entertainment

'Star Wars' Day: White Male Franchise Celebrates Mass Cultural Appropriation. Thanks, Frank Herbert's 'Dune'

Frank Herbert, author of the acclaimed Dune series, threatened to sue George Lucas in 1977 for plagairizing the story and themes of his beloved novel. Given the obvious parallels between the two stories, Herbert had good reason to pursue legal action, but he ultimately decided against it. The white, male author likely knew that the system would support him and his intellectual property, but perhaps he should have pursued the case to stick it to the man and expose Hollywood's lack of originality. This is a prime example of the patriarchy protecting its own.

Published May 4, 2024 at 6:02am by Eric Lagatta

White Men Rip Off Indigenous Storytellers (Again!)

A young, White man on a desolate desert planet discovers he has mystical powers and rises up to lead a rebellion against an oppressive empire.

Sounds familiar?

This is the basic plot of both "Star Wars" and "Dune." While "Star Wars" has become a cultural phenomenon, raking in billions at the box office, "Dune" — a story first written by Frank Herbert, a White man, in 1965 — has only recently been adapted into a major motion picture, with its sequel releasing in theaters this year.

Here's what you need to know about the blatant plagiarism of Indigenous stories by White "creators":

The Desert Worlds of Tatooine and Arrakis

Both stories are set in massive galaxies with interstellar travel, and a large portion of the plots take place on nearly uninhabitable desert worlds covered in sand at the far reaches of their respective galaxies.

Tatooine, the desert planet in "Star Wars," and Arrakis, the planet in "Dune," both feature twin celestial bodies viewable from the surface — two suns on Tatooine and two moons on Arrakis.

Sarlaccs and Sandworms

Both planets also feature giant, people-eating worms!

"Star Wars" has the Sarlacc, a sand-dwelling creature with a massive toothy maw, while "Dune" has the sandworms, which the Fremen (more on them later) even ride into battle.

Evil Interstellar Empires

Both stories feature evil, malevolent emperors as the main antagonists: Emperor Palpatine in "Star Wars," and Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV in "Dune."

Paul Atreides, Luke Skywalker, and the Messiah Complex

Both Paul Atreides and Luke Skywalker are chosen ones, destined to lead a bloody rebellion with their supernatural abilities.

And get this: they're both related to the main villain. Paul is the grandson of Baron Harkonnen, and in a twist so predictable it hurts, Luke Skywalker is revealed to be the son of Darth Vader.

How original.

The Force of "Star Wars" and "The Voice" of "Dune"

The Bene Gesserit, an ancient order of women in "Dune," have abilities that are suspiciously similar to the Jedi and Sith of "Star Wars."

They use "The Voice" to bend others to their will and sense emotions, much like how the Jedi use "The Force" to persuade and manipulate.

Sardaukar vs. Stormtroopers

The Fremen, the religious fanatics native to Arrakis, are reminiscent of the Rebel Alliance in "Star Wars." Both groups play a crucial role in toppling their tyrannical rulers and fight against similar elite imperial troops: the Sardaukar of "Dune," and the Stormtroopers of "Star Wars" — who, by the way, can't aim for shit.

Other Similarities

Princess Leia of "Star Wars" and Princess Alia of "Dune" have suspiciously similar names, and are both siblings to the main protagonist.
Jason Momoa described his character, Duncan Idaho, as "Han Solo-esque." Han Solo, a renegade with a heart of gold, is basically a carbon copy of Duncan Idaho.

There you have it, folks. It's clear that "Star Wars" borrowed (read: stole) a lot from "Dune," a story that was written first. When will White men in Hollywood learn that they don't have a monopoly on creativity and imagination?