And 2016 Wins...
I've been trying really hard to give 2016 a break.
I've even been a little surly about the "F#*k 2016" movement, especially when it comes to celebrity deaths. "Yes," I've said (mostly to myself) "it's sad that so-and-so has died, but people die every day, blah blah blah..."
I really have been moved by many of the celebrity deaths this year (Prince, Sharon Jones, Leonard Cohen, even George Michael) and I feel bad for all the grieving fans. I know many people are sincerely and deeply affected when a beloved celebrity dies, myself included, and I don't want to trovialize or mock that. But I also think we collectively go a little nuts. Public displays of grief sometimes feel like a fad to me, and I feel like they somewhat demean our private griefs. While I get that 2016 has definitely had high visibility in it's suckitude, 2000, the year my mom died, wins the "F#*k You Year" title for me. And of course we all have our "winners" for the year(s) that caused (or will cause) us the most pain.
(Also a quick note that I am just talking about celebrity deaths, and NOT the election or other world events. That PLUS all the celebrity deaths makes it really hard to be objective about 2016. Unfortunately, we can't just say "Screw 2016!" as we have at least four years of consequences to deal with).
But PRINCESS LEIA?! Who was only 60? On top of all the other celebrities that filled numerous roles in our lives as icons of our childhood, sources of creative and personal inspiration, and just plain talented folks who entertained us and made us laugh and smile?
Okay, count me in. I'm officially joining the F#*k 2016 Club and hitching a ride on that bandwagon.
It's not cool to say this, but I was never a huge Princess Leia girl. Don't get me wrong, I liked Leia just fine, but I was more interested in the boys in Star Wars. Specifically Luke, which makes me super lame, as I didn't fully appreciate the rogueish charm of Han Solo. I proudly own that I was so earnest and rule-abiding that I wanted to be, and "date" (whatever that means to a preteen) Luke Skywalker.
Chad just walked by and told me that Luke was kinda whiny. Well, yes, I know that NOW. But I'm keepin' it real here. I've been known to give Chad crap about his appreciation for Ewoks, so it would be really hypocritical of me to engage in revisionist history to increase my feminist or coolness cred.
In case it's not obvious, I was a huge Star Wars fan as a kid. Specifically "Empire Strikes Back" but I loved the whole universe. As evidence, I tell you that I collected kleenex boxes that featured photos from "Empire" and cut out pictures to adorn the walls of my room. (Well, actually the end of our living room because I didn't have my own bedroom but you get the point).
So even though I was most in love with Luke, Carrie Fisher was a huge part of my childhood as she brought Princess Leia to life. I think she did serve as a positive role model for girl kick-assery, even if I wasn't aware of it. And while I was more interested in being a Jedi in command of the Force (I used to "practice" by trying to stop the agony of Phy-Ed) I DID want Leia's buns. I guess I had a lot in common with thousands of preteens boys...
And I do still believe the Force is with us, always.
I've even been a little surly about the "F#*k 2016" movement, especially when it comes to celebrity deaths. "Yes," I've said (mostly to myself) "it's sad that so-and-so has died, but people die every day, blah blah blah..."
I really have been moved by many of the celebrity deaths this year (Prince, Sharon Jones, Leonard Cohen, even George Michael) and I feel bad for all the grieving fans. I know many people are sincerely and deeply affected when a beloved celebrity dies, myself included, and I don't want to trovialize or mock that. But I also think we collectively go a little nuts. Public displays of grief sometimes feel like a fad to me, and I feel like they somewhat demean our private griefs. While I get that 2016 has definitely had high visibility in it's suckitude, 2000, the year my mom died, wins the "F#*k You Year" title for me. And of course we all have our "winners" for the year(s) that caused (or will cause) us the most pain.
(Also a quick note that I am just talking about celebrity deaths, and NOT the election or other world events. That PLUS all the celebrity deaths makes it really hard to be objective about 2016. Unfortunately, we can't just say "Screw 2016!" as we have at least four years of consequences to deal with).
But PRINCESS LEIA?! Who was only 60? On top of all the other celebrities that filled numerous roles in our lives as icons of our childhood, sources of creative and personal inspiration, and just plain talented folks who entertained us and made us laugh and smile?
Okay, count me in. I'm officially joining the F#*k 2016 Club and hitching a ride on that bandwagon.
It's not cool to say this, but I was never a huge Princess Leia girl. Don't get me wrong, I liked Leia just fine, but I was more interested in the boys in Star Wars. Specifically Luke, which makes me super lame, as I didn't fully appreciate the rogueish charm of Han Solo. I proudly own that I was so earnest and rule-abiding that I wanted to be, and "date" (whatever that means to a preteen) Luke Skywalker.
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| I lived for these trading cards, and this was one of my favorite of Princess Leia! |
Chad just walked by and told me that Luke was kinda whiny. Well, yes, I know that NOW. But I'm keepin' it real here. I've been known to give Chad crap about his appreciation for Ewoks, so it would be really hypocritical of me to engage in revisionist history to increase my feminist or coolness cred.
In case it's not obvious, I was a huge Star Wars fan as a kid. Specifically "Empire Strikes Back" but I loved the whole universe. As evidence, I tell you that I collected kleenex boxes that featured photos from "Empire" and cut out pictures to adorn the walls of my room. (Well, actually the end of our living room because I didn't have my own bedroom but you get the point).
So even though I was most in love with Luke, Carrie Fisher was a huge part of my childhood as she brought Princess Leia to life. I think she did serve as a positive role model for girl kick-assery, even if I wasn't aware of it. And while I was more interested in being a Jedi in command of the Force (I used to "practice" by trying to stop the agony of Phy-Ed) I DID want Leia's buns. I guess I had a lot in common with thousands of preteens boys...
And I do still believe the Force is with us, always.
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