and the craggy teeth made lip-sync easier said than done. To solve the problem, Coleman broke off one of Watto's incisors, giving him a 'corner-of-the-mouth' vernacular.

The sound of his wings flapping is a looped recording of sound designer ] opening and closing an ].

==References==
<div class="references">
<references />
</div>


{{Star Wars prequel trilogy}}
==External link==
{{Star Wars universe}}
*


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Latest revision as of 01:38, 17 January 2025

Fictional character in Star Wars Fictional character
Watto
Star Wars character
Watto as he appears in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
First appearanceThe Phantom Menace (1999)
Created byGeorge Lucas
Voiced by
In-universe information
SpeciesToydarian
GenderMale
OccupationJunk store proprietor
HomeworldToydaria

Watto is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, featured in the films The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. He is computer-generated and is voiced by voice actor Andy Secombe. He is a mean-tempered, greedy Toydarian, and owner of a second-hand goods store in Mos Espa on the planet Tatooine. Among Watto's belongings are the slaves Shmi Skywalker and her son, Anakin. He acquires them after winning a podracing bet with Gardulla the Hutt, and he puts them both to work in his store. Anakin demonstrates an incredible aptitude for equipment repair, and Watto decides to profit from it by having the boy fix various broken equipment in the store. He eventually loses Anakin in a podracing bet with Qui-Gon Jinn when he bets on a competitor, Sebulba, who is defeated by Anakin.

Concept and creation

George Lucas was specific with the concept art team about what features he envisioned for Watto. Design director Doug Chiang described the character's design as "this conglomeration of odd things that really didn't fit, but that in the end gave him a very unique and powerful personality". Lucas dismissed concepts including a pudgy parrot by Terryl Whitlatch (though Whitlatch recalls one of her designs influencing the direction for the character) and a four-armed beast with a cigar by Iain Craig. Chiang repurposed the head from one of his early Neimoidian designs, featuring a hooked trunk and crooked teeth, and added hummingbird wings, meeting Lucas's approval. Additionally, Chiang gave Watto a vest and a tool belt, only asking for webbed feet and pants. Modeling supervisor Geoff Campell was skeptical of having a chubby alien with wings, so it was imagined that the Toydarians are filled with gas, with the wings propelling them instead of supporting their weight. Animation supervisor Rob Coleman realized that the alien's teeth would need some modification, as the craggy teeth made lip-syncing difficult. To solve the problem, Coleman broke off one of Watto's incisors, giving him a "corner-of-the-mouth" vernacular. His expressions were based on video footage of voice actor Andy Secombe, photographs of Coleman imitating the character, and modeler Steve Alpin saying Watto's lines to a mirror. Alec Guinness performing as Fagin in Oliver Twist was used as an influence in the character's demeanor. The sound of his wings flapping is a looped recording of sound designer Ben Burtt opening and closing an umbrella.

Appearances

Watto first appears in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the first title chronologically in the Star Wars series. He has both an ability for haggling and a resistance to the "Jedi mind trick", a technique used to persuade people. He is both a junk dealer and slave owner on the planet Tatooine, possessing both Shmi Skywalker and her son Anakin. When challenged to a bet for Anakin's freedom by Qui-Gon Jinn along with what he needs to repair his damaged ship, Watto agrees due to him refusing to take Republic change. After Anakin beats Sebulba (whom Watto bets on), a competing racer that he challenged throughout the race he participated in, he was let go. However, Watto (who believes Qui-Gon scammed him) at first considers calling off the bet, but gives in when Qui-Gon threatens to tell the Hutts of his double-crossing. Watto makes a final appearance in the sequel Episode II – Attack of the Clones, which takes place 10 years after The Phantom Menace. The now-adult Anakin returns to Tatooine to find his mother. Searching Mos Espa, he finds Watto sitting outside the shop at a small stall. They reunite on somewhat amicable terms and Watto tells Anakin that he sold Shmi some years ago to a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars, who freed and married her. Watto then takes Anakin and Padmé to look through his records to find her.

Watto makes multiple further appearances in the Star Wars Expanded Universe; one such appearance details his time on his home planet before he came to Tatooine during a war. It also tells how he sustained his broken tusk and disabled leg. He later learns his business savvy from the Jawas, native to the planet Tatooine. In the non-canonical Star Wars comic book Star Wars: Visionaries, Watto is shown to have been killed by Darth Maul (whose appearance here predates the canonical revelation of his survival of the events of The Phantom Menace) during Maul's process of tracking down his nemesis Obi-Wan Kenobi, to gain vengeance for his defeat during the Battle of Naboo.

