for U.S. News & World Report since 1988. Prior to that he worked for Time magazine and The New York Times covering topics such as social sciences and popular culture. The thesis of John Leo’s latest U.S. News & World Report article, “Fu Manchu on Naboo,” does not leave the reader any room to guess what his discussion is going to be about. He drives the point home from the beginning of the article. The central idea is very direct and easy to locate. It appears at the end of the first paragraph and
Essays, Not Rants! 316: Star Wars As An Anti-Capitalist Discourse Oh you thought I was kidding? Here we go. Star Wars takes a lot of cues from Westerns. Characters like Han Solo and places like Mos Eisley’s cantina make it pretty obvious. But it’s also apparent in where it takes place: the fringes of society. Be they remote planets desert or frozen, these stories take place away from economic and cultural hubs. Which, given that we follow the good guys, makes sense. Implicit in the Star Wars movies
Darth Maul backed away from the holographic projector and set the Infiltrator's course for the city of Theed on Naboo. His master, once again had assigned him an assassination mission. He had eliminated most of the heads of the black sun and other gang organizations--he had even killed padawan learners but this was different. On this particular occasion he had been instructed to eliminate a Jedi master, something that made Lord Maul sit on the edge of his seat. The tattooed Zabrak sat back at the
They are assigned to protect Padme for a possible assassination attempts. After a while Obi-Wan leaves them for another mission so Padme and Anakin develop their bond even further. They fall in love. While Anakin on Naboo with Padme, he senses that his mother is danger and they go back to Tatooine to see her. Short after they arrived Anakin finds out that his mother kidnapped by the bandits. He finds Shmi at bandits’ camp right before she dies. On that moment Anakin
When the original Star Wars trilogy established the Jedi and Sith, the inspirations and concepts for their costumes were purposely put in the forefront and made obvious to emphasize their position in this fantasy galaxy set far, far away. The costume of the main villain Darth Vader was based on gas masks, samurai armor and Nazi designs to punctuate the despair and fear in his image while his enemy Obi-wan Kenobi was clearly meant to provoke a sense of wisdom and power through his wizard-like attire
There are many instances of covert racism, Social Darwinism, and sexism in the movie franchise Star Wars. For instance, native population as dispensable cannon fodder is a recurring theme in the films. During the Battle of Endor in Episode VI, Luke and his companions ally themselves with the short, cuddly, teddy-bear-like Ewoks, which are depicted as a primitive race. In the battle, scores of Ewoks are killed and sacrificed as Han Solo leads a rebel strike force to destroy the Death Star's shield
the dark side. Lucas, Revenge of the Sith. Many argue that his wife, Padme Amidala, also known as the Queen of Naboo, is the cause of him spiraling out of control and committing the heinous acts he did. After meeting on Tatooine, Anakin grew fond of Padme and
Today is Star Wars Day, an unoffical holiday that celebrates the Star Wars franchise. With the announcement of a new Star Wars cast and a release date, it seems that everyone is looking forward to the future of the series and re-looking at the past Space opera. With the new information about the upcoming Star Wars film, Disney attraction and things and the numerous stories of the expanded universe, it is hard not to get interested in this imaginative series. So on May 4th, watch the film or the animated
Jedi Order. He believed that Obi-Wan was holding him back from reaching his true potential. When Senator Padmé Amidala was attacked, Anakin was assigned to protect her. But when he had nightmares about his mother, he took Padmé from the safety of Naboo to find his mother on Tatooine. He discovered that she had been freed by a moisture farmer, Cliegg Lars, whom she later married. But she had been abducted by Tusken Raiders, violent Tatooine tribes, and there was
Any act of conscious communication always true, in varying degrees, two fundamental objectives. One is to inform, instruct and describe, and the other is to entertain or occupy. The products of the mass communication industry made that mandate the particularity that are targeted to a wide receiver, whose acceptance is intended to conquer. The intent of the act is expressed with the term broadcast (spread through mass media), which once meant to sow broadcast the farmland. The cinema, especially the
The women’s suffrage movement and gender equality are things that have changed everything in our society, and changed them for the better. Compared to the past, when the role of a man and the role of a woman had a distinct difference, in today’s society the role and opportunities of both sexes in America are nearly equivalent. While when many people think of the key players in these movements as strong willed women such as Rosa Parks or national icons such as Rosie the Riveter who was a symbol for
For the Love of Power Two dominate leaders, one historic leader: Adolf Hitler and one based on a historical leader: Chancellor Palpatine. Both lusted for power and the expansion of their empires. They were feared dictators, who fed on chaos. They were the master manipulators who worked their way to the top with their charisma. Anyone who stood in their way was immediately viewed as the enemy and eliminated. Both leaders were very similar in many ways. Whether it be having a secret army, having
Star Wars episode: The Phantom Menace which actually was released the year I was bord. So 1999 to be exact. Upon watching The Phantom Menace, I fell in love. At that age I didn’t quite fully understand the complicated plot line of the blockade of Naboo and the dangers that Obi Wan Kenobi was enduring, but I still loved it. I remember watching the scene in which young Anakin Skywalker offers to race with his pod to raise money. Then Qui-Gon feels the Force in the boy and the rest is history. I idolized
“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” Humans have been fascinated by space for generations. They are intrigued by its lovely mystery that contains a multitude of possibilities. Significant improvements in space discovery opened many opportunities for filmmakers to go to infinity and beyond. Outer space has been portrayed on the silver screen countless times, from Star Wars, the epic space opera series, to Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip to the Moon), the iconic French silent film, to Gravity
Star Wars is the biggest influence and best rated sci-fi series in all of America. With unforgettable characters, unique weapons and aircraft, and powerful mythology, Star Wars has shaped how all outer-planetary sci-fi movies and shows are made today. Although many people think Star Wars is an exact replica of Star Trek, they are sadly mistaken. Time frame, species, events, mythology, characters, it’s all different and in no way better than Star Wars. Star Wars began with one mans stellar imagination
“The Love of My Life,” by T. Coraghessan Boyle tells the story of a couple in college who end up having a baby that they throw away out of fear (Boyle, 563). This story starts with how in love China and Jeremy were which soon takes a turn for the worst. China and Jeremy are madly in love but as they attend separate colleges they become distant, especially when China becomes pregnant (Boyle, 563). Jeremy in a panic does what a mostly unresponsive China requests of him, get rid of “it”(Boyle, 563)
REVENGE OF THE SITH Star Wars, Episode III This story happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. It is already over. Nothing can be done to change it. It is a story of love and loss, brotherhood and betrayal, courage and sacrifice and the death of dreams. It is a story of the blurred line between our best and our worst. It is the story of the end of an age. A strange thing about stories— Though this all happened so long ago and so far away that words cannot describe the time