Imponderable Watercooler - #error type 2 0 9 4 by RiverIsMyGoddess

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Imponderable Watercooler - #error type 2 0 9 4

POSTED BY: RIVERISMYGODDESS
UPDATED: Friday, May 18, 2007 07:58
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VIEWED: 5441
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Thursday, May 17, 2007 12:07 PM

Oh my holy hell I leave you alone and you do 100 post in one day ....I can't stop to read them as I am just back from the Ropes course and now on to late night tutoring. I will read them all tomorrow. Hope you all had a great day...HUGS

"I'm not all that interested in the mental health of people who want to kill me. "- Leroy Jethro Gibbs

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Thursday, May 17, 2007 12:08 PM

DESKTOPHIPPIE

Quote:
Originally posted by RugBug:

Yep, I do have issues with Inara's line of work. I also have issues of what that characterization is saying to younger viewers. I about choked when a young imponderable poster made a statement about prostitution basically being a valid life style choice. I sat here reading that and thought "and that right there is the problem with Inara."

Ah. See, I don't have a problem with her role in the 'verse, and I think it actually conveys an important message. Inara is highly skilled, highly trained and highly educated to fulfil a role that is anything from teaching a virgin how their body works and how to give a receive pleasure (Janestown) to providing a sympathetic ear and a comforting body to someone who feels isolated from everyone around them (Ariel) to providing company, conversation and entertainment to someone attending a social gathering (Shindig). She truly is a "companion." Yes, that's not what modern prostitution is, it's much more what it used to be.

That being said, Inara gets right to the heart of my previous post. She fills all those roles, and she obviously considers what she does extremely important. The core worlds do too, if our experience is anything to go by, but out on the rim she is seen as nothing more than a whore. Heck, even respectable people who are supposed to appreciate the value of what she offers often reveal that they see her that way (her first client in the pilot episode and Atherton Wing spring to mind.) It's just like sex itself. It's importance hasn't changed one iota since the dawn of time - the very fact that we were a sexually active species without a "mating season" allowed us to evolve into social animals and eventually become conscious and self aware - but the pereception of it changes widly depending on where and when you are. I like that Firefly tackled the issue head on.

Quote:
Although I'm not sure you can correlate the Inara and modern day prostitution. There's been what 500 years to change perceptions? The evolution in this case is VERY important.

More like several thousand but yeah, I get what you're saying. And a modern prostitute, even a high class escort, doesn't resemble Inara's role in any way. I just think that it should.

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Thursday, May 17, 2007 12:09 PM

NVGHOSTRIDER

Funny thing I thought of a while ago...
Money seems to be the focus of reward for prostitution. What about those folks who can't connect or know no other way of establishing healthy connections with people? With so many of them in my town it is a wonder to me if many of them "whore" themselves out in the hope of emotional connection. I ain't saying women don't have the right to screw around as much as men. Hell, I think that perception should have been quashed a very long time ago. There ain't nothing wrong with a woman having a healthy libido and having the urge to use it. Same with guys. But the shallow aspect of it all seems to have knocked both sexes back to a place and time before equality was an option.
It feels like both sides are fighting for supremacy rather than equality.

So much more to say but can't form accurate argument. Dang.

LIBERTAS SUMPTUS

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Thursday, May 17, 2007 12:12 PM

DESKTOPHIPPIE

Quote:
Orignally posted by RugBug:
I believe that sex should be special and thus shouldn't be for sale.

Quote:
Originally posted by CaliforniaKaylee:
I feel that having sex with me is special, and therefore the experience isn't for sale -- but I'm not going to make that choice for everyone else.

And I believe that sex is special and therefore prositution should be both legal and special and not what it is today.

Yep. Same starting point, very different conclusions! It's a funny old world...

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Thursday, May 17, 2007 12:14 PM

RUGBUG

Quote:
Originally posted by CaliforniaKaylee:
I try not to judge anyone on what they'd do for sex, or what they'd do for a buck.

Heh...I try to not be judgmental but apply a more 'love the person, hate the actions' type of philosophy. So yeah, I will judge a person actions...and I totally recognize that:

1) those judgements are based on my paradigm
2) they really don't mean all the much in the grand scheme of things. People will do what they do regardles sif I think it is right or wrong.

Quote:
Originally posted by CaliforniaKaylee:
but I'm not comfortable telling the rest of society that they should act one way or another.

CK: When I'm in a very tolerant mood, I would say the same thing. But when I'm honest with myself, I don't believe it. It's just the easy way out for me because it's what others want to hear. We've grown as a society into a place where it's all "how dare you tell me what to do," and I think we will continue down that path. While I do believe there are things that no one has any right to tell someone else to do, there are things that don't fall into that realm.

***************
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw

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Thursday, May 17, 2007 12:18 PM

DESKTOPHIPPIE

Well yeah, there's always got to be a certain amount of rules. Even if only of the don't kill people, don't hurt people, don't steal stuff kind.

