Step up to the microphone and ask JW your one question.

POSTED BY: pizmobeach
UPDATED: Monday, January 24, 2005 09:15
VIEWED: 12311
PAGE 1 of 1

PIZMOBEACH

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 5:08 PM

If you could ask Joss Whedon one question about Firelfy what would it be? (Please no Serenity spoiler questions!).
If we're lucky ... by stealth mule, over the mountains... ninja penguin over the polar icecaps...they might make it into the right hands.

I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat.

THESOMNAMBULIST

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 5:11 PM

Who do you have to sleep with at fox to get Firefly back on the air.....and why haven't you done that yet??

TheSomnambulist

www.cirqus.com
For Pictures:
http://www.cirqus.com/lightfantastic.html

SGTGUMP

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 5:51 PM

You remember, umm, remember that time that you had Jayne hanging from Serenity in The Train Job, then he got shot, but it was ok, because it was just a flesh wound? Remember that? That was awesome.

TOMANTA

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 7:38 PM

Reavers: sadistic madmen, or just misunderstood?

"FOX! Where the shit hits the fans." - Tim Minear

PIZMOBEACH

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 7:46 PM

Well, we're off to a rollicking good start - well done!

THESOMNAMBULIST - I think I know the answer to that one - JW does not sleep with anyone outside his species. I think there was even a thread about that over on the OB...and if you wait a week there'll be a game about it over on the 'versal board...

SGTGUMP - Yours was not so much a "question" as an "odd statement thingy." But nonetheless, you've recalled one very powerful scene that I'm sure JW will respond to once he's choked back the tearful memory...

Next Question!

I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat.

PIZMOBEACH

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 7:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Tomanta:
Reavers: sadistic madmen, or just misunderstood?

How about misunderstood sadistic madmen? And as a follow-up I would ask are Reavers only men? Or would we have "madwomen" Reavers? Now that's scary...

I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat.

THALOS

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 8:17 PM

After "Trash" our BDH's had acquired the Lassiter, a priceless artifact, and it is again mentioned in "The Message". I am sure there is no mention of it in the movie, but I was wondering if the TV series had gone on, what ideas were in mind for pawning such a highly visible object?

Edit: There are a ton of follow up questions, like, wouldn't it alert Blue Sun to the location of River, wouldn't the crew be rich, would Niska be able to track them while they are trying to sell it, etc. (Basically, it seemed like a great plot line that could have been sustained for many many episodes.)

"Whoa, good Bible."

MALICIOUS

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 8:23 PM

I want to know why the hell Joss Whedon cannot just have his own television/cable channel! It would solve every one of our problems! We could have Whedonverse 24/7/365. Is he just lazy? Or what?

Mal-licious

Co-Holder of the Red Bell from Hell

TMURRIE

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 8:32 PM

Why why why why why WHY WHY WHY Xander's eye!?!?!?!?
Why why why why whY WHY WHY WHY ANYA!?!?!?

not firefly, but oh well!

MALICIOUS

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 8:36 PM

And why why WHY did Wes have to die die die??

Mal-licious

Co-Holder of the Red Bell from Hell

HEB

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 9:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Malicious:
I want to know why the hell Joss Whedon cannot just have his own television/cable channel! It would solve every one of our problems! We could have Whedonverse 24/7/365. Is he just lazy? Or what?

Mal-licious

Co-Holder of the Red Bell from Hell

Someone should convert Bill Gates or similar. Seriously has anyone tried? I'm sure he could fund Joss-tv or Jtv (or whatever we decide to call it) out of his pocket. We could make a pact with the evil corporation for 24 hour Whedonverse couldn't we?

...................
Well, my sister's a ship... we had a
complicated childhood
.................
I wear the cheese. It does not wear me.

SHINY

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 9:16 PM

With the emphasis on the melding of Chinese and western cultures, why no major characters or even recurring guest roles played by asian actors? A function of the smaller talent pool of english-speaking asian actors? Not something that was considered a priority?

Buffy/Angel had some great convention-breaking depictions of girls/women; it would have been great if Firefly could have done the same for asians...

