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The Collegian
October 31, 2015
The Empire strikes Spain
Grayson Quay
Foreign Correspondent “You have that power too” With those words, tacked on to the end of a quotation from “Return of the Jedi,” the trailer for “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” undid all the damage that George Lucas did with all that asinine business about midi-chlorians in the prequel trilogy. As one commentator pointed out in the 2010 documentary “The People vs. George Lucas,” the concept of midi-chlorians dealt a serious blow the theoretically achievable dream of becoming a Jedi for a generation of children. Force-sensitivity ceased to be a matter of faith, goodness and innate harmony with the universe and became instead a caprice of biology. But the dream never died, and Disney, which was able to successfully tap into nostalgia to create multi-generational audiences for “Toy Story 3” and “Monster’s University,” is about to do the same thing on a much larger scale. Last weekend, in Málaga, I witnessed a parade of the 501st Legion. The 501st, also known as “Vader’s Fist,” is a 10,000-strong organization of Star Wars superfans who create their own movie-accurate costumes, usually as Stormtroopers. Legion members appear in parades or at promotional events, but always as volunteers, asking that charitable donations be made in lieu of payment. The parade I witnessed was organized by members of the Legion’s Spanish Garrison to raise money for the Fundacion Luis Olivares, a malagueño charity that helps children with cancer.
While I have no way of knowing how much they raised, I can speak to the incredible turnout. The entire mile-long parade route was so packed that at the thinnest point I could find in the crowd, I still had to elbow two small children out of the way to get a selfie with a Stormtrooper. The multi-generational appeal of the franchise was on full display. Some parents held their infants up to Darth Vader as if he were the pope, while those with slightly older children excitedly pointed out characters from the original trilogy that the kids might not recognize from the recent “Clone Wars” and “Rebels” cartoons. At first, I was surprised to find Star Wars so popular in Spain, but after some thought I realized that inclusivity and universal appeal are the main sources of the series’ success. Lucas intentionally followed outline suggested by Joseph Campbell’s “Hero with a Thousand Faces,” which proposed that all world mythologies share elements of a common framework. In her book “Myth and Identity in the Epic of Imperial Spain,” literary critic Elizabeth Davis notes that, unlike most historical epics, Star Wars is entirely abstracted from history. Lucas, she points out, uses Nazi and Soviet imagery interchangeably in his portrayal of the Empire, depicting the Emperor as a “‘generic dictator’ who exists outside of real history.” That Lucas deleted a scene from Episode IV in which Biggs Darklighter mentions the Empire starting to “nationalize commerce in the central systems” only further proves Davis’ point.
It’s too specific and would have given us a political allegory rather than an archetypal villain. We don’t need to understand the finer points of Imperial economic policy to know that they’re the bad guys. They blew up a planet, for God’s sake. They are evil and always will be, no matter how times change. There is a deeper connection with Spain, though. America has never experienced dictatorship, and our civil war was over a century behind us by the time “Star Wars” was released, but in
Spain, their civil war had ended less than 40 years ago, and their dictator, Generalissimo Francisco Franco, had been dead only two. “Star Wars” came at a turning point in Spanish history. In the short-lived Spanish show, “La Chica de Ayer” (2009), the main character is a detective who is inexplicably transported back in time from present day to 1977. In the first episode, he breaks the fourth wall to inform the audience of the zeitgeist of that year: “They say that 1977 was a great year… that year the first democratic elections were held.
GRAYSON QUAY
On the streets was an air of optimism… That year, ‘Star Wars’ was released.” In 1977, Spain looked like the ending of “Return of the Jedi,” looking eagerly to the future after decades of dictatorship, while the United States, still reeling and cynical in the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate, looked more like the ending of “The Empire Strikes Back,” forced to reevaluate its entire identity after a series of humiliating and costly setbacks. That “Star Wars” could be equally embraced in both countries is a testament to its magic.
Cold out of nowhere Bands battle for Nostalgic trip for 90s kids
Jake Sziraky
Contributing Writer
If the internet has taught us anything, it is that yes, you can “haz” cheeseburger and that there is no prouder and more condescending group than the dreaded “90’s kids.” This is a group of young adults that barely remembers the final decade of the previous millennia but recalls just enough to poke fun at the “less fortunate 2000-born.” Despite the smugness of a few internet trolls, the 90’s did have some wonderful things for our country’s youth culture. Just to name a few: Tamagotchi Pets, all of the cartoons on Nickelodeon, and Wonderballs. However, perhaps the best contribution that the decade produced was the infamous “Goosebumps” series by R.L. Stein. From the initial novels, the “give yourself goose-
bumps” series and the frightfully hokey television show, one can hardly think of the 90’s without at least giving this infamous book series a passing thought. For those of you who never braved the spooky world of R.L. Stein’s creation, the “Goosebumps” books are a bunch of mostly unconnected books each depicting a different creepy story. From talking ventriloquist dummies to haunted masks and magic mirrors that make you disappear, these wonderful stories have a little bit of everything. Stein did continue to write into the 2000’s, however, the series’ popularity began to wane until very few people, if any, talked about it or read it at all. That is, until 2015. There were some advertisements for the “Goosebumps” movie at the cinema and on television, however, it seemed
to appear out of nowhere just in time for the upcoming Halloween festivities. The movie tells the story of a young boy whose father recently died and must move to Delaware with his mother. Shortly after arriving, he meets the girl next door and her creepy father, who warns him to stay away from her and to leave them both alone. The movie highlights their budding friendship and his survival of those awkward high school years at a new school. There is also a hoard of undefeatable monsters tracking the teenagers down, who will stop at nothing till until he, she and her father are dead. Other than that, it’s a normal comingof-age story that will delight family members of all ages, regardless of whether or not you have read the books.
bragging rights
Matt Vavro
Contributing Writer Battle of the bands, an event hosted annually by the Kappa Alpha Phi fraternity and Gamma Sigma Phi sorority, was an exciting and enjoyable event with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society Ket Rec was completely transformed with a stage and relaxing lighting and decorations that created a cozy atmosphere. The area was inviting and felt similar to the coffee house events hosted by the Student Government Association. Several groups of musicians participated, playing a wide variety of instruments including acoustic and electric guitar, keyboard cajon, and violin. The quality of the music was excellent, as each band seemed to bring something different to the competition. Covers of songs from several wellknown artists were heard,
such as Mumford & Sons, Taylor Swift, and Walk the Moon. Awards were chosen by the audience, with a container for each band that tickets could be placed into for voting. Ketler rec Rec was filled for nearly the entire night, and those attending appeared to be engaged in and enjoying the performances. Refreshments were offered, as well as several raffle items and gift cards which were given away throughout the night. Overall, the brothers and sisters of Kappa Alpha Phi and Gamma Sigma Phi hosted an excellent event to raise money for the American Cancer Society. A combination of great musical talent from those who performed and dedication from those who helped plan, decorate, and present the refreshments and raffle items contributed to its success.
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