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One Last Campout for Star Wars Fans
theodp writes "27-year-old graphic artist Jeff Tweiten lives on a periwinkle blue, fold-out futon on the sidewalk in front of the Cinerama Theatre in downtown Seattle. He is not homeless, but camping out for 139 days. Waiting. For what, you wonder? Tweiten is waiting for Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, which opens May 19. And yes, he's keeping a blog. 14 days down. 125 to go." In other Star Wars news: dbottaro writes "Who wants a JL421 Badonkadonk? NAO Design has built a functional Sandcrawler, ala Star Wars Episode IV. Complete with blaster-deflecting sidewalls, full interior carpeting, seating for five and a 400 watt stereo system." Reader dankinit writes "For all you Star Wars fans, a Darth Tater Mr. Potato Head will be released in February by Hasbro Inc. The new covers for the Episode III books due out a month before the movie were also posted today."
According to the friendly article, his life is not one big homage to "Star Wars," he says, and he has plenty of other interests, including classical music, modern dance, fine dining, dive bars, working out and reading about contemporary art.
Rock that crushes, Paper & Scissors that don't matter.
Just to let every one know i should have some nice tee shirts up online in a few day.
From the Seattle PI article...
To pass the time, he writes in a journal, posts to his blog, chats on the phone and touches up old stories from past "Star Wars" campouts, in hopes that, perhaps, a book deal will be extended one day.
He truly has the SW spirit of making a buck anywhere possible. George would be proud.
I think he is unemployed
did you forget to take your meds?
Here is a great letter I just got.
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to you in regards to, arguably, the world's greatest Star Wars fan, Jeff Tweiten. This name may not mean anything to you, but you may recall his exploits: Jeff was one of the guys who waited in line for over three and a half months outside Seattle's Cinerama for Star Wars Episode II.
Well now Jeff is at it again. As of January 1st, Jeff set his ass down on the concrete, and he's been there ever since. He will be there, in fact, for over five months until 'Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith' is released. I believe he allows himself ten-fifteen minutes a day to shower across the street at a Hotel (someone saves his space in "line"), but other than that, Jeff is Seattle's latest fixture: an odd mix of devotion, philosophy, and human spectacle. Most people, of course, think of this stunt as ridiculous, and the knee-jerk reaction is always to write him off as some type of lunatic fanatic.
I am writing to you because this is not the case, and someone with prominence in the science-fiction/fantasy community needs to take notice of him. Briefly: Jeff is not an attention-seeker or a local media hound, he will continue his wait with or without any recognition from the wider world; rather, Jeff is someone who, as odd as it may seem to conventional society, feels deeply motivated by the idea of "waiting" for things of value, and in a consumer driven, materialistic culture he sees as spiritually drained, this is where he's putting his time and energy down as a worthy investment. All Star Wars fans are moved by how these films capture mythic themes of heroism, discipline, and inner strength, but I would wager that very few of them have been as thoroughly transformed by these ideals as Jeff Tweiten.
I can tell you this: I have had the pleasure of meeting many astounding and impressive spiritual 'masters' in my time - I have my Masters of Divinity from Columbia's Union Theological Seminary, and I worked for many years with the Venerable Lama Pema Wangdak here in New York City and throughout India, but until the day I die, Jeff will be in my own personal top 5 list of the most creative and uniquely powerful individuals I have ever met. A successful artist from Bainbridge Island, Jeff's genius comes not only from his talent, but from that unique ability to truly transcend the opinions of contemporary society in his path to let imagination re-create him. I recognize that this still sounds like a raving fanboy at best, and a complete lunatic at worst, but here's the proof that Jeff's the real thing. Are you ready? JEFF WAITED OUTSIDE IN LINE FOR A MOVIE FOR OVER FOUR MONTHS! And now he's at it again!! I don't think any of us can really have an accurate idea of what this entails. The elements, the mental and physical demands alone would surely weed out anyone who was simply crazy or posturing. Jeff is neither, and maintains his vigil with grace, compassion, and humor.
Remember: while I'm writing this, Jeff is out on the street. He's out on the street while you're reading this, too, and while you go for lunch, forget about all of this for a few hours, and then revisit it again in your mind, Jeff is still out there, right now, on the street, waiting for Star Wars. You may very well forget about this for months, and > it won't be until April that you'll think about it again, but Jeff will still be there, constant, disciplined, a mad hatter bodhisattva manifesting as the one thing all the stuffed shirts out there will be sure to mock and look over: a sci-fi fanboy on crusade, a modern Don Quixote who is unimpressed by the siren appeals of modern culture, and instead has chosen to wait for something of true value and excitement. Whatever any of us - or him - feels about the Star Wars films, (I know his favorite is still 'Empire Strikes Back') is irrelevant, it is the ideals behind these images that moves him, and it is to these timeless and unpopular ideals that he has committed himself. Jeff is not without a sense
Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate. Ex-O'Reilly/MIT employee, now a full-time Google employee.
Hasn't he seen the first two?
Unfortunately, I am not Wil Wheaton
...TWENTY YEARS AGO, when these movies were actually good! Now look at them. He's waiting for THAT?
hmeh!
Usually we make fun of these extremist geeks by saying they'll never get laid. In this case, I think it's a given. Public indecency laws....
If he wants to be brave, he should camp out wearing a Jar Jar mask during the whole time. Chances are he'll succumb to injuries from being kicked to death by the 43rd day.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Agile Artisans
...not just engineering rejects but industrial design rejects too.
Beep beep.
Reworded to something more like reality: According to the friendly article, his life is not one big homage to "Star Wars," he says, and he has plenty of other interests, including classical music [johnwilliamsmoviethemes.com], modern dance [jedifightingschool.org], fine dining [starwarscantina.com], dive bars [see previous entry], working out [see jedifightingschool again] and reading about contemporary art [starwarsasciiart.com]
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Anyone want to teach this geek a lesson?
