Baby Yoda Has the Power to Unite Us All
Despite all our differences, we can agree on one thing: Baby Yoda is the best thing that’s happened to this world in a long time
The world is a mess right now. Conflict is everywhere. People argue over everything. Vaccines, gun control, climate change, impeachment hearings, the controversial ending of Game of Thrones. It’s all one big mess. Everyone hates everyone. But that was until a light shone through the darkness.
The Mandalorian came to Disney Plus and gave the world the wonderfulness that is Baby Yoda.
Yes, Star Wars purists, I know he is not Yoda. Yoda died in Return of the Jedi, which takes place before the Mandalorian. I think. I’m not completely sure. My husband tried to tell me the details but at some point, I stopped listening and it’s all a little vague.
But the details hardly matter when you are looking at this level of cuteness. He is so tiny and his eyes are so big. And he drinks little cups of bone broth and shows his tiny teeth when he’s scared.
I’m even happy just watching his little floating baby stroller go by.
And look at the adorable itty bitty hand!
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jon Favreau attempts to explain the excitement surrounding Baby Yoda. For one thing, he’s a puppet, just like the original Yoda. And when they use CGI, they maintain the movement you would expect in a puppet. “I think a lot of times CG makes itself too obvious where you don’t create parameters creatively that allow the character to keep the same identity and charm.”
They managed to keep this one a secret and the world was able to discover Baby Yoda together. They even held off on producing toys for Christmas. Favreau said by keeping it under wraps, “everybody felt like they discovered him together. That emulated more what my experience growing up was like.”
Baby Yoda toys will not be available until next spring. It is very similar to the excitement of Star Wars in 1977 when children everywhere excitedly opened empty boxes under their trees with a promise of future Star Wars figures. Disney could probably get away with the same thing for Baby Yoda as everyone is clamoring for more of him.
It’s not only the general public that has fallen in love with Baby Yoda. Even the most dedicated Star Wars fans have found little to complain about. Which is rare for Star Wars fans. Ever since the Phantom Menace hit the screens in 1999, they've been complaining.
No, there isn’t much negative buzz among fans regarding Baby Yoda. The biggest complaint is directed against the casual fans, like me, that insist on incorrectly calling him Baby Yoda.
There is a small voice of dissension among the fan base that Disney is exploiting the cuteness factor for the sake of selling merchandise. Blogger Jeremy Gordon believes Baby Yoda is “the product of a merciless capitalist machine bent on one goal: buy our shit.”
Hmm, Jeremy may have a point. But he is one voice against the multitude of Baby Yoda lovers. Yes, Disney may be trying to exploit us all with this big-eyed little creature. But I have such pure joy in watching Baby Yoda, I say, exploit away.
Whether I’m being taken advantage of by Disney or not, I am eagerly awaiting the next installment of The Mandalorian for my Baby Yoda fix. And if we ever learn his actual name, I may start calling him that. Although, I like the name Baby Yoda, and I may just stick with it.
