tam parents – naïve, impotent, or in on it

POSTED BY: oct0gen
UPDATED: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 07:34
VIEWED: 5739
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MAL4PREZ

Thursday, October 9, 2008 5:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by ncbrowncoat:
What if the Tam's were unable to have children and were offered the opportunity to have "genetically enhanced" children that would be guaranteed to at least be above average or even brilliant? People strive for that even today. Look at all the parents that beg, pressure, or worse for their kids to be in the advanced classes or on the traveling sports teams.

Oooooh - I can totally see that! A branch of the Blue Sun Corp that does genetic research, with a project the well-meaning scientists see as helping procreationally challenged parents have babies. But, in a back room late at night, a few genes in the fetuses are tweaked by a suspiciously creepy character, and the kids are tracked as they grow up, sent invitations to the Academy...

Excellent idea! Totally fits into the many shades of gray between good and evil, and you're right, what a pickle for the Tams.

So, AR's post from yesterday, about cultural pressures, got me thinking about something. Many years ago my early teenaged nephew got busted for smoking pot and setting off fireworks from a rooftop. I felt like everyone was telling him he was some kind of criminal, so I sat him down and told him he was fine, just a bit stupid for screwing himself over like that. Getting that kind of record attached to his name could mess up his chances of getting out of his small town, if that's what he wanted.

That's just uncomfortably similar to Gabriel Tam's situation. It didn't bother me so much what my nephew did, cause really - big f'n deal. But what it cost his "reputation" was the big problem for me. But what can I do? I can't make the pot laws change. I can only tell the kid to quit breaking the rules. For his own good. (Or at least - quit getting caught!)

So, yeah, maybe that's what Gabriel Tam was feeling.

ETA: AR, I again totally agree with your take. I think the Alliance really is just like today's govt. But one of the main differences I see is that it is so massively big that there's even more freedom for pockets of corruption to get out of control.

-----------------------------------------------
hmm-burble-blah, blah-blah-blah, take a left

AGENTROUKA

Thursday, October 9, 2008 9:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:

ETA: AR, I again totally agree with your take. I think the Alliance really is just like today's govt. But one of the main differences I see is that it is so massively big that there's even more freedom for pockets of corruption to get out of control.

Yes, very true. I am far from saying that The Alliance is not highly flawed in some of its politics, and the incredible size of its bureaucratic body and the means of information and resources at its disposal make it quite vulnerable to corruption or abuse, especially at the lofty level of interplanetary control.

I'm glad we agree about it not being inherently bad, though. :)

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Monday, October 13, 2008 6:58 AM

i always thought Dad Tam was #2. Never got a real feel for where Mom fit in with these choices.

AGENTROUKA

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 5:39 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by jewelstaitefan:
i always thought Dad Tam was #2. Never got a real feel for where Mom fit in with these choices.

#2?

As for the mom, that's hard to say. Joss is weird about parents in general, mothers in particular, so who knows.

I think, based on what we saw, her relationship to her kids is less close than that of Daddy Tam. She figures into none of the choices made in "Safe", except for ordering the "dedicated source box" for Simon, so I take it she is more indulgent with her kids, because it's what she is used to in life. Everything is provided for, but generally everyone takes care of themselves and their hobbies.

But she still holds the clear expectation that they accomplish grand things. That's probably the norm in her circles, really.

NCBROWNCOAT

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:41 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:
Quote:
Originally posted by ncbrowncoat:
What if the Tam's were unable to have children and were offered the opportunity to have "genetically enhanced" children that would be guaranteed to at least be above average or even brilliant? People strive for that even today. Look at all the parents that beg, pressure, or worse for their kids to be in the advanced classes or on the traveling sports teams.
Oooooh - I can totally see that! A branch of the Blue Sun Corp that does genetic research, with a project the well-meaning scientists see as helping procreationally challenged parents have babies. But, in a back room late at night, a few genes in the fetuses are tweaked by a suspiciously creepy character, and the kids are tracked as they grow up, sent invitations to the Academy...

Excellent idea! Totally fits into the many shades of gray between good and evil, and you're right, what a pickle for the Tams.

So, AR's post from yesterday, about cultural pressures, got me thinking about something. Many years ago my early teenaged nephew got busted for smoking pot and setting off fireworks from a rooftop. I felt like everyone was telling him he was some kind of criminal, so I sat him down and told him he was fine, just a bit stupid for screwing himself over like that. Getting that kind of record attached to his name could mess up his chances of getting out of his small town, if that's what he wanted.

