A galaxy here and now : historical and cultural readings of "Star wars"

__Star Wars__ begins with its famous title sequence, setting the story in the ancient past of a remote galaxy. Yet the phenomenal success of the film, the franchise, and its "expanded universe" is based upon its reflection of historical and cultural milieus here on modern-day Earth. This collection of new essays examine various ways in which George Lucas's saga touches upon contemporary social and political issues. Topics include the impact of the film's score on musical genres, feminism and NASA, the epic mimicry of Western-African and Bedouin cultural motifs, gender identity construction, Cold War narratives in radio and national mythology, and fan interpretations of authorship and authenticity. Star Wars Begins With Its Famous Title Sequence, Setting The Story In The Ancient Past Of A Remote Galaxy. Yet The Phenomenal Success Of The Film, The Franchise And Its Expanded Universe Is Based Upon Its Reflection Of Historical And Cultural Milieus Here On Modern-day Earth-- Hearing The Force : Manifestations And Transformations Of Music From Far, Far Away / Tom Zlabinger -- The Space Community And The Princess : Reworking The American Space Program's Public Image From Miss Masa To Princess Leia / Karin Hilck -- Feminist Icons Wanted : Damsels In Distress Need Not Apply / Mara Wood -- Jedi Knights, Dark Lords And Space Cowboys : George Lucas's Re-imagined And Redefined Masculine Identities / Erin C. Callahan -- Deconstructing The Desert : The Bedouin Ideal And The True Children Of Tatooine / Paul Charbel -- Periodizing A Civil War : Reaffirming An American Empire Of Dreams / Peter W. Lee -- An Elegant Weapon For A More Civilized Age : Star Wars, Public Radio And Middlebrow Cold War Culture / Jessica K. Brandt -- Part Of Our Cultural History : Fan-creator Relationships, Restoration And Appropriation / Michael Fuchs, Michael Phillips. Edited By Peter W. Lee. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover 1 Table of Contents 8 Preface: Galactic Graffiti 10 Hearing the Force: Manifestations and Transformations of Music from Far, Far Away (Tom Zlabinger) 16 The Space Community and the Princess: Reworking the American Space Program’s Public Image from “Miss NASA” to Princess Leia (Karin Hilck) 42 Feminist Icons Wanted: Damsels in Distress Need Not Apply (Mara Wood) 71 Jedi Knights, Dark Lords and Space Cowboys: George Lucas’s Re-Imagined and Redefined Masculine Identities (Erin C. Callahan) 93 Jedi Knights and Epic Performance: Is the Force a Form of Western-African Epic Mimicry? (Gregory E. Rutledge) 115 Deconstructing the Desert: The Bedouin Ideal and the True Children of Tatooine (Paul Charbel) 147 Periodizing a Civil War: Reaffirming an American Empire of Dreams (Peter W. Lee) 171 An Elegant Weapon for a More Civilized Age: Star Wars, Public Radio and Middlebrow Cold War Culture (Jessica K. Brandt) 198 Part of Our Cultural History: Fan-Creator Relationships, Restoration and Appropriation (Michael Fuchs and Michael Phillips) 217 About the Contributors 248 Index 250 Star Wars begins with its famous title sequence, setting the story in the ancient past of a remote galaxy. Yet the phenomenal success of the film, the franchise and its "expanded universe" is based on its reflection of historical and cultural milieus here on modern-day Earth. This collection of essays examines the ways in which the saga touches on contemporary social and political issues.