I wanna die in bed surrounded by fat grandchildren, but guess that's off the menu.

Jenny ,'Bring On The Night'


Spike's Bitches 23: We've mastered the power of positive giving up.  

[NAFDA] Spike-centric discussion. Lusty, lewd (only occasionally crude), risque (and frisque), bawdy (Oh, lawdy!), flirty ('cuz we're purty), raunchy talk inside. Caveat lector.


Steph L. - May 01, 2005 4:28:19 pm PDT #6819 of 10001
I look more rad than Lutheranism

I notice the absence of Asian culture when I get away from the West Coast and it feels (weirdly) like I'm going back in time to Pleasantville.

Hmmm -- that's something I didn't think about, actually. But it makes me wonder how the Chinese struck the average middle-of-the-country viewer.


Jessica - May 01, 2005 4:31:21 pm PDT #6820 of 10001
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset

I notice the absence of Asian culture when I get away from the West Coast and it feels (weirdly) like I'm going back in time to Pleasantville.

See, I noticed the absence of Asian culture more strongly in Firefly than I would have otherwise, because every time the characters started using Chinese slang, I would realize anew that there were no Asian characters or architecture or anything other than the random slang. It was just...stuck in there.


Hil R. - May 01, 2005 4:33:30 pm PDT #6821 of 10001
Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont, open a bookstore or a vegan restaurant. Adam Schlesinger, z''l

I thought the Chinese worked pretty well in Firefly, but that if we'd seen some people speaking just Chinese, maybe with a few English curses or expressions thrown in, even just in the background, it would have worked better.

I just got back from dinner. Bread is nice. Also, I have discovered for the millionth time that I am really really horrible at communicating "I'm interested in being more than just friends" to a guy. Mostly because I chicken out and wait for him to make the first move.


Steph L. - May 01, 2005 4:34:14 pm PDT #6822 of 10001
I look more rad than Lutheranism

See, I noticed the absence of Asian culture more strongly in Firefly than I would have otherwise, because every time the characters started using Chinese slang, I would realize anew that there were no Asian characters or architecture or anything other than the random slang.

Again, Jess is me. Honestly, any other language would have been just as jarring.

Except maybe an African tribal click language, because that would just sound cool.


Hil R. - May 01, 2005 4:35:08 pm PDT #6823 of 10001
Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont, open a bookstore or a vegan restaurant. Adam Schlesinger, z''l

I would realize anew that there were no Asian characters or architecture or anything other than the random slang. It was just...stuck in there.

I think that, the times that we saw the core planets, there was more Asian stuff there. Not as much as I would have thought natural, but more. Not so much on the outer planets, and those were what we saw most of the time.


§ ita § - May 01, 2005 4:36:38 pm PDT #6824 of 10001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

There were, IIRC, Asian ideograms and Asian influence to the clothing as well.


SailAweigh - May 01, 2005 4:37:10 pm PDT #6825 of 10001
Nana korobi, ya oki. (Fall down seven times, stand up eight.) ~Yuzuru Hanyu/Japanese proverb

But it makes me wonder how the Chinese struck the average middle-of-the-country viewer.

That's a good point after Hec's comment. Personally, I got so used to seeing so many Vietnamese/Philipino owned businesses when I was in San Diego, that it just seems kind of second nature to expect it. Even Madison has more than it's fair share of Asian restaurants and businesses of all flavors. It's also got a fairly good sized Hmong community that makes its presence felt. However, in smaller towns with less cultural context to draw from, it could be offputting.


SailAweigh - May 01, 2005 4:40:34 pm PDT #6826 of 10001
Nana korobi, ya oki. (Fall down seven times, stand up eight.) ~Yuzuru Hanyu/Japanese proverb

Grape Nuts:

I thought the Chinese worked pretty well in Firefly, but that if we'd seen some people speaking just Chinese, maybe with a few English curses or expressions thrown in, even just in the background, it would have worked better.

This. Not that it didn't work for me, it did. But it could have worked better.


DCJensen - May 01, 2005 5:01:50 pm PDT #6827 of 10001
All is well that ends in pizza.

Personally, I hate expositon about language in Sci Fi. It's always jarring to hear a character saying something like "Oh, isin't it great that someone invented holography so we can do all this we've been doing all our lives?"

So having the chinese in there felt, to me, like it's just something they do, and no one brings it up because it's just part of the language.

The last time someone around you sneezed, did someone say "Gesundheit"? Did someone expound on it's origins? Did they then walk into the nearest schnitzel cafe? Wait. Cafe. That's French. I should go find some french people to discuss their role in our culture.

"Tish! You spoke French!"

I guess all I'm saying is that I felt it did weave into the story enough. Especially after watching the proper pilot, and seeing all the asian influence on Persephone.


DCJensen - May 01, 2005 5:05:03 pm PDT #6828 of 10001
All is well that ends in pizza.

That stream of unconsiousness brought to you by someone who should be asleep, but isn't because he's not quite right in the head.