Conversion - ain't happening here by JenDandy

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Conversion - ain't happening here

POSTED BY: JENDANDY
UPDATED: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 06:08
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VIEWED: 8364
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Saturday, September 11, 2004 3:49 AM

I was wondering if anyone else has run into some trouble when trying to convert.
I'm extremely shy, so I don't know a lot of people, mostly family to be honest. And I'm 100% sure if I tried to convert any of them to the wonder that is Firefly, I would get nothing. Why? Because everyone I know just ain't interested. I'm positive most, if not all of them wouldn't even give the show a second glance if I asked.
For example, my husband told me today that he just wasn't into that sort of show. I doubt he would watch only one episode, ever (maybe partially my fault though, I talk about it all the friggin time now and I think it annoys him).
So it begs the question - do mainly sci-fi and fantasy nerds (I mean the term 'nerd' in a good way, btw. I think nerds are awesome) or Buffy and Angel fans enjoy this show? How easily have everyone here been able to convert others?

-Sig Rebel-

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Saturday, September 11, 2004 4:32 AM

BARB

I know exactly what you mean...BUT...I have managed to convert my husband and daughters both. Just pick a moment when he's kinda bored and suggest that he watch just one episode..pick something exciting like The Train Job ... that's got alot of action and is bound to get him interested.
As for people outside your family, I can relate. I converted a friend of mine, but he was already a sci-fi fan so it wasn't hard. He had seen a few of the episodes when it was on and after we attended DragonCon he went straight out the next day and bought the DVDs.
I do things like this: I was at an electronics store yesterday and before I left I had put all the display computers on Firefly websites. Also, whenever I'm in stores that carry the DVDs I move them in front. Sounds goofy, I know. But I can't help but think that at least one person comes along and says "hey, this looks interesting". Makes me feel like I've done my part.
I don't think you have to be a sci-fi geek (geek in a good way, too) to get this show. My husband didn't like Buffy or Angel and he loves Firefly. I think anybody that enjoys a good story and great acting will appreciate Firefly!

"It's pretty much down to ritual suicide, lambytoes."

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Saturday, September 11, 2004 5:17 AM

WHISPERING

Usually when i say it doesnt have subtitles, people are like eh? and dont want to watch it. So its even harder for me. But when i got the DVD set, watched them all with a friend in a weekend, he loved it. After that have made one of my friend watch the first 8 episodes, she liked it. But i had to explane things every now and then. It should be released here too, so i could get the set with finnish subtitles :)

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Saturday, September 11, 2004 5:23 AM

SHINY

You don't have to be a sci-fi fan to love the show but I agree it is a harder sell to get non-sci-fi fans to watch it. I almost feel like Serenity is the best ep to start with for sci-fi types who will sit through the slower first half and stay interested long enough for the HUGE payoff in the second half. For the reluctant non-sci-fi fan viewer, I usually have to start with something like Our Mrs. Reynolds (one of the funniest, and less of a spoiler if they go back to watch Serenity next because River and Book are barely in it -- although all the eps are going to spoil the Kaylee's dead moment...)

Jayne, your mouth is talkin. Might want to look into that.

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Saturday, September 11, 2004 8:42 AM

SHINYDUDE

I understand...

What I have found myself doing when I am trying to convert a 'reluctant future fan' is to find out what they might be interested in. Or which actors they might be familiar with.

My wife started to give it a chance when I pointed out that Alan Tudyk was in it. She loved the characters he played in Knight's Tale and 28 days, not to mention his recent work in I, Robot and Dodgeball, so that worked. The rest of the cast all have impressive resumes also, I am I the only one who can remember going to My Bodyguard as a kid? Or would watch Barney Miller reruns when I supposed to be doing my homework?

You could also point out other things that Joss and Tim have worked on in the past as well, Buffy/Angel (of course), but also Alien 3, Platoon, Toy Story, Roseanne, X-Men, Lois and Clark, X Files, the list goes on. Not saying that any of their other writing or directing work reflects on Firefly, but if you liked that stuff, you might find something to enjoy in this.