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

PIZMOBEACH

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 9:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by tmurrie:
Why why why why why WHY WHY WHY Xander's eye!?!?!?!?
Why why why why whY WHY WHY WHY ANYA!?!?!?

Umm... that's like 16 questions... but I believe an old cowboy song that my dad used to sing would server as an answer...
"You always hurt
the ones you love
the ones you shouldn't hurt at all..."

I believe Freud used to only whistle that tune.

I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat.

HENKINS

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 9:35 PM

Can I see the movie now? please

PIZMOBEACH

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 9:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by heb:
Someone should convert Bill Gates or similar. Seriously has anyone tried? I'm sure he could fund Joss-tv or Jtv (or whatever we decide to call it) out of his pocket. We could make a pact with the evil corporation for 24 hour Whedonverse couldn't we?

A small word of caution about absolute power... can you say STAR WARS?! Lucas recently said he was finally able to do what he wanted, unimpeded by a studio, on episodes 1-3...
Some artists do their best work when they're pushing against The Man...

I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat.

PIZMOBEACH

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 9:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Malicious:
And why why WHY did Wes have to die die die??

Was that the ensign from Star Trek NG? Sorry, unclear, ask again later...

I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat.

GORRAMREAVERS

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 9:51 PM

On a scale from 1 to 10...how excited do you think the people at 'versal are about Serenity's release?

And..can I have a job?

"..it is my very favorite gun."

HEB

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 9:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by pizmobeach:
Quote:
Originally posted by heb:
Someone should convert Bill Gates or similar. Seriously has anyone tried? I'm sure he could fund Joss-tv or Jtv (or whatever we decide to call it) out of his pocket. We could make a pact with the evil corporation for 24 hour Whedonverse couldn't we?

A small word of caution about absolute power... can you say STAR WARS?! Lucas recently said he was finally able to do what he wanted, unimpeded by a studio, on episodes 1-3...
Some artists do their best work when they're pushing against The Man...

I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat.

But (and I don't know the answer to this knowing next to nothing about star wars and George Lucas but I've heard things) isn't George Lucas a bit of a Plonker? Joss seems to always have done his best work when as unimpeded as possible. I know I'm game to find out what he'd do with ultimate power.

(maybe a little scared too).

Why stop at a network to his own? Why not start off with a small country and see where it goes fro m there?

...................
Well, my sister's a ship... we had a
complicated childhood
.................
I wear the cheese. It does not wear me.

PIZMOBEACH

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 10:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Shiny:
With the emphasis on the melding of Chinese and western cultures, why no major characters or even recurring guest roles played by asian actors? A function of the smaller talent pool of english-speaking asian actors? Not something that was considered a priority?

Buffy/Angel had some great convention-breaking depictions of girls/women; it would have been great if Firefly could have done the same for asians...

Someone leave a window open for Chrissake??!! How'd that really good, serious question get in here??!!
Shiny - thx, great question, you're not alone on that.

I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat.

HJERMSTED

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 10:11 PM

My question for Mr. Whedon, would be/is:

What does a vegetarian cannibal eat?

mattro

ZOID

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 11:57 PM

*zoid steps meekly up to microphone, taps it (SQUEEE!), and leans in very close*

Uh, Mr. Whedon... Do you need your car washed? ...or your garden gardened? ...or your lawn, um, lawndered?

v/r
-zed

P.S.
Sign in zoid's hands reads: "Will work for Firefly series bible"

FREMDFIRMA

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 1:30 AM

"Wanna help us lynch the Fux executive board of directors right now ? I mean, we got torches, rope, tar, feathers and all already... you down?"

-F

YT

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 11:09 AM

In the special features for the Firefly DVD, you said you had originally conceived the series with five central characters. Who were they? (I'm guessing Mal, Inara, Wash, Kaylee & Zoe. Then again, maybe the original five weren't exactly five of the eventual nine, but were modified for the larger canvas.)

Keep the Shiny Side Up

NEUTRINOLAD

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 11:15 AM

Huh...Swo...Wha...?

