The phrase “cult of celebrity” didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s not uncommon for people to worship celebrities they way they worship deities. One such celebrity is megastar actor Harrison Ford, who has starred in films like “American Graffiti,” “Air Force One,” and the “Indiana Jones” trilogy.
But it’s Ford’s most iconic role, Han Solo in the first three “Star Wars” movies, that has him at the center of a celeb-worship story. “Star Wars” devotees who claim to practice Jedi-ism (based on, and named for, the group at the heart of the films’ mythology) consider Ford their real-life leader.
This phenomenon is hardly new: last year, a poll of Brits found that “Jedi” was the fourth most popular belief system in the country. Ford, however, is not amused. He has complained that Jedi-ism practitioners camp outside his ranch in rural Wyoming and pray for him. “It’s flattering,” he says, “but I can’t accept their prayers.”
Might I suggest camping out in front of Mark Hamill’s house? Something tells me he wouldn’t be as reticent to have the attention.
posted November 28, 2007 at 10:36 pm
If you worship a person or icon, you pray TO him/it, not FOR him/it.
And was Han Solo even a Jedi? I thought Obiwan and Anakin and Luke were the Jedis, not Han Solo?
posted November 28, 2007 at 11:34 pm
Ah obsessive/compulsive fans – they can be as blind and foolish as religious obsessive/compulsives.
True – Solo was not a Jedi. But he was better looking than Luke and smarter than Leia. Vader was sort of a bad influence on people so that leaves Yoda, who is (was? will be?) the real master, but he was a puppet – and after all, these fans don’t want to look silly or anything. Actually, the real Jedi was Lucas, who developed the whole thing.
But like any fanatics, don’t confuse them with any real information, they are hopelessly in love with their fantasies of Solo.
posted December 1, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Solo was no Jedi. In fact, he had the line “Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side”.
Seriously though, the ones that need prayer are the ones that are camped outside, praying to/for a character in a movie.
posted March 14, 2011 at 10:31 pm
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