But I think Firefly itself has enough to convince someone. You like Sci-Fi? Got it. Like Westerns? We got that covered. Action? Adventure? Romance? Love stories? Comedy? Firefly has it all. Everything but funky aliens with lots of latex and big foreheads, which is probably the first thing most people think of when they think Sci-Fi.

What about picking up a few select phrases in Chinese and throwing them out once in a while? Might intrigue a few folks. What kind of Sci-Fi show teaches you how to call your boss/teacher/guy who just cut you off in traffic a ‘Stupid son of a drooling whore and a monkey’ or ‘Filthy fornicators of livestock!’ or other fun phrases? Heck might even get someone interested just for that alone! I know I have.

Anyway, hope some of this helps, or at least gives you some ideas of your own.

Good Luck and of course: Keep Flyin'!!

I'll be in my bunk...

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Saturday, September 11, 2004 9:06 AM

EMBERS

I've had some problem with people who had already written it off as 'some Buffy thing' without listening to word I said about it...

my biggest successes have been w/people who do like Sci-fi, and I think men are more easily converted
(altho the cuteness of Nathan certainly worked with one friend!)

I've been giving the DVDs as gifts to a lot of friends and family and I have a better than 90% success rate, but that almost 10% rankles...
and I still hope that they will really give it a chance at some point
(I can't believe that they wouldn't love it if they would just give it a fair chance! LOL)

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Saturday, September 11, 2004 9:19 AM

DIETCOKE

Well I could never convert my husband to watching Buffy or Angel and he suggested that I not tell any of our friends that I did.

That said, when I told him about Firefly, I asked him to agree to watch the first four episodes before making a judgement. He did and by the forth episode he was really into it and watched all of them.

It can be done!

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Saturday, September 11, 2004 12:27 PM

SHINYHAPPYKLIN

Quote:
What kind of Sci-Fi show teaches you how to call your boss/teacher/guy who just cut you off in traffic a ‘Stupid son of a drooling whore and a monkey’ or ‘Filthy fornicators of livestock!’ or other fun phrases?

And those phrases would be what in Chinese? Inquiring minds want to know (and use...)

"We gotta go to that crappy town where I'M a hero..."
Shiny stuff for Browncoats at: http://www.cafepress.com/outtotheblack

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Saturday, September 11, 2004 1:04 PM

JEBBYPAL

Huh, well w/ your husband you could try breaking all the tv's in the house except for one and watching a marathon on that....he'd probably get sucked in eventually. Or when he asks what you want to do on your birthday, say you want to watch 2 episodes of Firefly w/ him! (I think 2 will result in hooking even the most deadset-joss critic).

Actually had a friend that I didn't know if he'd like it or not. He's a big film buff and paints anyway so I figured I'd send it to him as a gift and maybe he'd appreciate it. If not, he'd probably give it to someone else and it would be shared. Turned out he LOVED IT. He can't wait for Serenity although he is majorly bummed to hear that Badger, Saffron, and Jubal won't be featured at all. ;)

The Strawberry Monkey who defends tight pants everywhere!

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Saturday, September 11, 2004 2:37 PM

LITTLEMANLOVESFIRE

I have found people to be very sceptical but only until they are tied up and forced to watch an episode. Like all the best art it speaks for itself. I've converted about 20 people so far. I have lots of rope.

I can't stand prejudice in any form. Especially "Ugh, sci fi, that's crap." No, dickhead, only crap sci-fi is crap, just depends what you've watched. Crap soaps are crap, crap romcoms are crap, crap law shows are crap, doesn't mean they all are. Firefly isn't really sci-fi as it's not about science - the science is inconsequential - it is about human beings and we can all relate. Our Mrs Reynolds is a good ep to show to a woman (or anyone really) by the way - the whole scene at the beginning in the cargo bay (after Zoe calls everyone down) is about as funny as TV ever gets.

You think Firefly is hard? Try converting people to the second greatest sci-fi series ever - Babylon5 - you gotta watch a whole Season and 9 episodes before it really hits home how frigging awesome that is! I spent 5 years thinking "I'll never watch that shit" but I'm so thankful to the guy that practically forced me to stick with it.