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Thursday, May 17, 2007 12:24 PM

CALIFORNIAKAYLEE

Right, we need some rules, even when it comes to how and with whom you can have sex -- children and vulnerable adults, for instance.

I think my "live and let live" attitude comes from being the black sheep in my family, hehe. Everyone else is very religious and very straight laced, but I've always been a bit wild, and knew that their religion wasn't for me by the time I was 15. So I've tried really hard not to point out where my siblings are idiots, and thank them for not telling me that I'm going to hell. Mostly it works, and I think that's just spread to my view on everyone else in the world.

~CK

You can't take the sky from me...

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Thursday, May 17, 2007 12:28 PM

RUGBUG

Quote:
Originally posted by DesktopHippie:
but out on the rim she is seen as nothing more than a whore. Heck, even respectable people who are supposed to appreciate the value of what she offers often reveal that they see her that way (her first client in the pilot episode and Atherton Wing spring to mind.)

See, what I think both of those situation point to is the lack of real intimacy...the shallowness of what they are doing/have done. The first client in the pilot only gets tetchy when he realizes his time is up and that Inara isn't inviting him to stay. To her, he is just another job and that job is now over.

Atherton gets pissed because he also realizes his "connection" with Inara is threatened. His only connection with her is money...he can tell her real connection is with Mal.

Both situations show lack of intimacy and even desire that sex should stem from. Inara doesn't desire those men, she is performing a service...but can't fully fulfill what the men are wanting.

Edited to add: I would love to continue the conversation (eek...sorry to get this board into the debate as well

) but I'm off to ride my pony. See you tomorrow!

***************
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw

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Thursday, May 17, 2007 12:34 PM

DESKTOPHIPPIE

Quote:
Originally posted by RugBug:
Quote:
Originally posted by DesktopHippie:
but out on the rim she is seen as nothing more than a whore. Heck, even respectable people who are supposed to appreciate the value of what she offers often reveal that they see her that way (her first client in the pilot episode and Atherton Wing spring to mind.)

See, what I think both of those situation point to is the lack of real intimacy...the shallowness of what they are doing/have done. The first client in the pilot only gets tetchy when he realizes his time is up and that Inara isn't inviting him to stay. To her, he is just another job and that job is now over.

Atherton gets pissed because he also realizes his "connection" with Inara is threatened. His only connection with her is money...he can tell her real connection is with Mal.

Both situations show lack of intimacy and even desire that sex should stem from. Inara doesn't desire those men, she is performing a service...but can't fully fulfill what the men are wanting.

I think it goes deeper than that. I think they felt that they were buying her, not just time spent with her. Which means they couldn't seperate her from the act she was performing. Which means that, deep down, they didn't really see her as a person, or as worth anything more than the pleasure she could give.

Like Mal said, he didn't respect what Inara did, but Atherton didn't respect her.

I think that has a lot to say about how people can feel about sex, or their partners, or how women are treated all over the world.

Banners, Avatars, LJ Icons and other fun stuff at www.desktophippie.com

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Thursday, May 17, 2007 12:49 PM

ZEEK

OK I've finished my evite trying to drum up business for cantstoptheserenity screenings. I think that's a job well done for today. So, I'm off.

Have a good night of discussion Imponderablers.

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Thursday, May 17, 2007 1:56 PM

NVGHOSTRIDER

Smell bacon? 'tis because me brain is fried.

Goodnight folks.

LIBERTAS SUMPTUS

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Friday, May 18, 2007 4:13 AM

MAVOURNEEN

New thread alert

http://fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=28802

------------------------------------------------

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Friday, May 18, 2007 7:39 AM

HELL'S KITTEN

F**k the mandate. I have to come back to this, but I can't while I'm at work. So...

Quote:
Originally posted by RiverIsMyGoddess:
*completely erases his thoughts on the matter and sits on the couch, opening 2 cans of the Dew and leaving one in the shadows*

*peeks out of the shadows, snatches the can of Dew, curls up next to RIMG*

Quote:
Originally posted by Zeek:
RugBug were it not illegal I would take you in a manly fashion...for $50.

...I was propositioned by a man while I was wondering around Home Depot (I was wearing jeans, t-shirt, and leather motorcycle jacket, looking for materials to build a book shelf). He asked me if I would be willing to be his dominatrix, for $50/hr. He said he had all the toys, so I wouldn't have to bring anything. He also said I didn't have to touch him so there was no sex intended.

I was very insulted.

I rate at least $250 per hour.

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Friday, May 18, 2007 7:50 AM

RIVERISMYGODDESS

mmmm, HK cuddles. Makes my good day even better.

LOL @ the rate, and it's about half what I figure you could probably get in a major metropolitan area.

~jimi
SFC Alexander, Chief Medic for the 76th Indepentent Army Battalion

any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with

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Friday, May 18, 2007 7:58 AM

PENGUIN

Quote:
Originally posted by Hell's Kitten:

I rate at least $250 per hour.

At least!

King of the Mythical Land that is Iowa

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