Chinese Browncoats by psychotic

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Chinese Browncoats

POSTED BY: PSYCHOTIC
UPDATED: Saturday, May 3, 2008 01:06
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VIEWED: 5564
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008 11:35 PM

I found what Kaylee wore during the BDM funeral was totally disrespectful.

Just curious. How many of us here are of Chinese decent? (Pls don't turn this into a racist thread.)

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Wednesday, April 30, 2008 3:24 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

I'm sure it was unintentional - can you tell us what you found so offensive? I'd post a screencap but I don't want to make it worse!

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Wednesday, April 30, 2008 5:19 AM

PENTHOS

Quote:
Originally posted by psychotic:
I found what Kaylee wore during the BDM funeral was totally disrespectful.

Just curious. How many of us here are of Chinese decent? (Pls don't turn this into a racist thread.)

Wow, really? You can only actually see her for like 3 seconds max, and it's only from the midrift up... Her top is unbuttoned but she is wearing a shirt underneath... Is it the Chinese characters she is wearing around her neck? Please, please explain in what sense it was "totally disrespectful".

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Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:26 AM

ASIANSOLO

Yes let us know what was wrong . I fail to understand what was wrong?

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Thursday, May 1, 2008 5:15 AM

PENTHOS

Talk about a hit and run... This poster comes in and accuses Joss of being "totally disrepectful" to Chinese people because of Kaylee's attire during the BDM funeral. Then basically insults the board by asking us not to turn this in to a racist thread (the implication being that we have to be asked not to be racist)... And then poster doesn't even come back to explain what exactly about Kaylees outfit was so "disrespectful" in the first place.

I don't get it...

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Friday, May 2, 2008 2:20 AM

PSYCHOTIC

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to accuse anyone of anything. If I sounded that way, my bad. Lighten up, folks ;)

Can't make it out from the screencap, but I recall Kaylee wearing a gold pendant in the character of a "double happiness". It's usually only seen during weddings and means two joyous events (i.e. the marriage of the couple, union of the two families).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Happiness_(calligraphy)

So it was either intended evolution of the language by Joss, or a mistake (which I accuse since it was the first scene shot for the BDM). It's funny I didn't notice until my 3rd/4th viewing.

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Friday, May 2, 2008 4:21 AM

PENTHOS

Quote:
Originally posted by psychotic:
So it was either intended evolution of the language by Joss, or a mistake (which I accuse since it was the first scene shot for the BDM). It's funny I didn't notice until my 3rd/4th viewing.

Or, it could be the result of the evolution and mixing of cultural traditions, not language. There are, in fact, cultures that celebrate the passing away of loved ones and ancestors with joy and happiness (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead).

So while the two biggest ingredients in the verse's cultural mix are clearly American and Chinese, one could logically assume that other cultural flavors would likely get mixed in there as well.

How then would these influences be expressed? In this case, Kaylee lost two beloved crewmates, Wash and Book. Perhaps her wearing the double happiness symbol was an expression of the Mexican tradition of celebrating the passing of those loved ones through Chinese symbolism...

It's plausible to me and sounds very much like soemthing Joss would do. And it's certainly the explanation I would accept before deeming it as something "totally disrespectful".

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zoe: Don't think its a good spot sir, she still has the advantage over us.
Mal: Everyone always does; that's what makes us special.

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Friday, May 2, 2008 9:49 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

That has a certain ring to it.

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Saturday, May 3, 2008 1:06 AM

PSYCHOTIC

Interesting. You're right, PENTHOS! It does seem like a very Joss thing to do.

Thx for the screencap, PIZMOBEACH ;)

No biggie for me, though my initial reaction was "WTF? Are their deaths two happy events for you?" (Although, it does remind me of how some people get tattoos of nonsense Chinese/Japanese characters.)

Can anyone here think of an example of a mixing of two cultures where a ritual of one culture evolved so that it is performed quite differently, even in an "opposite" way, from its origins?

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