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S02E42: Giddily Getting to Know Rich Braden
22 Plays11 days ago
I meet a new friend who also loves Star Wars... it's time to get them on this show! Join us as we get to know Rich Braden, a Learning Geeks guest who has made the leap to Short for a Stormtrooper.
Join the Short for a Stormtrooper community!
Discord: https://discord.gg/a89TD3XdFX
Email: SFASpod@gmail.com
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Transcript
Introduction and Star Wars Excitement
00:00:01
Speaker
Let's get to know a new Star Wars fan and let's do it real quick. Aren't you a little short? Aren't you a little short? Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?
00:00:13
Speaker
Welcome back to short for a storm trooper and apologies for, it's not a little tinny.
Host's Chicago Trip and Upcoming Episodes
00:00:19
Speaker
I'm actually in Chicago. I am here for work, but also for pinball expo happening this weekend. And on our next episode, I will have some thoughts with my son Harrison about the new star Wars follow the empire pinball machine.
Meet Rich Braden: New Star Wars Fan
00:00:35
Speaker
But in the meantime, I met a new Star Wars fan, and I thought, I have to have you come on my show. So let me introduce you to Rich Braden, and I'm going to let Rich introduce himself.
00:00:46
Speaker
All right, Rich, welcome. i don't think I could do justice to introducing you, going to ask you to introduce yourself in terms of, like, what's your role? What's your job? You know, what what are you most known for? Right. So, i granted, it's it's a little bit difficult because I've got a wandering path, but...
00:01:04
Speaker
I do primarily two things. One, for the last 15 years, I've been teaching creativity and innovation in a number of different universities. i was based at starbu Stanford in their D school and the business school.
00:01:18
Speaker
i now have gone with a colleague to teach at Harvard, but I've also taught around the world. And in parallel, I've had one foot firmly in doing consulting around the same thing, helping companies and organizations to unlock their creativity and their innovation and really help everyone in the organization create breakthrough solutions.
00:01:38
Speaker
Yeah. So we are really kind of brothers from another mother as far as that goes. I've been a huge fan of the D school for years. Like, i don't know if you can see, I've got like the whole library of the little books.
00:01:50
Speaker
Oh yeah. Those are great books. You know, yeah, those are really good. Really good. You can knock one out in an afternoon, but absolutely. Yeah.
Rich's Star Wars Journey Begins
00:01:58
Speaker
But Hey, this is a star Wars podcast. So that's right. If you want to hear more about the professional stuff, recommend you go to the learning geeks episode, uh, on innovation ish with rich and with Tessa.
00:02:10
Speaker
Uh, but let's talk about star Wars. So tell me about your story as a star Wars fan. Like what are your earliest memories of stars? I have a very distinct early memory of this because it came out in 1977. Yep. And that year I finished my seventh year on the planet on seven, seven, 77. So like there's a lot of sevens in there. Yeah.
00:02:32
Speaker
But we were in a theater in my hometown And i loved everything space and Star Wars. I was that kid who literally like wrote letters at that time to NASA to get the little packets of information about space.
00:02:47
Speaker
So I was totally excited about this movie. And I was also too young to be able to read the scroll. So my mom is reading the scroll to me because it's going by too fast. And I'm like, what's it say? What's it say? Oh, that's so sweet, though. I love that.
00:03:03
Speaker
Yeah, it was great. And it just blew my mind. Yeah. And then everything Star Wars related, like dominated the next several years of my life, birthday parties. And we would rent, like there was a spoof movie called Hardware Wars.
00:03:16
Speaker
Yeah. And we would rent, rent the projector from the library and bring the 16 millimeter film home and play that at birthday parties, like endlessly. So, so now I have a five-year-old and eight-year-old and my, my five-year-old, especially, I tried to get my eight-year-old into it.
00:03:35
Speaker
Not so much. But my five-year-old fell in love with Ray as a character, but which I love because it's a great female role model for him to see to turn him into a great man someday and and how his relationship is. But he sees a strong female character.
00:03:53
Speaker
But we're watching those movies, and he can't read the scroll either. So
Favorite Trilogy and Spin-offs
00:03:57
Speaker
I'm doing the same thing, and I'm reading it to him. And that's one of the things where I realized why I didn't love the prequel as much as I did. I mean, i love the graphics.
00:04:10
Speaker
Of course, I watched them plenty of times, but it wasn't my favorite because as I'm reading the scroll to him, I'm like... the Trade Federation and the Senate and there's all this political stuff that he is not getting at all. He's just sort of looking up at me and I'm like, oh, that's why.
00:04:27
Speaker
And once it gets into the scenes, like Duel of the Fates and the whole scene with the Sith is like one of my favorites is my favorite music. And he's enjoying the whole thing. but it was just a moment of having to read the scrolls to him and the Lego movies don't.
