Star Wars v. Schumer

Unless you've been under a rock that blocks out social media, chances are you've somewhere seen at least a passing mention of comedian Amy Schumer's Star Wars GQ photo shoot. And if you''re a Star Wars fan, it's probably all you've seen in your feeds the past few days.

While my initial reaction at most of the photos was to have a good laugh, some of the racier/raunchier ones left me with an odd feeling. The only thing I can liken it to (and apologies to my mom and wife for this anecdote) is when I was a young lad, my buddy and I found a stash of Playboys. One of them had a Wizard of Oz spread (no pun intended). Even though Schumer's photos aren't quite that racy, it is oddly jarring to see something so integral to your childhood being portrayed with a definite adult twist.

Lucasfilm recently confirmed what I had suspected: they did not give their blessing for this. Although, Luke Skywalker himself chimed in on Twitter...

Sexing up the Galaxy Far, Far Away isn't a new thing by any stretch. If you Google "sexy Star Wars" you'll find everything from tasteful pin-up style art to women in barely there costumes to these Halloween costumes which are their own brand of wrong all together.

I've seen reactions to the photo shoot online ranging from love to hate. Often, the people that are vocal about not liking it are being told something along the lines of "take the stick out of your ass."  But I totally get Disney/Lucasfilm's point of view: it's about the brand.

Their reaction is similar to that weird feeling I had in my gut when I first saw the pics. It's not about being a prude or offended at the adult nature of the photos. Hell, for a good part of the 90's Andrew Dice Clay was one of my favorite stand-ups. Those couple images just don't feel right to what Star Wars is to me. It's because those films are such a part of who I am as a person that I want to see the characters treated with respect.

If I learned anything in my decades of Star Wars fandom, it's that whatever you feel is"your" Star Wars, it's bound to be different from anyone else. The important thing is, we should treat fellow fans with respect...even if they prefer the prequels over the originals.