Did Gina Carono deserve to be fired from the Mandalorian?

2/25/2021

By: Spencer Croston
Editor of Entertainment

On February 10, 2021, actress Gina Carono was announced to have been fired from the Disney Plus series ¨The Mandalorian.¨ On the series, Carano played the fan favorite soldier, ¨Cara Dune.¨ Carano was fired over a series of controversial tweets that claimed a variety of things from the presidential election being fraudulent to comparing being a modern day republican to being a Jew during the holocaust. Since the firing, many people have been arguing about whether or not Carano deserved to be fired. While there are good arguments for both sides, the clear answer is yes. First of all, Disney gave Carano many second chances for her tweets, She had been given respectful warnings with her tweets about the election when she stated, ¨We need to clean up the election process so we are not left feeling the way that we do today. Put laws in place that protect against voter fraud.¨ This initial tweet got a lot of attention as many were mad at her for spreading false information about the election. As the months went on, Carano would continue to send a multitude of tweets that would continue to falsify the election, spread false information about the CoronaVirus, and more. Carano should have been aware that this would only get her in more trouble. Still, Disney was kind enough to not fire and continue to give her more chances. The final straw came when she stated, ¨“Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews...How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?¨ Lucas film said, ¨There are no plans for her to ever return.¨ All in all, Carano had it coming. She should have been aware that testing the limits with her higher ups was going to come back to bite her. Of course it's important for everyone to have freedom of speech, but there is a difference between having an opinion and spreading unverified information as facts. Carano made really poor decisions that in the end had justified consequences.

10 Comments

Anna Kohlhase

3/2/2021 08:42:55 am

I'm sad to see Gina Carono gone, because she played her character so well and really added to the story. I like your argument, but I politely disagree and think that Disney should've suspended her from some episodes as a more severe warning then given her a second chance. She's crucial to the series and shouldn't be directly fired for talking about her beliefs or sharing thoughts, no matter how sharp or provocative may be. I liked your thought-provoking article though, but think it could be a little better if you added a counterclaim paragraph.

Ashlin Richardson

3/2/2021 11:12:31 am

I think this is a really well done and researched. I agree with your argument that she had multiple warnings and yet still continued to spread false information. Her being culturally insensitive was just the icing on the cake, and while many people might see that as a violation of her freedom of speech rights; Disney had warned her that they did not want their brand to be associated with that. When she didn´t heed the warnings; they took action. Just because the law guarantees freedom of speech, doesn´t mean there is a freedom from consequences.

Tyler M

3/2/2021 11:14:53 am

I appreciate your argument and quotes. While I can see why people were angry with her tweets for their controversial nature, I feel that a firing was uncalled for. As one of the main characters of the show throughout its two seasons I don't believe that some controversial opinions shared online should lose her the job. It should be okay to have opinions nowadays even if it goes against what most people believe. In conclusion, I do see how Disney would want to separate themselves from that kind of negative public attention but I feel that firing a main character will negatively affect the show and the audience watching future seasons.

Katie Bingham

3/2/2021 11:19:19 am

The Mandalorian is an awesome show that people of all ages can enjoy. I loved the character that Carono played, that really represented a strong woman character. But after reading the thorough editorial, I completely agree that she deserved to be fired. The audacity she had to compare the Holocaust to her own self disgusts me beyond all comprehension. The Holocaust was a tragic and horrifying event that still has a large impact on the world. The six million lives lost will be remembered for eternity, and Carono relating this horror back to the fact that she is a republican is nasty business.

Jada

3/2/2021 01:14:44 pm

I am very sad that she got fired, she is a great actress and her character added so much... BUT like this article that Spencer wrote says, she must have known the horrific comparison was coming to bite her in the butt.

Noah Garcia

3/2/2021 01:18:48 pm

I definitely agree with your opinion. I can tell there was much thought and research put into this editorial, and I thought your argument was clearly stated. Gina Carano should not be allowed to work when she's been spreading false information. Despite the fact of her playing a major role in the storyline, I believe it is wrong to keep her solely because of the size of her role. Additionally, the amount her character contributes to a fantasy storyline is not as important as real world problems. The way you presented and argued was concise and effective; moreover, I enjoyed reading your writing piece. :)

Anna Diener

3/2/2021 01:18:59 pm

Great Points. While I will miss seeing Carono in the Mandalorian, I agree that her comments and actions were out of line, especially the one about Jews in the Holocaust. I also feel that Disney's decision to fire Carono will increase political tensions as many will view it as unjustified. In an already divided fanbase, I fear that toxicity will increase exponentially in Star Wars fans online and in person. But hey, Star Wars Being a Toxic Fanbase? what else is new.

Kate Cavin

3/2/2021 01:19:34 pm

When I first started reading this editorial, I knew nothing about this case and thought to myself 'that seems unconstitutional to fire someone based off of something they said". What I didn't know was that she was spreading false and controversial information that would influence so many already misinformed people. I learned she did it even after being reprimanded. I think this was a smart move on behalf of Disney, I don't believe that we should associate political beliefs with brands (especially Disney) and that Carono shouldn't continue to be supported by a company that champions family-friendly media.

Julia

3/2/2021 01:21:09 pm

This was a very informative article and I think that you did a great job presenting your argument. I was unaware of the situation and I feel that I know fairly understand both sides of this controversy. I agree with your stance that she went against the warnings she was given and suffered the consequences.

Lauren Dunn

3/2/2021 01:22:49 pm

I think that you did a very good job researching this topic and providing evidence on the issue! I didn't know that this had happened so it was interesting to learn about it! I thought that this was very easy to follow and understand. I think that I would also like to hear other arguements on the issue. That could also help support your arguement. But I really enjoyed the article good job!