So when the next crop of Star Wars films was released in the 90s, I and every other red-blooded American Gen Xer was excited beyond belief. The moment we had been waiting for all our lives had finally come.

And we were really disappointed. Everything that made the original movies so great was gone.  The special effects were CGI-perfect. The space ships were slick and smooth. The characters were goofy.The acting was (gasp!) pretty good.

Angry though I was at the time, I now understand why the movies had to be that way. George Lucas knew  the new set of movies had to be made for the new generation, and the hand-made special effects wouldn’t cut it. In order for the new movies to succeed and sell lots of action figures and fast food, Lucas had to alienate the very people that anointed him a genius in the 70s.

I think this situation happens a lot, and too often companies are afraid to piss off their core customers.

A company that roars to mind is Harley-Davidson. Harley was once universally admired in marketing circles because of its staunch adherence to its outlaw image and for its ability to persuade customers to tattoo the logo on their bodies.

But those days are coming to an end, and Harley is struggling. Their loyal customers are trading in their Softtails for electric scooters, and the next generation of motorcyclists is looking for something new.

To survive, Harley needs to do something radical that will anger the leather-clad riders who take over Sturgis every year. They’ve recently introduced the XR1200. Will it be enough? I don’t know, but it doesn’t strike me as a radical move.

In the past, I’ve written about Volkswagon’s evolving brand. Another favorite of Gen X, VW has found it necessary to irk us by offering minivans and SUVs, getting away from their “fun, carefree” image.At the time, I thought it was a sign of the brand growing up. I now see it as a sign of the brand changing and adapting.

The lesson, I think, is that brands that don’t evolve, adapt and change for fear of pissing off their customers will struggle to get new ones.

I hated Jar-Jar Binks. But the kids loved him, and that was the point.