What's in a name: Firefly by IsaacShepherd

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

What's in a name: Firefly

POSTED BY: ISAACSHEPHERD
UPDATED: Saturday, March 4, 2006 19:00
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VIEWED: 3034
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Friday, March 3, 2006 3:58 AM

I'm not sure if Joss has previously answered this question fully in an interview, so I thought I'd ask if anyone else knows or has any ideas. Why the bug Firefly? Since Joss created it I'm going to guess it was symbolic of either the characters or the ship herself.
I know that they wanted to design the ship after the bug but I'm confused on why, and I'm wondering if there is more meaning behind it. Maybe it's just a cool name. Now ever summer night I see firefly's it'll make me think or Serenity/FF.
One of my cousins from Arizona came here (Ohio) for the first time a few years back and he had never seen a firefly before and he was amazed. That memory reminds me of ther series in a way. Anyone who sees firefly for the first time is captured by it.
Well anyway just some thoughts. Wondering if anyone could shed some light on the development.
IS

The Bible's a bit fuzzy on the subject of kneecaps.

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Friday, March 3, 2006 4:35 AM

FOLLOWMAL

IS,

Everything I've read leads me to believe the name came about because of the ship. The way it looked and especially the way it lights up.

Thus the name of the show. Of course, we all know the story of Serenity being the name of the ship and how that came about.

Several years back my daughter's boyfriend came with her to visit in the summer from California and we had a similar experience with him re: fireflies. We were driving home from the airport, it was of course a warm summer night and he was watching out the window. Suddenly he asked, "What are those lights out there!?" and we had to smile a little and then explain about fireflies or lighteningbugs as some folks call them. Now you've told me your story... I'll be reminded and also reminded of our show.

When I first started watching Firefly I wondered why in the world Joss came up with such a strange name. Also wondered about the opening theme. Two viewings in ( hooked-hard!) I was IN LOVE with the Firefly class transport and the theme song. LOL

Still am today.. and that's never happened to me before.

" You hold. Hold til I get back." Mal

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Friday, March 3, 2006 4:49 AM

BOB30

Quote:
Originally posted by FollowMal:

When I first started watching Firefly I wondered why in the world Joss came up with such a strange name. Also wondered about the opening theme. Two viewings in ( hooked-hard!) I was IN LOVE with the Firefly class transport and the theme song. LOL

Still am today.. and that's never happened to me before.

Hi. Been looking in on this site for a while now, only got round to signing up this week. I agree with what you say. Although I like TV shows (hell, who doesn't?) I've never considered myself a fan of any in particular. I have certainly never joined a forum or felt inclined to post a message. Firefly was different and I'm glad to be here. No lightening bugs round my part of the UK though!

I'll be in my bunk....

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Friday, March 3, 2006 4:57 AM

FOLLOWMAL

Hey, Bob30 you're our newest Browncoat!

Sorry about the no lighteningbugs in the UK though, they are shiny little things. Rather enjoyable.

We hand out browncoats like Mal's to the new arrivals here. Since I'm the keeper of the 'coats, the storeroom clerk if you will, I have the priveledge of

*handing you a shiny new virtual browncoat of your very own*

and also saying Welcome home!

If you've been lurking you know we are a friendly bunch, just like a family given to bickering and laughing and having fun. We will be right proud to have you join us.

Someone will be along and offer you greetings and possibly food and drink, folks here love to greet new people.

You, know, I was a fan of Star Trek and the first Star Wars movies for years, never felt like going online and looking for more info, I just watched and sometimes enjoyed and sometimes didn't. I fell in love with Firefly when I saw an episode on SciFi here in the states and went IMMEDIATELY to my computer and started looking for information. Came here and been here ever since.
How did you get introduced to Firefly? We love to hear those stories.

And... make yourself to home and post often, Bob, we love conversation!

" You hold. Hold til I get back." Mal

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Friday, March 3, 2006 5:08 AM

ISAACSHEPHERD

Welcome aboard Bob30! I see FollowMal gave you your Browcoat. Shiny! I don't have any food to offer, but I'm the taxi around here(although no one around here has needed a ride yet). I have a ship named Gemeni (firefly class of course). If you ever need a ride let me know. I'm on Paquin right now.

