>
>
>Not to sound too defeatist, but it doesn't matter what this
>particular emperor is or isn't wearing--he's still going to be the
>emperor.
>
>
>Sincerely,
>Edward O'Neill
>UC Santa Cruz
Interesting. I have been thinking about this one. As a true believer I was
outraged at the Phantom Menace and although it made a lot of money it has
subseqeuently vanished without a trace - sunk deep into the depths of cable
television - unmourned and unsought for.
But I have a strong feeling that the critical assaults on Emperor Lucas
would have hurt him deeply. Sure he is still like Croesus, but the man is
also an artist and the one thing that post industrialism and economic
neo-liberalism has taught nearly all of us (well those of us who live
outside the USA) is that the better part of life cannot be reduced to the
bottom line.
Ressentiment perhaps, but I prefer to think that the drive to aesthetic
transcendence never dies, indeed it grows stronger in times like these and
it is that drive that eventually overwhelmed the Phantom Menace.
regards
Gary
|