Early Saturday morning, the Force awakened in Mark Hamill, who had some choice words for FCC chairman Ajit Pai.
Hamill, who reprises his role as Jedi Luke Skywalker in this weekend’s blockbuster Star Wars: The Last Jedi, took issue with an anti-net neutrality video produced by the far-right website with a penchant for employing white supremacists, The Daily Caller. In it, FCC chairman Ajit Pai, a Trump appointee who despises the concept of a free and open internet, dances to “The Harlem Shake”—you know, the regrettable meme from 2013—while wielding a lightsaber. He’s flanked by several Caller employees, including video producer Martina Markota, a Pizzagate enthusiast and affiliate of Proud Boys, an organization which has been closely tied to white supremacists.
The Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to undo net neutrality, or the rules regulating how big broadband internet service providers connected consumers to the internet. As I wrote, “Net neutrality regulations were implemented during the Obama administration with the aim of providing Americans of all income classes access to a free and open internet—preventing ISPs like Comcast and Verizon from blocking certain websites or charging high premiums for certain services and/or content.” The FCC ruled 3-2 (three Republicans for, two Democrats against) in favor of dismantling the regulations, though Congress could still shoot down the ruling.
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Which brings us to Skywalker—err…Hamill. Shortly after 5 a.m. Saturday, the actor tweeted the following: “Cute video Ajit ‘Aren’t I Precious?’ Pai [vomit emoji] – but you are profoundly unworthy 2 wield a lightsaber-A Jedi acts selflessly for the common man-NOT lie 2 enrich giant corporations. Btw-did you pay John Williams his royalty? @AjitPaiFCCorpShill #AJediYouAreNot.”
The tweet came attached with a photo of Pai from the infamous Daily Caller video.
Hamill, for his part, has been a very outspoken critic of the Trump administration. Last November, in a no-holds-barred interview with The Daily Beast, he told our Melissa Leon of Trump’s election, “I’m in total denial. I’m glad I have [Pop Culture Quest] to take my mind off what’s going on. Because if you look at what’s being assembled for our government it’s like, yikes. It’s a who’s-who of really despicable people.”
He continued: “It’s tempting to say, ‘Well, I’m moving to Canada, I can’t stand it.’ But in other ways, it’s a challenge to stay and defend your country and do what you think is right and not retreat and hide under the covers. It’s not gonna be easy, that’s for sure.”
