The Social Significance of Star Wars

By now, I suppose many folks have heard about CNN debuting its election coverage holographic technology on election night. CNN correspondent Jessica Yellin was holographically projected from a tent in Chicago to the CNN studios in Atlanta. Video of it can be seen here.

There are multitudes of aspects involving this development to look at and think about, but as a bonafide Star Wars geek, I was especially taken by how it serves as the latest in the long line of ways in which Star Wars has influenced language and culture (with perhaps one of its most notable influences being Ronald Reagan's proposed missile defense program in the 1980s that was called "Star Wars"). In this instance, the reference to Star Wars came when Yellin said, "it's like I follow in the tradition of Princess Leia." CNN needed a special tent with 35 filming cameras to send Yellin as a hologram, so this was a far cry from R2-D2 recording Princess Leia on one little camera, but it's certainly a step in that direction and the aura around Yellin as she appeared in holographic form is incredibly similar to the one that appeared around Princess Leia in the 1977 film. Meanwhile, this once again reinforces the cultural significance of Star Wars, while also illustrating the ways in which the entertainment business--or, as the Frankfurt School called it, the culture industry--significantly influences how we see and think about the world.

Additionally notable is how Wolf Blitzer over and over again refers to Yellin being "beamed" in, which, of course, draws right out of the Lexicon of Star Trek--something that is pointed out in one segment of the film Trekkies.