SAFFY

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 11:45 AM

Quote:

SGTGUMP - Yours was not so much a "question" as an "odd statement thingy." But nonetheless, you've recalled one very powerful scene that I'm sure JW will respond to once he's choked back the tearful memory...

I believe SgtGump was making a clever reference to a very funny SNL sketch in which Chris Farley gets to interview stars by whom he's clearly awed:

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/92/92mfarley.phtml

ZOID

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 1:03 PM

Saffy:

I can't speak for pizmobeach, but I caught sgtgump's reference, being a Farley fan myself. In the skits, Farley winds up calling himself 'stupid!', pounding his forehead and pulling his hair, while the shocked interviewee tries to calm him. I think the stars' reaction to this character was a perfect reflection of the viewers' response to the big, lovable lummox who portrayed him: People instinctively liked Chris, and didn't want him to hurt himself doing crazy stunts. How sad, he had to leave us so soon.

I have often thought Loren Michaels selects comedians whom he thinks are on the road to destruction, so that their deaths may ensure his success. He's in league with the Devil. (Yes, he's a bowler.) The question is: Who's next?

BTW, I love your byline. It's my favorite line from YoSafBridge, and it's delivered so subtly (a non sequitur) that I missed it the first viewing or two...

v/r,
-zed

PIZMOBEACH

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 2:49 PM

"rifles through drawer in infirmary... searches desperately... pulls out huge, nasty looking syringe and... injects it into heart..."

Watching Firefly has made me more curious about the mechanics of TV and television writing. In the book “Successful Television Writing” by Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin, they say some interesting, perhaps slightly sensational things about writing teleplays:

“If you’re going to write for TV forget the show’s bible (a guide created by the producers to help writers with dos and don’ts) all you need to do is study the opening title sequence - everything you need to know about the show and the characters is in there.”
Do you find that to be true with Firefly? Was that your take in creating the opening?

Was there a writer’s bible for Firefly and who do we have to sleep with... wait, and will we ever get to see it? Goldberg and Rabkin included a number of bible’s in their book so I couldn’t help but wonder...

They also say that story is not as important as character - that what viewers come back for is to watch characters not to watch the story. Is that a sentiment you share to any degree?

How long was it from the time you had the idea for FF to the time it was green lighted?

How many scripts were commissioned originally?

I think I know the answer to this one but sometimes asking is therapeutic: Many of us have read the unfilmed DOA script and taken it to our hearts as another FF episode ( a very good one), any chance other unfilmed scripts might surface? If not, is that from a legal, maybe WGA standpoint or because of possible future use - yeah I know! That’s a pretty lame stab at, “Firefly’s coming back!” and all I can say is, “I don’t care!”

Was FF a hard show to write for (relatively speaking)?

It seems unusual for 2 “villains” (Niska and Saffron) to be brought back in such a short period (14 shows) was there a special reason for that?

How did you connect with Zoic Studios?

Having written Firefly for both TV and Film, did you find it better suited to one medium over the other?

(And forgive me if any or all of these have been asked and answered already, repeatedly!)

I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat.

BROWNCOAT1

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 2:58 PM

My question would be this:

"If the BDM is the success we all believe it will be, is there any chance for a revival of the series on television?"

We have all heard bits and pieces of the contract w/ Fox and a stipulation of no return to television for "X" number of years, but we also know that there is no such thing as never in Hollywood if there is money or ratings at stake. Contracts were made to be broken or renegotiated and lawyers are plentiful enough.

__________________________________________

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

Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Meet Up:
http://firefly.meetup.com/9/boards/

EMBERS

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 3:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Malicious:
And why why WHY did Wes have to die die die??

Mr. Whedon, Sir? How dead is Wesley? Can't he get better?

And soon....Please?

(I still have a theory that Wesley's controlling Father will raise him from the dead *wrong*, of course, and he'll start rampaging, naturally, and finally Willow will fix him...so that he is 'better': alive and not so evil...)
just my own fantasy....

PIZMOBEACH

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 3:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BrownCoat1:
My question would be this:

"If the BDM is the success we all believe it will be, is there any chance for a revival of the series on television?"

