George Lucas Apologizes For Calling Disney 'White Slavers'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — George Lucas has apologized for criticizing Disney's handling of "Star Wars" and saying he had sold his characters to "white slavers" in a recent interview with Charlie Rose.

In a statement issued Thursday, Lucas says he misspoke and used a "very inappropriate analogy." It was not clear what the "Star Wars" creator meant by the "white slavers" comment, and Rose did not ask a follow-up question on his PBS show that aired Dec. 24. The charged words nonetheless sparked ire when the interview was posted online Wednesday.

"I rarely go out with statements to clarify my feelings but I feel it is important to make it clear that I am thrilled that Disney has the franchise and is moving it in such exciting directions," said Lucas in his statement.

He sold his company, Lucasfilm, to the Walt Disney Co. in 2012 for $4.06 billion, and the studio charged ahead in developing "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" with director J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. Disney has laid plans for two more "Star Wars" films and three anthology films set in the Star Wars universe over the next few years.

Lucas discussed his decision to stay out of the new installments in the hour-long interview with Rose and had criticized Disney's retro, fan-centric approach to "The Force Awakens." The interview was conducted prior to the Dec. 14 premiere of the film, where Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger thanked Lucas, who was in attendance, for his "sheer genius" in creating "Star Wars."

"The Force Awakens" plays homage to Lucas' original trilogy and has garnered largely positive reviews from fans and critics alike. After less than two weeks in theaters, it has already become the eighth highest grossing film of all time globally.

"I have been working with Disney for 40 years and chose them as the custodians of 'Star Wars' because of my great respect for the company and Bob Iger's leadership," said Lucas in his Thursday statement. "Disney is doing an incredible job of taking care of and expanding the franchise."

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20 Things To Stop Giving A Sh*t About In 2016

The new year is a perfect time for self-reflection and resolution-making. It's also a great time to hit "refresh" on the way you look at your life and the things you prioritize. This year, instead of vowing to hit the gym every day, we thought we'd make some un-resolutions and tally some of the things that we're going to cross off our list of stressors for the next year. Because, sometimes, you just need to give fewer f**ks about the things that are weighing you down. 

Below are 20 things we've vowed to stop giving a sh*t about in 2016. What would you add?

1. Having plans on a Friday night. After a long week, sometimes all you want to do is watch Netflix and order takeout. Own that instead of feeling guilty about it. 

2. The sexual connotations of Netflix and chill. Maybe you just literally want to Netflix and chill! Watching Netflix and chilling while doing so sounds delightful! (See above.)

3. "Putting yourself out there." Yes, it's great to make new friends and open yourself up to new romantic connections if you're looking for them. But often the people who tell you to "just put yourself out there!" ignore the immense amount of effort and mental energy it takes to do that. Also, oftentimes finding new love is more about dumb luck than individual effort.

4. Watching every new TV show and listening to every hit song. There is way too much great television and music to keep up with it all. Just stick to the things that truly excite you.

5. Doing trendy workouts you don't enjoy. Hard pass on paying $45 a class to feel like death.

6. Making plans you have no interest in to catch up with people out of obligation. Ain't nobody got time for that. Instead, dedicate time and energy to nurturing the relationships you truly care about.

7. The perfect winged eyeliner. We officially give up.

8. Twitter trolls. This one is easier said than done, but often it's best to dedicate as little energy as possible to garbage humans on the Internet. 

9. Getting tons of likes on Instagram. If you want to Instagram your brunch/weekend trip/view/funny sign/visiting BFF, do it because you want to, likes be damned.

10. Whether or not Hillary Clinton is "likeable" enough. Nope nope nope, moving along.

11. Making a big deal out of Valentine's Day. Whether you're in a relationship or not, putting too much importance on an arbitrary day as a marker of "real" love is more stressful than it's worth.

12. Wearing cute workout clothing. This is not meant to shame people who have and love said workout clothing. More power to you! But no one needs to feel obligated to look loungewear runway ready when heading off to gym.

13. Wearing 3-inch heels every day. If that's your style, again, you do you and rock it. But if you're putting your poor legs and feet through hell for a few extra inches, maybe don't. You'll still be just as gorgeous without the heels.

14. Finishing every book you start even when you aren't into it. Next time we get halfway through a novel and feel zero investment in the main characters, we're just gonna close it and give up. 

