SO WHAT’S the difference between a “Woke” and an “Ewok”?
Are they one and the same or they’re completely distinct from one another as, say, Leni Robredo to a fig tree?
Are they both real and tangible or just figments of the imagination existing in some fantasy world?
Let’s start off with a generic definition of both creatures (for purposes of convenient identification, let’s assume that they’re creatures) from that free online encyclopedia a.k.a. the internet:
Ewoks are a fictional species of small, mammaloid bipeds that appear in the “Star Wars” universe. They are hunter gatherers resembling teddy bears that inhabit the forest moon of Endor and live in various arboreal huts and other simple dwellings. They first appeared in the 1983 film “Return of the Jedi” and have since appeared in two made-for-television films, “The Ewok Adventure” (1984) and “Ewoks: The Battle for Endor” (1985), as well as a short-lived animated series and several books and games.
Woke is a political term originating in the United States. It refers to a perceived awareness of issues concerning social justice and racial justice. It derives from the African-American Vernacular English expression “stay woke”, whose grammatical aspect refers to a continuing awareness of these issues.
By the late 2010s, woke had been adopted as a more generic slang term broadly associated with left-wing politics, socially liberal and cultural issues (with the terms “woke culture” and “woke politics” also being used). It has been the subject of memes, ironic usage and criticism. Its widespread use since 2014 is a result of the Black Lives Matter movement.
For some of us who were around during the late ‘70s when the “Star Wars”saga first started and sort of followed the sequels, we are quite familiar with Ewoks. But for those totally lost in translation, here’s a brief narrative:
George Lucas, the director and producer of the “Star Wars” saga, created the Ewoks because he wanted “Return of the Jedi” to feature a tribe of primitive creatures that bring down the technological Empire.
He also based the Ewoks’ defeat of the Galactic Empire on the actions of the Viet Cong guerrillas who fought against American soldiers during the Vietnam War.
Using the image of the Griffon Bruxellois, a dog breed which he owned, the Ewok was developed by renowned make-up artist Stuart Freeborn. As presented in the films, Ewoks appear as stocky, sapient bipeds which stand about one meter tall. They have flat faces, are completely covered in fur, and have large jewel-like eyes.
The Ewoksare creatures borne out of the creativity and imagination of film director George Lucas and inspired by his dog, meaning they’re just fictional creatures existing only in the “Star Wars” universe. But we’re not here to discuss the merits of these fictional creatures, rather the parallel between them and the so called “Wokes” aside from the fact that “Ewok”rhymes with “Woke”and vice versa.
By the way, “Ewok” and “Woke” also rhyme with Wok,a bowl-shaped frying pan used typically in Chinese cooking. So should we also discuss the parallel – perhaps transcendental – connection between these three words that happen to sound alike, maybe some other time.
And we segue back to the “Wokes”.We have already established beyond reproach that the “Ewoks”are just imaginary creatures existing only in the “Star Wars” universe.But what about the “Wokes”as they seem real enough and we always see them on the six o’clock news and on the front pages of mainstream newspapers espousing their brand of politics, or rather their nonsense?
It’s interesting to note that Andrew Doyle, a British comedian, playwright, journalist, and political satirist, criticized the idea of woke politics as being in a “fantasy world”.
Bearing in mind what’s happening now in the United States and Europe, I would agree with that.
Of course, knowing the Filipinos’ penchant for being trendy fashion victims, these islands also have their own share of “Wokes” and these are some of their politics:
Actually we can just sum the politics of the “Pinoy Wokes”: Marcos, martial law, previously the franchise of ABS-CBN or “assault on press freedom and death of democracy…currently they’re very much preoccupied with the “white sand “on Manila Bay.
What makes the “Pinoy Wokes” rather ridiculous and pathetic is their fixation on Marcos. For God’s sake the man has been dead and buried. They cannot seem to wake up from their 30-year stupor. What really makes them ridiculous is that almost all of them weren’t even born yet when Marcos was president of the republic.
They all based their fixation on Marcos on textbooks and other narratives by pseudo communist professors who romanticize their fantasy on the so called 1st Quarter Storm.
And their theatrical “fear” of martial law, which incidentally is legal based on the 1987 Cory Constitution (our present Constitution, in case you’re not aware). Martial law is a legal instrument of the state to defend itself.
Indeed, these Frappuccino-infused trendy social climbing Wokes’politics is straight from some sort of “fantasy world” just like the “Star Wars” universe./PN
