It pains me to say it, but it’s true.  Quoting Star Wars is no longer the secret hand shake between geeks that it once was. 

Star Wars references have become so pervasive that they have lost all meaning. 

Where once a witty “these aren’t the droids you’re looking for” showed that someone shared the same interests as you, and wasn’t afraid to share them in public; now the offhand reference only shows that you haven’t been living under a rock for the last 10 years, and you know what the internet is.

I’m not yearning for some idyllic past where nerds could feel accepted just by quoting movie lines to their close friends, or know a poser for their failure to know the proper shibboleth. 

Rather, Star Wars serves as an example of how we build community and create bonds through shared experiences. When that shared experience loses its exclusivity, the community it represents breaks down. 

The ways in which Star Wars is being used today, are so far removed from the original sentiment, that it is almost comical. 

So next time you see someone wearing a Star Wars t-shirt, don’t expect to be able to bond over your hatred of Jar-Jar, or debate whether or not the Rebels committed Genocide against private contractors when the blew up the second death star. 

A much better phrasing of what I am trying to say can be found in Patton Oswalt’s essay on the death of Otaku.