To me, the real test will come when Star Wars finally makes the jump to Blue Ray. Will Lucas issue the originals as well, as part of some deluxe package? Or is he counting on the fact that, after the last ten years, more and more people are happy to accept his special editions as the definitive versions?

When was _Clone Wars_ and anything _Clone Wars_ related *not* about profit, though? I’m about to get anecdotal, so this may sound ramble-tastic- but I do better conveying a point when I give examples.

A friend of mine has a fourteen-year-old son that loves _Star Wars_ and anything related to any episode. He reads the books, plays the video games, has the ornaments, etc. showed him the first article (about irony that ends with the comparison to Homer) and he immediately was affronted and offended and refused to keep reading after the first couple paragraphs. But after talking to him about it, I got the impression that he prefers _Clone Wars_ and the newer movies over the old ones (his rationale coming down to things like, “It looks better!”), and that he sort of took the article personal; and in reconsidering all of the merch and stuff that he owns, it’s probably about 2/3 newer stuff; and most of the things based around the original three are hand-me-downs from his mom. Anakin is his favorite character, and not as Vader. He enjoys the old stuff, but prefers the new.

I think this kid is exactly what Lucasfilm is trying to do: convert kids nowadays to a new adaptation of the brand that will carry over and through into their adulthood. If they bond to it now, they’ll still have that strong, sentimental attachment to it when they’re older, regardless of quality (so the “it looks better” argument, while to an adult now sounds ridiculous, is more than enough for a kid, and that bond forged will remain just as strong as they grow older). Relying on the niche of original fans to get their kids into it with the same fervor as they themselves is too risky for Lucasfilm because there may not be enough of them into it enough to do that in the first place. Sure, there are fans in the sense that they enjoy the original films, but how many of those are going to actively make sure their kids see them? No, much safer for Lucasfilm’s pocketbooks to give kids their *own* _Star Wars_ to learn to love and thus purchase. Belinkie, in all honesty, I admire your loyalty to the original, but I don’t know how many other parents would try to protect their kids from the newer stuff- you’re the first oldschool fan I’ve heard of to do that. The reactions to new-fandom on the part of kids I’ve seen from their parents (that are oldschool) have always been along the lines of, “Meh, well, it’s still _Star Wars_, at least, right?” (That’s actually a quote from my friend, the mother, but the gist is the same every time). Kind of a defeat or resignation- it’s *something*. And I think Lucasfilm and anybody involved there knows this is what would happen, so they bank on it, both literally and metaphorically. I’m not saying your thesis, that the thrusting of the newer stuff in to the merch is intentional- I’m just adding a little nuance to why. Part of why Lucasfilm knows Mom and Dad will buy it comes from the fact that it’s at least distantly related to what Mom and Dad loved in their own youth.

Since Star Wars can be manipulated to sway cultural momentums, sometimes it might be worth reviewing how things got that way. This odd video mixtape about, as they describe it, the recorded perception of the SW phenomenon at the time of the release of the last theatrical movie, is a beginning to a conversation into the themes of memes of culture viewed through the Star Wars glasses.
http://www.noneinc.com/tBSWM/tBSWM_Video.html
As the final Star Wars movie was released, US Governmental bodies pushed for more restrictions to internet usage. (just this month they’ve continued their lobbying to force ISPs to record 2 years of people’s destinations: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10448060-38.html?tag=newsLeadStoriesArea.1) But in 2005, because of the Revenge of the Sith leak, the FBI/ICE through recently installed Congressional legislature and a newly installed Assistant Attorney General was able to jail and fine several US citizens. A year later George himself would be in Congress pushing for Free Unlimited internet access to all schools and libraries. Also in the time frame of the release of Sith, George’s company cease and desisted an individual who reused the Revenge of the Sith trailer to have 133t subtitles. A few years later that same company allowed Star Wars Uncut to have the entire first Star Wars movie available on the website. Yes things are changing quickly, and many of these decisions might still make sense.
http://www.noneinc.com/tBSWM/tBSWM_FAQ.html
Has more info on this abomination.

That’s not to say that the original trilogy is going to eventually disappear. I remember several years ago when Lucasfilm announced they were going to do Clone Wars and a live action Star Wars show that would be episodic in nature covering various things including Boba Fett’s escape from the sarlac pit. They at least seem to willing to throw us a bone once and awhile to keep us placated. But then again…I’m still waiting for that show, damnit.

On a side note, Jon Stewart had a very interesting interview with George Lucas a few weeks ago and it should still be available on The Daily Show’s website. It was very eye opening to the generation gap in terms of original versus new trilogy.

I personally think there’s a huge untapped market of original trilogy items. People love dressing up as storm troopers, but to do so, you have to make your own or buy it from a fellow fan who learned to make it themselves. You could at one point buy SW rollerblades, but only if you had child-sized feet. (I don’t know that I ever did, even as a child!)

And daaaaang, I really want that Cloud City lamp! It looks great, and it wouldn’t be so obvious if you didn’t like the series, but it would brand you right away to other fans, and … there’s totally a market here. Why, George? Why????