The Enduring Legacy of Star Wars with Kyle Olson

Make Me A Nerd with Mandy Kaplan

In this week's episode of "Make Me A Nerd," host Mandy Kaplan welcomes her friend and fellow podcaster Kyle Olson to discuss his deep love for all things Star Wars. Kyle, a self-proclaimed geek who considers his fandom a core part of his identity, shares his passion for George Lucas's groundbreaking 1977 space epic, Star Wars: A New Hope.

As children of the 80s, both Mandy and Kyle grew up in the era of Spielberg and Lucas blockbusters that brought a new level of cinematic entertainment to the masses. Kyle explains how Star Wars and other "nerd" properties have since become mainstream pop culture juggernauts, with comic conventions drawing crowds rivaling the populations of small cities.

For their discussion, Kyle had Mandy watch the "4K77" version of Star Wars - a fan restoration of the original 1977 theatrical cut, before Lucas's controversial later changes and additions. Mandy recalls her own early Star Wars memory, amazing her mom as a toddler by pointing out Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Chewbacca in a store window display.

Join Mandy and Kyle as they dive deep into the Star Wars that started it all, and Kyle attempts to awaken the Force within his friend and indoctrinate her into the ways of this landmark sci-fi saga. It's a heartfelt and humorous conversation about childhood nostalgia, the mainstreaming of geek culture, and how the universal themes and iconography of Star Wars continue to captivate audiences over four decades later.

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