Stay on Target! Managing my Anticpation of The Force Awakens

As longtime Star Wars consumers, the next week is among the most anticipated and exciting moments of our collective fandom. While it is hard to believe that a brand new chapter in the Star Wars saga is upon us, the reality of the situation is that we will be sitting in theaters sooner, rather than later, and will finally discover what has happened to these incredible characters that have contributed to the zeitgeist of popular culture. As Freddie Prinze Jr. recently said on Coffee With Kenobi, Star Wars is the ultimate I.P. (intellectual property), and as consumers of this franchise, the frenzy that is The Force Awakens is almost unprecedented.

Make no mistake about it; we are consumers! Think about this for a minute: how many of you out there reading this are either: a) wearing a Star Wars shirt or have some aspect of Star Wars apparel on your person right now; b) eating, or have eaten or drank in the past week, something that featured Star Wars on its label; c) have read an article, purchased a magazine, watched an interview, or listened to a podcast about The Force Awakens in the past two weeks; d) have re-watched or re-read something Star Wars related (the films, Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) in the past few weeks?

It is reasonably safe to discern that for many of you reading this that you were able to accurately respond to the above question with a resounding statement along the lines of, “Yep. I’ve done all of these.” Me too. An inordinate amount of times, and I think I’m running the risk of oversaturation.

I do not want that to happen, so I have to ask myself the pertinent question: how much Star Wars is too much? This is a subjective question, of course, with a myriad number of subjective answers. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and so is your fandom, and what you choose to consume from the Star Wars franchise.  In essence, I have a unique paradox: I want to enjoy as much Star Wars as possible, but don’t want to devour so much that I end up suffering from The Force Awakens fatigue before I take my seat on December 17th at 7:00 pm.

To be clear, this is an awesome problem to have, and while it may not be pertinent to everyone, it certainly is on the minds and hearts of many Star Wars fans. We love Star Wars, and will, most certainly, love The Force Awakens, but for me personally, I need to be cautious. Too much of a good thing can be a dicey proposition.

Naturally, Shakespeare has some insights that lend themselves to this unique situation, and it’s from Romeo and Juliet: “The sweetest honey/ Is loathsome in his own deliciousness/ And in the taste confounds the appetite./ Therefore love moderately: long love doth so;” (Act II Scene 6. 11-14). Shakespeare is using the character of Friar Laurence to tell Romeo and Juliet something important about their passion. Your love is like honey, but consume too much of it, and you get a stomach ache. Loving in moderation is the key.

It’s so unique; this is the sequel to Return of the Jedi! We get the big three of Luke, Han, and Leia back, reprised by the original cast, and we are introduced to a whole new set of characters that, for many of us, are already part of our fictional families.It’s almost too much to take in, but, to quote my favorite scoundrel, “It’s true. All of it.”

Enjoy these last few days leading up to The Force Awakens. I know I will, and I plan on doing so by taking a step back and savoring these last few moments of anticipation. I want to embrace the eminent excitement of the event with Jedi-like patience and balance. The euphoria is almost overwhelming, and, metaphorically speaking, I want to drink this in without choking on my Star Wars Kool-aid. The Force is strong, and so is the hype surrounding it, so I’m taking the advice of Qui-Gon, “Feel. Don’t think. Use your instincts.”

See you on the other side!

-Dan Z