American Cosmic by D.W. Pasulka

Author:D.W. Pasulka
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2019-04-22T16:00:00+00:00

I reached out to the creator of ISWWR. He wanted me to know that he was fully aware that Star Wars is not real, and that the characters are fictional. He did not want me to write that those participating in the quest to “uncover” the lost Star Wars photos believed it was true in any way. I assured him that I wouldn’t, as I believe him and I also believe that the people who make the specialist factual productions are aware of the distinction between what is real and what is virtually real. That was not the focus of my interest in his project, in any case. My point is that researchers find that our brains process visual and digital imagery in a different way from what we suppose. Exposure to films and media that mimic real life fosters belief and can impact memory.

In another example of the “Star Wars in ordinary life” trend, photographer Thomas Dagg created a project he called “Star Wars” in which he recreated the scenes of his youth, with the addition of characters from Star Wars. He explains how he imagines his childhood: “If it was a blizzard outside I always thought of Hoth. If I saw a jogger I would imagine them with Yoda on their back like Luke Skywalker. That was my childhood.” Dagg was surprised by the popularity of his project: “Since it was such a personal project I didn’t expect it to blow up, but it’s been crazy how many other people have identified with it.”17 Dagg, twenty-four, relates that it was Star Wars that motivated him to become an artist.

Yet another example is a short video that mimics the genre of the Russian dash cam videos, a popular form of voyeuristic entertainment. Usually, these videos record car crashes in snowy conditions on slippery highways. The stormtrooper version opens like a typical dash cam video. The viewer sees that the car is fast approaching a crash. But the crash does not involve a car or truck. Instead, a stormtrooper stands on the side of the road next to his crashed imperial TIE fighter; if you blink, you will miss it. But it was there. The video, which lasts only thirty seconds, boasts over two million views. The credits on the video link it to Lucasfilm, and it’s possible that it was created as advertising for the Star Wars franchise.

Videos featuring Star Wars characters spliced into ordinary life are so popular that they have generated a new, grassroots genre. One of the best examples is “Death Star over San Francisco,” created by Michael Horn.18 The video, which has over three and a half million views, shows various objects from the Star Wars franchise in ordinary scenes in San Francisco. The Death Star hovers over one of the street demonstrations that are common in San Francisco. People play on the beach as TIE fighters hover nearby. All of this looks quite ordinary, and none of the citizens take notice. The realism of the video has attracted a lot of attention, including an interview with Horn in Wired.

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