STAR WARS

Bar Room Blitz

Next, the hermit takes us to what a generation or two of loyal fans came to know as the 'Creature Cantina":

So this EXACT bar is where the FREIGHTER pilots hang out?
Old man, you know alot about this town for being a hermit.
So let's drop the hermit ruse, shall we?
Obviously Kenobi is familiar with Mos Eisley and apparently he hangs out at the local watering holes, keeping an eye out for the quickest way offworld.
Luke, traumatized and hypnotized, questions none of this.

Upon entering the cantina, we're treated to a rather jarring bit of anti-droid culture:

What the hell was that all about?
Why the hatred towards the robots?
The Imperials don't seem to deal much with droids, while the Rebels not only use more droids but seem to genuinely like them.
It seems this love of robot servants that some have isn't shared by all the peoples of the galaxy.
The bartender, and the patrons by implication, don't want droids around.
Remember the slaves in Phantom Menace - and now, after the Empire takes over there are no slaves
No biological slaves anyway - lots of electronic slaves
(okay, there's Oola, the Dancer - that chain business... hmm, these finks on Tatooine are just dirty slavers, I guess)

The prequel trilogy gives tantalizing clues to the droid issue;
There's the Electronic Union...
And the Droid Seperatist Army...
And Kenobi's loathing of all things metal is even more apparent in ROTJ, when he says with open disgust,
"He's more machine now, than man. Twisted and evil."
Is Kenobi saying he feels machines are evil?

What the hell is this all about?
I say again, I think the droids in these movies are something else altogether that what we know of as 'machines' or 'robots'.
The CG in Phantom Menace shows the lines of identical droids all swaying and moving independantly of each other.
I thought this was misguided, merely the animators were showing off what their computers could now do.
In hindsight I think this is meant to reveal the droids as a collection of individials.
...

So are these quasi-criminal types aligned with the Empire?
We're led to infer that most folks don't care for the Empire much, and that this crowd if anything has less love than most.
If the Old Republic was so damned great, why does Kenobi have to hide at all, anyway?
Seems as if the peoples of the galaxy would offer protection and help if there was any kind of actual resistance or hatred for the Empire...

While Ben finagles with a Wookie, the farmboy manages to piss off one of the customers.
What is it about this kid? Does he just attract negative attention, like Frodo?
Or perhaps the son of the King can't go out in public without causing a stir?
Whatever the issue, Kenobi steps in - please note, Kenobi's presence causes things to go from bad to WORSE.

He first tries to 'influence' the angry fellow but this guy's a criminal so Kenobi's hypnotic efforts have no effect and the guy pulls a gun.
A samurai through and through, Kenobi whips out his lightsaber and severs the offending arm.
He then glances around the bar, seeming to dare any challengers, his bloodlust revealed.
A cool crowd, everybody turns and minds their own business (an honest crowd would be more squeemish at sudden body-rending violence, I would think).

Actually, they only SEEM to mind their own business...
Troopers arrive - who called them?
And the bartender is quick to point them in the direction of the old man in the bathrobe who thinks it reasonable to slice people up.
So much for seeking refuge among the people, you rotten old bastard.

How vile and ill-regarded are the Jedi?
Even in this "wretched hive of scum and villainy", a Jedi stirs the criminal element to call the cops.

Yup, if you're 'weak-minded' enough you can be hypnotized into doing anything.
Anyway kid, when are you selling your car so we can go avenge the murder of your father?