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Saturday, September 11, 2004 4:12 PM

SHINYSEVEN

I've NEVER had any success pimping my main fandom, Blakes7, but last year I had a British friend visiting who managed to start her own wave of conversions when she went home. But then I showed Serenity to a friend who's primarily a Smallville and Harry Potter fan and she was hugely unimpressed.

I think you just have to take a win some--lose some attitude (and think about all the stuff people told you was the best thing since sliced bread that you didn't like thta much).

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Saturday, September 11, 2004 10:56 PM

LITTLEMANLOVESFIRE

Quote:
Originally posted by shinyseven:I've NEVER had any success pimping my main fandom, Blakes7

Most probably because most people aren't intelligent enough to see past crap special effects to the plotting, dialogue and characterisation that made this so brilliant. Not only was Blakes7 a huge influence on Joss in general it is also pretty much the template for Firefly - band of renegade outlaws in space rebelling against a totalitarian alliance...hmmmm.

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Saturday, September 11, 2004 11:05 PM

HADES

I am not a Buffy or Angel fan but I do enjoy Firefly...I am currently in the process of convincing people....Its going well so far. But it's a neg. that the show went for such a short time....went people hear that..well you know.

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Saturday, September 11, 2004 11:52 PM

HAUFEL

The most important thing to understand is that you never have to convince someone of all the wonderful things there are to like. I don't even think you can. You just have to get them exposed. That's the hard part. If people are thinking genre stereotypes (and they will), they will be highly resistant to giving it a chance. And I don't think there's any way through words to change that preconception. But once they SEE it, the resistance melts away like magic. So the key is not to try to tell someone how good it is, but just to try to find a casual opportunity to watch an episode or two.

Yeah, and if wishes were horses we'd all be eatin' steak.

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Sunday, September 12, 2004 12:10 AM

DAIKATH

I got a really good friend who wont watch firefly now out of principle because I can't shut up about it :\.

Im usually the looser at chess with him, so now I have a chess book and first am planning to be better at chess. Then I'll try to trick him into a bet wherein he has to watch a episode of Firefly if I win

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Sunday, September 12, 2004 12:23 AM

LITTLEMANLOVESFIRE

Closed-mindedness like that really pisses me off because I used to be like that.

I started watching Buffy about two years ago. Before that, I did know of its existence, even watched a couple of eps on BBC2 but I'd spent years thinking it was cheap pap - airheaded throwaway rubbish - "Baywatch with fangs" - if you will. Then someone said I should give it a chance. I laughed. But since he was a good mate I gave it a go - it took me until Season 2 to get hooked but I've never looked back. But now when people hear I like Buffy they laugh at me. The opinion of the general public is that it's like "Sabrina" - they'll never understand that it's dark, witty, thought provoking, heart-breaking, violent, groundbreaking TV and I guess as long as I know that it shouldn't really bother me.

Firefly should be easier to convince people to watch. "A girl with superpowers fighting vampires" just sounds retarded - Firefly's concept isn't quite as silly.

Got to admit, I find it strange when people say they love Firefly but Buffy and Angel are crap. That's bull, you simply haven't watched enough of it. They take longer to get into (I was hooked on Firefly after the pilot) but it's so worth it.

The best episodes of Buffy or Angel are far better than any Firefly we have seen SO FAR. I have no doubt at all that Firefly would have surpassed them by quite some way if it had continued and the average epsiode quality was definitely better. If you like Firefly you would like those shows - Joss didn't simply get good all of a sudden in 2002 you know.

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Sunday, September 12, 2004 6:36 AM

LASHER99

To convert my wife, I chose "Our Mrs. Reynolds" as the show. There was nothing else to watch on tv, so I just put it on while she was reading. Before 5 mins passed, she was watching with interest. By the end of the show, she was asking to watch another episode. After Serenity, she started watching the DVDs even without me around and had finished the whole set within 3 days. For an action/drama fan, "War Stories" would be the one I'd gamble on. For a sci-fi fan, best start with "Serenity".

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Sunday, September 12, 2004 6:56 AM

PHOEBE

I have to say, I'm VERY good at converting people to Firefly. So far, I've managed to convince five random strangers off the internet to go buy the DVDs and watch the movie, and I've got all my friends to like Firefly. Ironically, the one person I can't convert to Firefly is the one person who's coming to the Serenity convention with my next April...

