Before TikTok, YouTube or even Facebook, there was "Star Wars Kid," perhaps the internet's first viral-video sensation. However, unlike today's TikTokkers, 14-year-old Ghyslain Raza didn't seek online fame. It found him... and then made his life unbearable.
Nearly 20 years later, Raza has taken control of the narrative, as the subject of Star Wars Kid: The Rise of the Digital Shadows. Mathieu Fournier's documentary goes beyond the birth of the video to examine it for what it was: one of the earliest, and most egregious, examples of cyberbullying.
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Today, social media platforms have safeguards in place to identify and discourage (if not necessarily prevent) harassment. As such, it's difficult to imagine a video like "Star Wars Kid" lasting long as commenters line up to mock the actions of an awkward teenager. However, those rules didn't apply in the relative Wild West of the internet in 2003, when some went so far as to encourage Raza to commit suicide.
Here's how the notorious "Star Wars Kid" video came to be, what happened next, and how its star overcame unwanted fame to become an anti-bullying hero.
The Secret Origin of the 'Star Wars Kid' Video
The term "Star Wars Kid" requires little elaboration, which speaks to the pervasiveness of the 2002 video. Even those unfamiliar with the original footage of Raza clumsily wielding a golf-ball retriever like a lightsaber have undoubtedly seen parodies of it, on Arrested Development, South Park or The Office.
However, there are at least two things to remember at this point: The video was never intended to be seen by anyone; and "Star Wars Kid" wasn't coined by Raza, who wasn't a fan of the franchise, but by a blogger who helped to disseminate the footage.
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Then a ninth-grade student at le Séminaire Saint Joseph in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Raza was enlisted to help a classmate create a video that parodied popular films, including Star Wars. The 15-year-old added glowing effects to the golf-ball retrievers used by the student actors as lightsabers, but wasn't happy with the results. Raza then stepped in front of the camera on Nov. 2, 2002, hoping slower movements might record better. A few fruitless attempts later, the teen gave up and, in his words, decided "to vent some steam" in a final take.
Less than five months later, those carefree two minutes would be immortalized online as "Star Wars Kid." "That's when that famous video was created," Raza recalled to CBC's The Current.
He left the tape on the shelf of the school's television studio, where it remained until April 2003, when it was discovered by another student, Jérôme Laflamme. He showed the footage to a friend, who converted the video to a digital file. It was then passed among classmates before one of them uploaded it to the internet. The rest, as they say, is online history.
The Damage Caused by the 'Star Wars Kid' Video
"Star Wars Kid" wasn't a literal overnight sensation. In an age of peer-to-peer networks, it took about two weeks for the clip to attract attention. But when it did, it caught fire. One website reported 1.1 million downloads within a month (remember, this was before YouTube).
Mainstream media outlets took notice; reporters showed up at Raza's home. At his high school, he was greeted by chants of "Star Wars!" He was even recognized in public.
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"It was simply unbearable, totally. It was impossible to attend class," Raza said in a deposition stemming from a 2003 lawsuit filed against the families of three classmates who played a role in spreading the video. (The suit was settled out of court in 2006, for an undisclosed sum.) Raza was diagnosed with depression. What's more, he was asked not to return to school the following year, because of negative publicity.
Reaction online was even worse. The mockery grew so bad that bloggers Andy Baio, who named the video "Star Wars Kid," and Jish Mukerji organized a fundraiser that generated $1,000 in donations to buy Raza an Apple iPod.
"If I knew what I know now, I never would have posted it," Baio said in the new documentary, Star Wars: The Rise of the Digital Shadows. "I can't diminish it. I provided a place for people to watch it in that initial spread. I have enormous regret about posting the video."
The Return of the Star Wars Kid
Raza made peace with "Star Wars Kid" a long time ago. He first stepped forward in a 2013 interview to share his experience as "one of the earliest and highest-profile victims of a massive cyberbullying attack.
"No matter how hard I tried to ignore people telling me to commit suicide," he recalled to MacLean's. "I couldn’t help but feel worthless, like my life wasn’t worth living.”
That was then. Now, Raza is a graduate of McGill's law school who's pursuing a doctorate from Queen's University. For the documentary, he returned to his old high school to talk with students about their online presence, and what happened to him.
"You don't have to accept to be defined by something like that," Raza told CTV News. "I may have a digital shadow that's perhaps a little bit larger than most, but everyone these days has a digital shadow, and when it comes to identity -- online versus reality -- this brings new issues we didn't have 20 years ago. At the end of the day it's about not accepting to be defined by something like that."
Star Wars Kid: The Rise of the Digital Shadows can be viewed on the National Film Board of Canada website.
Military Dad Defends His 4 Little Daughters When Strangers Make This Rude Remark
Military Dad of 4 Daughters Defends His Girls When Strangers Make This Rude Remark
Austin von Letkemann is the military officer strangers feel "sorry" for — and the reason is infuriating.
Whenever the devoted father leaves the house with his four children, strangers can't help but notice the officer in uniform is holding hands with 4 adorable little girls. They will tell the traditionally "masculine" and "all American" dad they feel sorry for him, because he has no sons. This dad makes one thing very clear: They are his daughters, they aren't a burden.
In a passionate video, von Letkemann took to Instagram to share with his followers that the only thing that's "difficult" about being a girl dad — is clapping back to these sexist remarks over and over again.
They Mock His Daughters To Their Face
When strangers approach Austin von Letkemann and his four daughters, they don't always realize that their comments are being overheard. They seem oblivious to the fact that his girls understand every word. Von Letkemann describes how people will approach him and, without thinking, make remarks like "I'm sorry" or even joke about his lack of sons. What they don't realize is that these comments, intended to be light-hearted or humorous, can be deeply hurtful to his daughters. These strangers are not just disrespecting von Letkemann's choices as a father; they're also sending a message to his daughters that their presence is something to be pitied. It’s a message that von Letkemann won't stand for, and he's speaking out to defend his girls from these insensitive remarksSaying "Get Your Shotgun" Isn't Funny — It's Sexist
Another common comment that Austin von Letkemann encounters is the old "better get your shotgun ready" trope, often delivered with a smirk or a wink. This line is typically intended to suggest that a father with daughters should be on high alert to protect them from potential "suitors," implying that they are objects to be guarded rather than individuals with agency.
Von Letkemann finds this line of thinking outdated and sexist. In his viral Instagram video, he points out that these jokes are not just stale — they're damaging.
By suggesting that his daughters require armed protection, the joke reinforces the idea that women are inherently vulnerable and need to be shielded from men. Von Letkemann argues that instead of promoting this narrative, society should focus on teaching respect and consent, challenging these sexist tropes at their source.
Watch Austin von Letkemann's Video:
"If I Had A Fifth Child, I'd HOPE It Was A Girl" — One Dad's Message For Other Parents
Despite the constant remarks about his lack of sons, Austin von Letkemann is clear: He wouldn't trade his daughters for anything.
In fact, he told his Instagram followers that if he were to have a fifth child, he would hope for another girl. This declaration isn't just about doubling down on his pride in his family — it's a pointed response to those who see fathering daughters as a misfortune.
Von Letkemann's stance is a powerful one, rejecting the notion that a family is incomplete without sons. He encourages others to question the assumptions behind these comments and to appreciate the joy and fulfillment that his daughters bring. By sharing his story, von Letkemann hopes to create a more inclusive perspective on fatherhood, one that values daughters just as much as sons.