I just heard one of the goofiest news segments since, well, Dan Rather saying his memos were fake but accurate.

Ann Compton did a brief piece on ABC radio saying (paraphrased):

"Many people watching the new Star Wars movie are equating Darth Vader's line 'if you aren't with me, you're my enemy' with President Bush's war on terrorism. But President Bush isn't the only president with lines from these movies. President Reagan also used lines from the movies when he dubbed his Strategic Defense Initiative 'Star Wars' and when he called the Soviet Union the 'Evil Empire.'"

Where to begin?

First, I really don't think President Bush can claim ownership of the concept of "If you are not with me, you are against me." And if Lucas had Bush in mind when he wrote it...so what? I mean, it's not like Lucas is the master of subtlety. It's like reporting that "in a story, the super evil Badooley from the planet Quatmire said 'if you're not with me, you're my enemy' which many people equate to President Bush's comments about the war on terrorism." Again...so what?!? This is news?!?

Second, let's examine the etymology of the phrase "Star Wars" when it was used to describe SDI. Reagan didn't dub SDI "Star Wars." It was what critics called it, in an attempt to trivialize and ridicule it.

Third, is the term "Empire" now to be copyrighted by George Lucas from 1977 on? I know this is hard to imagine, but empire is hardly a new term. I can talk about an empire without once drifting into allusion over Star Wars. I can hear it without thinking about Star Wars. But as reporters at the time dubbed that speech the "Darth Vader" speech, I have to again characterize it as a way for the media to trivialize and ridicule what Reagan was trying to say.

Fourth, "many people?"

Fifth, well, I don't want to get too far into Star Wars geekery, but in the movie Obi-Wan castigates Anakin for thinking in absolutes. But isn't the Star Wars universe ALL ABOUT absolutes? At its core, it's good v. evil. And to get more specific, it's the Jedi who are dealing in absolutes. It's the people Lucas holds up as "good." I don't want to spoil anything, but if anything the process that leads Anakin astray is characterized by the very rejection of absolutism. So on one hand he's an absolutist, and on the other hand he isn't? And this is considered by "many people" as brilliant political commentary?

This piece of "reporting" by Compton is ridiculous. It's nothing more than an attempt to use something...anything...as a way to attack Republicans. But then, the media using Star Wars lines to attack Republican administrations isn't exactly news either....