I'm obsessed. There, I said it.
I, like a billions of others who reside on Planet Earth, am completely and manically addicted to anything Star Wars.
Forget the movies. Of course, we love them, too. But it's the swag, the memes, the computer themes, the game apps, the plush toys, hell, even chocolate.
We love Star Wars as much today as we did the first time we laid eyes on IV -- A New Hope (1977).
There is even a Star Wars: Obsession comic book series, as you can see here on Wookieepedia.
When all of us lost our minds for the anticipated Disney release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Business Insider dissected this thing where the entire world can stop on a dime to laugh at a Stormtrooper meme. Writer Drake Baer (now isn't that a great name for a future character?) concludes in his article that since 1977, generations of people have this shared experience that bonds them together as a community.
Damon Linker from The Week posts a bit more of a cynical view. That said, the key takeaway from his piece is that regardless of what is going on in the world, sometimes we all just need an escape and Star Wars is an easy distraction.
Yea, there are some people who haven't seen Star Wars. I haven't been to the Grand Canyon either, but I still don't discount its glory. Anyone who dares to try and squash our passionate enthusiasm for all things George Lucas should try and read our thoughts as we fantasize sending them the imaginary Darth Vader choke hold against their neck.
The sheer numbers of parodies, fan films, merchandising, the fact that scientists are even naming organisms after Star Wars characters -- all of this means that decades from now, the transmedia for these films will only grow.
