ST The impact of ST on pop culture

Never explained how Kylo knows what it looks like, considering it was lost before he was born...

 

For pop culture, I think the ST really only sticks out because of the memes, and by visual stuff like the Kylo Ren lightsaber and mask, and BB8. And... porgs? I dunno if that ever really caught on. But the kind of stuff that makes for cool or cute toys, costumes, designs on a shirt, etc.

Otherwise the ST just seems to get widely used as an example of what not to do, for a number of things.

 

These are very different times to 80s, 90s and early 2000s. I’d argue that nothing of the past 10 years has such an lasting impact on pop culture as what has been released in 80s to 2000s. Not the MCU, not Avatar, not GOT and not the ST. The amount of content is too big, the revolutionary making of movies isn’t there anymore as it has been back then. It has just become one of many franchises.

The way stuff is watched these just pays its tribute too. Movies in general are not the big event they have been back then. Young people don’t get as attached and related to the franchises as it has been.

Consider that similar stuff happens in the music industry. There has not been impactful big LPs like the wall, thriller, Sgt. Pepper or whatever for decades. People will remember the Stones, LED Zeppelin and so on for years to come where I doubt any of the artists nowadays will be as remembered.

The 60s to early 2000s were so impactful in part of what was made possible through technique and revolutionary visionary thinking. Movies and music of these days have not made revolutionary jumps in the past 15 years to 20 years. I think they are stuck. So the impact on pop culture could not have been as big as decades a ago no matter what you think about the quality of the product. The world has changed.

 

There you go, another example of supplementary info that the normal cinema goer wouldn't know.

Am I the only one who sat there willing them to show us how she got it and was pssed off when they just passed it off as a story for another time?

 

Today's entertainment landscape reveals a fascinating paradox about cultural impact versus commercial success. Consider Avatar - despite being the highest-grossing film franchise in history, its cultural footprint feels surprisingly light. Contrast this with The Terminator, which began as a modest box-office performer yet gave us enduring catchphrases, iconic imagery, and references that persist 40 years later.

This shift reflects a broader transformation in how we consume media. When The Terminator was released, we shared a more unified cultural experience - an era when a new Michael Jackson video on MTV could stop the nation in its tracks. Now, even with unprecedented box office numbers, modern hits often exist in their own bubbles. We've traded those collective moments for algorithm-fed content streams and niche communities.

The sheer scale of today's entertainment options means that while something can be monumentally successful like Avatar, it might not permeate the broader culture the way earlier, less financially successful properties did. We've moved from shared cultural moments to parallel cultural universes - bigger budgets and bigger box office, but paradoxically, smaller cultural footprints.

 

The Nation?

That sounds...

 

I think that's a wider conversation about how capitalism uses 'art' or 'popular culture' to create wealth for itself... to the point that the art/content becomes ubiquitous and largely irrelevant. I think you're correct in your observation/question about whether it is now possible for a new 'rock' album (in this example) to ever have the cultural impact and significance of something like Pet Sounds, Sgt Pepper, Dark Side of the Moon, Thriller etc. (if that is indeed what you believe?). And I'd agree with that... and it's probably been a slow and inexorable death ever since the advent of recorded music... which was the advent of the 'mechanical reproduction' of the original art i.e. it industrialised it, tuned it into a Ford motor.

The industry (and it is an industry within a capitalist model) that has allowed those artists to prosper, develop and be 'creative', has also bled it dry and de-educated its customer base to the point that its customers no longer care (generally speaking). Does this mean that those 'artists'/creatives no longer exist? No... I'd say that those artists still exist, it's just that they will probably need another medium to explore outside of the 'rock' album how we'd understood it. Maybe the next thing will be something in the virtual reality or AI space???

It's a similar direction of travel with cinema/TV... however we still see examples of films or TV shows having a significant impact on mainstream audiences, and of course there's still plenty of real quality content out there that remains broadly popular.

 

I don't know what this means

 

The One Nation. The Only Nation. The Global Nation.
I just got bad guy vibes

 

Ha! Sorry. Definitely a kid in the 80's living in America and speaking from that perspective. I'm sure the entire world was stopped in it's tracks by a new Michael Jackson video back in the day too. Was MTV globally prevalent in the 80's?

 

It was launched in Europe in the late '80s and early '90s, so... almost!
I'm not sure how MJ's early videos were spread around the world - although I suppose local TV channels payed for viewing rights and the videos were made available on VHS - but they were a big deal for sure.

 

How are you dismissing the MCU ? Those films are massive, they're plenty referenced in memes and kids dressing up as, and all the usual sorts of pop culture resonance.

 

Let's be honest. Superheroes have been deeply woven into popular culture since Superman's debut in 1938. Their enduring appeal is evident in decades of Halloween photos, where children consistently dress as iconic characters like Superman, Spider-Man, Hulk, Batman, and Wonder Woman. While the MCU's achievement is remarkable, it represents just one chapter in superhero storytelling - a significant player among many in today's diverse entertainment landscape, rather than a singular cultural phenomenon.

