Narrative Warfare: Mining 'Memberberries

The Devil Mouse's current Mouse Wars show about Inexplicably Popular Side Character From 1980 took a turn into being a backdoor continuation for the other show about a silent tactiturn bounty hunter, which just recursed again into continuing its 'Memberberry Mining of the original trilogy of films.

The trick? Take the showrunner's original character from his time being mentored by George Lucas and have her share screentime with the original trilogy's farmboy protagaonist turned Magic Knight in a manner that is nothing but pure (but wholesome) fan service.

That, folks, is Mining the 'Memberberries: the deliberate use--one might call it weaponization--of the nostalgia that the audience has for the past entries in the franchise in order to bolster present entries' esteem and with it their commercial viability. It's not a good sign.

The problem is that this betrays a lack of confindence in the quality of the storycraft. It's a bad sign when you engage in recursive narrative to sideline your star in favor of another series' star, but to then sideline that guy in favor of a franchise icon specifically to rehabiliate that icon then you're demonstrating that you have no faith in your present project at all.

And Pop Cultists gotta Cult, as the fan reactions to this development demonstrate, because this icon rehabilitation is exactly what those Pop Cult holdouts want to see and now that they're getting what they want they're ready to forget everything and once more pour out their purses to tithe to the Cult.

These are the very people who heard Lucas explain why his Magic Knights eschew attatchment, and yet now are clearly bound by such--confined in chains of their own making--that they could not act on that wisdom if Lucas beat their faces bloody with a brick and screamed it at them like a drill sergeant.

Treat them as you would any other addict. Pray for them, but otherwise keep your distance; they won't be helped until they hit rock-bottom and decide it's either they let their devotion die or they let their flesh die. Then, and only then, are they ready to come out from under the thrall.