Objective Analysis - “The Force: Volkswagen Commercial”

In the Volkswagen commercial, entitled “The Force,” a little boy plays the role of Darth Vader, a villain of Star Wars. He runs around his home, as any little boy would, trying to mentally control different objects, without much success. He even tries to manipulate the family dog, as well his mother as she makes him a sandwich. At this point, he’s very disappointed that his imaginary powers aren’t working. Suddenly, his father pulls into the driveway in their 2012 Volkswagen Passat. The little boy runs outside, directly to the front of the car, as if he’s done this many times before. He throws his arms out to try his imaginary powers on the car. At this point, his dad takes the remote to the car from inside the house, and arms the car alarm, allowing his son to believe that his powers armed the car. The director of this commercial presents an accurate representation of a 21^st century family, as most parents will play along with their children to boost their self-esteem.

Although, Darth Vader is a villain from a different generation, younger generations are still aware of this villain due to their parents being such big supporters of these sagas, and because these films have been remade over the years to better suit future generations. This way, Star Wars, as well as its characters, will be remembered for generations to come.

This childhood vignette reveals that, in the families of the 21^st century, young boys often try to play the role of the villain, when role playing. This would suggest that children idolize villains, just as frequently as they idolize heroes. This doesn’t necessarily mean that children are idolizing the negativity of the villain, or the bad behaviors, as they are too young to understand these concepts. This little boy is just being a kid and having a good time.

Video Reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=R55e-uHQna0#!