Jenkins Post Class Blog

Monday’s class focusing on Henry Jenkins’ “Quentin Tarantino’s Star Wars?: Digital Cinema, Media Convergence, and Participatory Culture” really encouraged me to delve deeper into the idea that, nowadays, with cultural phenomenons such as Star Wars circulating through mass media, it is difficult not to become completely consumed with the consumerist and capitol gain that goes hand-in-hand with such culturally significant media texts.  One quote that really struck me in the section that I was assigned to analyze, stated:

Lucasfilm and Kenner may have initially understood the Star Wars action figures as commodities, but their cultural effects go much deeper.  The action figures provided this generation with some of their earliest avatars, encouraging them to assume the role of a Jedi Knight or an intergalactic bounty hunter, enabling them to physically manipulate the characters and props in order to construct their own stories (466).

I found this quote, especially the end of it, to be extremely important, because it truly exemplifies the ways in which cultural commodities become so much more than their original purpose.  Instead, figurines, independent films, costumes and many more consumer products end up instilling a way of life for those in our society who feel a connection to important cultural texts such as Star Wars.  These commodities, which, on the one hand are made for the purpose of capitol gain, become so much more than just an action figure, or a costume to the consumer.  As we see in this quote, these products actually help to form some sort of an identity for the consumer.  The consumer becomes the writer and producer of their own story and fantasy, proving the importance that movies such as Star Wars have on participatory culture.