Monday, June 06, 2005

Star Wars

Well, I saw it tonight.

The Revenge of the Sith.

Darth Vader, the dark father, left for dead,

is born out of the molten red lava after his confused treachery

has aided the murder of most of the Jedhi Knights.

A lot of this movie is actually on earth, or wherever,

so there are lots of scenes of the great empire city.

It is a Rome, on steroids, without the classical beauty.

Tall funny looking skyscrapers, with little flying cars going everywhere,

all the time.

And huge of course, like Mexico City , San Paulo, Shanghai put together.

I wondered what all those people were doing?

Were they going to work at Wall Mart to sell plastic chairs?

Were they like buying cheeseburgers or just driving around

looking for chicks, listening to music?

There was not one green thing.

Not a plant one.

It was all human structure.

It wasn't until much later, on another planet, that the eye saw green.

Here is part of a review from Roger Ebert

That Anakin Skywalker abandoned the Jedi and went over to the dark side is known to all students of "Star Wars." That his twins Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia would redeem the family name is also known. What we discover in "Episode III" is how and why Anakin lost his way -- how a pleasant and brave young man was transformed into a dark, cloaked figure with a fearsome black metal face. As Yoda sadly puts it in his inimitable word order: "The boy you trained, gone he is, consumed by Darth Vader."

There are some who see this as more than the simple tale it is. They see it as as a metaphor for the present day. Democracy is lost as a leader secretly creates an insurgency and an enemy to fight, and thus creates the need to wage war. In this process, the Republic becomes an Empire.
Honorable leaders and warriors who hold to the great principles that made the Republic strong are assassinated. Even their children are murdered.

The emperor takes complete control from the people with lies

and applause.

But don't let these metaphorical aspects lull you to believe that

these images are healthy for the mind.

Because, as the title says.

This is all about War.

And the selling of war.

There is nothing in this series that the Pentagon doesn't love.

It reinforces the honor of warriors.

It reinforces that war is justified.

It reinforces that killing is civilized.

It reinforces that if you just kill enough,

good things will result in the end.

It reinforces the notion that you are either with us

or against us.

And we take our young children to see it.

And we buy the war toys just to help them remember.

And we glorify and sanctify the whole idea.

And we wonder why we have violence in our streets?

And in our kindergartens?

I guess Star Peace would make a pretty lousy movie.

You know,

people working in their gardens, eating good food, laughing and playing,

they would be dancing and singing with each other and

with their children and with the big hairy dog,

Maybe you could show a little orgy every now and then just to spice it up.

They could use the laser swords to cut the grass.

Maybe that's the problem.

We like war.

People get high killing people.

Peace is...well, it's peaceful.

The earthfamily probably needs to figure this out.


Earthfamily Principles

Earthfamilyalpha Content


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7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Whuwee, I bet that dude's makeup started running he was sooo hot. The rest of us who enjoy your blogs are amused at that reaction.

7:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Movies and Sports are filled with Grand Iconizations of a Cultural Image of Masculinity as slayer, protector, hero, the consummate athlete. Ken Wilbur say's evolutionarily, men are framed to either "fuck it or kill it." Obsolete in the daily environ, this celebrated characteristic is relegated to leisure entertainments. Much of that energy has been turned to invention in the twentieth century to the benefit of us all. Everything that surrounds me in this room was built or designed with the same focus and single-minded intensity that was once delivered to the pursuit of fresh meat or clan protection.

We will see in the next two decades, that the great slayer, protector, hero-- is NOT the consummate athlete but the hero of new technologies, the provider of alternatives that save us our air, the intellectual slayer of obsolete and restrictive assumptions about what it is to be a "Real Man", Leader, President.

I wish that as a Culture, we would become clearer on which traits are serviceable to us, and which are frivolous entertainments.

(That first guy must be going to a school where they have that "No child left behind" program. Poor thing.)

9:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The first dude might be wrong. I almost quoted Catalina, but her last comment made me re-think of it...what a shame!The posting came out real.

10:04 AM  
Blogger oZ said...

According to my tracking spy ware, the first comment originated from the Pacific Time Zone from a domain called LFI.Com.

George?

10:48 AM  
Blogger Ryan Garou said...

Anctually , my brain is also having trouble crasping this post. Let's get back to the envirnomental issues.

(Shake them hatas off , OZ.)

11:44 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

OZ, you comment is absolutely hilarious. I didn't get it at first. MS

1:16 PM  
Blogger Sayonara Jupiter said...

this post has left me with a mind absorbed in the zen of war versus peace and it's pretty entertaining, too.

2:28 AM  

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