Reclaiming the Inner Fanboy

You know, when life gets busy, you forget things. Move on and get caught up in the new things, try to blend in, because it's easier. Not that I've been terribly successful at that, but what the hell. Lately, I've been re-realizing how much I loved Star Wars, the originals. The new DVD editions don't count, nor do the prequels. The first Star Wars movies, for all the people who decide to claim cheap points and seem cooler-than-thou by dissing them, were great. Even Return of the Jedi. Maybe I was a kid, I don't know, but I even love the Ewoks. I don't know WHY Stormtrooper armor doesn't work against rocks, but hey. I get a thrill out of watching the little fuzzy guys ambush, outwit, and beat the snot out of Stormtroopers. The AT-ST getting its head smushsed still makes me cheer. Same with dissing Luke as "whiny". Dude. Luke's like 19 when the movies start, he bitches when things happen, but he grows, and overcomes things, and generally turns into a competent, mature Jedi.

All the characters grow, and act pretty much naturally, and you can see they care and everything. It's great. It feels real, it feels right. And gives an example that everybody tries to emulate in RPGs, for example, though it's rarer than it should be. Heroes, yes. And yeah, it's geeky, but what the hell, y'know? There's a zillion worse examples that you could use for inspiration. Which is the important part, especially with stories, they give you something, even though you know it's not literally true, is True.

Luke blew up the Death Star. True.
The Rebels beat the Empire. True.
Even Vader can be Redeemed. True.
Good triumphs over evil. True.

That's what Star Wars is, and screw George Lucas and the crappy prequels and edits. They're not Star Wars, trademarks and trappings aside. They don't have the heart. Forget him, forget the people who pretend to be better. Find the thing that makes you happy, heroes that inspire you, whatever it is. Don't deny your inner fanboy. Or girl.

A Bush Joke

How many Bush administration officials does it take to change a light bulb?

None. There’s nothing wrong with that light bulb. There is no need to change anything. We made the right decision and nothing has happened to change our minds. People who criticize this light bulb now, just because it doesn’t work anymore, supported us when we first screwed it in, and when these flip-floppers insist on saying that it is burned out, they are merely giving aid and encouragement to the Forces of Darkness.

-- John Cleese

(Via William Gibson)