 

not sure what you mean by that. So what were the singular cultural phenomenons of the 80's , 90's , '00's ?

 

I think horror movies were very big in the 80s. Faded out a little in the 90s. Id also say fantasy adventures were a little bigger in the 80s. The 90s, im not sure what was big in the 90s.

 

I am not suggesting that there was ONE singular cultural phenomenon in the 80's, 90's 00's. I am suggesting that Superheroes (DC/Marvel/etc) have ALWAYS been a cultural phenomenon. This didn't just start with the MCU films. It's been ongoing since Superman first showed up in 1938.

Furthermore, as I stated in my earlier post, I am also saying that modern entertainment properties often continue to achieve enormous financial success, yet their cultural influence has diminished as audiences have splintered across diverse media platforms rather than sharing common cultural touchstones.

In short: As successful as Avenger's Endgame (Marvel's "biggest" most successful movie) is/was, it also doesn't resonate/permeate/last in the same way that say, Star Wars did in 1977, or Batman did in 1989. Let me give you my geeky breakdown of why:

-Oversaturation: Marvel releases multiple movies and shows every year, making each one feel less special. When Star Wars came out, it was a rare event with years between releases, giving each film time to marinate in popular culture.

-Competition for attention: In the 80's, entertainment options were limited - a hit movie could dominate cultural conversation for months or years. Today, we're constantly bombarded with new content across streaming services, social media, and other platforms, making it harder for any single property to maintain mindshare.

-Shorter cultural cycles: The modern internet-driven media environment moves at a much faster pace. What's viral today is forgotten tomorrow. In the 80s, people would rewatch Star Wars repeatedly on VHS because there were fewer alternatives, letting its impact compound over time.

-Less shared experience: When Star Wars released, most people saw it in theaters and discussed it in person. Today, even with Endgame's massive box office, people watch it at different times on different platforms, diluting the communal aspect that helps create lasting cultural touchstones.

-Designed for immediate impact: Modern blockbusters like Endgame are often engineered for opening weekend spectacle rather than long-term resonance. They rely heavily on existing IP and fan service, while Star Wars created a wholly original mythology that grew deeper with time.

The irony is that despite Endgame's massive financial success, its cultural footprint may end up being shallower and more temporary than films that made far less money but arrived in an era more conducive to lasting cultural impact.

 

I’m a VHS generation fan and I don’t think Star Wars has ever been some singular pillar of entertainment and culture since I’ve been old enough to watch.

 

Just to be clear, I didn't claim this was the case.

 

Probably should avoid using the phrase “singular cultural phenomenon” in that case.

 

I'd encourage you to consider the full context surrounding that statement. When I said the MCU isn't a singular cultural phenomenon, I wasn't implying that Star Wars is one. In fact, I explicitly stated earlier that 'I am not suggesting that there was ONE singular cultural phenomenon in the 80's, 90's, or 00's.'"

 

Okay. I think you are downplaying the cultural resonance of Avengers Endgame but I don’t want to get in a lengthy line by line argument over it.

 

so you're just saying there was less genre content in cinemas back then.

 

Fair enough. I am open to hearing your thoughts on this if you change your mind.

I am not JUST saying that. There was plenty of genre content in the 80's. I am also saying that viewing habits have changed. As I said, even today's biggest blockbusters don't have the same cultural footprint that they used to.

 

As already mentioned its so difficult to have an impact on pop culture these days when so much has already been done in film, TV and music. SW is almost 50 years old and arguably all its pop culture moments are from the OT, so for that to come along with Grogu some 40+ years later and have another pop culture moment is good going (I know it harks back to the OT but even so).

 

It's always the breakthrough that has the strongest impact on pop culture. In the case of Star Wars, ANH. To a slightly lesser degree, Luke's Trilogy. To a lesser degree still, Anakin's Trilogy. Most of the stories told nowadays, including Rey's Trilogy, are impactful, but mostly because they are part of a cultural behemoth that already has a strong following. They aren't revolutionary, nor are they meant to be - and they don't have to be. In fact, they can't be.

Furthermore, other creators who follow in the footsteps of those who came before can never be quite as impactful. Many rock artists have stood on the shoulders of Elvis Presley and The Beatles and put their own spin on what they did - and been very successful - but no one comes close to their breakthroughs. They were the revolution.
Michael Jackson could be seen as an exception, but I would say he's a different genre. He was a revolution all his own.

When it comes to the MCU, the Infinity Saga is absolutely culturally significant and will probably remain the most impactful part of that cinematic universe, since it came first and was enormously successful.

To bring this back to the third trilogy of the Skywalker Saga, I'll say that it will remain in the public consciousness for as long as the saga does, simply because it exists as an official part of it. Some iconic designs (like Kylo Ren's TFA outfit) and lines (like "Somehow, Palpatine returned") will likely be remembered by many casual viewers, but ANH will remain the film that introduced the vast majority of the most well-known pop culture phenomena in Star Wars.