We have all heard bits and pieces of the contract w/ Fox and a stipulation of no return to television for "X" number of years, but we also know that there is no such thing as never in Hollywood if there is money or ratings at stake. Contracts were made to be broken or renegotiated and lawyers are plentiful enough.

Bingo - the bazillion dollar question, and well asked Browncoat1... I for one am hoping for an answer that is not like one given to a journalist who's job this week is to find out about "some sci-fi show"... I'm just saying...

I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat.

ZOID

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 3:30 PM

BrownCoat1 wrote:

Quote:
"If the BDM is the success we all believe it will be, is there any chance for a revival of the series on television?"...

Oh! Oh! I got this one!

No.

For better or worse, JW is strictly a filmmaker now. He dissolved Mutant Enemy and wriggled out of his TV development contract with 20th Century Fox. Part of the stipulation of the contract nullification was that, should JW ever return to television, 20thCF have right of first refusal, meaning he goes back to work for them. That's not gonna happen; because he knows Gail Berman's got it in for her old boss and mentor.

On the other hand, a lot of old ME cohorts are now working on Battlestar Galactica: Zoic (sfx) and former Firefly/Wonderfalls episode directors, et al. So...

Completely fictitious and fanciful conversation, between Joss Whedon and a former Mutant Enemy collaboratrix:

Riiingg!

JOSS: *Urgh...* Um... Hello?

DIRECTOR: Uh, hey, Joss?

JOSS: *clears throat* Yeah. Hey. What's up?

DIRECTOR: Um, it's me, (name withheld to avoid litigation).

JOSS: Oh... Hi, Name Withheld. What time is it?

DIRECTOR: Uh, it's like 3 o'clock...

JOSS: *rubs eyes and looks at alarm clock, which says 3:49 AM* ...Okay. So... *starts snoring softly*

DIRECTOR: Well, I'm sorry if I woke you, but I got your notes and I'm still having a little trouble with -

JOSS (Interrupting): No! Buffy! Don't kill the Cylon! He turns into Angel and saves River! *starts snoring again, more loudly this time*

DIRECTOR: Okay, well I'll call you back after 8...

JOSS: Mmmm, g'night Mommy... *clatters, then hangs up phone*

The moral of this little exercise is to watch Battlefire Galacticfly, SciFi Fridays at 10PM Eastern/9PM Central.

Seriously,

zoid
_________________________________________________

"Burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me." The Ballad of Serenity

CYBERSNARK

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 6:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by NeutrinoLad:
Huh...Swo...Wha...?

Ya beat me to it.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

REEQUEEN

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 6:53 PM

....um....*ahem*....Is this thing on?

....testing....testing....1....2....3....mary had a little lamb.....

squeal of feedback

Oh. I'm sorry. *woah!* ....trips over cord and knocks mike to the floor........boom!

Sorry...sorry....I apologize, unreservedly. There, that's better. Can you hear me?

Hello?

Right. Uh....Yes, uh, Mr. Whedon, sir, if I may ask a question....right. I know that's why I'm here. Sorry.

Um....oh....um....It was right there, I had it, I swear! Shit! Sorry....

....fuck....shit....damn....what was it, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon....

Feelings, nothing more than feelings....Feelings, wo-o-o feelings,
Wo-o-o, feel you again in my arms.....*ahem*

Sorry.

Y'know, that spotlight is really hard on the eyes, could someone turn it down, or something? Please? Thanks....'preciate it.....

Um. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? It's really important. Thanks.

exit, stage left

Yikes! boom Goddammit, there goes my best pair of purple velvet boots. And my butt hurts....ow, ow, ow, owie, ow, ow, ouch!

Someone really ought to move that stool. Seriously.

(edited)

Um....Can I ask another question? No. Right. Thanks.

"He has a gorm horizon. All gorm that falls past it is lost forever." UserFriendly http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20050114

PEDME84

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 7:34 PM

if i were to ask joss whedon one question it would be:

what fantasy projects does he have that are completely unrelated to anything we've seen so far? related question: is there anyone he'd like to write with/for?

- emily

PIZMOBEACH

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 8:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:

BrownCoat1 wrote:
Quote:
"If the BDM is the success we all believe it will be, is there any chance for a revival of the series on television?"...