If we all club together, we could raise funds to pay-off the cinema to NOT show the film on its opening night?
Hasn't this boy heard of torrents?
He can watch the movie at home the night it opens..
Doh!
I think this is just a publicity stunt and he'll be gone in a few days once he gets his name in all the papers.
I have to agree on the publicity stunt thing, I think it's kinda clear this guy desperately needs attention (personally, i find that people who do things only for the purpose of generating attention to themselves pretty damn annoying). I don't think he'll be gone in a few days though; this guy strikes me as the kinda guy who is going to milk this thing for all (he thinks) its worth. I mean, this guy thinks enough of his stunt that he is publishing a "blog" about it and is entertaining the possibility of a book deal.
Can you say "delusions of grandeur?"
Geez. All he needs to do is spend the amount of time he would have spent in line at a gym, and by the time the movie comes out, he'll be so buff and fearsome to all the ubernerds, he can just walk up to the front of the line, announce cutsies, and voila. Also he will probably be healthier, and far more attractive to the opposite sex thereafter, albeit still with the geekiness and the sabers and leia in the bikini glayven.
When you hear about someone like this, who feeds them? How the hell can you take 139 days out of your life and still have a house? Or insurance? Or a job?
Yes, I know the standard /. answer is that he lives in his mom's basement and she takes care of him...but is that actually true?
How the @#@##% do you go on a 139 day hiatus and return to your life afterwards???
Weaselmancer
rediculous.
He's been called a loser, a geek, a Peter Pan who refuses to grow up and get a life. A few days ago, someone called him a "bum" for the first time.
"I don't really care how people label me," Tweiten says. "If they are so narrow-minded and can only see that one aspect of me, I kind of pity them."
I'm not narrowminded. My mind is so wide, I can't decide wether to label him a loser, a geek, a Peter Pan or a bum. Hey, I think I'll label him every single one of those, right at the same time. he!
He's quoted at the end of the article:
"But I don't want to regret not doing this. If I end up not making it, and my will is broken, and I go home, at least I'll have tried."
But yet earlier in the article:
"Probably the most elemental meaning he derives from the movies' various editions is Yoda's, "Do or do not. There is no try."
It fits in with his approach to life: "If you're going to do something, do it right. Don't half-ass it.""
when these movies were actually good! Now look at them. He's waiting for THAT?
Dude! Haven't you heard? In this one, they're gonna surf on lava!
And now I'm late for the head of the line... I gotta get my tent!
You can't take the sky from me...
This is one sad, sad motherfucker.
"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." -- Goethe
Only because he thinks Mr. Starbucks fought the Cylons with Apollo back in the 1970s.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Is the best thing you can find to do with your life to spend 139 days sitting in front of a theatre. Where do people get the money for doing these types of things. If you have that kind of money, why are you spending it sitting in the middle of downtown instead of sitting on a beach somewhere.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
One dressed as a Klingon. You need to play in the tradition SW vs ST hatred.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
I sent the poor git a G-mail account, he'll need the space for the trolling.
I like muppets.
This might look like some sort of sage 60s advice, until you realize that the end result is some guy lying on concrete for a good part of his life for the honor of being the first to go into one of hundreds of corporate multiplex and give the mighty Lucasfilm corp a buck or two that it won't even notice.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
You know, if he were 700 years old, this revelation would be kind of impressive.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Other than the obvious, campouts are stupid because Tickets for the opening showing on opening day are not at all and will not become hard to come by. This guy is supposed to be a nerd, and yet he's doing something so obsolete as to wait in line for a physical ticket.
Lines are for the past. Have fun when you can't even get in once the place is open because everyone smarter than you went to Fandango.
-- 'The' Lord and Master Bitman On High, Master Of All
Natalie Portman's character gets knocked-up. Anakin is turned to the dark side. The Jedis are almost all killed off. The Empire takes over.
... take out a portable DVD player and show him the first two movies; he obviously hasn't seen them and doesn't know what he's getting into.
I think the situation calls for Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
Use Ctrl-C instead of ESC in Vim!
139 days on a futon ?, in the street ?
How's he going to get lai..
Never mind, he's a Star Wars geek, he probably isn't going to notice the lack.
"Pursuing a dream" is only worthy of respect when the dream itself is noble and worthy of pursuit. Hitler "pursued his dream" of genocide and some people "pursue their dreams" of cramming a dozen twinkies in their mouth or drinking 15 beers without passing out. Those aren't things that deserve anyone's respect or admiration.
G
"What kind of horrible death is Jar-Jar Binks gonna die?" Since we have not seen him in Episode IV and later.
Yet. Just wait till Lucas finishes his next round of revisions.
Now this is funny -- even us nerds on Slashdot think this guy is off his rocker. Who else is going to sympathize with him now? :^)
Slashdot's first reaction to VMware
Let's make fun of him being a huuuge dork while we READ SLASHOT..
:-P
Dorks.
I'm not here. This isn't happening.
between leaving your job to travel for several months(which I've also done) and leaving your job so you can go wait in line for several months.
BTW, The Badonkadonk is disappointingly small. More Davros' (the creator of the Daleks) wheelchair, then a massive Jawa transport.
or maybe his parents needed some time alone.
After all the publicity he'll manage to gather he might as well pull a stunt like that just to piss George off.
Preserve old classics: copy your collection onto all hard drives.
At the theater I worked, we had a reserve of 30 seats out of a total capacity of 1,341. Even if we were "sold out," 30 more people could potentially get in.
Yeah, right.