May the Fourth Be with You
What? May 4th has been recognized as “Star Wars Day” almost since the franchise started in 1977. It’s derived from the film’s line: “May the Force be with you.”
So What? Star Wars is so ingrained in pop culture that you may already know all about this unofficial holiday. However, between debates of who shot first (Han totally did) and whether or not Ewoks are cute (they’re adorable), some families may forget the deeper spiritual implications of Star Wars.
Now What? Luckily, Plugged In has you covered. In addition to our reviews of Star Wars’ many entities, Kennedy Unthank’s latest blog, “The Theology of … Star Wars,” unpacks the Light and Dark sides of the Force, as well as the eastern spirituality that inspired them and how those worldviews compare to Christian ones.
Fun Fact: The first recorded use of this phrase was May 4th, 1979, the day after Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Her party took out a newspaper ad reading: “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations.”
‘It’s Gonna Be May’ Meme History
What? In 2000, boy band NSYNC released smash hit “It’s Gonna Be Me,” wherein singer Justin Timberlake pronounced the word “me” as “may.”
So What? On April 30th, 2012, Timberlake became a meme sensation when an image of him paired with the phrase “It’s gonna be May!” appeared on Tumblr to announce the forthcoming month. Since then, social media feeds have been flooded with variations of the meme every April and May.
Now What? The “It’s Gonna Be May” meme is actually one of the internet’s more innocent memes. And Timberlake has joked that the mispronunciation haunts him to this day. But this can also serve as an opportunity to teach your kids about what they reshare online. While some memes, such as this one, are just silly ways to participate on social media, others can be harmful or inappropriate—such as “Bad Luck Brian,” which became a source of defecation and masturbation jokes, or “Scumbag Steve,” which is widely known for marijuana references.
What’s the Deal with OnlyFans?
What? OnlyFans is an adult website wherein creators charge a subscription fee for access to their photos and videos, most of which are explicit. Although according to The Times, the site has tried to “broaden its appeal beyond pornography to content posted by celebrities and sports stars.”
So What? OnlyFans requires users to be 18 or older. However, Ofcom (the United Kingdom’s media watchdog) is investigating the site for flaws in its age-verification process which are allegedly allowing minors to view explicit content.
Now What? Obviously, parents should be aware of OnlyFans and the harmful content it contains. But the site has also been referenced in a number of TV shows and films (South Park, Solar Opposites, Abbott Elementary), the primary joke being that people (mostly women, mostly teachers) supplement their poor incomes as OnlyFans creators. And parents should be wary if their kids start using the joke themselves as it could be hurtful to the target (if untrue) or raise a red flag for inappropriate conduct.