It's too bad you don't have firefly's around there. Around here the terrain is about as flat as you get and if you're not in the city you can see fields being lit up by them.
IS

The Bible's a bit fuzzy on the subject of kneecaps.

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Friday, March 3, 2006 5:13 AM

BOB30

Thanks for the coat and the welcome! Not much of an internet user, but I'll join in where I can.

How did I get introduced? The honest answer is; purely by accident. I had an unpleasant hangover and decided to spend all day on the sofa (UK for couch!). Just so happend that SCIFI channel was doing a Firefly w/e to celebrate the BDM being released in the UK in the next week or two. I was just flicking by as Serenity pt.1 was starting (fully intending to keep on flicking by), watched the opening sequence and was hooked. Stayed on the sofa all weekend

I'll be in my bunk....

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Friday, March 3, 2006 5:14 AM

FOLLOWMAL

IS,
If MisstresSahara's shuttle ever breaks down on her runs to get more Mudder's Milk, you need to remind her you are available for transportation.

Also, FloralBunny goes strawberry hunting from time to time, I'd bet she'd like the company.

Just sayin'.

" You hold. Hold til I get back." Mal

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Friday, March 3, 2006 5:16 AM

NUCLEARDAY

Always like hearing shiny stories. Always called 'em lightning bugs before, but I suppose they'll always be fireflies to me now ;p

In response to the question: I think it was either one of the special features or an episode commentary where Joss talks about naming the show. In brief, IIRC he was brainstorming for ideas for the show and wanted something that conveyed the theme of the show (ie, something small and innoccuos, as it's a show about the people living between the cracks, etc) and also conveyed a sense of action. I think he said the two words just popped into his head: fire and fly and just seemed to fit. (Thinking back, I believe it's in the special features of the series DVD. Joss can explain it much better than I can...)

Oh, and big howdy to Bob30 for signing up and joining in. That browncoat looks mighty cunning on you. ;) Keep the faith, spread the word, and know that we'll all be holding the line when Mal returns.

________________________________________________
You can take my hope when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

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Friday, March 3, 2006 5:18 AM

FOLLOWMAL

Ahhh, the inevitable SciFi hook Yup, that is how I got hooked too. Except not a marathon, just the lead in show to what I thought was my favorite scifi shows at the time... the Stargate ones. My favorites now... not so much. Didn't fall in love with them like I did Firefly.

I frequently miss them now to watch Firefly DVD's that I own. LOL

Lucky hangover Bob!

" You hold. Hold til I get back." Mal

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Friday, March 3, 2006 5:19 AM

GRIZWALD

Regarding the name, this is just me extemporizing, but:

Firefly = tiny, fragile light in the darkness, flickering, easily snuffed out, but tenacious and ever so beautiful.

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Friday, March 3, 2006 5:24 AM

MAL4PREZ

Quote:
Originally posted by Bob30:
Thanks for the coat and the welcome! Not much of an internet user, but I'll join in where I can.

How did I get introduced? The honest answer is; purely by accident. I had an unpleasant hangover and decided to spend all day on the sofa (UK for couch!). Just so happend that SCIFI channel was doing a Firefly w/e to celebrate the BDM being released in the UK in the next week or two. I was just flicking by as Serenity pt.1 was starting (fully intending to keep on flicking by), watched the opening sequence and was hooked. Stayed on the sofa all weekend

I'll be in my bunk....

Wow - good timing! The first time I saw FF I came in right at the end of Out of Gas, which I could not properly appreciate, not having seen the rest of it. I got the DVDs a week later though, and the rest is history.

Anyway, welcome Bob30! I'm all new to interent posting/TV show fandom too, but it's been fun. You'll like it, we're nice.

It's sort of morning in New England, so I have fresh coffee and doughnuts. Help yourself folks!

m4p

Ask Dr. Science ... he knows more than you do.
"I have a Master's degree ... in science!"

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Friday, March 3, 2006 5:28 AM

GWEK

As stated previously, Whedon explains the name in the commentary somewhere (possibly in the pilot). He says he was brainstorming and literally just throwing words together to come up with the feel he wanted. He did not come up with "Firely" but rather "Fire" plus "Fly". Once the name fell into place, I imagine the look of the ship was created to match.

www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."

