Jar Jar Binks Gets Beaten Up On The New York Subway

[Sixcess]

If it's an April Fool... I'm slightly bemused at what the joke is meant to be.

If it's real... the actor deserved it. Who's to say those guys even recognised the reference? The Phantom Menace was a decade or more ago, and those three guys didn't exactly look like sci-fi geeks. All they see is some freak in a mask getting right up in their faces.

The actor was asked to back off, relatively politely, a couple of times, and didn't do it. Having a cameraman following you around should not be a licence to be an asshole to complete strangers.

 

[chinangel]

NOT an april fools. No way was this april fools. I hope they catch those guys.

 

[WeedWorm]

One of the most annoying characters ever on a New York subway. How could they not think this could happen?

 

[FieryTrainwreck]

I'm so fucking sick of April Fool's Day that I'm resorting to two responses.

Response #1 (it's real): the idea that no one should ever experience violence, anywhere, no matter what, is just idiotic. Sometimes people do really stupid shit, and sometimes the best way for them (and others) to learn their lesson is physical retaliation. No one was killed or maimed. That wasn't even close to a legitimate "beating". But we've got the original instigator trying to track these guys down and press charges? Go fuck yourself, buddy. Yes, those were some grade-A thugs. They also totally looked like grade-A thugs before you tried to involve them in your shtick, didn't they? Use some common sense, asshole. Wearing some "improv actor!" badge doesn't turn the world into your own personal playground. If you think it does, I wish you several more kicks in the ass.

Response #2 (it's fake): that actor, those "thugs", that guy at the end of the video, the camera man, that little girl with the concerned look on her face, that improv troop, this website, the internet, and basically everyone, everywhere, can suck it.

 

[aashell13]

if this is a joke, it was badly executed. if this is not a joke, asking people to identify the assailants and subscribe to the channel in the same breath is bad form. I normally like improve everywhere, but they lose points in my book for this.

 

[The Hungry Samurai]

If it's a joke then it's in very poor taste. If it isn't then the actor is an idiot. I'm pretty sure that if you're going to do public improv then there oughta be some some form of "No Touching" rule in effect. You can't even blame the mask for being awkward because Jar Jar goes chest to chest with the guy and even puts both of his hands up and it looks like he starts almost pushing the guy. I'm pretty sure had I been him I would first think, "oh this guy is funny", then "Oh this guy is weird", and then "this guy is dangerous"

That's where this happens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDqc1o2HufY

 

[Lizmichi]

I'm not sure what to make of this. If it really did happen you don't start punching someone over getting in your face.

 

[Nerf Ninja]

As much as I don't believe in violence personally (I be a wuss) the "actor" had it coming.

 

[ReiverCorrupter]

It's an april fools' joke. Improv everywhere had one last year with their 'no underwear subway ride'

Agreed. It's clearly an April fools joke. People are just so used to blatantly obvious pranks that they don't recognize the subtle ones. Otherwise, they would have just submitted the video to the police, not all over the internet. The fact that they've asked people to spread it around is even greater evidence. Plus they're clearly acting. There's no way the guy in the outfit would have kept shoving his face into that man's face.

 

[Pipotchi]

This is why you dont get repeatedly in a persons space on a crowded metro, New York or London especially.

People have places to go and their own stuff to deal with then some clown gets in your face dressed as Jar jar Binks, you're asking to get a smack and while they went overboard I can sympathise

 

[michael87cn]

Jar Jar Binks Gets Beaten Up On The New York Subway

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Subway riders assaulted an actor playing the most hated character in Star Wars and are now being sought so charges can be pressed.

We've all probably wished that we could do terrible things to Jar Jar Binks at one point or another, but some subway riders in New York recently got to live out the fantasy when they beat the stuffing of an actor portraying the character. The actor was part of a group called Improv Everywhere, "a New York City-based prank collective that causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places."

Basically, the actor dressed as Jar Jar got onto a subway train and started flouncing around, talking to random passengers, until he got a little too close for comfort with a couple of rather large individuals. One of the guys repeatedly told the actor to get out of his face and then took a swing at Jar Jar when the request was repeatedly ignored.

