Feature Article Discussions

Clothing comes to TV SF

POSTED BY: Zicsoft
UPDATED: Wednesday, March 9, 2011 01:22
VIEWED: 37706
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NOVAGRASS

Saturday, June 1, 2002 2:25 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zicsoft:
The online images give me another reason to think I'm going to like Firefly: the characters are wearing *real* clothes. No silly body suits, no Star Trek pajamas, no B5 wool armor. In short, no silly attempts to make the costumes look "futuristic" by eliminating buttons, pockets, and belts. No weird styles that make you wonder how people get dressed.

I guess that goes with the ban on latex aliens.

I think I mentioned this in another topic, but I'll go ahead again...

What I hate most about science fiction shows that depict the future is the fashion. They all wear either horribly impractical fashions, one piece body suits, or freakishly ugly freshly designed costumes.

What I love about Joss is that he understands that in 800 years, fashion won't be much different than it is now. I mean, if you look back to the 19th century... the casual wear of the period wasn't much different than it is now. A constant of fashion is that it will always repeat... clothing popular in the 20s became popular again in the 50s... clothing popular in the 70s is popular now... 80s fashion is even making a comeback (one that I fear with my whole heart). It's logical to presume that the trends will continue to recycle... and that 800 years from now, the western style may be what is in fashion. I also think that Fray is unique in this regard... the fashion in Fray is *very* 80s, and that story takes place 300 years from now.

It's safe to say that improvements on the button, zipper, and snap will never come about. I like that about Farscape... Farscape takes the practical conventions of modern clothing and redesigns it to fit into alien cultures (well... maybe not in all cases... Scorpius comes to mind). It's all very realistic, IMO.

So... upon rereading... I see that there was really no point to my reply... oh well

:tounge:

--Dylan Palmer, aka NoVaGrAsS--

SHAMUS

Saturday, June 1, 2002 3:01 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zicsoft:
Quote:
...assume it means that not all Alliance people will be evil and not all anti-Alliance people with be virtuous.

So all the uniforms mean is that the people who wear them are in charge.

Yeah, that's what I'm hoping, too. In Joss We Trust, and all that...

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JORGASNAROVA

Saturday, June 1, 2002 5:44 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Zicsoft:
Quote:
Originally posted by shamus:
The Alliance uniforms are a little heavy-handed, though. Peaked-caps and and all that ultra-neo-fascist stuff. Let me guess, they're the Bad Guys, right? I guess having a clear evil easily identified simplifies story telling, but -- from Joss -- you might have hoped for something in the way of the Alliance people doing what they sincerely think is the proper thing ... Ah, what do I know. Goose-stepping Bad Guys. Bring 'em on, mow 'em down in rows.

I think it's gonna be better than that -- that is, more complicated. This isn't about the intrepid rebels overthrowing the fascistic empire. (Been there. Done That.) The rebellion is already over, and the "good guys" have lost.

There are supposed to be parallels with the American civil war. Not too many, I hope, but I assume it means that not all Alliance people will be evil and not all anti-Alliance people with be virtuous.

So all the uniforms mean is that the people who wear them are in charge.

Not all the Federal (Union) troops were anti-slavery, and not all the Confederacy troops were pro-slavery; a very, very strong element of the american civil war was the issue of how much power and autonomy to give individual states, versus the power of a strong central government.
General Robert E. Lee was an abolitionist to the core, yet he chose to support the Confederacy because he feared the federal government was gaining too much power and would become tyrannical.

MOJOECA

Saturday, June 1, 2002 6:39 AM

kinda sorta on topic...

I wonder if Joss will dispense with one particular sci-fi cliche: Will we actually *see* bathrooms on Serenity?

--- Joe

SHAMUS

Saturday, June 1, 2002 7:23 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jorgasnarova:
{clip}
Not all the Federal (Union) troops were anti-slavery, and not all the Confederacy troops were pro-slavery; a very, very strong element of the american civil war was the issue of how much power and autonomy to give individual states, versus the power of a strong central government.
General Robert E. Lee was an abolitionist to the core, yet he chose to support the Confederacy because he feared the federal government was gaining too much power and would become tyrannical.

Yeah, I can see how the main issue would be strong-center versus strong-node. That's a difference in viewpoint which will never be completely resolved. I can also see how people of good will could end up in either camp. That's why the fascist wardrobe makes me a little nervous. It is a kind of visual vocabulary that says "These guys are just wrong."

sidebar: Whew! Made it back to "clothes", somehow.

Inline with all the commentary above about buttons, zippers, and snaps -- it all becomes clear... the primary issue in dispute will be boxers versus briefs. The Serenity crew are all on the side of the Boxer Rebellion. No, wait, that was another thing altogether

Joe: Not sure I need to see the toliet. Frequent group showers might be nice, though.

CHARLIEBLUE

Saturday, June 1, 2002 9:03 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mojoeca:
I wonder if Joss will dispense with one particular sci-fi cliche: Will we actually *see* bathrooms on Serenity?

Hey, I think we just saw Buffy's bathroom for the first time this season. So I'm guessing not.

Of course, in most cases there isn't a whole lot of plot development that goes on in there anyway. (And personally, I will never miss seeing Kevin Sorbo on the pot.

)

SHURIKAN

Saturday, June 1, 2002 3:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jorgasnarova:

In the ten centuries since their invention, it is hard to imagine a clothes-fastening device more convenient and versatile than the good old fashioned button. Of course buttons will be around four or five centuries from now...why not?

*useless fact* Buttons were actually first used purely for decoration, and clothes fastened with hook's and eyelets, until some bright spark came up with the idea of inserting them into a slit in the fabric

Also, the clothes do look pretty cool

Shuri

Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam

NOVAGRASS

Saturday, June 1, 2002 3:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by CharlieBlue:
Quote:
Originally posted by mojoeca:
I wonder if Joss will dispense with one particular sci-fi cliche: Will we actually *see* bathrooms on Serenity?

Hey, I think we just saw Buffy's bathroom for the first time this season. So I'm guessing not.

Of course, in most cases there isn't a whole lot of plot development that goes on in there anyway. (And personally, I will never miss seeing Kevin Sorbo on the pot. )

Season 4, Xander used the bathroom in Restless. It's a funny, funny scene. There's also a scene in season 5 where Joyce comes out of an unseen master bathroom while she's packing for her night at the hospital.

I think that the topic of bathrooms shouldn't be avoided... if the need arise, they should at least show it.

--Dylan Palmer, aka NoVaGrAsS--

ZICSOFT

Sunday, June 2, 2002 6:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jorgasnarova:

Not all the Federal (Union) troops were anti-slavery, and not all the Confederacy troops were pro-slavery; a very, very strong element of the american civil war was the issue of how much power and autonomy to give individual states, versus the power of a strong central government.
General Robert E. Lee was an abolitionist to the core, yet he chose to support the Confederacy because he feared the federal government was gaining too much power and would become tyrannical.

Your descriptions of Bobby Lee's motives are a little simplisitic. But yeah, the civil war and reconstruction wasn't just a matter of good guys against bad guys.

Still, I rather hope that there's more to Firefly than a rehash of that period, which has already been done to death in a zillion movies and tv shows.

ZICSOFT

Sunday, June 2, 2002 6:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Shurikan:

*useless fact* Buttons were actually first used purely for decoration, and clothes fastened with hook's and eyelets, until some bright spark came up with the idea of inserting them into a slit in the fabric

Aha! So that's why the Amish still refuse to use buttons.