Home » Reading & Literature » J.R.R. Tolkien » Can Middle-earth survive the commercialization of Tolkien?

Can Middle-earth survive the commercialization of Tolkien?

© Michael Martinez

Even STAR WARS afficionados love to compare Lucas to Tolkien. "Oh, yeah, Obi-Wan Kenobi is Gandalf, and Luke is Frodo". The Death Star, I suppose, is Smaug. Or maybe Barad-dur (both are brought down by relatively unknown heroes). It's impossible to know what will happen when the movies come out, but there may be a revival in Tolkien-like fiction (or Tolkien-wannabe fiction, as some have called it -- no one seems to be able to write like Tolkien). Television will probably join in the fray with the introduction of new fantasy series. Will they be licensed from Zaentz or just lookalike shows? Will they be serious productions intended for a general, world-wide audience (ala Hercules and Xena) or will they show up on Nickolodean, the Disney Channel, and FoxKids Network? I can see Arwen pendants and bracelets, Galadriel rings, Aragorn cloaks, and Frodo phials coming out of stores in happy little children's shopping bags. Sam's cooking gear may inspire a whole new generation of chefs (such that thirty years from now fine restaurants around the world will offer "Herbs and Stewed Rabbit"). Australia will finally have a new solution for its legendary rabbit problem (if they haven't permanently solved it already). Will "The Lord of the Rings" movies walk off with any academy awards? How will Peter Jackson open his acceptance speech? "I'd like to thank J.R.R. Tolkien, whom I believe is residing with Iluvatar, perhaps enjoying a replay of the Music of the Ainur." Will Elijah Wood get Best Actor? Will Ian McKellan get Best Supporting Actor? Will the soundtrack go platinum overnight? Will Liv Tyler establish the standard for Elven maidens in filmdom for the next fifty years? When our children and grandchildren are rifling our attics and they come across our collections of Lord of the Rings CDs, Aragorn and Arwen posters, Anduril replicas, Phials of Galadriel (which no longer glow in the dark because the chemicles have long since congealed into useless muck), and Ring of Power plates, will they understand what inspired all the hoopla and commemoration? Will they see past the commercial value of antique movie artifacts and remember that Frodo gave his life for a whole world, the most of which he never had a chance to see? Will they recall the sad beauty of Galadriel singing farewell to Frodo and his companions, hoping he'll find healing at the end of his journey? Will they understand that Gandalf was more than just a crotchety old guy -- that he made a career out of fighting for hopeless causes in the hope of bringing about the final victory?