My work on Star Wars spans print, web, online video, and broadcast media, a selection of which is included below with links where available.
You can find out more about my current project, 'The Environmental Impact of Filmmaking: Using Star Wars to Improve Sector Sustainability Practices' on the project website.
BOOKS
BFI Classics Series: The Empire Strikes Back (BFI, 2020 - order it, or read a preview on Google Books).
Forthcoming: A Star Wars World: Material Histories of a Global Franchise (Bloomsbury).
WOMEN IN STAR WARS
For info about a previous (but ongoing!) project to quantify women's screen time in the Star Wars films, including a discussion of the methodology I used to cut out all the men, check out my blog post, 'Star Wars Women: the stats'. I've also written about the results for various blogs and online magazines. See:
“The Rise of Skywalker Achieved Gender Parity, Still Needed More Women of Color,” The Mary Sue, May 4, 2020.
“Why I Decided to Cut All the Men Out of Star Wars, and What it Showed Me,” Women and Hollywood, June 11, 2018.
RADIO
VIDEO
You can watch a presentation on my work about representations of identity in the franchise on YouTube. 'Through the Cracks in the Mask: Gender, Race and Queerness in the Star Wars Films,' was presented as part of guest lecture series at the University of Wolverhampton in November 2020. Since buying the franchise in 2012, Disney has masked Star Wars with the promise of progressive representation and swished the cloak of inclusion around its heels. But despite some members of Star Wars fandom criticising the franchise's increasing diversity, it often seems to others that the films have failed to deliver real change. Thus, the talk asks, how progressive really is the Star Wars franchise?
You can find out more about my current project, 'The Environmental Impact of Filmmaking: Using Star Wars to Improve Sector Sustainability Practices' on the project website.
BOOKS
BFI Classics Series: The Empire Strikes Back (BFI, 2020 - order it, or read a preview on Google Books).
Forthcoming: A Star Wars World: Material Histories of a Global Franchise (Bloomsbury).
WOMEN IN STAR WARS
For info about a previous (but ongoing!) project to quantify women's screen time in the Star Wars films, including a discussion of the methodology I used to cut out all the men, check out my blog post, 'Star Wars Women: the stats'. I've also written about the results for various blogs and online magazines. See:
“The Rise of Skywalker Achieved Gender Parity, Still Needed More Women of Color,” The Mary Sue, May 4, 2020.
“Why I Decided to Cut All the Men Out of Star Wars, and What it Showed Me,” Women and Hollywood, June 11, 2018.
RADIO
- James Earl Jones, AI in Star Wars, and its ethical implications, Newshour, BBC World Service, September 24, 2022. The episode is available until Oct 23 2022 and the interview falls at approx. 45mins.
- James Earl Jones signs over the voice of Darth Vader to Lucasfilm, PM, BBC Radio 4, September 24, 2022. The episode is available until Oct 23 2022 and the interview falls at approx. 32mins.
- Star Wars and Fandom, The Current, CBC Radio (Canada), December 20, 2019.
- Star Wars and The Rise of Skywalker: BBC Ulster, December 18, 2019 and BBC Wales, December 19, 2019.
- Star Wars release, The Afternoon Show, BBC Radio Scotland, December 17, 2019.
- Star Wars and its popularity with audiences - BBC Radio Ulster, October 23, 2019.
- The Rise of Skywalker and responses to the trailer - BBC 5 Live News, October 22-23, 2019.
- The Rise of Skywalker trailer release - PM, BBC Radio 4, October 22, 2019.
- “Russian Trolls 'Pushed their Agenda' with Star Wars Critiques, Study Suggests,” The Current, CBC Radio (Canada), October 8, 2018 - listen or read a transcript.
- Star Wars and screen time for women, Newsdrive, BBC Radio Scotland, June 1, 2018.
VIDEO
You can watch a presentation on my work about representations of identity in the franchise on YouTube. 'Through the Cracks in the Mask: Gender, Race and Queerness in the Star Wars Films,' was presented as part of guest lecture series at the University of Wolverhampton in November 2020. Since buying the franchise in 2012, Disney has masked Star Wars with the promise of progressive representation and swished the cloak of inclusion around its heels. But despite some members of Star Wars fandom criticising the franchise's increasing diversity, it often seems to others that the films have failed to deliver real change. Thus, the talk asks, how progressive really is the Star Wars franchise?
