My Weekend Stars

Let us, for a moment, set aside the nerd blasphemy of comingling the Stars (that’s Wars and Trek, duh) and discuss what it means to have two of the biggest franchises on the planet, let alone galaxy, be run by one single solitary dude. Now, I like J.J. Abrams as much as the next actions/espionage/lens flare lover. So when news of him taking over Disney’s new Star Wars movies I was, OK with it. His movies are pretty fun. Cool. But then, I thought a little harder. And I was like, wait. He’s also in charge of the new Star Trek franchise. So he’s doing Star Trek and Star Wars? At the same time. And we’re not even mentioning that lesser franchise Mission: Impossible.

Look, I think he’s a good director. I think he has created some interesting universes (Lost, Fringe, Alias…Felicity). But I don’t think it’s healthy for so much of the modern-day vision of pop culture to be controlled by one man. Diversity, for lack of a better word, matters. It matters because the more voices that are allowed to mold our zeitgeist, the more people will feel included in it. Simple concept, hard execution.

I feel the same way about this J.J. Rules the Stars news as I do about the continued push toward conglomeration in everything from our news media, banks and other corporations. More and more things being owned by fewer and fewer people. Because, make no mistake, this is creative conglomeration. And while I may like the particular creative in charge, it doesn’t mean I think he should be in charge of everything.

Why not give someone else a chance? A woman a chance? Any sort of non-white heterosexual male a chance? More voices, even imperfect ones, helps to expand our cultural landscape and could lead to, who knows, the next J.J. Abrams whoever he or she may be.

On a more personal note, the Star Wars movies were my absolute, far far and away favorite movies as a kid. So now that they are in J.J.’s hands, I hope he does well. I mean, he can’t really do worse than the three new movies we shall never speak of. Use the Force to prosper. And don’t fuck with Princess Leia. I mean it, buster. Happy weekend, all.