R2-D2 Cookie Jar – Painted Ceramic, 1977
Is this the droid you’re looking for? You’re not the only one! In 1977, Twentieth Century Fox moved to capitalize on the immediate success of Star Wars, flooding stores with merchandise of all kinds. This cookie jar was part of the “New Hope” collection featuring R2-D2 and C-3PO that was produced by Roman Ceramics. It’s probably no surprise that lovable R2 was the most popular!
What is it about R2-D2 that we just love? He never says a single word through all nine episodes, and is basically a trash can with wheels, but people cannot get enough of the astromech droid. Fans went crazy for R2, knitting winter hats that looked like him, building computer cases that resembled his body, collecting cookie jars of him, as well as countless other items. There is just something about this stubby little droid with his playful beeps and whistles that works its way into people’s hearts.
George Lucas even considered R2 as the saga’s hero! During an interview Lucas explained that R2 was the true hero of the series in terms of actions, saying “Whenever there’s a pivotal moment of real danger, he’s the one that gets everybody out of it.” The droid is the only one that consistently displayed the actions of a hero.
Wait a minute, why would R2 be the hero instead of the Skywalkers? Or Rey? Or Han? The little droid did play an important role throughout the saga. He took part in some of the most significant battles in the galaxy and repeatedly got his friends out of some potentially dire situations, often at the last minute. His fierce loyalty to his friends and his strong sense of right and wrong were expressed through his actions. He never hesitated and never stopped trying to protect his friends and keep them safe. He could always be counted on to do what was right.
Ok, but C-3PO is a droid too with some of the same characteristics, so why do we love R2-D2 more than him? This could have to do with the idea that the more realistic a robot gets, the more we love it… until it gets too close to being human. Suddenly our love for that robot freezes faster than Han did in carbonite. We start to think the robot is creepy, and our minds notice the things that are missing in this humanlike creation. It appears less like a person and more like a zombie that hasn’t quite mastered how to be human. With R2, he suggested human behavior, but was more like a pet that we just want to cuddle.
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