ARTICLES
“Greening Film and Television to Save Our Blue Planet,” OpenLearn, November 30, 2022.
“I Went to Hoth to Go Behind the Scenes of The Empire Strikes Back at 40,” The Mary Sue, December 24, 2020.
“Queer Empire: On the 40th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back,” LA Review of Books, May 21, 2020.
“I Know Because It's Me: Women and Archiving in Star Wars,” Contingent, December 8, 2019.
“Gender, Race, and Representation in the Star Wars Franchise: An Introduction,” Media Education Journal, no. 65 (2019): 16-19. The article offers a short and accessible introductory analysis of gender and race representation in the Star Wars franchise and is a resource for teachers and students in secondary education/high school classrooms. You can download a pdf version at the bottom of the 'Articles' section.
“Dark Rey – A New LGBT Hope?” Screen Queens, September 5, 2019.
“Why is Star Wars' Inclusiveness Getting So Much Hate Now When It Was Celebrated in the Past?” The Mary Sue, September 10, 2018.
| rharrison_-_gender_and_race_in_star_wars.pdf |
REVIEWS
“The Mandalorian Season 2 Seeks Hope in a Bruised and Battered Galaxy,” Sight & Sound, December 21, 2020.
“Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker Review: New Hope Springs Eternal,” Sight & Sound, December 19, 2019.
“Book Review: Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow is the Padmé Story Her Fans Deserve,” The Mary Sue, March 9, 2019.
“Star Wars, I Love You… But Solo Needed to Stop Saying ‘I Know’,” Medium, June 3, 2018.
PODCASTS
INTERVIEWS & PRESS COVERAGE
My Star Wars work and commentary on the franchise has also been discussed in publications including: Indiewire, Telegraph, Bustle, Syfy, Hollywood Reporter, Time, Vanity Fair and Teen Vogue, among others.
“The Mandalorian Season 2 Seeks Hope in a Bruised and Battered Galaxy,” Sight & Sound, December 21, 2020.
“Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker Review: New Hope Springs Eternal,” Sight & Sound, December 19, 2019.
“Book Review: Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow is the Padmé Story Her Fans Deserve,” The Mary Sue, March 9, 2019.
“Star Wars, I Love You… But Solo Needed to Stop Saying ‘I Know’,” Medium, June 3, 2018.
PODCASTS
- Princess Leia, Princess podcast for BBC Radio 4 with Anita Anand and Maddie Moate, July 2022.
- The Empire Strikes Back: Examining the Story Behind the Story, Slice of SciFi podcast, December 9, 2020.
- The Empire Strikes Back, New Book Network podcast, November 30, 2020.
- Jyn Erso and Rogue One, Heroes of the Galaxy podcast, June 26, 2020.
- May the 4th Be With You, The Cosmic Shed podcast, May 4, 2020.
- Star Wars and representation, Fan Girls Going Rogue podcast, June 27, 2018
- “Why Solo Never Wants to Know the Odds,” Beyond Bechdel podcast, June 2, 2018.
INTERVIEWS & PRESS COVERAGE
- Amy Richau, “Day 558 - Rebecca Harrison,” 365 Days of Star Wars Women, November 18, 2020.
- “Star Wars Ranked on Screen Time for Women,” BBC News, June 1, 2018.
- Rachel Thompson, “Professor Ranks Star Wars for Female Character Screen Time and the Results are Very Telling,” Mashable, May 31, 2018.
- Liz Dwyer, “Move Over, ‘Princess’ — Leia Organa, PhD, Is Here,” Good Magazine, August 7, 2017 - interviewed about Star Wars, feminism and working as a woman academic.
My Star Wars work and commentary on the franchise has also been discussed in publications including: Indiewire, Telegraph, Bustle, Syfy, Hollywood Reporter, Time, Vanity Fair and Teen Vogue, among others.