The Issue Of Yoda

I have been unpleasantly pensive past few weeks, constantly re-assessing and re-examining my own current socio-emotional status and taking care of my assumed position in the relationship world. During this time I felt in acute distress and I adjusted my activities to capture most of usable attention to read and rest and listen and rest and socialize and rest and watch and rest and not to lose the string that ties me to the current moment.

So I took on something that waited for my full attention for quite some time now:

Star Wars.

I have watched the movies before - some long ago, some multiple times, some in succession and some disconnected from its Universe as a lonely orphan - but I never watched them all, one after another, taking note both of what happens in the story and in the world that brought forward the franchise as a whole. Now that I have done that I can say that this was time well spent and I am pleased with this investment. Both first three films made and first three chronological films are made well and all of their inherent silliness aggrees perfectly with their Zeitgeist.

Older three (1977., 1980., 1983.) are funnier, more playful, relaxed and made finely attuned to idealism of youth, hedonistic outlook and heroism - just like one would expect from younger writer unburdened by expectations. Younger three (1999., 2002., 2005.) aren't playful anymore, they're too CG, too burdened by expectations and bitter at times - bearing the hallmarks of older creators, ones who already had more than their share of dissapointments of life.

As much as first three (older ones) were bravely put into the future, shiny, metallic and blatantly outwordly second three (younger ones) were obscured and conservative, slow-paced and filled with turmoil. That age/experience propelled duality actually works quite well in context of Star Wars story yet it is also captivating, both beautiful and heartbreakingly sad.

One thing I just cannot understand, especially in context of saga with wildly dedicated fandom, is the issue of Yoda.

As I see it, both interacting with fans or reading available texts online, Yoda is a character that enjoys reverence and devotion, being admired and cited and regarded as a symbol of goodness, wisdom and heroism/masculinity (regardless of his looks) - and yet - this whole universe and story plot rests on his mistake and failure to be that what he's praised for: good teacher and observant jedi master.

No matter where you start with the story, watching movies in chronological order of story or chronological order of emergence (release date) he gives one stupid and lousy piece of advice over and over again:

"Train yourself to let go... of everything you fear to lose."

"Attachment leads to jelousy. The shadow of greed that is."

It even resonates through his disciples, when Obi-Wan says to Luke: "Your insight serves you well. Bury your feelings deep down, Luke. They do you credit, but they could be made to serve the Emperor."

Basically, what he says is: Caring is wrong and emotion is your downfall. To be good guardian you mustn't care, even and especially care about ones you protect.

WTF? Who gives advice like that?

Advice like that comes from satiety of mind and impotence of spirit.

And to top it all off he gives it to already troubled people, disstressed and afraid - people who are in his constant care and visibility range and ones whose sorrow and distress he could not, should not overlook or dismiss as unimportant. When you have prophet/savior/future of your caste and your world in your tutelage you just do not give such crappy advice being 800+ years old.

As much as this notion of emotion being powerful goes, it can really go both ways - to motivate or to handicap - and this is where guidance and superior experience comes into play. Yoda clearly fails in this respect. What surprises and angers me is this ridiculous apathy and obedience of fandom that in blatant disregard of the evedence shown holds patriarch in further reverence - and no less in real life(!!) and not canon of the story (since story of Yoda's death portrays end of Jedi as they were known).

Silly stuff.