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Listener Mailbag: April 9, 2012

Posted by Eric on April 9, 2012 at 12:00 PM CST

In this edition: Celebration VI tips and planning, thoughts on homosexuality in Star Wars games, "Where's Kitster?", and more.

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Where's Kitster?


Seriously, where is he?

/Tomas



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Celebration VI Tips

I know I'm VERY early BUT I'm starting to get excited about Celebration VI this summer. Below are some lessons learned after attending my first Star Wars Celebration in 2010!

Stepping out of your comfort zone

If you are the shy type, Don’t be! Step out of your comfort zone, there’s a star wars fan within arm’s reach. You have something in common with about 30,000 other people there...Star Wars! So TALK to people! I have observed that star wars fans are EXTREMELY friendly so strike up a conversation...You may end up with a bunch of new friends for years to come!

Not being shy applies as well when meeting Star Wars celebrities (ForceCast hosts included). This may be your only opportunity to meet some of these people, who we all admire, so don’t blow it. As Jimmy Mac would say: MAKE IT GOOD! But seriously, relax, be yourself and it will be fine!

Also be respectful of their time and of those people behind you in the lineup.

Sign here please

Have a plan for the autograph tables, get your autograph tickets in advance to save time - AT CV I wanted to get all the Clone Wars actors that were in attendance, that was my goal and I succeeded, with some clever “camping” in front of the autograph tables! :)

As a side note: This is just a personal preference, but I found that the glossy photos sold by Official Pix were much better than the standard printed paper; it makes for a nicer looking autograph for framing in the end and is only a few dollars extra, but EXTREMELY worth it!!

High End "Kalectables"

Create a prioritized list of collectibles you want to purchase. I had a goal at CV: I wanted to get the 4 remaining Hasbro Jedi council figure box sets that I needed, so I hunted them down one by one, when I got back home I opened them all up, fit them together and proudly displayed the entire set! :)

Shipping directly from the convention hall can be more expensive, if your hotel is close by and it has a shipping outlet inside the hotel, save your money and bring your items back there to ship, it’s generally cheaper.

Feel, don’t think

Create your own customized schedule of events/panels you want to attend, be flexible as things can and will change, make sure you get times and locations correct! You don’t want to confuse a scrap booking panel for a Clone Wars Season 5 panel with Dave Filoni (no offense to the scrapbookers)!

Take some time to breathe it all in, it can go by so fast, make sure to stop and enjoy it. For those that haven’t been to a Celebration, the best way for me to describe it is like being surrounded by Star Wars 24/7. It’s like an altered reality, and you won't want it to end!

Remember, it’s impossible to do everything, so make sure to prioritize the things you REALLY want to do!

Pumped up kicks

Wear the proper footwear as you will be on your feet for long stretches of time in lines and on the convention floor. You need support -- something comfortable on your feet.

Dress comfortably as well. Florida is HOT and humid in August! Remember to stay hydrated!

Experience the night life

There are tons of fan parties every night. Don’t be afraid to get out and mingle. If that's not your thing, there’s bound to be Star Wars movies playing back at the Digital Theater, so kick back with a few hundred other people and enjoy!

Eating on the run

Remember to eat. Bring protein and/or granola bars if you have to, as there really isn’t much time to eat.

Hygiene

I can't stress it enough: Be hygienic. Shower in the mornings before hitting the con floor; your con mates will thank you! Bring gum and/or breath mints, especially if you are going to be talking to people after a chili dog with extra onions!

Have you seen this boy?

Last but not least, in the Hasbro panels (and beyond) don’t forget to ask: Where's Kitster?"

Faithful ForceCast listener,

Will Melay from St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada



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Homosexuality in Star Wars Games

Hello Jason and Jimmy,

Long time listener and long time Star Wars fan. I love listening to your show every week. I thought I'd e-mail you regarding a subject that is near and dear to my heart...well...three....homosexuality, gaming, and Star Wars.

I have been a Star Wars fan all my life and got into gaming because of Star Wars and I hope to approach game design as a future career.

I have been a homosexual for several years since going through my puberty a few years back. It upsets me as I look around and find so many places are not accepting of people like myself. The Star Wars community was one such place where I could not feel victimised because of my sexuality. Until now.

