A Sci-Fi Saga That Left the Screen
Most science fiction lives in one place, which is the screen, on which it is displayed and which few dare to touch for fear of critical judgment. However, Star Wars got out of there, invading the political sphere, where it sounds in both political speeches and census questions as an official religion. Furthermore, Star Wars affected the development of technology. Several prototypes of technology, which was later created in real life, were created by Star Wars fans.
This is perhaps one of the most surprising achievements of the saga. Which few would have expected from a small film about a farm boy and a princess. The essay tries to look beyond the already impressive list of achievements of Star Wars that most have probably already heard. Thus, while everyone knows about the huge number of collectibles and the already legendary fandom that Star Wars has, few people watch out for how much the film actually managed to affect politics, religion, and even modern science and technology.
Politics: Rebellion, Empire, and Real-World Parallels
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Lucas created the first Skywalker saga when the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal were in full bloom. The themes of an underestimated rebel alliance that fought against a powerful empire resonated with the contemporary atmosphere of tension and mistrust between the people and their government. Even if not a single scene referred explicitly to the current events.
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The second prequel trilogy was released throughout 1999-2005, during the hotly debated period after several terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. The narrative about Palpatine manipulating the galaxy’s political system to gain absolute power and the Senate giving up its democratic principles for the sake of safety struck a chord with the fearful nation. The phrase “evil empire” was already used in American political speech to refer to the Soviet Union. The press commented on this supposed similarity between Star Wars' villains and real-life communist leaders.
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Even today, the words “rebel alliance” and “evil empire” are frequently used in political commentary. Journalists write articles about “rebel alliances” and “evil empires,” voicing their opinions on particular conflicts. “Dark side” is utilized metaphorically to describe something corrupted or wrong. Additionally, this language finds its way into the works of political cartoonists, who depict real-life politicians as either Darth Vader or Senator Bail Organa.
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American politicians are not the only ones who use the Star Wars rebellion vs. empire motif. Similar rhetoric can be found in the writings and speeches of politicians from other countries. The reason is that the central conflict of Star Wars II is universal, and the characters’ actions are easily comparable to real-life political events.
Star Wars in the Halls of Government
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Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, announced in 1983, had the goal of creating a missile defense system using space technology. Its nickname, “Star Wars,” was given to it almost immediately after the announcement. It has been the label more people know the program by instead of its official name.
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Reagan’s team did not want the absurd nickname to be associated with the program. But it used and became the name people automatically connect with the missile defense system. The name may even hurt the program’s budget because it made the defense system sound unrealistic to those reading the news.
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The name “Star Wars” continued to be thrown around in the media long after the 1980s. Reporters still use the nickname or the original "Star Wars-style defense" when discussing modern missile defense systems or space-related topics. Even years after the SDI program’s end.
Politicians and Spaceship
Politicians use the franchise’s names and appearances in speeches and interviews. They compare their opponents to Darth Vader or announce their comebacks to power as “returning like the Jedi.” The references connect with people because most recognize the appearances from the media.
Space-related government programs and budgets are frequently compared to the Star Wars saga in the news media. It happened again when the new Space Force was created in 2019. The Space Force’s leaders addressed the issue because they felt the nickname comparisons were unfair to the organization. But they acknowledged it would naturally occur.
The media’s power use of the Star Wars name has taken hold of the public’s perception of space programs. It has even taken root in the government. A movie franchise about a fictional galaxy is the touchstone for America’s government when they need a way to describe space-related programs or budgets.
Jediism: When Fiction Becomes Faith
Somewhere in the Common Ground between fandom and philosophy, Star Wars birthed something unusual. An actual religious movement. Jediism, or the Church of Jediism, is a real-life example of fans who have taken the philosophy of the “force” to heart. Thousands upon thousands of people are actually declaring their religion to be Jedi on official government census forms.
In the UK, they even overtook several official religions in terms of the number of followers. According to the 2001 census, more than 390,000 people selected Jedi as their religion, which made them one of the largest religious groups in the UK. Australia and New Zealand also saw a significant number of people choosing Jedi in the census. Similar trends continued in the following census operations, with a few countries experiencing a notable uptake in Jedi selections.
The spike was partially fueled by an internet meme that promoted a boycott of sorts of the official census forms, with people choosing Jedi as a religion in the first place. But beyond the meme, there was an actual religious movement, fueled by people who believe in the Jedi philosophy and wanted to follow it not just as a joke but as a way to guide their lives. This fanatical following was actually built using some of the same tools that George Lucas used when creating his fictional galaxy and the canonical Jedi code that now fuels this very movement.
