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Aw...so cute! Photo Stock / Alamy BFA 34 Laurence Russell tracks the A Fistful of Credits: How The intergalactic progress of one of Mandalorian Mastered the 2020’s most popular memes and Space Western discusses what it means for The Mandalorian’s creators. The Mandalorian is one of many spin-off projects created outside of the original Star Wars films that attempts to build an expanded universe, similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) expansion phase that we saw in the early 2010s. Hesmondhalgh’s theories of cultural n November 12th 2019, The industries are relevant here, as both the Marvel Mandalorian, the space-western Star and Star Wars franchises choose to build on Wars spin-off series, was launched on narratives and characters that they know already Othe Disney+ platform in the US, initially have an audience and have been lucrative in to modest acclaim. But its popularity soared the past. Rather than create new worlds and when a certain new character was revealed – a new characters and risk audiences rejecting character likely to outlast the power of mainline them, they commodify what they already own Star Wars figures from the new trilogy. This was of thus minimising risk and maximising profit. course, Baby Yoda. The character is referred to as The Mandalorian was created by Jon Favreau, a the child or the asset, and isn’t the infant version veteran Marvel Studios executive producer and of the Yoda we all know and love (the show is set the director of a number of fairly average science 5 years after Yoda senior’s death) but a juvenile fiction features like Zathura: A Space Adventure version of whatever alien species Yoda was. and Cowboys & Aliens. Dave Filoni, an art and The iconic image of Yoda, modified for animation maestro known for his work on the maximum cuteness, was a genius move of brand highly acclaimed Star Wars animated series The recognition that launched the show into the Clone Wars, Rebels, and more recently Resistance, public consciousness (it isn’t even scheduled co-wrote and directed several episodes. Both men for release in UK until March and even then, had cut their teeth on dynamic science fiction only to Disney+ subscribers). Why and how and developing strong artistic styles, which are such a thing could occur is a remarkable tale of arguably core selling points of Star Wars products. our time, one which requires some context. Unlike the new Star Wars trilogy (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker), The Mandalorian doesn’t endeavour to please all the fans by keeping every possible plate in the narrative spinning all at once. Instead, the series sets the far more modest goal of writing around the The Mandalorian doesn’t action-packed ‘hive of scum and villainy’ of Tatooine, adopting the space-western aesthetic endeavour to please all established in the first act of A New Hope. the fans by keeping every The show centres on an unnamed Mandalorian, a member of an ancient warrior order who possible plate in the now works as a bounty hunter, similar to fan narrative spinning all at favourite Boba Fett. The story is set five years after Return of the Jedi (and 25 years before we once. Instead, the series meet Ray and Finn), during the recovery from sets the far more modest the fall of the empire, in which the New Republic struggles to enforce law in frontier worlds like goal of writing around Tatooine. Setting it during this bittersweet era the action-packed ‘hive feels like a wonderfully nostalgic supplement, or commentary for the original film trilogy of scum and villainy’ of (Star Wars, Return of the Jedi and The Empire Tatooine, adopting the Strikes Back), cathartic background to celebrate the original trilogy, in which desperate aliens space-western aesthetic and weary veterans scramble to make ends established in the first meet in the unstable world left behind by the destruction depicted in the original films. act of A New Hope. The Mandalorian (played by Pedro Pascal) now 35 hunts and captures petty commissioned for the show, depicting the criminals at the edges of environments and character designs used galactic civilisation for a for the episode in question, which the show Public Domain Public living. When he is offered an itself paid detailed attention to, deliberately under-the-table commission recreating and framing scenes exactly as from a mysterious ‘client’ to they were drawn. Putting such emphasis on find and capture a fifty-year- concept art reminds fans of the sense of wonder old target. The Mandalorian and excitement so many of us felt when we reluctantly joins forces with encountered the series for the first time. an IG-series assassin droid (voiced by Taika Waititi who Baby Yoda Meme wrote and directed some The Mandalorian is easy to