Star Wars and Lord of the Rings by rockxwl

OTHER SCIENCE FICTION SERIES

Star Wars and Lord of the Rings

POSTED BY: ROCKXWL
UPDATED: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 08:10
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Monday, July 10, 2006 8:02 AM

Felt this was the best place for this topic.

We all love Firefly here and since everyone here loves Firefly I think the chances are pretty good that 99% of us have also seen and love Star Wars.

Now hopefully a good amount of the people here also have watched (and hopefully read) Lord of the Rings.

I wholeheartedly declare that I am obsessed with both Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and I know plenty of other people are in love with them both as well which leads to my question.

In your opinion, between LotR and Star Wars, which one is it more socially "acceptable" to be absolutely obsessed with. By this I mean which obsession is less likely to earn you eye-rolls and the title of "nerd" or "geek" from the rest of society?

My opinion: Lord of the Rings was my first fantasy/sci-fi passion and therefore remains my greatest. I have read The Hobbit + LotR about 7 or 8 times in my 21 years. Most of those readings came in the last 4 years when I became smart enough to truly understand and appreciate it. However, since Star Wars was more recent and also delivered as a movie (as we all know, sadly most people nowadays would rather watch movie then read a book) everybody has heard of both Star Wars and Lord of the Rings but most people have probably been surrounded by more people that are passionate about Star Wars over LotR. Since Star Wars is more recent and origniated on a more popular medium, people are more accepting of encyclopedic Star Wars knowledge.

In short, being able to recite a year-by-year timeline of Boba Fett's childhood is less likely to receive shouts of "NERD!" than being able to draw a map of Middle-Earth or Numenor from memory. Tell me what you all think!

P.S. - I would like to try and keep this discussion revolving around the LotR books and Star Wars: A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. However, if you must discuss the other Star Wars films (or Clone Wars or books, etc) or Peter Jackson's LotR films (or even the animated movies from the 80's), that is fine too.

"We always hoped you two kids would get together...who is she?"

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Monday, July 10, 2006 8:10 AM

PATSRULE

It depends on who you socialize with and how obsessed you are.

If you are with a literary crowd, its Tolkein, if you are with a movie crowd, its Star Wars. If you are REALLY obsessed, it isn't socially acceptable either way, other than with other really obsessed people.

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Monday, July 10, 2006 8:15 AM

ROCKXWL

Quote:
Originally posted by patsrule:
It depends on who you socialize with and how obsessed you are.

If you are with a literary crowd, its Tolkein, if you are with a movie crowd, its Star Wars. If you are REALLY obsessed, it isn't socially acceptable either way, other than with other really obsessed people.

Maybe not OBSESSION necessarily, lets just say the defintion is equally or more passionate than the average person on this board is about Firefly.

"We always hoped you two kids would get together...who is she?"

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Monday, July 10, 2006 8:18 AM

PATSRULE

You don't think the average person on this board is OBSESSED with Firefly? I constantly am befuddled by how obsessed people here are with Firefly.

You realise people here were buying tickets for the Firefly movie to shows they couldn't attend just to drive up the box office? Or that several people were buying double digit copies of the tv show dvd to give to everyone they know as Christmas gifts to get its sales positions higher? And that is just the start....

and "Being able to recite a year-by-year timeline of Boba Fett's orbeing able to draw a map of Middle-Earth or Numenor from memory" both qualify as obsessed in my book.

Edit:
And I am not making judgements about Firefly fans, Tolkein fans or Starwars fans. I am not calling anyone a nerd or loser, but none of those fans would be socially acceptable among anone but other fans that are also obsessed.

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Monday, July 10, 2006 8:44 AM

ROCKXWL

Quote:
"Being able to recite a year-by-year timeline of Boba Fett's orbeing able to draw a map of Middle-Earth or Numenor from memory" both qualify as obsessed in my book.

You're taking me way to literal. Those were just examples not to be taken seriously. I just want my question viewed vaguely, as a starting point, so hopefully people will want to have a discussion on it.

"We always hoped you two kids would get together...who is she?"

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Monday, July 10, 2006 10:02 AM

DEEPGIRL187

I think in some ways it's slightly more socially acceptable to be a LOTR fan than a Star Wars fan. Star Wars still has this stigma from when it wasn't as cool to be a geek. LOTR, on the other hand, has benefitted from the fact that geeks kind of have selling power. I don't people are going to cringe as much when they hear "Lord Of The Rings" as when they hear "Star Wars".

P.S. - By the way, I'm not trying to slam geeks here, especially considering I'm one myself.

