Part 6/10:
Ryan underscores that the media largely fueled the harassment of Ahmad Best following his role as Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace. Best has spoken openly about being attacked and even contemplating ending his life due to the racist stereotyping he endured. Yet, many now use criticism of the character as a personal attack on Best, which Ryan argues is not accurate or fair.
He emphasizes that Best’s comments have clarified that he was primarily speaking about media reaction, not fans. Nonetheless, social media radicals and critics have twisted these statements, turning legitimate critique into personal villainy, targeting actors for the roles they played rather than the characters themselves.