Lightsabers not included

After six films and three decades, 'Star Wars' has become a permanent fixture in American culture.

By: Nicole Alvarado

Posted: 11/20/08

On a warm spring morning in 1977, people all over the U.S. woke up, filled their Trans-Ams and Chevy Novas for 64 cents a gallon, grabbed their Big Gulp thermoses and sleeping bags and headed to the movie theaters. Once there, they would wait for days, forming lines that wrapped around buildings and went down the streets, to pay the $2.25 that would cement cinematic history.

May 25, 1977, marked an historic day for popular culture, especially in the United States. From the bombastic opening notes to the ending scene in which Princess Leia honors the saga's Rebel heroes, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, in a formal ceremony completely out of place with the fast pace of the sci-fi action flick, the film industry would never be the same.

George Lucas' conception of a space opera film was realized with the release of "Star Wars," later to be named "Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope" in 1977. According to Lucasfilm, the production company launched by Lucas in 1971, the overall box office revenue generated by the six "Star Wars" films has totaled about $4.3 billion, making it the third-highest grossing film series behind Harry Potter and James Bond.

Nothing like "Star Wars" had ever been seen before. Lucas' films embodied eras of American history in a way that appealed to a variety of generations. His first big hit, "American Graffiti," banked off of the iconoclastic perfection the 50s symbolized. His success continued with the 80s cult classic "Labyrinth" and the "Indiana Jones" trilogy. Despite his numerous directing and production accomplishments, "Star Wars" will be what he is remembered for most.

The merchandising alone is a goldmine. You can buy your own lightsaber (plastic or glass), Jedi cloak, remote control droid, Yoda puppets, storm trooper Pez dispensers or, for the more daring among us, replica of the skimpy metal-bikini-and-cloth-flap ensemble that inspired teenage boys everywhere to completely renew their idea of the ideal woman. Spin-offs include the hour-long first episode of Family Guy Season 6, "Blue Harvest," and the Mel Brooks slapstick comedy feature film, "Spaceballs."

It was the Harry Potter of our parents' generation, creating a subculture so thorough you could literally carry on a conversation with another Star Wars fan in seeming code to the untrained listener. (For more information on how to confuse the less nerdy caste of society, see "The Galactic Phrase Book and Travel Guide," available on www.amazon.com.) People have Star Wars-themed weddings, you can ride on a starship simulator in Disneyworld and there is so much literature on the "Star Wars" universe that it almost legitimizes the stories beyond the realm of science fiction.

It has permeated our culture in an irreversible way. When did the turning point come that solidified this as a matter of fact? Some would dispute it, but I'd say it came right after the 2001 national census of Australia, when the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that more than 70,000 citizens declared their religion as Jedi Knight or Star Wars.

The resurgence of "Star Wars" mania felt after the release of Episodes I-III (1999, 2002, 2005) led to things like "Feel the Force: How to Train a Jedi," an actual course offered at Queen's University at Belfast in the United Kingdom. The class teaches the real-life psychological techniques behind Jedi mind tricks and claims to examine the wider issues behind the "Star Wars" universe, like balance, destiny, dualism, fatherhood and fascism. Lightsabers not included.

The Star Wars global phenomenon is much like the Aggie spirit: from the outside looking in, you can't understand it, and from the inside out, you can't explain it. In the same fashion, as an Aggie would conclude this column with a "Gig 'em, Ags," I will leave the readers with a fitting "May the Force be with you."