Why Supporting Star Wars Helps the Empire, not the Resistance
ROOM 704/706 - SciFi/Fantasy TV/Film
Friday May 31, 2019 - 2:30 pm to 3:20 pm
Star Wars is one of the most popular franchises around the world, spawning films, TV series, books, comics, and – by some accounts – a new religious movement. Whether labeled as the Rebellion or Resistance, viewers are consistently invited to identify with the downtrodden and oppressed in every book, film, or TV series. However, this identification with the oppressed belies the reality in which the SW universe itself is a powerful force driving us to consume SW media and related products. These modes of production and consumption do nothing to address the deep inequalities that exist IRL. To the contrary, consuming the SW universe does more to empower the neoliberal capitalist "Evil Empire" than it does any type of Resistance. Through examining the tension between the ideals promoted by the SW universe and the effects of fans’ consumption of that universe, audience members will critique their own relationship to this much beloved universe.