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Friday, March 3, 2006 5:51 AM

NUCLEARDAY

Quote:
Originally posted by grizwald:
Regarding the name, this is just me extemporizing, but:

Firefly = tiny, fragile light in the darkness, flickering, easily snuffed out, but tenacious and ever so beautiful.

That's beautiful, and I think you basically nailed it right in the head, too. (Also sounds a little bit like our show in general, huh?:)

________________________________________________
You can take my hope when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

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Friday, March 3, 2006 8:32 AM

MILFORD

For some reason, until I read this thread, it never occured to me that someone hadn't seen a firefly before. I grew up in south Texas where they're as thick as they can be. Huh....

Anyhooo, welcome aboard. Gald you guys made it.

Remember, that but for one trifling exception, the entire universe is made up of others.- Oliver Wendall Holmes

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Friday, March 3, 2006 10:58 AM

MISBEHAVIN

Quote:
Originally posted by Bob30:
...No lightening bugs round my part of the UK though!...

Are there any Fireflies at all in the UK? They're wonderful to see. When you're very young -and maybe even if you're much older- you can run around in the early evening hours and catch them easily between two cupped hands. One interesting thing I've noticed is that they usually seek the highest local point before taking to the air. After catching one, you can open up your hands and watch the firefly walk up your hand toward the highest point. If you shift your hand they'll turn around and determinedly walk the other way toward the new highest point before taking off.

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Friday, March 3, 2006 10:58 AM

MISBEHAVIN

Quote:
Originally posted by Bob30:
...No lightening bugs round my part of the UK though!...

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Friday, March 3, 2006 12:30 PM

DONCOAT

This is going to show my age... but when the first glowsticks came out (the greenish things with a breakable capsule inside that glow when the chemicals are mixed), it was explained that they were based on the chemistry of fireflies (or lightning bugs, as we usually called them).

Now, I suppose, you can tell people who've never seen fireflies that their light looks like a tiny version of a glowstick, except they flash on and off instead of glowing steadily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't disagree on any particular point.

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Friday, March 3, 2006 12:36 PM

GRIZWALD

Fireflies are sneaky little buggers. When you go out and try to catch one, he jumps behind five or six mosquitoes and then dances around and waggles his fingers at you and says, "Come get me NOW, why don'tcha?"

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Friday, March 3, 2006 2:09 PM

DAVESHAYNE

Quote:
Originally posted by grizwald:
Fireflies are sneaky little buggers. When you go out and try to catch one, he jumps behind five or six mosquitoes and then dances around and waggles his fingers at you and says, "Come get me NOW, why don'tcha?"

You just need to go fireflying a bit later - after the skeeters have all gone to bed.

David

"A lot of people are asking me, you know, what exactly is Firefly? It's a tv show you morons!" - Joss Whedon

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Saturday, March 4, 2006 3:43 AM

BOB30

Fireflies occasionally get reported, but officially they are not in the UK. We do have things called glowworms, but only the females glow and they can't fly.

I'll be in my bunk....

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Saturday, March 4, 2006 3:49 AM

GRIZWALD

Oh, so they're, like, illegal alien fireflies?

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Saturday, March 4, 2006 6:51 AM

DONCOAT

Quote:
Originally posted by grizwald:
Oh, so they're, like, illegal alien fireflies?

Sorta like... Independent fireflies?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't disagree on any particular point.

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Saturday, March 4, 2006 7:23 AM

GRIZWALD

Quote:
Sorta like... Independent fireflies?

*smacks self on head for not thinking of it first*

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Saturday, March 4, 2006 7:39 AM

ZOID

Quote:
Oh, so they're, like, illegal alien fireflies?

There are no aliens in Firefly.

v/r,
-zed

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Saturday, March 4, 2006 9:06 AM

GRIZWALD

Quote:

There are no aliens in Firefly.

*groan*

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Saturday, March 4, 2006 7:00 PM

FLORALBUNNY

Hello, all. More strawberries? Right here you are! Some of the other threads have stuff to dip them in but I've run out of dip-dishes!
Oh, heck, try the sugar-bowl.
Heh.
*back toward the shuttle*
(over shoulder)Wanna fly convoy, IS?

bun
-- bastards singed my turtle --
----- why's the rum gone? -----

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