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Monday, September 13, 2004 5:41 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

I sympathize w/ you Jendandy. The toughest conversion I had was my wife. I had to gently keep pushing her to sit down & watch an episode w/ me. She never got around to it before the show was cancelled. It was not until I got the DVD set, and nothing was on cable one night to convince her to sit and watch an episode (only after I agreed to make popcorn). We watched Serenity and she enjoyed it. Now she is not a huge fan like those of us here, but she knows the show, the actors, and even got pics w/ Jewel and Adam @ Dragon Con.

Family are hard to convert, especially if they are not into sci fi. My step dad was not hard to convert as he & I like the same types of shows and movies. My mother was a bit harder sell. My sister and brother in law were tough, but eventually relented and borrowed one of my loaner DVD sets. They are hooked now & can't wait for the movie. Co-workers have been more of a challenge for me. I am still pecking away at the resolve of several.

The advise I would offer you is nothing ventured, nothing gained. It is well worth the effort to at least attempt to convert friends and family. If they don't like it, at least you tried. If you don't try you will never know.

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

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Monday, September 13, 2004 5:54 AM

WITLESSCHUM

It took me a long time to get my wife, so finally I pledged to do all the unpleasantest parts of cleaning the house myself and she had to watch "Serenity" Then she complained it was an hour and a half.

So I said, Ok, you've just got to watch the first half. So, we watched it and I paused it at the commerical break. She looks at me and says "Go get me some Mt. Dew and start it up again."
She became a junkie O'Firefly.

And she was tough, because we watched "Safe" when it was on T.V. and were both like, "that sucked." We didn't really get who was who in relation to whom. Also, I think "Safe" is by far the single worst episode. For that reason, you've got to go with "Serenity" because the shows all about the relationships between the characters and "Serenity" is the only spot that all gets laid out fully.

I'll get my mom and sis next. Whenever they come to visit me next, they're toast.

Dan

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Monday, September 13, 2004 6:38 AM

KINGPAUSE

I hear ya. More to do with the type of people I hang out with (did that just sounds horribly elitist?), but whenever I talk about the show, they just sort of go, "Huh" (as opposed to "Huh?") and then move on to the next topic.

I finally got a friend to watch the show (I basically forced the DVD on him) - he watched "Serenity" and said it was okay (he liked the actors), but didn't feel compelled to watch any of the other episodes.

What to do? I don't know. I've made a list of the episodes that I consider must-see ("Serenity", "Bushwhacked", "Our Mrs. Reynolds", "Out of Gas", "Ariel", "War Stories", "Objects in Space", possibly "The Message"), but if I can't even get anyone to get past "Serenity"... What then?

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Monday, September 13, 2004 10:15 AM

ANYAM

Quote:
Originally posted by kingpause:
if I can't even get anyone to get past "Serenity"... What then?

Well, don't start with 'Serenity.'

Now, I didn't see the show until long after it came out on DVD (read: about a month ago. And yes, I've already started working my butt off to convert people, or "indoctrinate" them as I like to say), so I decided to watch it properly, in sequential order. This is because I was expecting to like it, so I accepted that 'Serenity' starts off a little slow; that's the case with most pilots, anyway. Exposition always bogs down the plot a bit. But when you're converting skeptics, you don't want to risk them losing interest.

So, I've started everyone off with either 'Out of Gas,' 'Ariel,' or 'Objects in Space,' because those are my three personal favorites and I think they all really stand out. The result? The person's attention is caught and, even if they're a little iffy on what they've just seen, they've got some questions about the backgrounds of the characters that they'd like to be cleared up. That's when you show them 'Serenity,' and then bang -- they're hooked.

You start 'em off in medias res, with a good solid episode, so they're not only thinking, "well, that was kinda good," but they're also thinking, "it would be really nice to get some background on this." Example: I started one of my friends off with 'Objects in Space' and she just had to see earlier episodes because she wanted to know what was up with River. It works, man. It works.

