Curious About…Dogs x Star Wars.
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977 by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year intervals. Sixteen years after the release of the trilogy’s final film, the first in a new prequel trilogy of films was released. The three films were also released at three-year intervals, with the final film released on May 19, 2005.
The saga has had a significant impact on modern American pop culture. Both the films and characters have been parodied in numerous films and television.
Notable film parodies of Star Wars include Hardware Wars, a 13-minute 1977 spoof which Lucas has called his favorite Star Wars parody, and Spaceballs, a feature film by Mel Brooks which featured effects done by Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic.
Lucasfilm itself made two mockumentaries: Return of the Ewok (1982), about Warwick Davis, who portrayed Wicket W. Warrick in Return of the Jedi; and R2-D2: Beneath the Dome (2002), which depicts R2-D2’s “life story”.
There have also been many songs based on, and in, the Star Wars universe. “Weird Al” Yankovic recorded two parodies: “Yoda”, a parody of “Lola” by The Kinks; and “The Saga Begins”, a parody of Don McLean’s song “American Pie” that retells of The Phantom Menace from Obi-Wan Kenobi’s perspective.
The most recent development in the franchise’s cultural impact has become an internet phenomena: dressing various dogs up in Star Wars-themed Halloween costumes. Halloween Parades in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles have become a fixture for Star Wars fans to decorate their pets as well as themselves.
Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, and even the All-Terrain Armored Transport (The AT-AT) have become rich sources of inspiration for dog owners looking to thematically innovate their pet’s wardrobe, and various kits, instructions and how-to’s regularly circulate on the internet.
What Of It? Extreme fandom is nothing new, nor is dressing your pet to accessorize with your wardrobe. It feels as if these two worlds have suddenly collided to excellent effect. Advertisers have of course always tracked memes in popular culture as inspiration to create media from, so it comes as no surprise that the latest VW commercial (the teaser for which is below) has a group of dogs barking the Star Wars theme, ending with a demo appearance by the AT-AT dog him (or her)self.
I Am Curious about the intersection of the weird and the commercial, how fandom and extremity are often immediately co-opted by the mainstream and how our canine friends can finally join us in our pop-cultural obsessions.
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