“Star Wars” director George Lucas was among those being awarded the 2012 National Medal of Arts at the White House Wednesday.
President Obama dated himself by talking about Lucas’ movie magic.
“I remember when I first saw ‘Star Wars,’” Obama said. “There’s a whole generation that think special effects always looked like they do today. But it used to be you’d see, like, the string on the little model spaceships.”
Later in the program, Lucas was presented with a rather large National Medal of Arts, where he looked very much like his characters, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, when they received the Medal of Bravery at the conclusion of “Star Wars: A New Hope.” (That’s the original “Star Wars,” for all you non-nerds out there.)
Lucas and his “Star Wars” brand have been a popular in Washington over the years. Lucas frequently attends the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Back in 2009, President Obama made news when he happily posed with a lightsaber during a fencing demonstration on the South Lawn.
And then there was Colin Powell. The former secretary of state hosted Lucas at an education summit in D.C. last year and immediately asked the director for a lightsaber.