The tough part is getting people to sit down and watch. The best way to do this, I think, is to not talk about it too much with them (although, well...might be a little too late for that now...). Instead, you mention it once or twice and then one day, when you happen to be together with little to do, suggest watching an episode of it. Then, they don't think of it as "that stupid show my friend/son/daughter/husband/wife won't shut up about;" it's just something new.

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Monday, September 13, 2004 10:34 PM

ZOID

JenDandy:

How to convert your man:

1. Wait until the game is over. Do not exhale petulantly, saying "This football is bore-ring! A bunch of grown men getting paid a king's ransom to chase around after a ball. How about some Firefly?"

2. Once the game is over, you might get him to watch the right episode, until SportsCenter comes on. Figure on a single, one-hour ep. Important: If his team lost, wait until next week; he will be unreceptive to art for at least two days after a loss. For those who live in Arizona, San Diego or the Windy City, forget converting your menfolk until at least February... (No, seriously)

3. And 'the right episode' is: "Our Mrs. Reynolds". Others have likewise nominated OMR, but for all the wrong reasons. If your man is worth his salt, he will immediately tune in to the fact that Christina Hendricks is, ummm, how to put this delicately? Blessed with an abundance of physical talent... Er, she has lots of what the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders made famous... I'm saying she's stacked. Likewise, a true man's keen eyesight will detect that her blouse is translucent, and that a pair of prominent details can be detected beneath the fabric, thanks in large part to JW's cinematic genius, framing and skillful backlighting. To top it off, JW gets her quite effectively nekkid and talkin' about gettin' plowed ("Again... And again"), the Earth puffing up and blowing, and getting taught about pleasure by another woman, all in the same episode. And she cooks fresh bau and milks a mean apple, to boot! (NB: Seriously, YoSafBridge should have her own series.)

Now that you properly have your man's attention -- "Hmmm, maybe there is something to this Firefly... Show me more! (and bring me some cider)" -- you can show him the pilot "Serenity" to properly introduce him to the main characters (and Inara's bathing scene).

If this doesn't work, divorce your husband and marry a man who likes girls...

Hetroseckshully,

zoid
_________________________________________________

"Burn that crazy land... Boil that swingin' sea! You can't take that big, beautiful sky from me!" The Ballad of Serenity, as performed by Frank Sinatra (deceased)

Only 219 days, 20 hours, 50 minutes, and 37 seconds left until The BDM!

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 3:31 AM

BLUESUNBURN

My dad likes sci-fi, but he isn't a huge fan, I was able to convert him easily, which was a real coup. My roomie refuses to watch it.

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 4:02 AM

NEWMELBOURNEFAN

I've had most success converting Joss Whedon fans mostly because it has a similar style and feel to it, and it has Caleb, Jasmine, Marcus Hamilton and the Prima Ballerina in it.

"Call him sir, he likes it when you do that"

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 4:13 AM

SHINYHAPPYKLIN

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:

_________________________________________________

"Burn that crazy land... Boil that swingin' sea! You can't take that big, beautiful sky from me!" The Ballad of Serenity, as performed by Frank Sinatra (deceased)

Zoid.....you just ain't right......I about choked on my breakfast reading this!

You ever hear the Muzak version of "Allentown"? It's in the same family of bad....kinda depressing song performed very upkey and like ol' Blue Eyes was gonna sing along with it.....

Thanks for the laugh!

"We gotta go to that crappy town where I'M a hero..."
Shiny stuff for Browncoats at: http://www.cafepress.com/outtotheblack

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 4:31 AM

FEMALEJAYNE

Hey JenDandy,
I have a hard time converting. I've got a few friends who are sci-fi fans and I've tried to get them to watch, they keep puttin' it off. One finally borrowed my disc one for a week. When he returned it he said and I quote "What kind of powers does the Firefly have?" You gave people a chance to watch but if don't want to, and don't watch it they usally end up wacthing it later and wishing they listened.
Just because you're shy doesn't mean you can't have lots of friends. You just need to find people you want to be friends with.

With Hope because love is nothing without hope.

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 6:05 AM

ZOID

K'plaa, shinyhappyklin! (I know I didn't spell it right)

zoid bows deeply... and experiences breathtakingly sharp pain in sacral vertebra, and can't rise...