00:04:43
Speaker
So he likes those a lot because it reads it to him. But yeah yeah, he's a big Rey fan. He used to just say, I want to watch Rey. And we'd watch the same movie over and over. Yeah.
00:04:53
Speaker
That is funny about the prequels, though, because, you know, you think about we've been waiting for, what, 16 years since Return of the Jedi for a new movie. And we didn't think we were going to get some. And then we did.
00:05:05
Speaker
and it starts. And it's like... You know, the turmoil has engulfed the galaxy. Okay. The trade federation, you know the, the trade routes are in dispute. Like what, this is going to turn into a Congress thing, but because the tariffs were so complex, the Jedi had to go.
00:05:23
Speaker
yeah What's going on? Right. oh Of course, now you look back on it, it's like, dang, Lucas was prescient. Like, you know, just kind of what's going on right now. so Oh, right? Right now.
00:05:34
Speaker
but Let's not care. This is a political podcast either, but yeah. um ah Well, the thing I really, actually, the thing I don't like about the prequel is the thing that I also appreciate about it because it is very different than the original trilogy.
00:05:51
Speaker
And I felt like, while I like the sequel a lot more, and I love Rey, which I know is controversial, but um it is, it looked like it was trying hard not to copy the original trilogy a lot harder.
00:06:07
Speaker
was like, here, we're not on Hoth, we're in space, as we sit in one place, and there's a battle going on while some Jedi stuff happens. And so... I like the differentiation, but I i just can't get over. i love, I mean, I think mostly I love the acting from Daisy Ridley on that character. I thought her, she's just incredible. That was the thing that really struck me yeah first.
00:06:32
Speaker
Yeah. Was that. I mean, I would even say like for myself, like all three of them, yeah and but all three of the main actors, well, four, if you include, um, uh, if you include Adam driver, but right. I don't think I've ever told this story on this podcast is when I was watching episode seven for the first time.
00:06:51
Speaker
And we got to that moment at the beginning when he's cornered Poe and Poe looks at him goes, so who talks first? Do you talk first? Do I talk first? Yeah. And I literally teared up because I was like, we've got that snappy patter back that I loved so much from the main characters in the first movies and just yeah got completely lost in the prequels. And yes, I got very happy about that.
00:07:16
Speaker
So yeah, you're coming from. I think I had a little nostalgic cry in my heart. that it was all these new characters because I loved the old ones so much.
00:07:26
Speaker
Yeah. And time moves on and there's a new generation. And I thought they did a great job of bringing a lot of that. Like that, a lot of Poe is is Han Solo.
00:07:38
Speaker
Yes, absolutely. Right? That sort of wry, sarcastic, like I'm going to skate through this somehow. And and that that moment and the the voicemail where he's like pretending he has a voicemail.
00:07:52
Speaker
So brilliant. And I love the new characters. And i I look forward to, I think, more of that. I had a similar thing. It's a different podcast. But around some of the Next Generation and some of the Star war start Trek stuff, when they had to turn things over. But, I mean, you do.
00:08:09
Speaker
actors get older they can't play the same roles anymore yeah yeah and you can't keep recycling you know mean yeah i like i really like star trek strange new worlds a lot i really i really do but you know it's like how many iterations now of james kirk this is the third one right and like yeah it's getting little old yeah yeah it's hard to extend I think, because in that world also, start Trek Discovery was like, well, let's just sort of give ourselves an out to completely create an entirely new thing. And it's really a new series rooted in Star star Trek.
00:08:46
Speaker
And I think that's kind of a... I mean, I'm still going to watch it. Yeah, for sure. Because I love it all. But it felt like it was an easy out. yeah So
Family Star Wars Traditions
00:08:56
Speaker
i'm I'm curious. I've really enjoyed the...
00:08:59
Speaker
the backstory films that sort of filled things in like ah Rogue One and- And Solo. And Solo, absolutely. Yeah. and And I love the shows, ah most of them.
00:09:13
Speaker
I mean, I think helping to fill in that universe, because I think the, I mean, between the fan fiction and ah all of the other books, there's such a giant universe out there and it's all, people have done a lot of good creative work to connect it. And so it's fun to explore that and see that in an easily accessible way.
00:09:30
Speaker
Yeah. So you mentioned the movies, the TV shows, yeah any other Star Wars media, like do you read but the books? Do you play the games, anything? I think we are about to enter the era of playing those games. Okay.
00:09:44
Speaker
I have been waiting for eight years now for my kids to grow up and be like be ready for that kind of game and not like popping bubbles and and all those other things. So, um yeah, I think we're just about there. I haven't ah in my adult life in in a while, but I am really looking forward to this. And we've got some action figures now. Nice.
00:10:07
Speaker
It's like I get my my second chance at this whole universe again, and I'm really excited about it. Yeah. Well, you mentioned you were watching Rebels again with your son. Was this the first time you've watched through Rebels? or First time I've seen Rebels. Oh, okay. I've seen most of the animated, but ah I hadn't seen that one.
