logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
2m 29s

May the 4th Be With You: Introducing The...

TED Tech
About this episode

Love him or hate him, ever since his debut in Star Wars Episode 1, Jar Jar Binks has been one of the most divisive characters in movie history. And the backlash against him? It almost destroyed the man who played him. Host Dylan Marron goes back in time to learn what we got wrong about Jar Jar the first time around. Coming June 28 from the TED Audio Collective. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or visit
tedtalks.social/415I7SZ

Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Jan 23
Inside India's astonishing solar revolution | Kanika Chawla
In 2014, the world’s second largest coal consumer made a bold promise: to increase its solar capacity from three gigawatts to 100 gigawatts in just eight years. Many people called it overly ambitious, but energy expert Kanika Chawla saw the opportunity of a lifetime. She tells th ... Show More
12m 11s
Jan 16
What Earth in 2125 could look like | Iseult Gillespie
Faced with the realities of current crises, it’s easy to assume our world is headed in a bleak direction. But there’s good reason to be hopeful— with developments in science and technology, a positive future is more viable than ever before. So, what if the future was awesome? Ise ... Show More
6m 44s
Jan 9
Want to make change? Let young people tell their stories | Anshul Tewari
As a teenager, social entrepreneur Anshul Tewari didn’t see young voices represented in the conversations that mattered. His solution? A simple blog that has since transformed into Youth Ki Awaaz (Voice of the Youth): India’s largest citizen media platform, where more than 200,00 ... Show More
15m 12s
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
May the 4th Be With You: Introducing The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks
Love him or hate him, ever since his debut in Star Wars Episode 1, Jar Jar Binks has been one of the most divisive characters in movie history. And the backlash against him? It almost destroyed the man who played him. Host Dylan Marron goes back in time to learn what we got wrong ... Show More
2m 29s
May 2023
May the 4th Be With You: Introducing The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks
Love him or hate him, ever since his debut in Star Wars Episode 1, Jar Jar Binks has been one of the most divisive characters in movie history. And the backlash against him? It almost destroyed the man who played him. Host Dylan Marron goes back in time to learn what we got wrong ... Show More
2m 29s
Aug 2023
The Internet's First Main Character? | The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks
What if the most exciting achievement in your career also created a cultural phenomenon that pushed your mental health to the brim? In this new podcast from the TED Audio Collective, host Dylan Marron explores the story behind one of the world's most controversial characters and ... Show More
32m 33s
Jul 2023
The Internet's First Main Character? | The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks
There is a fascinating untold story behind one of the highest-grossing media franchises in the world. It's 1999, and sixteen years after its original release, a new Star Wars is finally coming. Fans have been camping out in front of theaters across the country just to be the firs ... Show More
32m 11s
Jul 2023
Episode 5: The Most Loving Story
In the wake of the anti-Jar Jar backlash, Ahmed begins to rebuild his life. In the meantime, we try to make sense of internet hate by talking to one of the original Jar Jar haters: the person who created The Jar Jar Hate Page. Transcripts for The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks are a ... Show More
33m 1s
Jun 2023
Episode 1: The Internet’s First Main Character?
It’s 1999, and sixteen years after its original release, a new Star Wars is finally coming. Fans have been camping out in front of theaters across the country just to be the first to see it. The beloved intergalactic saga is set to debut a slew of brand new characters, one of who ... Show More
31m 11s
Aug 2023
Episode 6: Redemption
Two decades after The Phantom Menace premiered, the world is finally reconsidering how it treated Ahmed Best and the character he brought to life. But back in our galaxy, are we doomed to stay on the dark side of internet culture? Or is it not too late to redeem ourselves and sto ... Show More
35m 15s
Jul 2023
Episode 3: A Web of Hate
The reviews for The Phantom Menace are in. And they’re… not great. Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning. Taking on a life of its own, the anti-Jar Jar backlash bounces from the acid pen of film critics, to the pixelated grain of early websites, to the black-and-white pages of ... Show More
35m 34s