I agree that Star Wars has always been merchandised to death and was a "sell-out" from "year one" of the franchise. However, is that not "American"? Wouldn't America's biggest modern myth be merchandised and sold like crazy? As nutty as it sounds, I believe this element to Star Wars makes it even more of a quintessential element to America's cultural and "mythological" (if I may use the word) heritage...we are a bombastically consumerist culture after all, are we not?

Yes, The Holiday Special and much of the marketing-related products from Star Wars are just outright terrible. However, Lucas pretty much denounced the Holiday Special nearly the second after he saw the finished product (if I remember correctly) and it was never ever aired again (officially) besides it's original TV broadcast in 1978. Yes, it's a huge black-hole in the franchise, perhaps worse than anything Star Wars that has come since (besides Boba's introduction), but it was only on for one-day.

The Prequels and The new Clone Wars show have been on...repeatedly and are very much a part of Lucas's canon. They are not going away anytime soon...

Star Wars will always be merchandised to death as long as the franchise is alive. I just hope the action figures, oven mitts, dolls, replicas, and undergarments represent characters, vehicles, planets, and settings of quality television shows/films/books/comics!

To clarify, Star Wars isn't art. I don't consider it that way in the least. But it is a definitive film series to this nation's cultural history, and, as I see it, our modern myth. I would rather it not continue to degrade (as I believe it is).

I greatly appreciate the added history about how Star Wars wasn't always "perfect" or utopian even in the beginning. It's vital any fan of the franchise know of the "early bird box", The Star Wars Holiday Special, the campy cast interviews and specials, and of course, the excessive merchandising and tie-ins.