00:10:27
Speaker
And I heard it on your podcast talking to somebody else, and that... that was like an entry point for one of the kids to to come in and really get excited about it. was kids. oh That's where they really started finally liking it.
00:10:38
Speaker
Yeah. Because I had a similar thing to your oldest kid. Like I had a hard time getting my kids into it and then I had to stop. Yeah. And then with Rebels, they finally got it. So i'm I'm secretly hoping my eight-year-old will ah well catch on in that one. I might try
Mandalorian Trailer Thoughts
00:10:54
Speaker
it again with her.
00:10:55
Speaker
the The only thing I got her to do is she went as Rey as a Halloween costume one year. And then a couple years later, we have not cut my hair son's hair yet. And he it is super long and we could do the Ray haircut with his.
00:11:09
Speaker
And he was just like such a fan. He went as Ray as a Halloween costume last year. love that He was stoked. I'll have to send you pictures. That's so great. Well, hey, what are you looking forward to coming out? Cause we've got the Mandalorian and Grogu. Did you happen to catch the trailer?
00:11:24
Speaker
I did do. Yeah. I,
00:11:29
Speaker
I think I have some mixed feelings. There were a couple pieces where I was just like, eh, that's like, it felt a little too Disney compared to what, like, the especially the first couple seasons of the series was. But, like, some of the comic stuff with GroGro, I think they're, they're,
00:11:48
Speaker
but it went a little too Jar Jar Binks for me. um Yeah. And I think there's going to be some good stuff, but I'm really excited to see the next chapter in that universe. i I have readily enjoyed it. yeah so That was very similar to my take, right? like Oh, yeah? first Yeah, my first take through, I was kind of like, huh I'm not so sure about this. little too much baby, little too much Babu Frick.
00:12:12
Speaker
Yeah. And then I started thinking a little bit more about it. Like like what really got me was seeing... it was seeing the logo at the end and seeing how pulpy that was. And like, okay, now, you know, even with the title, The Mandalorian and Grogu, now all of a sudden it feels like a 1940s adventure serial. And if that's what they're there for, I'm all here for it.
00:12:34
Speaker
so Actually, my my reaction when I saw the poster was like, oh, it's Raiders of the Lost Grogu. Yeah, right. It's like totally that sort of campy thing. And it is a sort of space Western vibe. So I think that will be fun. um it's a Yeah, it's a little overdone. I just hope they don't – I hope we've seen the little funny comic bits in the preview and it isn't throughout.
00:13:01
Speaker
Right. right yeah Because I think that's the sort of sellable thing. Yeah, that's what I was hoping too. Whoever edited that trailer together was over-indexing on the cute and funny, and you know yeah that won't necessarily be representative.
00:13:14
Speaker
Yeah,
Future Star Wars Adventures
00:13:15
Speaker
yeah. I mean, I liked Babu Frick as a character as well, and it just didn't really resonate for me. They had to put the little tag in of, oh, what is it, like, nice shot baby or something like that.
00:13:26
Speaker
And it's like... Yeah. To ah just a little too much. Yeah. I'm sure in the moment it'll be fine, but. Yeah. Yeah. a Yeah. So, um, yeah Hey, have you brought your kids to Disney, to the Disney parks for.
00:13:42
Speaker
We just were talking about, I hope they don't hear this now. We were just talking about that because my daughter loves Harry Potter. about doing a one day at Star Wars, one day at at Harry Potter World um thing and seeing when we might be able to fit that in this fall. At first, it was ah maybe that's a birthday present.
00:14:01
Speaker
But ah yeah, I'm really excited. I have not. Oh, I guess I did see in Disney World. I saw the The Resistance and I went on, I don't remember, the one big ride. The man the rise Rise of the Resistance is the that big ride.
00:14:16
Speaker
yeah Yeah, that was the one. um And I loved the whole thing. I was there for work and it was happened to be conference at the... at Disney World. And so I just got like a little taste of it, but I thought it was so well done. and I think both my kids will really appreciate it. And I'm really excited to do that.
00:14:33
Speaker
Yeah, that'd be great.
Conclusion and Farewell
00:14:35
Speaker
All right. Thanks again to Rich for joining us and we will have him back again sometime. In the meantime, we'll see you next week with a live from Chicago podcast. Until then, please hit like, hit subscribe. It really helps drive the show up the algorithm. May the force be with you. We'll see soon.
00:14:53
Speaker
Who's got mindless toys to do? Podcasts, hope you see them through. Star Wars is your favorite unit. Let's chat for 15 minutes. Aren't you a little short?
00:15:03
Speaker
Aren't you a little short? Aren't you a little short for sporn trooper? Aren't you a little short for us?