So. Much. Merchandise.
I’m stoked to see the new Star Wars film. I plan to see it on opening night (hopefully, midnight or earlier the day before!) and already know what I am going to wear to teach strength class the day it comes out.
But you know what doesn’t have me as excited? All the darn merchandising for the new and old films that seems to have exploded, everywhere.
I don’t want to know much about the new film – I want the characters and plot to be a surprise when I see it. And that’s not exactly easy with Star Wars branded on EVERYTHING. Even if I stay out of the toy aisle, I see Star Wars food, clothes, stationary, home goods, and so on.
And it’s not just that I don’t want spoilers. The amount of merchandise seems excessive to me. A bit sickening, actually. It feels like it’s EVERYWHERE. I want to be excited about the film because it’s good – not because of all the “collectibles” that go along with it. No one needs all that stuff, but the advertising sure makes you think you do! I found myself in the women’s clothing aisle at Target on Saturday holding up a retro style A New Hope shirt wondering what size I should get… before I came to my senses and remembered I have many Star Wars shirts already! I don’t need that one, just because it’s new and cute.
This makes me wonder what it was like when the original Star Wars was released in 1977. I’ve seen the (yes, cool) toys from then. Were they branding food, clothes and home goods as well then, too? Was it as nuts? Maybe!
I say all this, and yet, I succumb to it. The reason I’m such a huge fan is because of the 1997 re-release*, and yes, partially because of how commercialized it was. And I’ve even purchased a shirt and Lego set from the new movie for my nephew for his birthday – I love that he loves Star Wars. (So, yeah, hypocrite.)
And that’s a huge part of how it’s being advertised – as a love for a story that you should pass down your family line. I’m all for that, I really am – I just don’t think it needs to be so forced (buah ha ha). It should be natural (after seeing the film), or at least, not completely driven by commericalism and seller influence. But, how else would kids learn about things, unless family or friends told them? And maybe those family and friends are stoked to see all this stuff in the stores, because it helps get their kids excited about the film? As an adult, all I needed was the movie trailer, to get me pumped to see it, but I’ve mostly outgrown a desire for toys and collecting “things” (mostly). Everyone’s different.
I’m cool with more people loving Star Wars. I just hope it’s for the story (first?) and the gadgets (later). I understand the merchandise makes a lot of money and I don’t think there should be none. And I’m sure that after seeing the film, there will be something I just have to have… but it won’t be available because everyone bought it in September. Ha!
I guess (after reading through this draft a zillion times) what I don’t like about all this now, is that it makes the studio seem so GREEDY. Too much focus on stuff and not story. There ya go. I should have just put that sentence at the top!
This post is all Star Wars, because that’s what’s on my radar, but there must be other films/shows/bands/etc. that are way over-advertised/merchandised?! Or maybe I’m the only old lady yelling at kids to get off my lawn, ha!
*Obviously, Han shot first
Themocracy
I’ve had similar thoughts about the new Star Wars and how seemingly “on-trend” it is these days. T and I were at Tar-jay-jay a couple weeks back and I commented about how popular Star Wars is now, and how me liking it as a teenage girl (also during the re-releases in the late 90’s) wasn’t quite as cool then as it seems to be now. I’m fairly sure the original Star Wars had as much merchandise though (I know my brother had a lot of it back in the day), but I think a lot of that came out after the fact, not in anticipation of it.
But I also know that I’m being a cranky old lady about stuff like this, but it’s more that I’m envious that girls can now grow up openly liking things like Star Wars or, gasp, being good at math, and they don’t get made fun of nearly as much as I did.
I think another example of things that are over-merchandised would be sports teams – there’s SO MUCH money in that industry, and teams are selling so much random crap with their logos on it (I got an email from Kohl’s the other day trying to sell me Bears-branded cooking utensils, because that’s what I need to spend money on) no matter how poorly they play (see aforementioned Bears example).
I was thinking about that when I was writing this – all these toys are out now, but since we haven’t seen the film, we don’t even know what it means! It makes more sense to me to get them, after.
And it’s interesting you bring that up, that it’s “okay” now, to like “nerdy” things. Rachel mentioned that, too, when I ranted to her about this – that it wasn’t cool to like Star Wars when she did. I never felt that way – but I also never GAF what people thought – I am sure many thought I was a loser, ha ha.
Also interesting you bring up the sports thing, because when I was trying to find that Kohl link in this post, it kept bringing up sports shirts with Star Wars stuff on them. WHATTTTT?!!??!
Yep, exactly – being a “nerd” is cool now. Kids were so mean to me growing up just because I dared to do things like get good grades, play in the band, like things like Star Wars, and now that’s all totally okay. It’s probably because all of the nerds grew up and got successful or something 🙂
Haha, Toledo’s minor league baseball team had a “Star Wars jersey” game last summer, which is like the ultimate in useless, overpriced merchandise.
