Post 2: Performativity! Star Wars, Spaceballs, Spoofs, and Ripples.
From
performance to performativity and Back! (Dr. John Fletcher). May the Force be
with you! (Star Wars) May the Swartz be with you. (Space Balls)
George
Lucas developed the storyline for “Star Wars” using elements of mythology.
However, he told the Boston Globe in a 2005 article, “the political and social
bases are historical.” (Klein, 2015). These included Nazi Germany, Richard
Nixon, The Vietnam War, and several more. “Stormtroopers,” were not only the
Galactic Empire assault forces in the film but the same name for the parliamentary
fighters who defended the Nazi Party, in addition to nods of Darth Vader’s
helmet and his rise from chancellor to dictator mirroring that of Hitler. The
Viet Cong served as Lucas’ inspiration for the Ewoks, who were able to beat a
superior opponent despite their inferior weapons because of their knowledge of
the terrain. Nixon’s attempt at a second term gave rise to questions of how a
democracy is given up, verses overthrown.
Within
Mel Brooks’ cult classic, Spaceballs, numerous references to pop-culture norms
and sci-fi favorites of the day are added to the main Star Wars spoof. Princess
Leia’s counterpart, Princess Vespa, is a rich spoiled brat who calls daddy to
get her out of any jam, playing up the “daddy’s girl” stereotype, though Leia
fought against that stereotype as a fighter throughout. Chewbacca’s counterpart
is a portmanteau mawg (part man part dawg), called “Barf”. Butler argues we can
change or alter (or, to use the verb form, we can queer)
performative acts in ways that undermine or subvert how they're
"supposed" to be performed.
Instead
of Darth Vader seeming in control and powerful, Dark Helmet is short, weak,
powerless, and not-so-smart. In search of the missing princess in the example link
below, Dark Helmet’s boss orders him to “Comb the Desert.”
Comb
The Desert!
This
order, coming from the man in power
and as it is commonly understood, means to search far and wide for what or who
is missing. There is no way the “Stormtroopers” will find the princess with an
extra-large hair comb. This is taken literally by Dark Helmet in order provide
a laugh for the audience and deepen our belief in his ineptitude to do the
right thing. These moments happen continuously throughout the film, solidifying
the humor of the film but also solidifying the lack of leadership Dark Helmet should
have, though he is taken seriously by his underlings. These moments are treated
differently than we would have expected and queer
our perception of the next outcome. Brooks’ larger than life choices give nods
to and magnify the nuances of Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien, and Planet of the
Apes while inferring a desired outcome, laughs. Brooks’ breaking of the fourth
wall not only makes us aware of the camera in a different way from most films but
also gives the film a more theatrical feel, much like his musicals, that the
audience need be awake and responding as the camera gets too close and hits
Dark Helmet in his helmet (an additional link “Jam”).
Is
this how we are meant to perceive people who have let the power go to their
head? (Literally their head since the camera hits Dark Helmet’s head) Is this what
Brooks is trying to convey?
J.L.
Austin describes a performative act as an expression
that does or accomplishes something beyond
describing or referring to something else in How To Do Things With Words. I offer that, regardless of Brooks’ personal
opinions, the shift of truth referring to Star Wars is for a laugh more than to
provoke questions. However, the questions may still be born in the viewer, as
iterations of the journey with the original film. For example, it could be argued that leaders who
become dictators have substantial flaws that no longer make them fit to lead,
especially if they are running into the camera.
Beyond
the laughs, is Brooks intending to change the present outcome of these classic
favorites? Brooks had spoofed westerns (Blazing Saddles), silent films (Silent
Film), and the horror genre (Young Frankenstein) prior to getting the idea to
spoof space movies. Regardless of his motivation, it highlighted the themes of
Lucas’ original yet again, even if in an altered state. Much like the adage, “any
publicity is good publicity,” any solidly constructed reproduction, even in
such an altered and parodied form, can shed a renewed light on the themes of
the original project. Though reviews of this parody were partially favorable (46%
from Metacritic and an average rating of 6.2/10 based on 38 reviews from Rotten
Tomatoes), comments were made about the timing of the film’s release being
beyond the time that it would have had its greatest impact, 10 years after the
release of Star Wars.
Interesting
additions:
1.
Beyond mythological, political,
and historical impacts of Star Wars and potentially it’s parodied counterpart,
non-expected impacts ripple out from this Brooks’ classic. Tesla uses Space
ball’s starship “Ludicrous speed,” for example.
2.
George Lucas read a
version of the script before shooting and gave full permission to the making, even
offering his special effects company to help with production, so long as no
merchandise was made or sold from the film. This agreement sparked the
writing-in of Yogurt’s merchandising line within the film, one of Brooks’
favorite jokes. (IMDB Spaceballs Trivia)
Sources
and additional supporting material.
(Christopher
Klein’s December 17, 2015 article, “The Real History That Inspired Star Wars.”
An
additional Ripple: Comb the Desert, My Little Pony Style