**************************************************

"I...won't be just a memory."

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Monday, July 10, 2006 10:07 AM

FUTUREMRSFILLION

LOTR definately, and Star Wars the ORIGINAL. Sorry, can NOT get behind Jar Jar and all that other stuff

FYI I saw Teh Fellowship 15 times in theater so - yeah I am obsessed

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Monday, July 10, 2006 11:06 AM

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN

I want a lightsaber and 10 minutes of quality time with Lucas for jar jar

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/llama.php
-try it out, I dare you

98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature

I'm so into Firefly, my butt glows in the dark.

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Monday, July 10, 2006 11:07 AM

FUTUREMRSFILLION

Can you discuss the whole Ewoks thing with him too? They were cute, but the killed that movie for me.

Felt like a muppet movie!

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Monday, July 10, 2006 3:15 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

That's a tough call. More 'acceptable '. Hmmm.... LOTR is certainly older than most Browncoats, even all if you count The Hobbit. But thing about non - nerds is that they ridicule just about anything remotely sci-fi equally. Doesn't matter if it's Star Wars, Star Trek, or LOTR. I even heard guys on the radio making fun of folks who had lined up for the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Seems some had dressed up in Pirate garb, which to me is kinda cool. But, alas, w/ some of our society,....if it's different, then it HAS to be ridiculed.

I'd say, of the two, I'm much more a LOTR fan. Granted, the early SW movies were filled w/ much of the same wonder and thrills, but all that was lost for me w/ the last 3 movies. Tolkien, on the other hand.....his stories only fill me w/ MORE wonder, not less.

People love a happy ending. So every episode, I will explain once again that I don't like people. And then Mal will shoot someone. Someone we like. And their puppy. - Joss

" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

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Monday, July 10, 2006 3:19 PM

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN

something I would like to point out, on my way to the refresher (bathroom for those of you who don't read EU) after seeing episode III I saw a dark jedi in the line

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Monday, July 10, 2006 4:29 PM

ERIC

Chuck 'em both and switch to Dune

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Monday, July 10, 2006 6:29 PM

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN

no thank you

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Monday, July 10, 2006 7:03 PM

THEGREYJEDI

But have you read the Simarillion? As great a work as The Lord of the Rings, and it's Prologue, the Hobbit, are, the Silmarillion and all it's associated works, to me, is a far grander and more beautiful tale. Personally speaking that is.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Chief Engineer - USS SereniTREE
http://tomeofgrey.blogspot.com
http://www.cafepress.com/thegreyjedi

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Monday, July 10, 2006 7:07 PM

EMBERS

I was a MUCH bigger Trek fan (Original, Nextt Generation, DeepSpace9, and Voyager...not Enterprise) than either Star Wars or LotR.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the original trilogy of Star Wars, but I was never as obsessed as I was w/Star Trek... And I really didn't like the prequel of Star Wars much at all.

And I loved the LotR books, but I was never obsessed w/the movies (Peter Jackson cut out my favorite part)

But I am WAY more obsessed with Firefly/Serenity than I ever have been w/any other series (well, I was pretty keen on Buffy)...

**********************************************
watch the R. Tam Session vids: http://www.hittarivertam.nu/
and buy the 'Serenity' comics published by Dark Horse
have you checked out this thread?:
http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=15816

and listen to 'I'm Going To See Serenity':
http://music.podshow.com/music/listeners/artistdetails.php?BandHash=a0
c814e1229742ce77ed4497cbf4631c

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Monday, July 10, 2006 7:55 PM

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN

Quote:
Originally posted by embers:

And I loved the LotR books, but I was never obsessed w/the movies (Peter Jackson cut out my favorite part)

which part?

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Monday, July 10, 2006 8:01 PM

EMBERS

the last battle of the LotR, the one that takes place in Hobbiton, meant a lot to me...
I was really looking forward to it (it is a section of the book that I've read and reread many time)
but evidently it meant nothing to Peter Jackson,
he thought it was anticlimatic or something....

probably most people agree w/him, but it was very disappointing to me.

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Monday, July 10, 2006 8:04 PM

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN

I had forgotten that bit, but in my defense it's been awhile since I read the books

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Monday, July 10, 2006 9:15 PM

SINGATE

LOTR is definitely more acceptable because the movies appealed to such a wide audience. They probably even inspired some people to actually read the books which is quite a rare thing these days. Unfortunately for SW the prequels left such a bad taste in many people's mouths that I think it is now considered even more uncool to be a SW fan.