I hope it means kids are more tolerant today, but it’s just probably that they are teased about something else. Kids can be such a-holes to each other.
Ha ha ha! I know the Royals have a Star Wars day, too.
I’m sure it’s the latter. But you know, growing up with asshole kids being assholes to me gave me a pretty thick skin, which is helpful later in life. So it’s not all bad.
I love Star Wars and always have but I have loved it from the beginning and when nothing was out and I felt it was more geeky/cool to like it but I don’t need to see Star Wars shirts at Kohls or cups at BB&B. I also think the over merchandising in September of a movie that comes out in December was weird. Overkill. Nobody will be excited about it in December (or when ever it comes out). I think people will be sick of it by then. I’m trying to type this on my phone so I hope it makes sense! * the merchandising Lucas did for the original trilogy was basically toys and some shirts. He had a huge contract for toys that made the movie more popular and I think he kept the rights to it for a long time.
Ha ha ha, don’t go all hipster on us, Michel! But no, I get what you mean. It’s so shoved in our faces now – it’s changed so much from what it was. I guess that is what happens to things when they get popular and people try to make muchos dinero off of them?!
I kind of feel like September was way too early, too. How are we supposed to stay excited? Ha, they probably have more merch to release before the film comes out.
I remember hearing that about Lucas and the toys!!! I am still surprised he sold the rights to Disney!
Isn’t Disney involved somehow? Don’t they always over-merchandise everything!?
Disney owns Star Wars, now.
The only merchandise I want to see is the original movies released on DVD. They;re owned by Disney now so why not? I know many Star Wars fans would love the original movies and Disney could make even more money.
Disney paid $4 billion for the Star Wars franchise. I think I read that they are now pulling in at least $3 billion/year since they took over SW merchandising in years without any movie release! It would seem that they got “Star Wars” for a steal at $4 billion since people will gobble up anything with R2D2, Boba Fett or even Jar Jar printed on it! 🙂
When you look at those numbers, it definitely seems like it!
Poor George Lucas, he could probably have gotten at least $5 billion from Disney. What is he going to do for money once the $4 billion runs out? 🙂
He was probably planning on spending that all on the Chicago visual arts museum! Now it’s gonna suck! LOL
I saw so much Star Wars stuff when we shopping this weekend and i wondered how you felt about the movie coming out lol
I saw the original in theaters (several times) and was awed. The times were different when it was on the screen, I had no idea how long it would be before we could see it again…Stuff didn’t recycle like it does now. I feel like a lot of toys came out after the movie released and hit big, now the marketing seems out of control in comparison, but there were not as many shopping out lets either.
I feel this way about anything that gets overhyped. And this case I agree it seems ridiculous to have so much merchandising out before the movie is even out. I hope the movie worth all of this! I really want it to be good for all of you super fans 🙂
Well, it IS Disney, and if nothing else, that company is a marketing machine. I admit that there are a lot of “things” that I like, but I don’t get pulled into too much merchandising. Even for ironman brand items, I do buy a few things at some races, but usually I try to steer somewhat clear of tons of IM brand merchandise.
As for the new Star Wars – I can’t wait, but, like you, I really hope that it’s good. I still remember seeing the first one (the REAL first one) in the movie theatre when I was about 5 years old and I absolutely LOVED it. I think that it was the first movie that felt “adult” to me, even though I was still such a young kid. So, yeah, fingers crossed that it’ll be good!
Also, I can’t wait to see your ‘outfit’ for strength class. Princess Leah? Ha ha!
On a different note, have you seen “Vader’s little princess” cartoons? And also “Vader and son”? they are so funny!
I wish I could go back in time and see it in 1977! It must have blown people’s minds!!!! I really hope it’s good, too. It will feel odd not to have the 20th Century Fox banner and sound at the beginning :-/
I have seen the Vader and Son! Not read, but seen! They look cute 🙂 Just another way to get SW to young people?! 😉
Well, you know how I feel about tchotkes and “stuff,” so I definitely agree with the over-commercialized nature of this franchise. I think that it’s a lot of big movies though–I feel like every young adult fiction book ends up having a partnership with Subway–like a giant soda cup with a badly printed image of the “Twilight” characters on it and some weird straw shaped like, I don’t know, a heart? It seems so gross to me.
I just watched the new trailer last week (like everyone else). I was VERY confused by it.
Yeah, it’s not just Star Wars. And then people feel like they have to “collect” these things. It makes me feel icky.
Ha ha, yeah, there is no reason for you to get anything about the trailer since you have seen none of the films. LOL.