Oh! Oh! I got this one!

No.

I'll stay with Browncoat1 on this and remain positive - regardless of how it looks on paper, the situation is... fluid. Look at what a bunch of ardent, determined browncoats have done already?

I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat.

RHYMEPHILE

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 8:43 PM

I have two.

1. In your original Firefly pilot script, Kaylee was described as "zaftig" (or was it Rubenesque? Either way, she was supposed to be cute an' chunky). Despite Jewel Staite's obvious talent, why couldn't you have flung off Hollywood's preconceived notions of what makes a woman beautiful and sexy and actually cast the role according to what you had first intentioned? That would have been groundbreaking.

And 2. [in Jimbo's voice] Uhhhh...what is your...um....position...on, uh, lunch?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"My office! Burgled! Plundered! Purloined! Ha ha ha...loins."

-- Phil Sebben, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law

ZOID

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 9:42 PM

pizmobeach responded, regarding a possible return of Firefly to television:

Quote:
I'll stay with Browncoat1 on this and remain positive - regardless of how it looks on paper, the situation is... fluid. Look at what a bunch of ardent, determined browncoats have done already?

I, too, fantasize over possible scenarios. But I know that I'm just fantasizing. There's optimism, and then there's denial (not just a river in Egypt). The only way JW would return to television is if he fails as a movie maker, which would mean bad news for Serenity.

As I said, JW dissolved Mutant Enemy, his television production company. He also negotiated his release from his development contract with 20th Century Fox (hereafter referred to as 'The Production Company'). If he ever decides to return to televion, JW would have to go back to work for The Production Company. Okay, so why wouldn't he do just that, you might ask?

Before we examine that, let's take a quick look at Gail Berman. According to IMDB, she was the executive producer of BtVS (1997) and Angel (1999), making her a confederate -- if not an employee -- of Joss'. She took over the Entertainment President position at F*x TV (hereafter referred to as F*x) in July 2000. More, momentarily.

While it's certainly true that properties developed for The Production Company get shopped around and may wind up on networks other than F*x, it is also arguable that F*x gets first shot at anything issuing from their sister entity, The Production Company.

So, Gail Berman, Entertainment President, with this 'first selection in the draft' picks up not only Firefly, but also Wonderfalls, keeping other networks from getting them. Then she screws them up in every way she can possibly imagine (y'all know the litany), and then summarily kills them. At the very least, it doesn't particularly sound like she's convinced of Mutant Enemy's -- her former partners -- quality of work, does it? Why didn't she stick with Joss' and Tim's series? Why didn't she do everything in her supreme powers to ensure their success on F*x? It's certainly not like her hands are tied in any way, or like there were any other 'ratings bonanzas' waiting in the wings.

I think there's only one logical reason for her behavior: She's purposely driving Joss -- and anyone who associates with him -- out of television. If Joss comes back to TV, he will have to do so with The Production Company, as stipulated in his release. Any new JW series would then get offered to F*x first, whereupon Ms. Berman would snap it up, mispromote it, move it around the schedule, and then kill it after 7 episodes, saying, "We're sorry this show wasn't a good enough entertainment to find an audience. But the next time Joss creates a show, count on us to kill that one, too. We're committed to (destroying) Joss Whedon."

Joss knows this. That's why he dissolved ME: To let his creative people find work elsewhere. And they did, on SciFi (a Vivendi-Universal company), working on the new Battlefire Galacticfly series.

If you're praying for Firefly's return, better pray for Ms. Berman and all her corporate spawn to drop dead first. I have a fantasy for that one, too: Her corporate jet develops an altimeter malfunction flying out of Eagle, Colorado, an exclusive "Ski Country" airport (a death trap, under the best circumstance). The plane, Ms. Berman and her entire corporate entourage enter a thick bank of 'cumulus granitis', et voilà!, the world is a better place, instantaneously...

Logically,

zoid

P.S.
So what could cause all this cold enmity between Berman and Whedon? Who knows? Maybe she got tipsy and made a pass at him at the Christmas party, whereupon he laughed in her face and called her an ugly bitch. That would do it...

