"Star Wars" vending machine stunt awakens Pittsburgh's ire
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Braeden Days, in a Jar Jar Binks mask and a video fit for a ransom demand, says he’ll repair and return the machine. Screenshot: Braeden Days on Instagram
A social media stunt involving Pittsburgh's beloved "Star Wars" vending machine has the region up in arms.
Why it matters: Los Angeles-based content creator Braeden Days said last week he took Mt. Washington's "Star Wars" vending machine, prompting a flurry of reactions from locals, including prominent radio personalities.
- Critics say the stunt ruined what made the machine special: its authenticity.
Context: The 1999 "Star Wars: Phantom Menace" Pepsi machine has sat outside Mt. Washington's Fire Station 27 for decades, becoming a viral neighborhood landmark and a destination for "Star Wars" fans.
Catch up quick: Last week, Pittsburghers realized the original had been swapped with a hand-painted replica. Days, known for his social media "heists," later posted a video taking responsibility.
- In an Aug. 28 video that has since been removed, Days said the machine had been broken for years and questioned what happened to Pepsi's $10,000 donation to the fire station in 2022.
- Previous reporting shows the money was donated to the firehouse, but not specifically for maintaining the retro machine.
- Locals quickly flooded Days' post, including 96.1 KISS "Morning Freak Show" co-host Mikey Dougherty. Dougherty said Monday morning that Days privately asked him not to post a video criticizing the stunt.
Days then posted a video Monday alongside the original machine — wearing a Jar Jar Binks mask — saying he plans to repair and return it. He said he has "full permission from the owners."
- "The vending machine has been broken for a couple of years. They were actually going to get rid of it in the next couple of years," he said. "I love Pittsburgh, I love 'Star Wars,' and I didn't want to see this go away."
- Days confirmed to Axios Pittsburgh on Instagram that he's from Pittsburgh, but based in LA. He didn't reply to questions about when the machine might return as of late Monday.
- Pittsburgh Public Safety, which oversees the fire department, did not respond to a request for comment.
State of play: Some Pittsburghers weren't mad about the repair but with how it played out — especially Days' apparent swipe at the fire station.
What they're saying: "For people to be in the dark, it's like you took a piece of Pittsburgh, replaced it with a shittier version," said Dougherty on Instagram. "It seemed unnecessary to stress a lot of people out."
Yes, but: Some people supported the stunt.
- Instagram user @jessanfrom commented that she had judged Days too quickly and was happy he was repairing it.
- "Pittsburg [sic] needed to know that your intentions were honorable so this had to be done. Thank you for stepping up and getting the machine fixed for your city," wrote Instagram user @chomeinthehouse.
- For others, the sentiment was simpler: It's just not that serious.
💭 Our thought bubble: The vending machine went viral because it had sat unchanged for more than a decade and felt locked in time.
- Its charm represents Pittsburgh's embrace of stasis, whether that's good or bad.
The bottom line: May the force be with anyone who messes with Pittsburgh's nostalgia.