This week I chose an icon that everybody knows. Star Wars is a film that came out in 1978 and took the nation by storm. It is now an American icon that no one can dispute. I started watching the films when I was a kid I now own all of the old movies (Episodes VI through VI) A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. There are also three newer movies (Episodes I through III) The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith that I have not purchased yet, but I made sure that I was at theatre when they came out. My wife calls me a dork because of this, but it was important part of my childhood and it is nice to see George Lucas, the director and creator of the films, is still working.
The most important thing that George Lucas did with the Star Wars trilogy was to understand the importance of merchandising. There were toys, lunchboxes, shirts, etc. that made Star Wars a name to remember. I had a lot of the toys that I played with and had two t-shirts that I wore constantly. With the new movies it is like seeing my childhood all over again. The merchandising for these newer movies and the old are bringing in big money. Now as an adult I am trying to think of ways to make money with the Star Wars name attached to it instead of spending money. Look at eBay and notice all of the Star Wars collectable items being sold for big money.
Star Wars is an American icon that two generations are enjoying. My thoughts are that it is here to stay, because I still enjoy watching the films. I can only assume that I will be sharing these films with my grandchildren and hoping that they can enjoy them I much as I did at their age and now.
References:
eBay: Star Wars Search. (2007 November 18). Retrieved on November 18, 2007 from http://www.cosi.org/home/
1 comment:
Star Wars is an everlasting icon in our society, but I don't agree that Lucas' most important thing was merchandising. I understand what you are saying, but I think that is part of what cheapens a lot of great movies.
I also think that had he spend less time basking in the glow of plastic merchandising money and more on the production of the latest installments, maybe I would have more respect for the series. As of now, the older episodes are the best and the newer episodes I could take or leave!
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