That's just uncomfortably similar to Gabriel Tam's situation. It didn't bother me so much what my nephew did, cause really - big f'n deal. But what it cost his "reputation" was the big problem for me. But what can I do? I can't make the pot laws change. I can only tell the kid to quit breaking the rules. For his own good. (Or at least - quit getting caught!)

So, yeah, maybe that's what Gabriel Tam was feeling.

ETA: AR, I again totally agree with your take. I think the Alliance really is just like today's govt. But one of the main differences I see is that it is so massively big that there's even more freedom for pockets of corruption to get out of control.

-----------------------------------------------
hmm-burble-blah, blah-blah-blah, take a left

I also see the "gene tweaking" being done by Blue Sun and not the government itself. But Blue Sun seems to have integrated itself into parts of the massive government. And uses the sheer size of the government for it's own means.

Blue Sun may even be the real power behind the "Academy". Governments usually outsource a lot of research to universities and companies by providing funding and not actually doing it themselves. Research the government does itself is notoriously bare bones except for a few famous projects like the nuclear bomb.

It would explain River's slashing of Jayne when he wore the Blue Sun shirt, ripping the labels off the cans in "Shindig" and "the Hands of Blue" that come after River.

http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Monday, October 20, 2008 9:16 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by AgentRouka:
Quote:
Originally posted by jewelstaitefan:
i always thought Dad Tam was #2. Never got a real feel for where Mom fit in with these choices.

#2?

As for the mom, that's hard to say. Joss is weird about parents in general, mothers in particular, so who knows.

I think, based on what we saw, her relationship to her kids is less close than that of Daddy Tam. She figures into none of the choices made in "Safe", except for ordering the "dedicated source box" for Simon, so I take it she is more indulgent with her kids, because it's what she is used to in life. Everything is provided for, but generally everyone takes care of themselves and their hobbies.

But she still holds the clear expectation that they accomplish grand things. That's probably the norm in her circles, really.

Yes, #2. He seems unable or unwilling to fathom that River is communicating in code, and doesn't seem to want to hear about her needing help, like it would inconvenience him. He is peeved in the utmost that Simon has embarrassed him and gotten him into the records as bailing Simon out, giving him black marks with the Alliance and maybe compromising his benefits from his social position. I don't see #1 or #3 coming through in the exchanges from Safe.

AGENTROUKA

Monday, October 20, 2008 9:28 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by jewelstaitefan:
Quote:
Originally posted by AgentRouka:
Quote:
Originally posted by jewelstaitefan:
i always thought Dad Tam was #2. Never got a real feel for where Mom fit in with these choices.

#2?

As for the mom, that's hard to say. Joss is weird about parents in general, mothers in particular, so who knows.

I think, based on what we saw, her relationship to her kids is less close than that of Daddy Tam. She figures into none of the choices made in "Safe", except for ordering the "dedicated source box" for Simon, so I take it she is more indulgent with her kids, because it's what she is used to in life. Everything is provided for, but generally everyone takes care of themselves and their hobbies.

But she still holds the clear expectation that they accomplish grand things. That's probably the norm in her circles, really.

Yes, #2. He seems unable or unwilling to fathom that River is communicating in code, and doesn't seem to want to hear about her needing help, like it would inconvenience him. He is peeved in the utmost that Simon has embarrassed him and gotten him into the records as bailing Simon out, giving him black marks with the Alliance and maybe compromising his benefits from his social position. I don't see #1 or #3 coming through in the exchanges from Safe.

Oh, you mean #2 as in "impotent"! Sorry, I was being dense.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 6:40 AM

Impotent wasn't exactly what I viewed the #2 explanation to be in the first post, or how applied to Dad Tam, more like kowtowing to Alliance, protecting his social status, position in his little world.

AGENTROUKA

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 7:34 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by jewelstaitefan:
Impotent wasn't exactly what I viewed the #2 explanation to be in the first post, or how applied to Dad Tam, more like kowtowing to Alliance, protecting his social status, position in his little world.

Either way, the number was referring to one of the choices, which I had failed to understand.

Anyway, I already stated my opinion on that choice.

Have a nice day,
AR

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