The Ring of the Schwartz -- is it actually useless?

Question

In Spaceballs, we see Lonestarr and Dark Helmet use their Schwartz rings to make a lightsaber-like weapon. Later, when Lonestarr loses the ring, Yogurt says that the ring is just bumpkin [probably bupkis (Yiddish)] and that he found it in an old crackerjack box, and says that the real power was within Lonestarr. So, Lonestarr can still use the Schwartz, as he levitates the shaving mirror in the room, but the ring does have power, too, since it actually produces the Schwartz blade.

Battle between Lonestarr and Dark Helmet

Could Lonestarr theoretical create a Schwartz weapon without the ring, or was there actually some power to the ring?

Answer 1

It’s clear the Schwartz ring is not required to make “phenomena” happen, as Yogurt says so himself. But it does assist in focusing or amplifying this power. Why say this?

From the various scenes of the movie, it is clear the Schwartz rings have usefulness of some sort. Please observe this clip where Yogurt needs the ring to assist him in lifting the statue in a hurry. So, the rings have usefulness outside of producing a weapon.

Spaceballs satirizes the Star Wars movies (among others). So, Yogurt (Yoda) uses The Schwartz (The Force – “May the Schwartz be with you.”) to make phenomena happen. In Star Wars, the Jedi and others made phenomena happen because they were born with this ability. This carries through is Spaceballs, as in when Lonestarr moves the mirror. Spaceballs satirizes the Star Wars light saber by having it appear out of the Schwartz ring.

Please note that the Yogurt character also satirizes the “Jewish sage” who speaks Yiddish (a language that was mostly spoken by European Jews):

• Schwartz is German/Yiddish for the color black, or someone with dark hair or complexion.
• Bupkis is Yiddish and means nothing of value or simply nothing.

So, when Yogurt talks about Lonestarr’s abilities, he reminds me (in a pleasant and very funny way) of the New York Jew as he views life:

• Forget the ring, the ring is bupkis!
• I found it in a crackerjack box. [I’m laughing as I write this]
• (He goes on to say “The Schwartz is in you Lonestarr. It’s in you!”)