Here's the official synopsis, as explained on the YouTube video's page:

For our latest mission, we attempted to stage a sequel to our Star Wars Subway Car mission, using characters from Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. Jar Jar Binks entered a random train car and informed subway riders that he was scared that Darth Maul was chasing him. If things had gone as planned, people would have laughed and been surprised when Darth Maul showed up at the next stop.

Unfortunately, three men on the train decided to ruin the fun for everyone by assaulting our actor playing Jar Jar. We were not going to even post this mission, but the actor who played Jar Jar wants to press charges, and we are searching for information on the three guys who attacked him. We hope that someone who sees this video will know them personally or recognize their faces.


The end of the video features Charlie Todd, Improv Everywhere's founder, talking to the camera in his office and pleading for people to forward the video on and anyone who can identify the men who assaulted Jar Jar to come forward. The seriousness of the video is somewhat undercut when Todd asks people to subscribe to Improv Everywhere's YouTube channel.

OK, on one hand, it sucks that these guys got assaulted while they were attempting to film a viral improv video. On the other, though, maybe they'll take this as a lesson: when you're getting in the face of a guy who looks like Bruce Willis's angry twin and he repeatedly tells you to get away, maybe you should take his suggestion to heart.

EDIT: Some readers have claimed this is an April Fools' joke. Honestly, it's hard to tell, mainly because the video was uploaded to YouTube on March 31st instead of April 1st. On top of that, the troupe posted another, similar, video where things weren't interrupted by an assault. It's certainly possible that this is a prank, but it's not obvious if it is.

Source: Geeks Are Sexy

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Wow the Escapist's first news report with real footage included! Good thing they had a cameraman there handy to not help the guy and record it!

Sorry, but that was just bad. My cat has played better april fools jokes on me today.

 

[Jodah]

Not completely nullifying their actions but they did tell the jerk to go away. One does not poke a sleeping bear and expect to walk away without a mauling or twelve.

 

[Misho-]

Well, thinking about this logically...

It looks like an Improv fight, so maybe the other guys are actors (especially since the fat bald guy speaks really clear and articulated for a non actor) and if they wanted to make a viral video, then they will meet with success as soon as people start posting it everywhere as the guy from Improv Everywhere asked for.

So It could be a prank... My take is, if it was for real, what were they expecting?? The guy clearly didn't like being rubbed by a guy on a stupid mask. Maybe find another person on the subway to harrass if your first target didn't like the prank.

 

[elvor0]

... IF this wasn't a joke, they could identify the criminals by CCTV footage. They are clearly trying to spread this video virally as an April Fools' joke. And just to be a grammar nazi, their is no such word as "seriousness". The correct word would be seriosity.

I'm not sure it is, seriosity doesn't even come up on ANY online searches aside from urban dictionary and I've never heard anyone use it before, whereas seriousness is actually in the dictionary and seriosity isn't, I mean "...the seriousness of this situation..." is a pretty common sentence, which given alot of people have said and used over the years would qualify it as a word. Plus google corrects seriosity to seriousness. Also it's "there" not their


OT: I really shouldn't be laughing at this, as I think it is actually real, however Jar Jar appeared to stay in character as he was being beaten up, which just made me laugh even more.

 

[Soods]

Atleast the fat guy knew to start running when he saw a sith with double-bladed lightsaber approaching.

 

[ShadowKatt]

Just the beginning of that sums up my feelings on the matter.

Edit: It just get's funnier every time I watch it. Especially the end. "If you know who did it, let us know, if you don't just spread the word so we can get these guys because we're totally the victims here."

 

[michael87cn]

You're right,

Just the beginning of that sums up my feelings on the matter.

You're right! Vegeta is going to kill them all, and Goku IS hungry!

 

[Techno Destructo]

Poor Jar Jar, such a misunderstood creature.

 

[Haydyn]

If it is real, I'd hope to God that they press charges. You can't beat the fuck out of somebody just becasue they are annoying!

Edit: Darth Maul coming in right in the middle of all the chaos was wonderful.