This is the saddest, most pathetic thing I've ever read....

[conuly]

Star Wars may be about freedom, but waiting by yourself for 22 weeks to buy tickets? That's not freedom. That's enslavement to Lucas. Sad.

Comments

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

*shrugs* What's so sad? If he wants to wait five months outside a theatre to see a movie - even though he could still be first in line for it if he only waited five hours - that's his choice. He says he's enjoying it... sounds pretty boring to me, but then, a lot of things other people like to do sound boring to me, and I'm sure some things I like to do must sound boring to others, so... whatever, y'know?

It is about freedom and independence. First, he's obviously got the freedom in a physical sense to do this - money to support himself while he waits, no job he's got to go to. His website says he's a successful artist from Bainbridge Island - I used to work on Bainbridge, and it's kinda glitzy there in a weird way; lots of scruffy-looking geeky young guys in ragged jeans, who look like they can't afford to buy themselves a latte, and turn out to be rich and somewhat famous. Apparently he IS working while he sits out there - what's the difference between working on a laptop at home, and doing it out in front of a theatre?

Next, he's got the freedom in a mental/emotional sense to do something most people think is crazy and/or stupid, just because he wants to. Not many people have that kind of independence; most are far too enslaved by social conformity to even consider it.

Restraining order: why? Who's he hurting? What's he doing that's threatening anyone in any way? As for his needing to "get a life", apparently he thinks he's got one, and he's the one whose opinion on that point matters.

What seems sad to me is that so many people who pride themselves on their supposed nonconformity and independence from the GroupMind nevertheless will mock and condemn him for being just that little bit weirder, or more willing to be openly weird, than they are. I think Michael Ellick's letter (http://waitingforstarwars.blogspot.com/2005/01/letter-i-just-got.html) hit it right on the money: "a mad hatter bodhisattva manifesting as the one thing all the stuffed shirts out there will be sure to mock and look over: a sci-fi fanboy on crusade, a modern Don Quixote who is unimpressed by the siren appeals of modern culture".

Therefore, I say "GO JEFF!!! MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU, DUDE!!!", and I really hope that the movie he's waiting for so patiently doesn't turn out to suck as much as the last two Star Wars movies have.

[conuly]

It's sad because he's spending a lot of his life (five months) doing Lucas' will (hanging around promoting his movie). Life, no life, I don't care, but I hate the idea of Lucas controlling minds to this extent.

I really hope that the movie he's waiting for so patiently doesn't turn out to suck as much as the last two Star Wars movies have.

If it does, I suspect he won't admit it. I wouldn't.

Actually, he might not even think it does. Wasn't there a psychological experiment once... the more you pay/suffer to do something, the more you enjoy it afterwards?

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Sounds to me like he's doing his own will. He really, really likes Star Wars, and thinks it's a lark to sit outside a theatre for five months in Seattle weather - that's pretty Xtreme Geek, but I don't see how it equates to George Lucas "controlling his mind".

It's not "promoting the movie" either, because hearing that he's doing this isn't likely to induce anyone to go see it if they hadn't already planned to. Everybody in the science fiction fan community's going to see it, of course - the hardcore Star Wars fen will probably start joining Jeff in line about five days before the movie starts, many of them in costume; most of us will wait for the crowds to clear out - but yeah, dude, Darth Vader: nobody's going to miss seeing his "origin story" even if it does suck. On the other hand, people who think Star Wars is stupid aren't going to change that opinion because of some crazy fanboy camping in the rain.

He probably knows perfectly well that it's going to suck in certain ways, and doesn't care, because he loves Star Wars just that much. He'll probably not only admit that some of it sucked, but will have an in-depth analysis of what sucked, and why, and debate these points at great length with his fellow fen.

*grins* Y'know, my kid and I were at the front of the line - in our Elf garb - for the opening of all three Lord of the Rings movies. We didn't have to camp out all night to do it, because our town's pretty small, but we did spend all day in line, and it was very fun. The first movie had some seriously glaring flaws, but we loved it anyway, and came back to see it in the theatre nine more times (yes, dressed as Elves; we're comfortable in our Elf garb.) The second movie had a whole lot more and worse flaws... I came out of it just totally infuriated about Evil Faramir, not to mention the utter travesty Jackson made of Helm's Deep... still went back to see it nine more times.

The third movie, what can I say? It sucked big fat hairy orc dicks; Peter Jackson should be whipped through the streets for having the gall and the stupidity to do that to Tolkien's work. So we only saw that one in the theatre seven times, because I just couldn't stand it. Yeah, it sucked out loud... sheesh, don't even get me started!... but hey, it was Lord of the Rings, man, and despite all the things about it that sucked, it was still Teh Magic.

If you're not an SF/Fantasy fan yourself, you probably won't understand this. *shrugs* That's okay. For what rational reasons would anyone choose to spend a single afternoon watching a bunch of strangers chase a ball around a field, let alone spend good money to do it? Why does anyone learn the names of celebrities, and all the details of their lives, when they don't even know these people? Everybody's fandom looks crazy from the outside, however "mainstream" (i.e. accepted by the GroupMind) it may be.