There’s not much that needs to be said about these photos. They are, for the most part, pictures of people just before or just after seeing a movie. Pretty straightforward. But if you look closely — a couple getting married at the theater, a fan hugging a Sith Lord, and tons of adults taking their cosplay very seriously — a different picture emerges.
These people are happy. They feel connected to something bigger than themselves; and in that universe, they feel a sense of belonging. Yes, Star Wars is “just” a series of movies — surely, someone will remind us of that pretty soon with a contrarian think piece — but it’s also much more than that. It’s part of our cultural fabric and cultural fabric is hugely important. It ties us together, it gives us a shared experience, it makes us feel deeper empathy for one another.
It’s not weird to care about culture. It’s fun — as these pictures show so well.
https://www.instagram.com/p/_dck4eL2wZ/
R2-D2 meets the press at the White House.
https://www.instagram.com/p/_b3YpFhUW3/
