Star Wars arrives once again: Darth Vader toasters? Indeed
A Star Wars makeup line, a BB8 cookie jar, Darth Vader toasters: It’s not hard to find virtually any product out there reimagined with a Star Wars-themed twist. The Star Wars franchise has always been able to turn a profit with fun merchandise, expanding the Star Wars universe far beyond the cinema and into the store aisles.
“I’ve never even seen any of the movies, but I could probably name all of the characters based on the merchandise that I’ve seen at stores and online,” said senior Keira Mangam. “I’ve seen Star Wars shirts that are cute and almost bought them even though I’ve never seen the movies.”
The sheer amount of merchandise that can be found in almost every store is incredible, and it is affecting the way that the Star Wars movies are being consumed by the public. Even going to the movies doesn’t seem to be as necessary to knowing the story as sporting merchandise. And beyond just creating more merchandise playing off of pre-existing characters, many have observed that new plot points and characters have started to develop with the intent of drawing in consumers.
“There is no doubt that Star Wars is clearly making some story decisions for the sole purpose of selling toys,” said junior James McCutcheon. “The inclusion of porgs, the new cute penguin-like creatures in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, are being used to sell dolls and toys like crazy without adding any clear benefit to the story thus far.”
The production of Star Wars merchandise hasn’t always felt so uninspired; new Star Wars content is what kept the fan base alive in the absence of new films. In 2005, after the premiere of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the last of the prequel trilogy, a LEGO Star Wars game was released, along with animated shows such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), both of which captivated fans during the hiatus between trilogies. Although most fans do recognize that Star Wars is becoming more consumer-focused, not all believe that this will impact the franchise negatively.
“As long as the story is not sacrificed, then I don’t think the franchise is too commercialized,” said McCutcheon. “The main priority should always be the story, and as long as that remains the case then I don’t have an issue with it.”
The sheer amount of merchandise that can be found in almost every store is incredible, and it is affecting the way that the Star Wars movies are being consumed by the public. Even going to the movies doesn’t seem to be as necessary to knowing the story as sporting merchandise. And beyond just creating more merchandise playing off of pre-existing characters, many have observed that new plot points and characters have started to develop with the intent of drawing in consumers.
“There is no doubt that Star Wars is clearly making some story decisions for the sole purpose of selling toys,” said junior James McCutcheon. “The inclusion of porgs, the new cute penguin-like creatures in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, are being used to sell dolls and toys like crazy without adding any clear benefit to the story thus far.”
The production of Star Wars merchandise hasn’t always felt so uninspired; new Star Wars content is what kept the fan base alive in the absence of new films. In 2005, after the premiere of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the last of the prequel trilogy, a LEGO Star Wars game was released, along with animated shows such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), both of which captivated fans during the hiatus between trilogies. Although most fans do recognize that Star Wars is becoming more consumer-focused, not all believe that this will impact the franchise negatively.
“As long as the story is not sacrificed, then I don’t think the franchise is too commercialized,” said McCutcheon. “The main priority should always be the story, and as long as that remains the case then I don’t have an issue with it.”
