Artistic Significance: May the Fourth reminds us we’re all nerds

For anyone who spends time online, Tuesday was a distinct annual event of memes, jokes and puns: May the Fourth. For anyone confused, “Star Wars” fans have claimed it as a day to celebrate the franchise. It actually started shortly after the first film’s release in 1977, before the age of the internet turned it into a meme. According to USA Today, the actual origin of “May the fourth be with you”—the day’s catchphrase—was in ‘79 when the U.K. Conservative Party placed a newspaper ad with the phrase to celebrate its win in the general election. Before researching the unofficial holiday, I didn’t know what to expect the origin was, but I didn’t expect that. I figured it came from people who grew up in the ‘90s and thought the pun was funny. While there have been other references to the pun, based on the line “may the force be with you,” over the years, the day didn’t really catch on until a Facebook group in 2008. So ... I guess I wasn’t totally wrong. It is now recognized by LucasFilms—after being bought by Disney in 2012—and celebrated in Disney parks. Some people will call May 5 or 6 “Revenge of the Fifth/Sixth” and use it to recognize the franchise’s villains—the Sith. Regardless, if you go on pretty much any social media (and quite a few national news sites) on May 4, you find articles about it. Whether it’s a history of the day, coverage of fans celebrating, or just people posting pictures or comments about the movie. Disney’s social media team will post pictures of stormtroopers giving little kids fist bumps while walking past. This year, the team commissioned artists from around the world to make art based on the franchise and then shared it on Twitter. Plus, ever the money hungry company, they push the merchandise (this year, including “Star Wars” face masks). I feel like this is coming across as cynical, and that’s not how I mean it. While I’m not a big “Star Wars” person and I honestly find the social media posts on May the Fourth kind of annoying, I recognize why the day exists and appreciate it. Now, it seems like being into something like “Star Wars” is cool, but I know it hasn’t always been that way. Trust me, I grew up watching TV shows where people get bullied for “being a nerd,” and I’m sure that still happens, but I’d like to think it isn’t the norm anymore. We’re all nerds for something. This column is basically me being a nerd every week about something in media I find interesting. I’m a nerd for the news industry, discussions about what we could do better as reporters and honest conversations about changes in ethics or standard practice. You might be a nerd for nature and be able to identify willow when I’d just look at it and call it a tree. Or you might be a nerd for hunting and know the best places to get supplies or where to pitch your deer stand (a thing I only know exists because of a story I wrote that featured one). My point is that May the Fourth isn’t just a day to celebrate “Star Wars,” but a step toward popularizing the acceptance that we are all nerds. Just for some people its “Star Wars,” and for some it’s not.