Browncoats

POSTED BY: arcbeatle
UPDATED: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 19:23
VIEWED: 6795
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ARCBEATLE

Friday, September 24, 2004 2:21 AM

I was origionally going to write a thread about making an alliance fan.com, but as I was thinking about getting people interested something struck me.

Why do we call ourselves BrownCoats?

I mean I know thats what the Independants were called in Firefly, its obvious, but starwars fans dont go around telling people that their "Jedi", though people would probably get what they meant.
Instead, we seem to affiliate ourselves closer to our heros then most T.V shows/movies.

Think about it.

Almost every science fiction is about uber-extraordinary people doing imposible uber-extraordinary things you and I could never do. they deal with climactic epic wars and dodge bullets, use the force and have super human strength fighting demons. Mal has a gun... and he has his mind. Neo can mess with computor code and play God. Luke kills stuff with a light saber and then waves his hand and convinces them hes just a pedestian. Buffy is.. Buffy.
Not only are all the crew just regular people, but most of their problems they solve with intelect, but recuires some violence to accieve. Other heros just say "give me something to kill"-Buffy.

Our heros may sometimes do extraordianry things, but their things a person really could do if they had training.

Maybe thats why we connect to them the way we do, feel our heros are enough like us to call ourselves Borwncoats.
Then again, they really arnt heros. Their flawed, they get stupid when the moneys to good, have secrets. In the end, their kinda like us.

Guess that makes me proud to say that I am, a Browncoat.

If people only beleive wahts in a movie, their damn well sure beleiving Serenity.

STARPILOTGRAINGER

Friday, September 24, 2004 2:26 AM

The Browncoats were the losers. They had the best of intentions, they tried, and life just stepped on them anyway. And then, they kept on going. Kept flying, even though it wasn't much. It was enough. I'm sure most people can relate to that at one point in time or another.

Star Pilot Grainger
"Remember, the enemy's gate is down."
LJ: http://www.livejournal.com/users/newnumber6
http://www.unreachablestar.net - Comics & SF News/Reviews/Opinions

ARCBEATLE

Friday, September 24, 2004 2:30 AM

That kinda sumed up what I said A lot quicker...

Still suprises me every time I see Serenity that they LOOSE, Its just so much like the real world you dont want to beleive it.

WREN

Friday, September 24, 2004 8:26 AM

As I understand it, when the tv series was in production they had a blog to tell fans what was occurring on set, it was known as Kellys blog. The cast would leave messages on the blog. The blog would refer to the fans as Brown Coats. The fans decided to adopt the name, but make it one word, and thus a legend was born .

The blog is worth a read. It can be found here:

http://www.fox-tv.com/firefly/weblog.htm

PURPLEBELLY

Friday, September 24, 2004 8:36 AM

Not all enthusiasts for Firefly call themselves Browncoats.

KERNELM

Friday, September 24, 2004 8:58 AM

I'm pretty sure the idea of calling the fandom "Brown Coats" was around before the first mention in the blog. It's probably a synergistic thing though. OB -> blog -> everybody.

BROWNCOAT1

Friday, September 24, 2004 1:50 PM

I can not speak for everyone, but I would like to share why I call myself a Browncoat, and why I wear that moniker w/ pride.

Joss has said that the underlying theme of the show is freedom. To me freedom is the most valuable thing in life. All beings crave it, strive for it, fight for it, and die for it. On some base level we all strive to be free.

Watching Mal and his crew strive every episode to be free of the Alliance's grasp, to get out there into the black and live their lives they way they want to live them is very appealing. The struggle to be free and keep flying holds the underlying message that even if you are beaten, you get up, dust yourself off and drive on. Never give up, never give in.

To me the name Browncoat says more than I am just a fan of the show, Joss and the BDHs. To me it represents my desire to be free and to do whatever it takes to keep flying.

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

NEEDLESEYE

Friday, September 24, 2004 7:48 PM

Quote:
BrownCoat1:
Joss has said that the underlying theme of the show is freedom. To me freedom is the most valuable thing in life. All beings crave it, strive for it, fight for it, and die for it. On some base level we all strive to be free.

Joss can speak for me.

I also think of it this way. I have no problem associating myself with the name "Browncoat".
It is not pretentious and the color connotation is humble. While you couldn't pay me to run around saying, "I'm a Jedi, I like Star Wars".
I will however say freely "I'm a Browncoat..." and though at the moment most people would say, huh?
Later they will say "SHINY!"

Keeper of Jayne's goggles. 8)

EMBERS

Friday, September 24, 2004 8:35 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by needleseye:
While you couldn't pay me to run around saying, "I'm a Jedi, I like Star Wars".

I will however say freely "I'm a Browncoat..." and though at the moment most people would say, huh?
Later they will say "SHINY!"

I totally agree!
Of course claiming to be a Jedi is like saying I inherited this light saber and legacy from my Father...
which is clearly a pretty silly thing to say.

While taking the designation of 'Browncoat' simply says, I'm independent and I believe in individual freedom...something we can all be proud to claim!

SARDONICA

Saturday, September 25, 2004 3:38 AM

Quote:

Almost every science fiction is about uber-extraordinary people doing imposible uber-extraordinary things you and I could never do. they deal with climactic epic wars and dodge bullets, use the force and have super human strength fighting demons. Mal has a gun... and he has his mind. Neo can mess with computor code and play God. Luke kills stuff with a light saber and then waves his hand and convinces them hes just a pedestian.

I don't think Luke ever actually killed anything, with his lightsaber, or otherwise.

Also, when you say "Almost every science fiction" you're actually talking only about the "popular" scifi of recent times... there's a whole world(s) of wonderfully eclectic and non-commercial scifi out there... spanning from the fifties to the present!

Chief Editor, AFM
www.apocalypsefiction.com
Writer/Producer, The NUKE Brothers
www.nukebrothers.com

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