Reply #37: I couldn't've been more than 6, or 7 at the outside, when I first saw Star Wars.

[LooseWilly]

Though, come to think of it, I could probably be diagnosed as being addicted to tv and video games, not to mention alcohol and tobacco, with a strong predilection for guns and potentially for violence.

You make that sound like a bad thing. I will refrain from hurling epithets your way on that score... as I am fully accustomed to being vilified by the polite gentry of society, both inside and outside their church soirees.

I will instead suggest two points for your consideration, and hopefully thereby broaden the apparently narrow horizon of your mindset.

Firstly- are you sure your distinction between "friendship and caring" vs. "fight the evil empire with guns and swords" is a valid dichotomy? If you think about it... Luke's return to check on his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beroo (sp?) despite the threat that the Imperial stormtroopers might be waiting for him there, shows a deep level of "friendship and caring".. and toward parental figures that he'd been previously arguing with. The notion that some half-talented hack in a purple dinosaur suit singing a litany of superficial platitudes is somehow more "wholesome" or "age appropriate" seems to me to be implicitly stating "kids are dumb as rocks".

The example of Luke's return to his Aunt and Uncle's home is only one of dozens of scenes that I could cite and thusly analyze.


Secondly- I have personally discovered that my own son innately seems drawn to many of the same things that I am drawn to, has similar tastes, etc. in ways that have led me to believe that there are certain basic personality tendencies that are indeed affected by genetics. It is merely a spot of anecdotal evidence, certainly... but based upon that I personally suspect that, if you genuinely don't like Star Wars, odds are that your son won't be all that interested in it either. So play him a bit of it... most likely he won't break down and have nightmares for years. If you're really worried, start him off with a taste of "bubble gum space opera"- the Phantom Menace.

It's like the "Green Day" of punk rock... or "the Monkees" of psychedelic rock... about as non-threatening as can be (unless, of course, your 5 year old manages to pick up on the parallels between Palpatine's subtle political manipulations in order to become the President, with the political manipulations used to sell the Iraq WMD threat...).