Serenity is 'fascist'?

POSTED BY: goat
UPDATED: Friday, September 1, 2006 07:13
VIEWED: 16002
PAGE 1 of 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 NEXT PAGE

GOAT

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 4:41 AM

I saw an article on Serenity, so I thought I would post it. Not sure I agree with the guy, but whatever...

FTFA: http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NzYyYWFlZjYxMDdlYjU5ZmYwZDQ0N
zJhZmEwMTMxMTI=
Serenity Now [Jonah Goldberg]

So, I've caught Serenity a few more times on cable during my migrations. And while I know Firefly fans are more sour on it compared to the show (vide Derb et al); And, I'm a big skeptic of trying to overread pop culture through partisan ideological lenses; But, it is striking what a conservative movie Serenity is. In the 1930s, when ideological content was deliberate and ideological deviationism was denounced, Serenity would be villified as "fascist" for its opposition to social planning. The upshot: a capitalistic freebooter opposes the egalitarian — democratic — "Parliament." It's übermenschy representative — a barely updated version of the HG Wellsian fascistic types parodied in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow — is beyond good and evil in his pursuit of a utopian world. Parliament's last major attempt at making a utopia — weeding out aggression through better chemistry — resulted in death and horror on a grand scale, the lesson being that such enterprises are always doomed. Indeed, to the extent Mal Reynolds has an ideological agenda it is merely to stand in the way of Utopia and the desire of tyrants to impose happiness on people whether they like it or not. Beyond that, he simply believes in people living their lives as they see fit, so long as their interests don't collide with his.

YINYANG

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 4:48 AM

Quote:
it is merely to stand in the way of Utopia and the desire of tyrants to impose happiness on people whether they like it or not.

Yeah? So what? People have the right to be sad if they want to be, angry if they want to be, crazy if they want to be - so long as it doesn't affect anyone else's right to do the same.

If Serenity is fascist, I'm a platypus.

---

Go to http://richlabonte.net/tvvote/ and vote Firefly!

MISSTRESSAHARA

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 6:50 AM

Sounds more like a description of Demolition Man than Serenity.

Did he even WATCH the movie? I may not care for it as much as the show but really, fascist?

Is the guy on the far right or something? Oooo I'm going to get burned for that.

If I'm a bitch, then life just got interesting

BAD2VERSE

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 7:24 AM

I think the author ought to at least know what a fascist really IS before using the word.. they can't decide between the Webster definition, or the popular definition from Mussolini.

'Prolly the same folks that said the (Butchered) movie "Starship Troopers" was about fascism (It HAD to be, they wore tall boots and trench coats!)

If it's ANYTHING political, I'd say it was "Libertarian" or "Constitutionalist"... A guy (and crew) that wants the intrusive Government to leave him alone... Not everyone LIKES being told what to do, when to do it, labeled, and "monitored" (for our own good of course )

"we meddle, People don’t like to be meddled with.
We tell them what to do, what to think. Don’t run, don’t walk. We’re in their homes and in their heads and we haven’t the right. We’re meddlesome."

At least they are talking about it.. and ANY publicity is good publicity.

________________________
..but eatin people alive, where does THAT get fun?

FLORALBUNNY

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 7:38 AM

>"In the 1930s, when ideological content was
>deliberate and ideological deviationism was
>denounced, Serenity would be villified
>as "fascist" for its opposition to social
>planning."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Define "Fascist" and then tell me this sentence
holds up. We'll skip spelling and grammar
just this once.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>"...a capitalistic freebooter opposes the
>egalitarian — democratic — "Parliament."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are shown in the course of the film the
contrast between well-off colonies and those
onto which settlers were dropped with bare
subsistence supplies. Admittedly, this was
emphasized in the series, but it's there in
the film. Apparently some are, in the well-
known phrase, more equal than others.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>"Indeed, to the extent Mal Reynolds has an
>ideological agenda it is merely to stand in the
>way of Utopia and the desire of tyrants to
>impose happiness on people whether they like it
>or not. Beyond that, he simply believes in
>people living their lives as they see fit, so
>long as their interests don't collide with his."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's Fascist?

Young River: "We meddle..."

I think Mal may be more Libertarian than anything
else. And it isn't about happiness alone; it's
about "the desire of tyrants to impose" anything.

Where is that alleged egalitarian -- democratic
-- "Parliament" of a few lines back in this
review?

Turned to tyrants, every one.

(When will they ever learn?)

Nothin' against you, goat, but I think our
Serenity fan at National Review needs a good
sit-and-think.

bun
mystified

AGENTROUKA

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 7:56 AM

I don't get the fuss.

I agree that the word is used wrongly, but you all don't honestly believe that the author was implying that the movie is fascist and that the crew and all are in the wrong, are you?

The blatantly wrong usage of "fascist" aside, I can't really disagree with the opinion. It's what the whole movie was about: standing in the way of utopia because Utopia is false.

What are you all getting so upset about?

HX55

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 8:22 AM

If standing up for what you believe and daring to fight the good fight makes someone a 'fascist', I'm going to have to re-think my hobbies and goals in life.

Practice Random Acts of Piracy

KINGHENDRICK

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 9:09 AM

good points floralbunny.. i think this person has to look into his description of fascist.. seems like a stretch to me

I don't want a signature!

DISCARIOT

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 12:04 PM

I don't agree with Mr. Goldberg's assessment. It seems to me that it should be obvious to anyone that Serenity and Firefly, if anything, are anti-fascist. As far as his usage of the term "fascist" goes, it occurs to me that these days the actual meaning of the term is less important to those using it than its emotional punch when applied to something they don't like. So, I say screw what this pinko commie thinks.

ECAMBER

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 4:35 PM

Ok. I'm an idiot. At least I'm sure I am in the eyes of some people. And writing what I'm about to write might just make confirm that for others.

I can see where the author is coming from. It's not to say that Serenity, or its crew, is "fascist." But the Parliment and the Alliance as a whole does come across as authoritarian and hierarchical (but to be fair what society isn't a bit of a hierarchy anyway?). The big powers of the 'verse, where Serenity is sometimes floatsom on the currents do not seem like particularly democratic or left of center government.

The author took a moment to say that in the 1930's this movie would have been considered fascist by some (or most, whatever). Considering what was going on in the 30's this isn't really a stretch of the imagination. The Depression combined with the ecylogical climate (The Dust Bowl) left most Americans hungry, homeless and peniless. The American Dream became a nightmare for tens of thousands of people. Most of them came to this country either as immigrants or through parents/grandparents who were immigrants... and most grew up with the maxim that American is the land of opportunity. Suddenly there was no opportunity and the ideas of democracy and capitalism were challenged. Not to mention this was the decade which became a precursor to the Hitler regime. While Americans faced the uncertainty of even surviving, we maintained a democracy. Countries like Germany and Italy, who also faced similar hardships economically were not so lucky and fell to dictatorships.

Not trying to be some smart ass or a know it all... but using my imagination I can see why someone whose basic premise of patriotic identification (being proud of the ideal of opportunity as an American) would be tarnished... and seeing the autocratic, tyrannical government of the Alliance would be considered an example of a fascist government.

So yeah, Firefly, Serenity, the crew and most of the people portrayed on the outer rim (and indications of few within the core - those who helped Simon boost River from the Academy) are not fascist. But the Alliance, Parliment (which is never said to be in power through a voting system), the Academy and even the Comapanion Guild do seem fascist to some small degree.

I don't know what I'm saying. I never know what I'm saying.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 NEXT PAGE