15. Having the "perfect" body. You are enough, just as you are. Too much mental anguish goes into seeking an impossible standard.

16. Fake "pasta" made out of vegetables. Just eat the damn noodles if you want them.

17. Selfie shaming. Take and post as many fierce selfies as you want to. No one has the right to determine the images you put out there but you.

18. How your life compares to the lives of your former classmates/friends/siblings. Forget comparisons and arbitrary timelines. You do you.

19. Avoiding adding cheese in your salad. Life is short, put a little cheese on your lettuce.

20. People who don't give a sh*t about you. #BYE

 

Happy 2016, y'all!

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Reported Rapes Go Through The Roof On Game Day At Big Football Schools

The main findings:

• Reported rapes rise by 41 percent on days of home games at FBS schools.


• Reports of college-aged offenders raping college-aged victims rise by 58 percent on days of home games.


• Reported rapes in which the victim doesn’t know the offender rise by 61 percent on days of home games.


• Football games appear to lead to as many as 770 rapes at FBS schools every year.

Home games at major college football schools are a breeding ground for sexual assault and are directly responsible for hundreds of additional rapes in the surrounding area every year, according to a new study published in the National Bureau of Economic Research.

And there's an unlikely source behind the spike in rapes: People the victims do not know.

The researchers found that rapes reported by victims ages 17-24 increase by 28 percent on days when there are football games at Football Bowl Subdivision schools. FBS schools, previously known as D I-A schools, typically field the best teams in college football. Rape reports at FBS schools increase even more on days of home games, rising by 41 percent.

The study used FBI crime data collected between 1991-2012 from 138 local and campus law enforcement agencies to compare the number of rape reports on game days to the number on non-game days. The research accounted for the number of reported rapes that usually occur on a particular day of the week or at a time of the year, which would seem to correct for much of the football season taking place during what is known as "The Red Zone" between the start of school and Thanksgiving, when freshman women are particularly susceptible to assault.

In total, researchers were able to analyze 96 Division I football schools -- 55 of which were FBS schools and 41 of which were FCS or Football Championship Subdivision Schools, previously known as D-1AA schools.

“What we really wanted to do in this study is to quantify the degree to which partying and alcohol consumption actually cause increases in reports of rape, and that’s why we decide to investigate the effects of Division I football games," said Jason Lindo, an associate professor of economics at Texas A&M University and one of the study's co-authors.

The researchers estimate that football games could lead to as many as 770 rapes at the 128 schools that make up the FBS every year, and no fewer than 253. How far the estimate swings in either direction depends on how much you attribute the rise in reported rapes to the influx of people to the area on game day -- more people might just mean a higher chance of rape -- or to a change in behavior associated with alcohol consumption and party culture.

The increase is most apparent among college-aged adults between the ages of 17 and 24. The researchers estimated that reports of college-aged offenders raping college-aged victims rose by 58 percent on the day of home games. And while there was some evidence of an increase in rape victims between the ages of 25 and 28, almost none of the victims were between the ages of 13 and 16.

Lisa Maatz, vice president of government relations for the American Association Of University Women, was not as surprised by the report's top-line finding as she was by something else: The people said to be largely responsible for the rise in game-day rapes were offenders the victims did not know.

Researchers found that reported rapes involving an offender the victim didn’t know increased by 61 percent on home game days and by 29 percent during away games. By contrast, reported rapes involving an offender the victim did know rose by 28 percent during home games and by a statistically insignificant amount during away games.

Those numbers represent a startling spike in rapes by unknown offenders, since previous studies have shown that as many as 9 in 10 college-aged women victims know the person who assaulted them. This less-common type of rape seems much more prevalent on game days.

Researchers pointed to other signs that the increased rapes are tied directly to college football culture. Games against school rivals or prominent football programs seemed to lead to a steep rise in reported rapes, as did upset victories (notably, schools did not experience a significant rise in reported rapes when the opponent won in an upset). And while away games that were televised appeared to lead to a much smaller but still notable rise in reported rapes, this was not true of games that were not televised.

The effects were also felt much less at FCS schools, where football is a less prominent aspect of university life. There, home games appeared to lead to a 31 percent increase in reported rapes and away games had no effect. Division II and Division III games appeared to have no effect whatsoever on the number of reported rapes.

