Was it the mixed marriage they didn't like?

POSTED BY: Nellie
UPDATED: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 05:10
VIEWED: 21144
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FINN MAC CUMHAL

Saturday, January 14, 2006 7:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by CBY:
I think you can't compare homosexuality with racism. The latter has a long, painful history. The other is a social concept parts of the society obviously can't accept yet. Two largely different issues in my eyes.

I think you can compare the two, and I think there are far more people who hold reservations about the issue of homosexuality on tv then that hold reservations about interracial marriages. Yet that has not stopped networks. Largely, I think, because neither of these issues is held as particularly unacceptable television by the vast majority of Americans, and the networks know it.

In 1990, “True Colors,” a sitcom about an interracial couple, aired on Fox and ran for 3 seasons.

I don’t know what the Fox execs told Joss, but I don’t doubt that they may have used an interracial marriage issue as one of their complaints. It had nothing to do with racism, though. It had to do with Fox execs making stuff up to complain about. I’m sure they insisted that Zoe was a dumb name, Mal is too tall, Wash looks stupid in a Hawaiian shirt and the American viewer simply will not accept Hawaiian shirts on a guy named Wash. We, as Americans, have a long and noble tradition of not liking people with Hawaiian shirts, everyone knows that.

Can't you people see Bullshit when you hear it? What ever the motives were for the Fox execs complaints, it had nothing to do with racism. They just didn’t like the show, and nothing was going to make them like it.

Oh, he's so full of manure, that man! We could lay him in the dirt and grow another one just like him.
-- Ruby

CBY

Saturday, January 14, 2006 7:22 PM

Quote:
how is homosexuality a social concept? Not to mention that it also has a long painful history too.

Why not? What would you call it? A disease?

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http://www.byond-trax.com - my selfmade ambient/lounge/chillout music

AUNTYCHRIS

Saturday, January 14, 2006 11:10 PM

This is an interesting, if not disturbing,angle I had not even thought of. If Fox actually complained about the marriage thing, I think that indicates that they wanted Firefly to be a "shoot-em-up" kind of SciFi rather than the thoughtful character study (with action) that it was. BUT, I do not discount the possiblity that some might be put off by the interracial aspect. To them I say simply "EVOLVE" for christ sake. We are all "on the same planet" so we'd dang well work on getting along (that includes homophobics).

PS One of the first interracial couples on TV, by the way, were one "The Jeffersons". Don't remember their names, but their daughter married George and "Weezy's" son, so that's actually "two for the price of one". How do you like that score, Racists?

SIMONWHO

Saturday, January 14, 2006 11:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by CBY:
Quote:
how is homosexuality a social concept? Not to mention that it also has a long painful history too.

Why not? What would you call it? A disease?

I would think your wink was just an ironic jest at how you couldn't possibly think a biological fact throughout many different species could possibly be considered a disease. Except for the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Americans who actually do think homosexuality is a disease and can, should and ought to be cured. What's worse is that some of these people think themselves compassionate as they want to cure gays by brainwashing techniques.

I suspect if there had been a gay couple on board Serenity, it wouldn't have made it past the pitch. (Note: Lesbians are totally different because they appeal to the 16-25 demographic. Just make sure any "plot" concerning them is skipped over but keep the sex scenes in.)

NELLIE

Sunday, January 15, 2006 2:02 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SergeantX:

But they did argue vehemently with Joss to take the married couple aspect out. I've heard this from several different sources.

This only shows, once again, how Fox never really wanted what Firefly offered, namely mature drama and interesting character development.
SergeantX

Wow! I had no idea that actually happened!

All these posts are so interesting---I'm so grateful to everybody for responding. Thanks to Proserpine, too, for the images that inspired it, and for her courage in standing up for her love.

One thing about racism: it's not fair to only blame Americans, because Fox is owned by Australians, as Calhoun pointed out in another thread. And even oriental cultures have this fault...

CHRISTHECYNIC

Sunday, January 15, 2006 2:41 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by RocketJock:
Yeah, it seems that Fox's concept of the Science-Fiction viewership is innumerable 13-year old males in "I Grok Spock" T-Shirts, all trying to find nude shots of Lucy Lawless on the web.

Just wanted to point out that:
1 This seems to be true, they have no understanding of sci-fi fans.
2 Grok is a great word, and the book it comes from is great too. Odd thing is that I got directed to it by an extremely prudish catholic girl, never would have expected her to like that content (and I'm not talking about the sci-fi.)

CHRISTHECYNIC

Sunday, January 15, 2006 2:44 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by proserpine:
P.S. Where are you from, Viking? I want to learn about the magical land without racism.

There was a time when I thought racism was something that didn't happen anymore too. Perhaps Viking is just young.

CHRISTHECYNIC

Sunday, January 15, 2006 2:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SimonWho:
(Note: Lesbians are totally different because they appeal to the 16-25 demographic. Just make sure any "plot" concerning them is skipped over but keep the sex scenes in.)

When I was writing a book a while ago I had a scene where two of the characters sat down and talked about if their life was a movie, it was an attempt on their part to get over a trauma by making light of the situation, and one of the things I felt it necessary to put in was that the lesbian couple they knew would:
1 Be extremely attractive.
2 Be publicly sexual.
3 Wear very little clothing.
and
4 Have no brains to speak of.

-

More accurately one of the characters I created felt it necessary to put that in.

COMPANION6

Sunday, January 15, 2006 3:18 AM

Personally I don't think it was the interacial marriage of Zoe and Wash, my honest opinion 20 Century Fox leaders are STUPID. They have gotten rid of some very good and entertaining shows in the recent past.
Now as far as there not being anymore racism in America or the rest of the world that is not true. This has been going on since the dawn of time and it will never end. It is ingrained in the human being untill we stop raising our children to hate what they dont know, understand or fear, it will never stop. Once we ALL become enlightned then we won't have to worry about such things. And this coming from an African American Woman who dates men of all races.

Always Remember "The Litany Of Fear"

TANSTAAFL28

Sunday, January 15, 2006 3:22 AM

No I don't think that's the problem here. Most folk who would watch good science-fiction like our show aren't the kind that would hold to silly notions that skin color is a social barrier.

Physically, our blood is the same color, our genetics are virtually identical, and we were all born on the same planet.

"Race" is a made-up term by folks who want us to believe we are easily separated by differences of nationality, culture, society, and general disposition. All it really does is keep us from truly seeing how alike we really are.

The folks at Fox got their dander up because FF wasn't appealing to a wide enough audience in a timely manner, bringing them them increased advertising revenue. That's all they really care about.

"You can't take the sky from me..."

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