His son Blatto makes an appearance in the non-canonical television special Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars.

There has been an uncommon amount of Watto merchandise made over the years since 1999. In 2019, the Watto Funko Pop was first realized at the 2019 Galactic Con as an Exclusive. Watto has also been produced as a Lego figure and featured in the Lego Star Wars video games, in addition to numerous other appearances in the form of collectibles and other merchandising.

Reception

Editors for IGN ranked Watto 78th in their list of Top 100 Star Wars characters. They wrote that he was "one of the most confusing scientific anomalies" due to "the idea that a creature so potbellied is able to stay afloat for so long". They added that he was "no prince" for his unscrupulous deals. In the book The Holy Family and Its Legacy, author Albrecht Koschorke discusses the presence of "The Holy Family" in The Phantom Menace, stating that while there was no "solicitous guardian watching over the mother and the holy child," Watto acts in a similar position as a "man who possesses patriarchal powers without being the father."

Allegations of antisemitism and anti-Arab sentiment

It has been suggested that the character is offensive because of his perceived similarities to a stereotypical Jew, having a large hooked nose, beady eyes, unkempt facial hair, speaking in a gravelly voice, and being portrayed as greedy and covetous. J. Hoberman of The Village Voice called him "the most blatant ethnic stereotype" due to his hooked nose. Bruce Gottlieb of Slate magazine criticized him as well, comparing his character to the antisemitic notion that the Jewish race is "behind the slave trade". Patricia J. Williams of The Nation stated that Watto was also described as a stereotype of Arabs, but that he was "more comprehensively anti-Semitic—both anti-Arab and anti-Jew." She added that Watto reminded her of an "anti-Semitic caricature published in Vienna at the turn of the 20th century."

Jane Prettyman of American Review noted that after leaving the theater, she heard two young boys describe him as "that weird little Jew guy with wings". Prettyman described his depiction as "not at all subtle", and said that "it can be counted on to flush out already-formed Jew-haters among young audiences and give them permission to continue their hatred out loud."

Others have disagreed with this interpretation. Andrew Howe states that Watto's "nose seems less a cultural referent to Shylock or Fagin than to an elephant's trunk". Others have described Watto's accent as Italian, and not Jewish. Andy Secombe himself, who provided the voice of Watto, when asked about the similiraties between the character and Fagin, stated that Watto is not Jewish, and the accent he used for voicing the character is Italian. He also cited Michael Ripper's performance in Hammer films as inspiration.

Appearances in other media

Crazy Watto is a two-minute-long fan film that made its debut on the Internet in 2000. The film is a spoof of used car deal ads shown on television, featuring Watto. He offers up for sale familiar objects such as an X-wing. The film played at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, and is a popular fan film at many science fiction conventions. The film was originally hosted by TheForce.Net, but is now part of The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards on AtomFilms.

Actor Griffin Newman portrays a version of the character as the co-host on The George Lucas Talk Show, where he is the cantankerous, somewhat prankish sidekick to Connor Ratliff’s George Lucas. Newman has performed the character onstage and over numerous streaming performances, often clad in a tight blue spandex costume.

References

  1. ^ "Watto's Character Development – From Concept to CG". StarWars.com. June 17, 1999. Archived from the original on November 12, 2007. Retrieved April 5, 2009.
  2. Bouzereau, Laurent; Duncan, Jody (1999). Star Wars: The Making of Episode I – The Phantom Menace. New York: Ballantine. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-345-43119-6.
  3. Bresman, Jonathan (1999). The Art of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. New York: Del Rey. p. 155. ISBN 978-0-345-43108-0.
  4. Silberman, Steve (May 1999). "G Force: George Lucas fires up the next generation of Star Warriors". Wired. Vol. 7, no. 5. Archived from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2009.
  5. "Watto". IGN Entertainment, Inc. Archived from the original on 15 August 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
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  14. Canepari, Michela (2022). A New Paradigm for Translators of Literary and Non-Literary Texts. Brill. p. 85.
  15. "Andy Secombe interview | Watto | Star Wars". Andy Secombe interview | Watto | Star Wars. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
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