P.P.S.
It so much nicer to have a face to aim one's invective at, don't you think? If Berman's not directly responsible for fragging Firefly and Wonderfalls, she's still culpable. If she had any sense of loyalty -- or even a proper estimation of the

BADGERSHAT

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 10:18 PM

... ahem...

Mr. Whedon... in your opinion, what is the likelihood that a primitive culture will be able to withstand cultural and societal assimilation, retaining their own intrinsic system of beliefs, values, and societal morays, after being exposed to the influence of a separate culture whose own society and technological progression has advanced to a degree wherein the first culture's reaction to the technology would be akin to that of Midieval Europe's reaction to the presence of what they perceived to be magic?

Barring your ability to answer that question, I submit an alternative:

Can we see Inara and Kaylee get naked?

--Jefé The Hat

***************************
--Don't bother trying to predict, figure out, second guess, criticize, or suggest anything that comes from the mind of Joss Whedon, for you shall usually be wrong, and shall find out the Truth and Purpose in due time.
(This is the Truth of Whedoning)

"I like smackin 'em"--Jayne

YT

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 10:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:
being a Farley fan myself

Shouldn't that be "Farey flan"?

EMBERS

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 10:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:

If you're praying for Firefly's return, better pray for Ms. Berman and all her corporate spawn to drop dead first.

So what could cause all this cold enmity between Berman and Whedon? Who knows?

maybe she was upset that Joss never let her appear on any of his shows, on screen, as herself like the suck-ups on Malcolm in the Middle did:
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/PersonDetail/personid-2596

but actually we don't really need to pray for her death
(altho that is always fun too)
we can simply wait for her inevitable firing...
because NOTHING has a shorter shelf life than a network executive!

MALICIOUS

Thursday, January 20, 2005 12:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:
Her corporate jet develops an altimeter malfunction flying out of Eagle, Colorado, an exclusive "Ski Country" airport (a death trap, under the best circumstance). The plane, Ms. Berman and her entire corporate entourage enter a thick bank of 'cumulus granitis', et voilà!, the world is a better place, instantaneously...

Ummmm, excuse me, Zoid? Aren't you sort of in the proper biz to, uhhhhh, facilitate this type of action-plan? Get a man on it!*

(*=Joke)

Mal-licious

Co-Holder of the Red Bell from Hell

NEUTRINOLAD

Thursday, January 20, 2005 12:15 AM

Alright y'all. I got a real question.

Joss, was Mark Twain, specifically "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", a big literary influence on you?

I ask because the similarities, like the journey as narrative, the individual seeking freedom, and those same individuals taking a big risk with their freedom to aid the enslaved without the likelyhood of material gain or other tangible benefit to explain the relationship, and especially the use of the patois, very similar in most respects, inspired me to go back and read the story again.

PIZMOBEACH

Thursday, January 20, 2005 12:31 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by embers:
but actually we don't really need to pray for her death
(altho that is always fun too)
we can simply wait for her inevitable firing...
because NOTHING has a shorter shelf life than a network executive!

Seems positively logical to me.

I'd like to be king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat.

QUICKSAND

Thursday, January 20, 2005 12:53 AM

Dear Joss,

Some guy on an internet fan site said I could ask you one (1) question, and I read it on the internet so it must be true. Here goes:

Recently, bookstores across the country (nay, WORLD) released "The Astonishing X-Men" in paperback. In the your X-Men universe, tell me... what are the odds that vampires exist?

The play is the thing,
clever internet handle

NYWOE

Friday, January 21, 2005 3:47 PM

Quote:
Joss, was Mark Twain, specifically "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", a big literary influence on you?

My husband has a theory that the man who "rescues" Kaylee from the mean girls at the party in "Shindig" is suppoed to be Mark Twain. So you may be on to something there!

SIMONWHO

Friday, January 21, 2005 7:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by embers:
maybe she was upset that Joss never let her appear on any of his shows, on screen, as herself like the suck-ups on Malcolm in the Middle did:
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/PersonDetail/personid-2596

Um, she appeared in the documentary about Malcolm in the Middle which is fairly natural as she was the big cheese at Fox for the show.

