There are few film franchises more iconic or universally accepted among mainstream audiences than Star Wars. Over the last 40 years, the saga from the galaxy far, far away has become a central part of countless lives, and many elements from the films have become part of our collective, everyday existence. In fact, Star Wars is so iconic that a police department in Fort Worth used Imperial stormtroopers for awesome comedic effect in its recruitment video. Check it out below to see for yourself!
If you're even remotely familiar with the Star Wars mythos, this Facebook video should instantly make sense to you. The clip begins with a stormtrooper at a firing range, flanked by a police officer. He fires his blaster repeatedly down range, but can never seem to make any of his shots land on target. As this continues, the police officer becomes increasingly frustrated as he continuously tells the stormtrooper to stop "jerking the trigger." Eventually the stormtrooper challenges the cop to do better, at which point the Fort Worth police officer draws his sidearm and empties his clip into the bulls eye of the target.
Losing his mind due to his inability to hit the target, the stormtrooper walks closer and closer, but he can never seem to hit the mark. Eventually he turns to face the police officer instructing him, and almost shoots him in the process. Luckily he misses (as stormtroopers are wont to do) and the video ends with information regarding how to sign up for the Fort Worth police academy.
Overall, the response to his video has been fairly positive online. Most Facebook users who have commented on the clip saw the humor in it, and it's generally become embraced for its lighthearted depiction of a profession not known for humor. In fact, some people have even chimed in and claimed that they want to sign up for the Fort Worth police academy after seeing the video. That's Don Draper-level advertising, if you ask me.
Embracing elements of pop culture in order to create a stronger sense of unity with the community has become an increasingly popular method for police departments around the country -- particularly with regards to social media use. For example, earlier this year another police department similarly took to Facebook and advertised a brand new partnership with Batman in order to fight the creepy clowns that seemed to sweep over the nation. If nothing else, this definitely seems to show an increasing willingness by public organizations to utilize commonly accepted facets of pop culture in their advertisements.
As always, CinemaBlend will bring you all of the latest and greatest Star Wars news as more information becomes available to us. The terminally inaccurate stormtroopers will make their next appearance when Rogue One: A Star Wars Story blasts its way into theaters on December 16! Stay tuned for more cool details!
