Every now and again, Star Wars has gotten political. And I guess I can admit that it really does not bother me when it has done so.
I remember when people were suggesting (some were complaining) that Anakin talling Obbi Wan that "You're either with me, or you're my enemy" was a not so subtle swipe at the Bush administration's approach towards things, particularly towards maintaining loyalty regarding the so-called "War on Terror."
Frankly, admittedly, I liked that. It actually gave me more respect for George Lucas and the makers of Star Wars, rather than less. And I had no complaints like so many others about this being entertainment and an escape from reality, because what it really is is art, and art sometimes is influenced by and comments on reality.
With that in mind, this article that I ran into actually discusses the political significance of each Star Wars era in a way that, truth be told, I had never really thought of before. And it was fascinating, to boot!
Just look at the way that this article begins in just the first couple of paragraphs:
Star Wars has always had its finger on the pulse of the cultural fear of the moment. In the original trilogy in the 1970s and early 80s, it was The Man– an evil establishment that needed to be purified by a younger generation. In the prequels of the 90s, it was evil corporations secretly colluding with a corrupt government to create endless war.
Now, in early 21st century America, the villain is an unstable young white man who had every privilege in life, yet feels like the world has wronged him. Unbeknownst to his family, he finds and communicates with a faraway mentor who radicalizes him with a horrific, authoritarian ideology. By the time his family finds out, it’s too late, and now this unstable young white man has this horrific ideology, access to far too many weapons, and the desperate desire to demolish anything that he perceives as a threat– or is told to perceive as a threat.
Hmmm...interesting take, is it not? An unstable white man with every privilege in life, yet thinks that the world has wronged him? Sounds familiar, somehow.
Well, take a look, although be warned: if you have not seen "The last Jedi" yet (or "The Force Awakens," for that matter), this has some spoilers in it. Don't say that you were not warned!
“This is Not Going to Go the Way You Think”: The Last Jedi Is Subversive AF, and I Am Here for It melissahillman, December 20, 2017:
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