I’ve been asked, more than a few times over the last decade; “why Star Wars?” from people who just don’t get it. They either never saw the films at all, or did see them, under duress, and continued to hate them out of spite and a sense of superior bitterness.

This week, “Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi” opened in theaters. A new chapter in a 40 year old tale has been laid down as cannon and, as always, many “outsiders” are taking the opportunity to  vocalize their distain for the franchise as a whole. As it does every time someone’s fandom becomes popular, the haters take over social media. They are hard at work belittling the joy and excitement of fans with nasty comments and boisterous claims about how “adult” they are because they don’t like Star Wars, have never seen Star Wars and how, somehow, that makes them super cool, more mature, etc.. These are the folks who say, “Why? Why be into a series of movies about characters who have a made up religion with light up swords?” …as they go about their very “adult” business of watching chick flicks and binge watching Sons of Anarchy with a sense of superiority.

For all that bitterness, it does bring us to an important question. Why does *this* story create the feelings, the power it does within us? I thought as a former Star Wars hater turned super fan, I’d take a moment to chat about this. Why Star Wars?

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