She may well feel that she did fund and launch two shows from Buffy/Angel alumni and that their failure was due to those shows not appealing to the mass market. But the fact that Joss (and all the others) have been so directly hostile about the behind the scenes stuff suggests that he wasn't pleased with the network's support.

I think Joss will return to TV, simply because it is his medium. He does long term character development and that's something TV does best. So my question to Joss is this:

What TV show (other than your own or spin offs from your own) would you like to bring back to TV?

NEUTRINOLAD

Friday, January 21, 2005 7:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Nywoe:
My husband has a theory that the man who "rescues" Kaylee from the mean girls at the party in "Shindig" is suppoed to be Mark Twain. So you may be on to something there!

He always reminded me of Clark Gable, the voice and the dress, very Gone With The Wind.
I remember his dialog was certainly something Twain would have said.

DIETCOKE

Friday, January 21, 2005 8:18 PM

My question to Joss is: "If you couldn't create a fantasy show, what type of show would you create?"

BLINKER

Friday, January 21, 2005 8:54 PM

What would I ask? Hmm... here's an old standby: if you could go back and change one thing in Firefly, what would it be?

Simulated Joss response: "I'd want to make the show more family-friendly. So let's say we digitally edit the climax so that Dobson shoots first. With a walkie-talkie."

Quote:
Someone really ought to move that stool. Seriously.

Just step around it. I think something must've been living in here.

_________
Sliders: Gate Haven - http://slidersweb.net/blinker

REEQUEEN

Friday, January 21, 2005 9:33 PM

Quote:
Just step around it. I think something must've been living in here.

And now I'm going to have to live with that image.

"He has a gorm horizon. All gorm that falls past it is lost forever." UserFriendly http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20050114

CAPTAINCRUNCH

Saturday, January 22, 2005 3:31 PM

What is/was your favorite tv sci-fi show ever?

WYK

Saturday, January 22, 2005 8:55 PM

How does Joss feel about two of the best shows currently on TV stealing his writers and actors? First Lost kidnaps his writers, then Veronica Mars steals Willows. They even brainwash poor Alyson into saying that Veronica Mars is the "new Buffy."

MALICIOUS

Saturday, January 22, 2005 9:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Nywoe:
My husband has a theory that the man who "rescues" Kaylee from the mean girls at the party in "Shindig" is suppoed to be Mark Twain. So you may be on to something there!

Mark Twain? Clark Gable? I thought he was supposed to be Jed Clampett.

Mal-licious

Co-Holder of the Red Bell from Hell

ARAMINA

Sunday, January 23, 2005 6:53 PM

Um, Joss?

Can I have a job please?

EMBERS

Sunday, January 23, 2005 7:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by pizmobeach:
If you could ask Joss Whedon one question
what would it be?

Mr. Whedon, Sir?
May I just sit at your feet and listen to you talk?
...and read everything you write?
Is that too much to ask?

edited to add:
I had been wishing I had more of Joss' writings to read and our own dear Shiny posted this thread of old posts:
http://forums.prospero.com/n/find/findRedir.asp?webtag=foxfirefly&mg=2
A6E69AC-583E-4900-89D4-038CB45A9325
THANK YOU SHINY!

OLDFAN45

Sunday, January 23, 2005 9:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by pizmobeach:
If you could ask Joss Whedon one question about Firelfy what would it be? If we're lucky ... by stealth mule, over the mountains... ninja penguin over the polar icecaps...they might make it into the right hands.

Please sir, please please please let this former literary agent/editor find/edit/develop fanfic anthologies for your wonderful shows! I don't eat much, and I swear I won't drink anything except water the whole time you let me have this dream job. Please???

JEBBYPAL

Monday, January 24, 2005 12:46 AM

Hmmm...and yet, Fox gave Point Pleasant an optimum timespot, leadin from American Idol, and advertising up to wazzoo. And all of this despite the fact that the friday night death slot was open (and it's bad).

Of course...this could play into the revenge theory also --- only promote bad shows by ME alums.