Having also read the books I must say Jackson did a pretty good job. He did rearrange a few things in the movies but nothing that was unforgivable. When I told my brother that there was actually more to the story at the end of the book(the retaking of The Shire) he couldn't believe it. His point being that there were already six endings so how could there be any more.

The Silmarillion is a rather unusual read. It comes off like Tolkien's Middle Earth bible. Good stories but not developed enough to suck me in the way LOTR did. Anyone who thinks Sauron is a bad dude needs to read about his master, Melkor.

One last point which was touched upon by another poster. How come it is socially acceptable for grown men to get drunk, paint their bodies and faces, wear glittering pom-poms on their heads while attending sporting events while those who dress up in the name of sci-fi/fantasy are mercilessly lampooned?

_________________________________________________

We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far.

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Tuesday, July 11, 2006 4:21 AM

EMBERS

Quote:
Originally posted by singate:
How come it is socially acceptable for grown men to get drunk, paint their bodies and faces, wear glittering pom-poms on their heads while attending sporting events while those who dress up in the name of sci-fi/fantasy are mercilessly lampooned?

because the jocks of the world make the rules and they believe that dressing up in body paint for sporting events make them manly men...

the sci-fi geeks of the world have to stop accepting that, but it is hard getting over the trauma of High School when all the biggest bullies were also the jocks

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Tuesday, July 11, 2006 4:35 AM

ROCKXWL

Quote:
Originally posted by embers:
the last battle of the LotR, the one that takes place in Hobbiton, meant a lot to me...
I was really looking forward to it

YES. The Scouring of the Shire is one of my favorite parts of the entire story just because it gives a clear picture as to how much Merry, Pippin, and Sam have grown during the journey. Frodo basically says "you guys take care of it" and tries not to get involved. I understand why Jackson thought he had to cut it from the movie but still it was dissapointing.

As far as the Silmarillion, I agree with whoever said it was a beautiful story and I have read it several times. However, Tolkien's son Christopher did a lot of the writing, for all the stuff that hadn't been completed, and in those parts the writing isn't as good. Plus it reads like a history book so it's a much tougher and slower read.

Finally, I agree with what everyone here has said about how the last three Star Wars movies (mostly episodes 1 and 2, 3 was an improvement over those two) left a bad taste in people's mouths. I hate that a lot of people can't look past those movies and just consider episodes IV - VI when talking about Star Wars because they were some of the most universally loved movies before those gorram prequels.

"What'd you all order a dead guy for?"

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Tuesday, July 11, 2006 7:59 AM

EMBERS

Quote:
Originally posted by rockxwl:
YES. The Scouring of the Shire is one of my favorite parts of the entire story just because it gives a clear picture as to how much Merry, Pippin, and Sam have grown during the journey. Frodo basically says "you guys take care of it" and tries not to get involved. I understand why Jackson thought he had to cut it from the movie but still it was dissapointing.

I'm glad to know someone else felt that that was important too...
I loved the fact that no one escaped the war completely and the hobbits had to use the strength and skills they had developed to save their own home.

Quote:

Finally, I agree with what everyone here has said about how the last three Star Wars movies (mostly episodes 1 and 2, 3 was an improvement over those two) left a bad taste in people's mouths. I hate that a lot of people can't look past those movies and just consider episodes IV - VI when talking about Star Wars because they were some of the most universally loved movies before those gorram prequels.

I still love episodes IV-VI, but somehow the excitement got sucked out of the fandom...
actually 'Enterprise' did that a little to Star Trek too, the show was so flat and poorly written that I was kind of down on the movies that were coming out too...
but lately I've been rewatching all of 'Deep Space 9' and remembering everything I love about Star Trek.

So obviously I should just do a marathon of Star Wars IV-VI and forget about the prequels!

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Tuesday, July 11, 2006 8:10 AM

ONEMANSHORT

As for the Battle in Hobbiton, i was equally pissed off this was cut out. It was the end of the book! And it just disappeared

I still love Peter Jackson though for opening up the LotR world to a wider audience. As for the question of nerdiness, beign a fan of all things sci-fi, I get the most rolled eyes when I mention LotR. All of my friends tend to laugh at me incessantly, pass significant glances, and say they fell asleep about half way through the first movie. At least a few of them have seen the new Star Wars movies, and since quite a few of them didn't even know there were old ones they just go "Oh cool." The world isn;t a great place for us fans of sci-fi, and it's pretty much a risk when you mention your love for anything from the science fiction genre.

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