Liberal Talk Radio

History Channel Star Wars “story behind the film” piece breaks little new ground — oh, the reason for the film’s success was its deep-rooted narrative classicism? Really?

Except in one regard: the show features many new “learned observer” interviews, including some surprises. Notably, both Newt Gingrich and Nancy Pelosi are called upon to give their two-cents worth, both of them offering a version of “it’s a timeless story”.

Gingrich does take the opportunity to get in a jab about Reagan’s own “evil empire” — the Soviet Union. Gingrich proffers something to the effect of “I think most people identified the Empire’s totalitarian tendencies with the Communists in Eastern Europe.” Er, sorry, Newt. I’m a geek like the rest, and it’s clearly referencing Germany circa 1939.

In the end, History seems to give Pelosi the win, if only by virtue of her somewhat surprising introduction only towards the very end of the program. Alas! She takes no opportunity to say anything overtly political, as far as I could tell. If only she’d made some comment like, “even the Empire knew when it was time to evacuate from the Death Star (not that Grand Moff Tarkin listened to his advisors, either …)”.