The Strawberries: 2004 Blue Sun Fanfic Awards
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzenvl6n/

SAFFY

Monday, January 24, 2005 8:45 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:

Saffy:

I can't speak for pizmobeach, but I caught sgtgump's reference, being a Farley fan myself. In the skits, Farley winds up calling himself 'stupid!', pounding his forehead and pulling his hair, while the shocked interviewee tries to calm him. I think the stars' reaction to this character was a perfect reflection of the viewers' response to the big, lovable lummox who portrayed him: People instinctively liked Chris, and didn't want him to hurt himself doing crazy stunts. How sad, he had to leave us so soon.

I have often thought Loren Michaels selects comedians whom he thinks are on the road to destruction, so that their deaths may ensure his success. He's in league with the Devil. (Yes, he's a bowler.) The question is: Who's next?

BTW, I love your byline. It's my favorite line from YoSafBridge, and it's delivered so subtly (a non sequitur) that I missed it the first viewing or two...

v/r,
-zed

Hi, Zoid! I love that sketch because it represents exactly how I've felt on the few occasions when I got to meet a "hero" of mine. I can't have a normal conversation with someone I'm that in awe of. Through my husband's work I got to meet Margaret Weis (of the "DragonLance" series) a couple of years ago, and I was so giddy and breathless I'm sure I came off as the biggest ditz in the world. Then I beat myself up for sounding like an idiot in front of Margaret Weis. ;)

Chris Farley was just as funny to me when he wasn't throwing himself on top of coffee tables. I used to love watching his co-stars like Adam Sandler struggling not to laugh at him.

I love that there are enough wonderful lines in Firefly that practically every single member of this board can have his own. :)

JADE0REFRACTION

Monday, January 24, 2005 9:15 AM

Quote:

1. In your original Firefly pilot script, Kaylee was described as "zaftig" (or was it Rubenesque? Either way, she was supposed to be cute an' chunky). Despite Jewel Staite's obvious talent, why couldn't you have flung off Hollywood's preconceived notions of what makes a woman beautiful and sexy and actually cast the role according to what you had first intentioned? That would have been groundbreaking.

Amen to that one! FF was breaking ground all over the place, with filming techniques and blurred genre lines. Staite had to gain a lot of weight for the role, and did well at it, but being the gorgeous girl she is, the weight didn't really show. It's along the same lines as Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones--neither are overly skinny, but are perfectly acceptable as "thin enough" in American (yes, I know Bridget was British, but I can only speak from my own perspective) culture. To truly break ground there, the change would have needed to be much more drastic.

Quote:

Mr. Whedon... in your opinion, what is the likelihood that a primitive culture will be able to withstand cultural and societal assimilation, retaining their own intrinsic system of beliefs, values, and societal morays, after being exposed to the influence of a separate culture whose own society and technological progression has advanced to a degree wherein the first culture's reaction to the technology would be akin to that of Midieval Europe's reaction to the presence of what they perceived to be magic?

I'd like to hear the answer to that one. It seems to me that it's something to really think about in terms of building a complete sci-fi universe. You have to figure where the cultures come from and where they go. Frank Herbert takes one view of it, and a very thorough one at that, but there are other ways to address the problem. It would all depend on the depth of the influence of the second culture. Is it a momentary glance into their own future? Much could be said about this. See Star Trek: First Contact for one way to approach that aspect. When a culture sees what they can become, what they will become, they can rebel and refuse to progress, which then leads but to delayed progress. I can't think of any examples off the top of my head, but I know the concept has been addressed before. A generation refuses to take certain steps, go in a certain direction, and for good cause (they think), but future generations don't share their sense of caution. Rebellion like that cannot stop a society that is built for progress. If they don't react that way, they might see what they are to be and grow intent on becoming that as fast as possible. See Ender's Game and the reverse engineering from the Buggers. If the chances hold that we will be this eventually, shouldn't we throw caution to the wind and take hold of all progress possible? Both reactions have good and bad points.
And this doesn't even go into prolonged exposure to more advanced civilizations...that thought is quite scary on its own.

I'd like to know what Whedon would think about it all.

And now you're what, a petty thief with delusions of standing? Sad little king of a sad little hill.