These articles have hurt me as a Star Wars fan, a gamer, and an individual. I think it is a travesty that Star Wars is being used by political idealists to further their agenda against homosexuality.

I for one support the inclusion of LGBT content in games, especially The Old Republic, and think it's disgusting that people are asking for the content to be removed on the grounds that many children play the game and are being exposed to and "forced as a captured audience to participate in homosexual content." Last I checked, there was no man holding a blaster to the child's head forcing them to choose a homosexual option or even a hetrosexual option. Far be it from us to expose our children to many different cultures and views and to embrace one single (read: narrowminded) way to live your life.

I am proud to see Star Wars setting a good example to the world by showing that it doesn't matter what your sexual orientation is. However, I think it's awful that it is being used as a tool to opress a group of people who just want to live their lives their own way without anyone else getting in the way. It's oppression under the guise of "think of the children," when really, as Jeff Brown (vice president of corporate communications, EA Games) says, "This isn’t about protecting children, it’s about political harassment."

My view is that these people should accept that the world has changed, and silencing our voices is wrong. Cutting out homosexuality as a romance option just because they don't agree with it is wrong. If they were to get their way, what if I said I did not agree with heterosexuality? Would my likes and dislikes be catered to as well?

We live in the 21st century. Contrary to what some people think, it's time we moved on.

Elliot Baker
20
Norwich, England



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Celebration & Disney

Hi Jason & Jimmy Mac,

I think it is time that you start helping with the Celebration prep and I wanted to help those who are combining Celebration with a Disney Parks vacation on a budget.

My husband Mike and I are going to Celebration VI and we are taking my younger brother, Robert, with us who has never been to Disney World. We booked our trip through Delta Vacations and we got a decent deal for Hotel, Rental Car and Airfare. Here is a summary of what we booked:

We are staying at a Downtown Disney Resort hotel. These hotels gives you many of the perks of a Disney Property Hotel, like character breakfasts and package delivery from the parks, but are closer to the Convention Center than many of the budget Disney Owned resorts. Plus, the hotel we picked, The Best Western Lake Buena Vista, has a great place to purchase adult beverages.

We are renting a car with a Premium package that includes all taxes and insurance. The car will make it easier for us to go between the Disney attractions and the Orange County Convention Center. The hotel is very close to the I-4 Freeway which links the Disney Property to the Convention Center. It only takes about 15 minutes to drive from the hotel to the Conventon Center depending on traffic.

Also, at the end of each day, since we will likely not attend any of the cool 501st parties like you two are, we can explore Downtown Disney to eat and shop. This way we can look for any Disney Star Wars merchandise that might not be available at Celebration. For example: We are looking forward to the next Star Wars Disney mini figures mystery pack collecting like we did last year during Disney Star Wars Weekends.

We are also planning on buying a three day Park Hopper pass from the Disney Store instead of booking through the Delta Vacations site. Purchasing the tickets through the Disney Store is about 10% cheaper than buying directly through the Delta Vacations site. This is the best way I know to get the most bang for you buck when buying Disney Park tickets for a shorter stay with or without children in tow.

Well, I hope that this helps get the conversation started.

We are looking forward to meeting you and may the Force be with you always....

Patty from Michigan



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Star Wars Reference in New Movie

Greetings Jason and Jimmy,

My name is Crystal and I am from British Columbia, Canada. The reason I am emailing is this: I just returned from seeing the new Wrath of the Titans movie in 3D and it was EPIC. During the second half of the film, Zeus is talking to Hades and his son Ares. Zeus tells his brother, "I know there is good in you." I thought this was a nice nod to Star Wars and I just thought it was interesting. Well, that's all. Thanks for a great podcast and may the Force be with you.

Crystal



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Thanks to all of this week's mailbag contributors! Keep your emails coming to forcecast@forcecast.net.

Related Stories:

Listener Mailbag: May 10, 2012
Listener Mailbag: May 3, 2012
Listener Mailbag: April 23, 2012
Listener Mailbag: March 31, 2012
Listener Mailbag: March 21, 2012
Listener Mailbag: March 12, 2012


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