Star Wars Kid

SWBookZone Review:
Despite its nerdiness, the candid energy of Star Wars Kid captures the spirit of Star Wars fandom.

Star Wars Kid is one of the most watched Star Wars YouTube videos of all time and according to BBC, the footage has been viewed 900 million times (as of November 2006). The video shows a kid awkwardly swinging around a metal rod as if it were a lightsaber. Some see the film as a cruel or embarrassing display of geekdom. I personally think that the raw, unrestrained footage of the kid aimlessly swinging around a metal rod is, in a way, touching. Why? Because who didn't swing objects around like that?

The bigger controversy about Star Wars Kid relates to its release. The kid shown in the film, Ghyslain Raza, did not post the video himself. Two fellow classmates had stumbled onto the video in the school's media room and decided to post the footage online as a prank. As the video went viral, Raza's classmates began teasing him and strangers started recognizing him. Raza sued his classmates and ultimately settling out of court.

Yes he his lightsaber swining looks silly, but nonetheless with millions of views and dozens of spinoff videos, the iconic Star Wars Kid video has carved out a role for itself in viral video history.

Overall Grade: Not Rated

Awards/Distinctions:
13.9 million views on YouTube (as of August 21, 2009)
900 million views on the internet (estimated as of November 2006)