Star Wars Vs. The JocksWhy are people who take an interest in Star Wars considered nerds and geeks? I like Star Wars and I am neither a nerd nor a geek. I truly believe there are closet fans out there who love sci-fi and will not admit to it, because they believe they would be considered a nerd.
Star Wars is a collage of archetypes that humans have been using to teach the younger generation what it means to be a true hero for all of human history. Young people can relate to Luke Skywalker. Youth, like Luke Skywalker in the first trilogy fight with their parents, have never met their fathers, and are told lies about them, and as they grow older they are tempted to avoid the true path by being offered drugs and alcohol just as Luke was tempted first by his estranged father and then by the emperor himself. You college students who are tempted to leave your true path and become accountants and bureacrats rather than starting that rock band or writing that novel you dream about, consider the decision that Luke faced when Vader offered him a position as co-ruler of the Empire. Luke could have had a high position in the bureacratic machine, but he chose to take his own path and in thus doing so eventually freed the people of the empire so they to could choose their own path. Yes, it is true that Luke is not a real person. It can be argued that Jesus is not a real person either even if he did walk the earth at one time he does not do so now, but regardless if they are real or not they both provide an example, and if you think people do not follow examples, take a second look at the youth of this country who are clad in Abercrombie and Fitch and wearing shaggy hair. To you jocks who think sports are so great and Star Wars is for nerds I have names of four Athletes and a few other non-nerds your children can imitate and grow up to be just like instead of Luke Skywalker, Obi Won or any other Sci-Fi character:
1) Mike Tyson
2) Dennis Rodman
3) O.J. Simpson
4) Britney Spears
5) Michael Jackson
6) Charlie Sheen
7) Ken Lay
8) Eminem
The world is full role models, just not full of good role models.
Many readers will say This guy must be a 98 pound weakling who is just jealous of Athletes and wants to get back at them. I played Rugby at NSU; (to you football players rugby guys dont need pads. Just giving you a hard time) Basketball in middle school and Softball in elementary school and I watch the sooners play football everytime they are on television. I like sports they promote health and hardwork. What I do not like is the attitude that sports are everything. Yes, this is the attitude in American high schools and some colleges. You are not a geek if you like to read, do you homework, and take an interest in science fiction and never play sports. Believe me people will like you if you be yourself and feel no shame in doing so. People will not like you if you seek popularity by hanging onto the coat tails of the popular.
No matter what the coach, your parents, or your pricipal says, being a winning athlete does NOT make you a hero. Heroes make the world better not slightly more entertaining on Friday nights.
