Posted on 12/17/2015 12:24:00 PM PST by Citizen Zed
On this day, the day many have anticipated more than Christmas this year, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opens in U.S. theaters, the seventh installment of a cultural phenomenon that begin with the first movie in 1977. But "A New Hope" and the upcoming "The Empire Strikes Back" may have done more in 1980 than give birth to a die-hard class of "Star Wars" nerds. It may have played a role in presidential race as well.
Some have speculated over the years if "Star Wars" helped Ronald Reagan - if even just a little - secure his landslide victory of 1980. And if that is true, it would have had the opposite effect of what writer and director George Lucas had intended at the time.
In a recent i09 article, Charlie Jane Anders goes into great detail about the U.S. history leading up to the first "Star Wars" movie and how it connected with audiences in just the right way at just the right time. Here are some of her fascinating conclusions:
1. Reeling from the withdraw from the Vietnam War, the Nixon scandal, and a national "malaise," "Star Wars" represented "a pure jolt of American optimism and moral simplicity, that came at just the right time to make us feel like ourselves again." A 1983 Washington Post article described the classic "Star Wars" trilogy as helping "close some of the psychological wounds left by the war in Vietnam. 'Star Wars' tapped into inspirational depths that transcend political allegiance. It reflected politically uncomplicated yearnings - to be in the right, to fight on the side of justice against tyranny."
2. Lucas intended the movies to be a criticism of American imperialism, "in which the evil Empire was supposed to be the United States" and Richard Nixon the Emperor. But he pulled it off poorly by also wanting to reference the heroic Flash Gordon, World War II, and Western shows he grew up watching, which have a strong connection to American optimism and "helped set the stage for Ronald Reagan's 'morning in America' presidency." In another twist, Lucas actually turned down an opportunity to direct the dark, depressing Vietnam War film "Apocalypse Now," choosing instead to make something more wholesome for kids.
3. The marketing campaign for "The Empire Strikes Back" was at its height during Reagan's presidential run, and his "Morning In America" campaign fit well with a movie series that hearkened to a simpler era where "good guys" and "bad guys" were clearly defined - an optimism clearly needed in the midst of the Cold War against the Soviet Union.
4. Interestingly enough, even after Reagan was elected, his presidency continued to have connections with "Star Wars," such as with his famous 1983 speech - just a couple months before "Return of the Jedi" hit theaters - where he described the Soviet Union as an "Evil Empire." Later on, Democrats derided Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative by calling it "Star Wars," but using a name connected to such a well-loved movie franchise failed to have a negative effect.
5. Author David Sirota also connects Reagan's revolution in people's mind as not only fighting the Soviet Union but also Big Government in America with freedom-loving Rebels battling against the Empire.
6. Anders concludes her piece by saying "...the purity of [the Rebels] struggle against evil was the greatest gift that 'Star Wars' gave Ronald Reagan."
It's obvious that Ronald Reagan was elected for far more reasons than movie-goers' enthrallment with the birth of a space fantasy series, but it is interesting to speculate how one of the most beloved movies of all time - and one that was meant to criticize America - may have helped elect one of the greatest and most patriotic leader America has ever had.
No. Reagan made Star wars a bigger hit.
Poor Georgie!
No. The Iran hostage situation was sufficient.
a “little bit” of a “landslide?” Whatever
No. SDI was made known in ‘83.
Yes.
Star Wars posited actual Good and Evil, while the Left in America was working hard on Moral Equivalence.
Star Wars clarified Evil.
Reagan’s “Evil Empire” could therefore strike a solid chord.
Is this another one of those, ‘essays’ produced by locking a hundred monkeys in a room with bananas, coffee and keyboards?
What a stretch - no matter WHAT this person is trying to convey. Yeesh!
Carter did.
George Lucas named one of the bad guys “Nute Gun Ray”.
No subtlety at all.
Just as long as Candidate Trump doesn’t pull a bone headed move and select Jeb for his running mate. Reagan’s biggest mistake was picking Jeb’s father.
“Hey, I think we’ve got something here! ‘To be, or not to be. That is the gazornenplast.â€
Bob Newhart
The premise is pretty sound. Lucas is a big leftie, but he didn’t get that across clearly at all in the original trilogy, which resonated with exactly the opposite type of message to what a leftie would want the audience to take away.
He tried to be much more explicit with the prequel trilogy, even going so far as to name villain characters after Republican politicians and making the bad guys paraphrase George W. Bush, but it was so ham-handed and badly written that it didn’t have any effect either.
No, Jimmy Carter elected Reagan.
No, Jimmy Carter did.
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