Holding Out For A Hero

As Halloween passed, I was struck by the large number of Kylo Ren and Stormtrooper costumes I saw wandering the streets and up to our door. It was an interesting realization to see so many more Stormtroopers and Sith than Jedis. My mind wanders to nearly thirty years ago. Would we have seen so many villains running the streets? I went to Costco and discovered that one could purchase the lightsaber for Kylo Ren, but not a Jedi lightsaber. We could get a Sith sleeping bag but not a Jedi one. At first I wondered if people had simply purchased all the protagonist materials, but the displays are new. It makes me wonder.

Over time we have embraced the flawed protagonist. Heroes are no longer as naive as Luke Skywalker or as virtuous as Ren McCormack. They have become more complicated. Iron Man Tony Stark is known as widely for his brilliant mind and inventiveness as his penchant to make mistakes. When Captain America calls Iron Man out for "Language" he realizes he will be made fun of. We have begun to accept the flawed protagonist, but have our protagonists become so flawed that our children no longer see or prefer the side of good to the side of mayhem.

Clearly the marketing for Star Wars: The Force Awakens is focused on the Sith. The children are gravitating not to Han and Leia, but to those who I assume are the antagonists. In fact, we don't even know all the names of the protagonists. While it does build mystery and suspense, I wonder after they see the movie, will the children still be drawn to the Sith. In our act of creating depth, have we made the dark side more attractive?

"A Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware of the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice." - Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

The world is a changing place. Sometimes what you think is right is wrong. Sometimes people you think are wrong are right. At times the lines between good and evil, bad and good, are blurred. Perhaps in time, we will find that these are not all that different. If Johnny Lawrence can be the true Karate Kid, anything is possible. However, I hope my boys grow up to be Jedi because the Sith scare me..

Holding Out For A Hero