While the evidence is alarming, Maatz made sure to emphasize that this is not just a college problem or a football problem, but an American problem.

[The problem] is just rape culture overall, and that’s not exclusive by any stretch to college campuses,” Maatz said. “It’s an important area of research but it does not solve the problem or answer all the questions.”

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-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Reported Rapes Go Through The Roof On Game Day At Big Football Schools

The main findings:

• Reported rapes rise by 41 percent on days of home games at FBS schools.


• Reports of college-aged offenders raping college-aged victims rise by 58 percent on days of home games.


• Reported rapes in which the victim doesn’t know the offender rise by 61 percent on days of home games.


• Football games appear to lead to as many as 770 rapes at FBS schools every year.

Home games at major college football schools are a breeding ground for sexual assault and are directly responsible for hundreds of additional rapes in the surrounding area every year, according to a new study published in the National Bureau of Economic Research.

And there's an unlikely source behind the spike in rapes: People the victims do not know.

The researchers found that rapes reported by victims ages 17-24 increase by 28 percent on days when there are football games at Football Bowl Subdivision schools. FBS schools, previously known as D I-A schools, typically field the best teams in college football. Rape reports at FBS schools increase even more on days of home games, rising by 41 percent.

The study used FBI crime data collected between 1991-2012 from 138 local and campus law enforcement agencies to compare the number of rape reports on game days to the number on non-game days. The research accounted for the number of reported rapes that usually occur on a particular day of the week or at a time of the year, which would seem to correct for much of the football season taking place during what is known as "The Red Zone" between the start of school and Thanksgiving, when freshman women are particularly susceptible to assault.  

In total, researchers were able to analyze 96 Division I football schools -- 55 of which were FBS schools and 41 of which were FCS or Football Championship Subdivision Schools, previously known as D-1AA schools.

“What we really wanted to do in this study is to quantify the degree to which partying and alcohol consumption actually cause increases in reports of rape, and that’s why we decide to investigate the effects of Division I football games," said Jason Lindo, an associate professor of economics at Texas A&M University and one of the study's co-authors. 

The researchers estimate that football games could lead to as many as 770 rapes at the 128 schools that make up the FBS every year, and no fewer than 253. How far the estimate swings in either direction depends on how much you attribute the rise in reported rapes to the influx of people to the area on game day -- more people might just mean a higher chance of rape -- or to a change in behavior associated with alcohol consumption and party culture.

The increase is most apparent among college-aged adults between the ages of 17 and 24. The researchers estimated that reports of college-aged offenders raping college-aged victims rose by 58 percent on the day of home games. And while there was some evidence of an increase in rape victims between the ages of 25 and 28, almost none of the victims were between the ages of 13 and 16. 

Lisa Maatz, vice president of government relations for the American Association Of University Women, was not as surprised by the report's top-line finding as she was by something else: The people said to be largely responsible for the rise in game-day rapes were offenders the victims did not know.

Researchers found that reported rapes involving an offender the victim didn’t know increased by 61 percent on home game days and by 29 percent during away games. By contrast, reported rapes involving an offender the victim did know rose by 28 percent during home games and by a statistically insignificant amount during away games.

Those numbers represent a startling spike in rapes by unknown offenders, since previous studies have shown that as many as 9 in 10 college-aged women victims know the person who assaulted them. This less-common type of rape seems much more prevalent on game days.

Researchers pointed to other signs that the increased rapes are tied directly to college football culture. Games against school rivals or prominent football programs seemed to lead to a steep rise in reported rapes, as did upset victories (notably, schools did not experience a significant rise in reported rapes when the opponent won in an upset). And while away games that were televised appeared to lead to a much smaller but still notable rise in reported rapes, this was not true of games that were not televised.

The effects were also felt much less at FCS schools, where football is a less prominent aspect of university life. There, home games appeared to lead to a 31 percent increase in reported rapes and away games had no effect. Division II and Division III games appeared to have no effect whatsoever on the number of reported rapes.

While the evidence is alarming, Maatz made sure to emphasize that this is not just a college problem or a football problem, but an American problem.

[The problem] is just rape culture overall, and that’s not exclusive by any stretch to college campuses,” Maatz said. “It’s an important area of research but it does not solve the problem or answer all the questions.”

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

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