Language: From Screenplay to Dictionary
We discussed this aspect of Star Wars culture in the previous blog post, but there is another phenomenon worth mentioning. The influence of the saga extends far beyond catchphrases.
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The expression “The Force” has entered the language as a well-known phrase used half-jokingly to describe some mysterious influence that persuades one to take certain actions.
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“Jedi mind trick” is probably the most prominent example of this development. Even now, when people are faced with examples of manipulation, in which a person skillfully persuades another to perform some favorable action for the manipulator, they may say that they used a Jedi mind trick.
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Additionally, salespersons’ training manuals contain recommendations to use Jedi mind tricks to persuade a customer to make a deal.
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The phrase “The Dark Side” has lived a similar life. Articles written by psychologists and managers also include this term in their titles and texts.
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They describe, for example, the “Dark Side of Leadership” or “Dark Side of Personality,” meaning some negative aspects of leadership or basic personality traits.
The expression “May the Force be with you” has been adapted into corporate culture as well. It is not uncommon to find this phrase or its variations in electronic communication before a presentation or similar activities in a business context.
In addition, various books on leadership for managers, those involving concepts related to the Jedi Council, have had tremendous success. This popularity was achieved not due to deliberate marketing or brand positioning but because the saga provided the language with convenient terms that could be applied in non-fantasy, everyday contexts.
Real World Science and Technology Inspired by the Saga
Star Wars influenced not only the development of entertainment but also the work of future engineers. First of all, the franchise popularized the idea of touchscreen monitors and interfaces. Which became widespread decades later. People who worked on the first tablets and smartphones even used the movie’s computer interface as a prototype.
Furthermore, Star Wars impacts the development of drones. For example, some engineers who worked on the first quadcopters and remote-controlled planes said that Star Wars influenced their creation of small, fast vehicles similar to speeder bikes and miniature aircraft.
Finally, Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back assisted in the development of prostheses. Luke Skywalker’s mechanical hand gave a great push to its development. Some say today’s prosthetic limbs are sometimes referred to by the name “Luke’s arm.”
Inspiration for Giant Tycoons in Industry
NASA engineers and roboticists have spoken openly about the influence the "Star Wars" saga has had on their careers. In interviews, scientists at the space agency often report seeing the movies as children and being inspired to pursue their fields.
The long-elusive technology that allows holographic communication is something researchers wish they had in their day-to-day jobs. Meanwhile, Princess Leia's message via hologram serves as a convenient measuring stick for how far the field of 3-D displays has come.
None of this is to suggest that engineers working on such a display have stolen a page from the movie. Rather, this line of thinking highlights how a generation was raised with this particular image of technology, informing their approach to innovation years later.
Star Wars in Law and Ethics Discussions
Law schools and philosophy departments alike have found valuable insight in this saga long before Disney even thought about its sequel series. The very existence of Star Wars as a fictional galaxy far, far away provided the instructors with a perfect environment to explore real-life questions detached from the actual world.
The Jedi Order and its ability to operate as an independent law enforcement agency raise several legal questions that are used by philosophy and law professors to introduce students to the concepts of due process and jurisdiction. The Jedi Knights and their code of conduct provide the perfect basis for debates about the morality of actions performed by institutions. Anakin’s trial of the Tusken Raiders and subsequent Order 66 are both brought up in classes as controversial topics for discussion.
In addition, the Order 66 itself is used in war crime classes as an example of illegal execution. As per the instructions given to clone troopers, they were to immediately kill all Jedi generals without asking questions.
When Fiction Becomes a Framework
Step back and look at everything this saga has influenced. A defense program stole its name; a new religion was created using its name and organizational structure. Dictionaries have their phrases; engineers built real machines based on things never seen outside of this movie.
None of this happened by accident, and it certainly didn’t happen because it was just another fictional media franchise. What makes this saga stand out from other popular fictional media franchises is its reach. It did not just create fans; it created a language that philosophers, politicians, engineers, and priests have independently adopted and used to further their own respective fields.
The words and ideas that stemmed from a farm boy and his magical sword have transcended their origins, being utilized to understand and explain real-world phenomena. This has continued to be the case for fifty years and will hopefully continue as generations of fans find new ways to engage with the saga and its messages.