Ummm, some help here?

v/r,
zed

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 6:07 AM

SHINYDUDE

Quote:
Originally posted by shinyhappyklin:
Quote:
What kind of Sci-Fi show teaches you how to call your boss/teacher/guy who just cut you off in traffic a ‘Stupid son of a drooling whore and a monkey’ or ‘Filthy fornicators of livestock!’ or other fun phrases?

And those phrases would be what in Chinese? Inquiring minds want to know (and use...)

Check out this site for a complete listng by phrase or by episode of chinese used in the show. Wacky Fun...

http://fireflychinese.home.att.net/

He1 chu4sheng1[5] (?) za2jiao1 de5 zang1huo4!
Huh choo-shung huh tza-jiao duh tzang-huo! [Book sounds like Huh choo-sang (?) zah-jah dah tahng-hwa]
"Filthy fornicators of livestock!"
“War Stories”: Book, referring to Niska & henchmen, on seeing Mal's ear

Liu2 kou3shui3 de5 biao3zi5 he2 hou2zi5 de5 ben4 er2zi5.
Liou koe-shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh bun ur-tze.
Stupid son of a drooling whore and a monkey.
”Safe”: River, ranted at Mal

I'll be in my bunk...

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 6:23 AM

SHINYHAPPYKLIN

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:

K'plaa, shinyhappyklin! (I know I didn't spell it right)

zoid bows deeply... and experiences breathtakingly sharp pain in sacral vertebra, and can't rise...

Ummm, some help here?

v/r,
zed

it's qapla', just for future reference...

Hey! Someone wanna call a medic for Zoid, here?...here, grab hold of my bat'leth while I pull....oops....

"We gotta go to that crappy town where I'M a hero..."
Shiny stuff for Browncoats at: http://www.cafepress.com/outtotheblack

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Tuesday, September 14, 2004 11:11 AM

the movie is not the Series. Only the facts have been changed, to irritate the innocent; the names of the actors and characters remain the same

Quote:
Originally posted by JenDandy:
I was wondering if anyone else has run into some trouble when trying to convert.

Nope, 'cause I've never tried to convert anyone. I've introduced five folks to Firefly, with the following results:
One watched the whole series with me, over a weekend. Obviously he liked it well enough to watch the whole thing, but not passionately.
Another couple have had my loner set for over a month; they're trying to watch it together, but their current schedules make this inconvenient. So far they've seen the pilot + Train Job. I don't expect an enthusiastic response from either of them, at this rate.
My sister and her son watched Serenity & Train Job with me, and my nephew watched the rest of the series over the following week. He is enthusiastic, and I expect he'll introduce Firefly to some of his friends.

My advice:
1) Don't lose heart
2) Be willing to loan your DVDs, or bring them to a friend's place and watch them together
3) Don't try to convince anyone the show is great. Just try to convince them to watch a few eps, and let the show convince them.

I always watch the show in order*. I suspect that anyone who can't find the early episodes a good enough reason to watch more is unlikely to love the series as a whole. And while I agree that the series got better as it went on, I also think that will leave a better impression on a new viewer who watches it all.

Keep the Shiny Side Up

Wutzon: "Crazy Love"

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Wednesday, September 15, 2004 5:53 AM

LTNOWIS

I've convinced my friend, a sci-fi book fan, and my sister, a person who likes good TV. My sister was desperately seeking good TV to watch over Winter Vacation, so she was very receptive. For my friend, I simply said "Hey, there's this awesome show called Firefly, want me to bring it over?" I think I refrained from describing it much, ever, which helped.

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Wednesday, September 15, 2004 6:08 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

YT wrote:

Quote:
My advice:
1) Don't lose heart
2) Be willing to loan your DVDs, or bring them to a friend's place and watch them together
3) Don't try to convince anyone the show is great. Just try to convince them to watch a few eps, and let the show convince them.

Great advise YT. We want to introduce people to the show and let the magic we discovered win them over, not force the show on someone who is reluctant and turn them off of it for good.

We are not going to be able to convince everyone we know to watch it, that is a sad fact. We can try, but we have to be prepared to face resistance and failure. We can't give up though if we hit some people who say "No" or "Thanks, but no thanks". We keep on plugging away.

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

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