If Michael Moore has taught me anything (*pause for laughter*), it's that we as a society need to start asking tough questions about our leaders and idols. We have to stop blindly accepting orders and free ourselves from the shackles of the dominant culture. Having said that:
What the hell has Wedge Antilles ever done to earn our faith and trust?
The Wedge Factor:
When an unimpressive supporting character receives a dedicated fan following for no reason; typically a character that receives so little screen time that the audience fills in the blanks with awesomeness.
It's a concept similar to the Worf Effect, but I think that the Wedge Factor is a bit deeper (sidebar: I was tempted to dub it the Illegal Wedge, but that was taken).
But despite the acclaim and accolades, Wedge did absolutely nothing in the trilogy. He might as well have been an extra. And I'm not counting his role in the expanded universe book series or the classic N64 game, Rogue Squadron. As far as I'm concerned, that's just extra chapters that border on fan faction, like the unauthorized sequel to Catcher in the Rye or the Book of Mormon.
Let's look back at the extent of Mr. Antilles's contributions to the Rebel Alliance.
Episode IV: He saves Luke's life during the first Death Star attack. He shoots down a TIE fighter, allowing Luke to make his trench run. In this process, Wedge's ship gets damaged and he has to return to base. Now, I don't claim to be a pilot, naval aviator or starship commander, but even I know that you never leave your wingman. DID YOU LEARN NOTHING FROM TOP GUN, WEDGE? GOOOSE!!!
Wedge flies off like a Corellian bitch when even Luke admits that he can't do anymore good back there. And as Wedge flies off, the Imperial pilots have a clear shot...and Vader lets him go. Wedge even isn't worth the ammunition it takes to kill him.
And let's take a moment to think about his plan: Wedge is banged up, so he's going back to his base. The base that is going to be destroyed as soon as the Death Star is in range. Great move, Wedge. Abandon your squadron and take your chances on the flimsy fourth moon of Yavin that is going to be Alderaan-ed in a matter of minutes. In what universe is that a decent strategy? "I know! I'll paddle my life raft back to the Titanic!" You're just being selfish, Antilles. Go down fighting like Red Leader or Jek Porkins.
Episode V: Wedge takes down the AT-AT Walker during the Battle of Hoth. He then gets shot down. The last we hear from him, he's wishing Luke a safe trip to the Dagobah system. Fantastic. He offers good tidings before travel. He's a glorified flight attendant. How does he manage to get off of Hoth? That's another epic tale for Wedgesturbating fanboys to fabricate.
Episode VI: Wedge shoots down a few TIE fighters while Lando does the heavy lifting. Wedge is later seen taking part in the victory party on Endor. What a fair weather team member. He's the special teams captain who shows up at the Super Bowl afterparty, expecting to get laid because he didn't screw up any longsnaps during the game.
So to recap: He shot down a few ships. He tripped up a giant robot camel. He leaves his wingman alone in the face of certain demise. He offers no great one liners ("What about that tower?" honestly?) or any sizable contributions to society. His action figure isn't particularly stellar. His greatest accomplishment is that he survived both Death Star attacks, but all that proved is that he's a better pilot than Biggs.
He ASSISTED in two Death Star explosions without ever actually causing any damage. He's the Steve Nash of trench runs. Two MVP awards, no rings.
But people WORSHIP Wedge Antilles, placing him on a pedestal higher than any other Rebel pilot. There is a strange geek-crush on he and Boba Fett (but that's another whole dissertation about why millions of fans flock to Boba Fett. Even after he gained fame and appeared in the prequels, HE DID NOTHING)
Face the facts, friendos. Wedge is a do-nothing who only gains fame from his undue reputation. When put into a combat situation, he does the bare minimum. Despite the fact that he has accomplished nothing, he gets awards for some reason. And people are willing to vote for him and offer him accolades.
Remind you of anyone?
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