Confession from an old FF fan (reasonably old, at any rate)...

POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Sunday, December 25, 2011 16:29
VIEWED: 4831
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CHRISISALL

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 5:59 AM

I never did hold with Inara's trade. I was more in line with Mal's 'whoring' take on it. Especially after the Atherton incident where Mal whupped his entitled butt.
That aspect of the series, while interesting from a male perspective (I'll be in my bunk), was my least favourite of the show (as was the 'socialator' thing in Galactica).
No wonder that the movie that dropped that whole (arguably) misogynist, fanciful irrelevancy in favour of the action, character & SF story is more dear to me.
I love the series so much, however, the movie skipped this flaw (as I perceive it), and cut to the core of the meaning of what it was trying to epically & ultimately convey. Expertly.

Sling your arrows at will.
But I ain't Will...

The laughing Chrisisall

WISHIMAY

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 6:24 AM

The movie didn't give time for much of anything.
I whole heartedly agree with the idea of companioning. It wasn't always about sex, but they didn't have time to get to that either. She said washing clients feet was a specialty, and I'm pretty sure there were male divisions of the trade and they would also provide different services as well... Some people are much more comfortable with the idea of buying whatever they need then waiting around forever or trying to find someone who is amenable to the sitch. Prostitution as we know it today should be ended, as it is harmful to everyone concerned. It should be a job, with all the rights and entitlement thereov since it will always be around-no matter what. It follows that there would be a natural evolution of the job description when one is paid to give varied services.

What is the specific problem you have with the companioning thing? Her dressing nicely and getting treated decently?? I think that is what Joss was mainly trying to convey, people that provide sex don't HAVE to be treated like scum, even if you don't agree with what they are doing, they are still human beings...

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 6:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Wishimay:

What is the specific problem you have with the companioning thing? Her dressing nicely and getting treated decently?? I think that is what Joss was mainly trying to convey, people that provide sex don't HAVE to be treated like scum, even if you don't agree with what they are doing, they are still human beings...

Darling, a Companion would have solved many of my boyhood problems for sure, it's just that it's a fantasy. I guess it's just my own thing. Human beings for GORRAM sure, else there is no fun or spiritual connection.

The laughing Chrisisall

RIONAEIRE

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 7:12 AM

I don't approve of companioning, but it was a unique concept in the show and it was well thought out. It took me a long time to learn to trust Inara though, she's always wearing her companion mask with her clients, how do I know if she's telling the truth to me? I had to really get to know her before I could trust her, but I trust her now.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

THESOMNAMBULIST

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 9:07 AM

Interesting Big C. Interesting.

I must admit when I found out Joss & Co were going down that whole route I did think it a little 'obvious'. But these are the ingredients necessary to allow conflict on a TV show. They do tend to be extreme. I mean a priest and a prostitute on the same ship? The contrivance is a little like whack on the head with leg of ham. However, thereafter it becomes a thing of how well they utilize the contrivance.

Joss probably threw that in to challenge himself and the shows writers to see where they could take it; much as they tried with Dollhouse and maybe hadn't much of an idea themselves where it may lead....

However due to the cancellation they probably didn't have the time to really explore the idea;beyond the obvious 'lesbian' 'twist' with that governess lady. Though that lead to one of the shows great lines :D

I was just so so with it really. Inara's beauty I must confess probably won me over more often than not to her way of thinking though, and I'd regard Mal's perspective as a little antiquated. Like you though I was glad it was sort of brushed aside for the film.

Oh and I meant to say my least favourite part of the show was probably the Doc and how constantly bewildered he appeared to be throughout.

JONGSSTRAW

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 11:42 AM

Inara's life and spiritual essence as companion are critical to the harmony and sustainability of Firefly. She beings a positive outlook on life and a powerful emotional element that helps keep the otherwise criminal mob together. The situations she's involved in bring a human tone to the saga, so everything doesn't have to be fights and chases.

As to socialators, I feel that Cassie was more natural, more believeable, and a lot more fun as one, rather than the clean-cut med-tech they transformed her into for the series.

BYTEMITE

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 2:27 PM

Quote:
She said washing clients feet was a specialty

She was being sarcastic.

BYTEMITE

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 3:13 PM

I hold that everything in Firefly had it's purpose. The Companion thing was a challenge to both traditional mindsets and to certain kinds of feminists, and so it's role in the series was intelligent and a good source of drama (and obviously fanservice).

It's true that if Inara hadn't been a companion, the writers would have found something else for her and Mal to fight about to cover her whole secret thing. But by being a companion, her profession alone establishes her character as a strong, independent woman, while at the same time she has her vulnerabilities. Would it have been so believable for Inara to stand up to Mal and demand he respect her and her business needs if she had been anything BUT a companion? And if not, would she have been near so interesting a character?

And also, I think in every instance I can think of, it's a lot more about Inara saving Mal's bacon than the other way around. Mal didn't whup Atherton's pampered entitled "ath" and save Inara from the pursuit of an unwanted suitor. Rather, Inara made a choice to save Mal, distracting Atherton at a crucial moment, and would have sacrificed her own welfare to do so (because that guy was really a total psycho).

But that's not to say that Mal doesn't have a few points, in that Inara does use her profession as a mask and a shield, and that her clients do mostly mistreat her. It's the controversy of the profession that makes it work.

FLORALBUNNY

Wednesday, December 21, 2011 2:15 AM

testing - - ate my post - -
crap. carefully thought out and just gone.

WISHIMAY

Wednesday, December 21, 2011 3:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bytemite:
She was being sarcastic.

No, she weren't. I just watched it again (3 times) to make sure. Her voice was soft and low and earnest, if she were sarcastic she most likely would have pursed her lips first, or given him the evil eye. There was no sign of that. She did make a sarcastic remark right after that, and you might be confusing them.

Inara wasn't just a prostitute, she had education and training in many things and in the training aspect more functionally Geisha-like. There are a great many fetishes and I'm sure she was brought up to speed on all of them, and sincerely had specialties in things like washing feet.

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