The 21st Century Darth Vader

If asked who said this line, “Luke, I am your father,” most people would respond correctly, Darth Vader. It has been about 34 years since the release of the first Star Wars movie in 1977 but that has not changed its level popularity. The Star Wars popularity has continued in part because 16 years after the release of its first three movies, George Lucas the creator, came up with three more movies making them the prequel the original three. The last of the prequel movies was released in 2005 making them very current for the 21^st century youth. This past February 2011, during Super Bowl XLV, a new commercial from Volkswagen was released to announce the release of the new Passat model 2012. A young boy, age 6, dressed as Darth Vader goes around his house trying to use the force to manipulate things such as his washer and dryer, his dog, a doll in his sister’s room, and eventually his dad’s new car, the Volkswagen Passat. This commercial has gone viral on YouTube and has had over 40 million hits so far. Commercials like these hit home for most people because they portray the perfect American household. This perfect household includes a family with a mother, father, at least two children and a pet dog. The mother is a stay at home mom because she is seen making a sandwich for the child during the day time and the father works and has a new car. Their home is also very nice, for example, they have a great kitchen and a washer and dryer room with new looking appliances. This is definitely a middle class family and they are very modern in the way they interact. First of all, the mother allows the child to walk around and even eat in his Darth Vader costume. Secondly, the father tries to give the son a hug but the child refuses and he does not become upset or feel disrespected by it. Finally, the parents go along with the child’s play and enjoy the fact he thinks he has supernatural powers when the father turns on the car’s engine from the kitchen. All of these actions are very 21^st century, very modern. Parents today truly embrace creativity and play along with their children. This very modern family demonstrates that in fact our society has changed the way they perceive home life and the interactions between children and parents.