My youngest son was 4 years old the first time we took him to Disneyland. We made him wear a button that told everyone it was his first time there, and because of that button Disney staff went out of their way to make his visit as impressive as possible. That included getting special treatment at the Star Tours ride. That’s how we found out my child was a rebel spy.
We were pulled out of line and set aside. We assumed it was because there were five of us and they wanted to make sure we were able to sit together. Shortly after we were seated we were greeted by C-3PO who explained that there was a rebel spy on board and that Darth Vader was looking for him. Then he flashed a picture on the screen of the rebel spy, and it was my son. This prompted some complicated thoughts in my son’s head. He wondered how he had become a rebel spy without knowing it. Then he wondered how they knew it. Then he wondered if he was really in danger. I suspect he also wondered that if he was indeed a rebel spy, if he was on the right side.
During the ride, my son told me he didn’t know he was a rebel spy and that he was fearful of Darth Vader trying to find him. As we exited the ride into the gift shop he wanted a lightsaber and so we let him pick one out. He picked out Darth Vader’s red lightsaber, repeating something about Darth being after him and wanting to protect himself. Sitting in his stroller the rest of the night he gripped that lightsaber tightly, eventually falling asleep with it in his arms.
Flash forward four years and I’m in an argument with my son, now 8 years old. “Mom, I want to wear my Kylo Ren shirt! I don’t care if it’s in the hamper!”
At that moment I realized that all my kids wear shirts that feature Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, or stormtroopers. I couldn’t help but think, what the heck is wrong with these kids?
It’s been several months now since the premiere of Star Wars The Force Awakens, but the merchandising efforts keep the story at the forefront of our minds. And I noticed that not only are my kids steeped in the dark side, but so is most of the merchandise. As a kid I remember more of an emphasis on the heroes. I remember, spending hours re-enacting scenes from the Star Wars movies and we were Luke, Leia, Han, and the heroes of the movie. We fought the dark side. Did I just blank out on the Darth and Co. merchandise?
I had to find out if my kids have twisted minds or if there really is a bigger emphasis on the dark side these days.
I asked professors John and Maria Jose Tenuto. They are sociology instructors and teach classes on Star Wars at College of Lake County in Illinois.
In short, they said that yes, there has been a little more interest, and for several reasons. First, in the most recent movie in the Star Wars franchise, The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren is portrayed as a young man making his way up the ladder of evil. Yet he’s still dogged by his child-parent relationships that are a total drag.
Maria Jose said this idea of Kylo Ren being a somewhat relatable teen type of figure is evident even in small actions. She said actions such as when he is injured in the torso and he hits his injury repeatedly before he continues to battle are signs of that youthful rebellion, that “you can’t hurt me” stubbornness.
Then of course there’s John’s theory that the bad guys always have the cool uniforms, not to mention the amazing gadgets and hoards of minions—or at least a couple of evil sidekicks—willing to do their bidding.
The Tenutos also had another theory. They suggested that society just generally has a fascination with evil. It’s an interest in understanding what makes a person become a serial killer, or what pushes an average person to do bad things, and wondering whether we are all capable in the right circumstances. John Tenuto said the public at large is curious about what can make someone turn to the dark side, which can be seen in the various crime shows that are popular, and in a series like Breaking Bad. He said even shows like Smallville, which on the surface seems like a show about Superman’s youth, actually delves just as much into the life of Superman nemesis Lex Luther.
Yes, we do have a fascination with creepy documentaries about psycho killers, and some of the highest clicked news stories online are usually about some sordid tale of abuse, assault, or murder.
Does that mean the dark side is winning? Is the world just becoming a bad place? Actually, John said people have always had that curiosity. However, he points to 9/11 as a definite line when things began to change and we really began to wonder about what makes evil people tick. Asking questions about evil is a way for us to process things and understand the bad stuff that happens.
That could explain why my son four years ago wanted the evil lightsaber. When I asked him about it the next day he said he “wanted Darth Vader’s power, so he can’t hurt me.”
“OK … ” I said cautiously. Then turning to my husband I said, “We’re ditching the lightsaber as soon as he’s not looking.”
But judging by what Tenuto said, maybe my son wasn’t being seduced by the dark side, he wanted to understand it and process his fear.
I could’ve listened to their theories for hours. I mean when I saw the movie I totally saw Kylo Ren as a teenager acting out, too.
But this was about more than just Star Wars, it was a question of whether my kids, and also our society, has gone batty.
My kids had their own theories about why the bad guys, and in particular Kylo Ren, seem so popular: “He’s just easy for a teenager to relate to,” one of my kids said.
And of course there was the whole idea that, “Well, why wouldn’t he be angry? His dad was Han Solo. Who could live up to that legacy?” another said.
He’s got a point there.
Has the world really begun to turn to the dark side? Or are the merchandising marketing gurus just bored with turning out the white hats of the iconic golden-hearted superhero? I don’t know. Maybe the Tenutos are right—at least in terms of our fandom of movie villains—maybe the bad guys just have the cool stuff.
Editor Shelly Cone still roots for the good guy. Contact her at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 12-19, 2016.