Jar Jar Binks Evidence Box
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“My oldest son thought he was great when he first saw the movies a couple of years ago. Obviously this spread on to toys and my wife and I had to buy any variants we could find. Even in the LEGO Star Wars game he couldn’t wait to play Jar Jar.” Nightrain
“My daughter was eight and her half sister was six at the time of the release of The Phantom Menace , and they loved Jar Jar. I would thank George Lucas for that. Taking them to see the film was a joy because they really enjoyed the films, mainly because they liked Jar Jar. I had to buy the back packs, the toothbrushes, various figures, etc. But, it should be noted, I’m also an avowed lover of Jar Jar. I didn’t think he was the problem with TPM and I’m 37.” Saul Iscariot
“My kids and I thought he was a great character. To be honest, I’ve never had the slightest problem with any of Lucas’s Star Wars creations – but then I’m a complete Star Wars junkie.” Kyuuketsuki
“My friend took his daughter to see The Phantom Menace when she was about six and she loved Jar Jar – he was one of her favourite things in the film (along with the pod racing). She grew out of him pretty quickly though.” chrismk
“I was 13 at the time it came out and loved him. I remember having a Jar Jar licker thing that had a long sticky tongue you flicked at stuff.” BarryBalboa
“My mum liked Jar Jar when The Phantom Menace first came out. I bought her the action figure for her birthday and he sat on top of the TV for a couple of months.” adam.creighton
“My cousin was six when TPM was released and he was a huge Jar Jar fan. Now the toys, masks, bubble bath and action figures I could deal with, but being forced to imitate the gimp in the middle of a supermarket to stop a six-year-old boy crying was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I still have flashbacks. I’m working through it with a therapist.” Orin
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“I used to work in a cimena and had to sit through The Phantom Menace over 100 times (poor me, sob) but I used to watch kids be amazed at Jar Jar. It must be the slapstick or the baby talk but the flop-eared git managed to hook the young.” Freefall
“I have four boys who were aged two to 11 at the time. They all loved Jar Jar, as did their school friends. He was a big item in the playground at the time. I asked the three eldest and they have confirmed this was the case.” Dartfordian
Dave is a TV and film journalist who specializes in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He's written books about film posters and post-apocalypses, alongside writing for SFX Magazine for many years.