watch, engaging, episodes) to fight his way to and overflowing with multi-faceted, likeable the bounty. The first episode characters. It had every reason to succeed, but ends on the reveal that the it didn’t just succeed, it thrived. The character bounty signal is originating was revealed in the final moments of the first from a levitating cradle. episode but because hundreds of thousands And inside is the little guy instantly flocked to social media to share the likely to eclipse the entire image of Baby Yoda before most people had narrative: Baby Yoda. even seen the show. At a time when Star Wars In true western style, fatigue was rife amongst the fandom (The Rise the series goes on to The memes captured of Skywalker was largely panned by critics pit our Mandalorian anti-hero against a the spirit of a and fans alike) Baby Yoda quickly became number of challenges and face several ethical generation a meme, one which grew with the show as quandaries, most often regarding the fate of new gifs and meme formats surfaced week Baby Yoda. Like so many classical gunslingers, on week reenergising interest in the franchise the Mandalorian knows it’s foolhardy to start to and driving audiences, who may otherwise not develop emotions in a world where the strong have bothered, to watch The Mandalorian. always find a way to manipulate the weak, but We were treated to such momentary classics is always brought around by a sentimentality as ‘Baby Yoda reaches for something’, ‘Baby that quietly resents but cannot resist. The show Yoda tells Mando to take the shot’, ‘Baby Yoda pulled the world of Star Wars back to its western minds their business sipping soup’, and my roots; a world steeped in scum and villainy in favourite: ‘Baby Yoda keeps turning on Lizzo.’ which gunslinger bounty hunters and wizened The memes appeared to be outpacing wise men linger about innocent homesteads. traditional advertising methods, giving the The series pleased many: it conjured a show a greater degree of recognition than suitably low-stakes Star Wars tale, beautifully similar products such as Solo: A Star Wars imagined with myriad practical and special Story or Rogue One, and no doubt baffling effects. The show’s credits sequences scroll entertainment executives in the process. through a beautiful selection of concept art The ‘Lifecycle’ of Memes Memes can only truly be experienced online, Memes can only truly be in the precise cultural moment in which they emerge. The world of memes is a fleeting, experienced online, in the dreamlike microculture which is difficult to precise cultural moment in which appreciate from the outside-in. Like an in-joke which can run and run (if you’re in on it), from the they emerge. The world of outside it may seem inaccessible and irrelevant. memes is a fleeting, dreamlike The Baby Yoda wave lasted longer than most memes, but the joke had peaked after a few microculture difficult to be weeks. Memetic evolution is often a remarkably observed from the outside- unclear process, with the images often taking on a meaning totally unrelated to the original source in. Like an in-joke which, if text. Like many memes of our day, the evolution you’re in on it can run and run, progressed along an absurdist route, swerving in all directions, and Baby Yoda became something from the outside it may seem of an emblem for Generation Z and millennials. inaccessible and irrelevant. 36 As a young person today watching ed peterson / Flickr ed peterson the world from the internet, it’s hard not to feel like a helpless alien baby, with little influence over the cruel, collapsing galaxy you’re being ferried around. The Baby Yoda memes reflected themes creators respond to the of helplessness in an increasingly unstable meme culture it spawned. world, feelings of weakness or innocence, and Whether the show chooses complexity beneath an unassuming exterior. In to ignore that reputation other words, we loved Baby Yoda, and perhaps we and stay focused on the increasingly chose to see ourselves in them. As narrative they have planned, a young person today watching the world from or whether they attempt the internet, it’s hard not to feel like a helpless to capitalise on its success Twitter alien baby, with little influence over the cruel, might have a direct effect collapsing galaxy you’re being ferried around. on the communities that gave life to the meme, Just one example This subtext is a good example of the ideas who historically despise being pandered to. of the ‘Baby Yoda drinking’ meme put forward by Gauntlett: audiences become Memes are not built in boardrooms to be producers and co-construct culture in a way plastered about like advertising; they are that reflects their identity, as opposed to twisted into shape chaotically, often subtly accepting the representations created by the reflecting the creator.