An Important Soapbox Rant

[TwoBrainedCylon]

The soapbox rant about TPTB and the fans ....

http://www.cylon.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1319


In all modesty, I did a Hell of a lot of research on it over the past few months and think its worth the read.

Two-Brain

[Charybdis]

Very well thought out and reasoned, Two Brain, BUT I disagree with your assessment of Hammer not really screwing with the original fanbase.. Moderating the BSG board and not even allowing a negative post on there is totally screwing with the fan base if you ask me!!!!! That is just plain WRONG!!!!!

I understand that they want to shed very positive light on their new mini (just take a look at the SCi-Fi Wire, nothing but glowing little articles), BUT to censor any and all opposing viewpoints is outright disgusting!!

They put it out there for all to see, then they let the chips fall where they may, take it or leave it, warts and all and they deal with it. To deny anyone from posting on that bboard is just plain wrong!!!

[TwoBrainedCylon]

They own that board and web site. I wouldn't consider that the whole world.

The charges that were being made was that Bonnie's staff was sweeping the net, posing as posters, and trying to make the fans look bad.

This is an older arguement but Skiffy has no obligation whatsoever to treat us fairly ON THEIR BOARD. They can also put up anything they want ON THEIR SITE. There's no free speech issue her at all.

Two-Brain

[jjrakman]

Well I know I'm probably going to get scolded for this post but here it goes anyway.

Why do I get the uneasy suspicion that this is a prelude to, "Let's give it a chance."

Two Brained Wrote:
I also truly think the production team wants the new BSG 2003 miniseries to be a show that the original series fans would like.

RDM Wrote:

If you agree with us, then this is the show for you. If not, then thanks for coming, but the popcorn is in a different aisle.

hhmmmmmm.


Two Brained wrote:

I believe that Ron Moore approached this project with his own ideas as to what should be done.

His own ideas? He doesn't have any. He even lifted the phrase "sleeping giant" from DeSanto for god's sake. All of his supposedly cutting edge ideas in his script are transparently lifted from just about every genre film availble. It's a living breathing cliche. This man does not have the artistic integrity that he likes to portray himself as having. If he truly did have a single bone of integrity in his body, he would have saved all of his wild, "re-invention of the Sci Fi TV Series" ideas for his own original production, to succeed or fail based soley on the merits of his own ideas. He didn't. Instead, he chose to put his supposedly ground breaking ideas behind the protective wall of the Galactica name. If it succeeds, he collects the accolades of his peers, if it fails, he says that their wasn't any interest in BSG to begin with. He has risked nothing, and gained everything. I see him as an artistic coward, and opportunist. Nothing more.

From what I can tell, David Eicke has likewise tried to interact with the fans, through the wall of "Ask Dave" questions which are carefully chosen and IMO, answered in a manner that would make any propoganda minister proud. He would be far better served to just come forward. I am requesting a direct interview with him. That may help the situation somewhat.


I realize my post may diminish your chances of acquiring an interview with him, but I honestly don't see the value in it. I see your trying to extend your hand of diplomacy with your second brain, but sometimes I can't help but wonder if that second brain suffers from a little Stockholm Syndrome. ;) Do you remember the old carnival games that had a metal "fortune teller" encased in glass. You would drop in a quarter, ask it a question, and it would move a little, make a little noise, and spit out some mindless rhetorical drivel. I suspect that an interview with Eick would go much the same way. As is evidenced by the "Ask David Eick" section.

Ron has reached out to the fanbase on several occassions.

Was this part of Bonnie Hammer's infamous " online chat with the fanbase?" But in all fairness, maybe I missed something. If you could point out where he reached out to us, I'll eat crow.

I think we need to try to build a new relationship with TPTB without supporting the miniseries.

Well your not going to like this, but my relationship with the Hammer/Eick/Moore Hydra, will continue to be as it has. Very akin to the George Bush/Saddam Hussein relationship. I will continue to do whatever I can, with whatever means I have at my disposal to see their removal from power. Because much like Hussein, they are incapable of handling the responsibilities of the power they now weild. As is evidenced by the programming content of the Sci Fi Channel.

With that, I will close with a very good quote:

What none of these three have is a respect for the original that will keep it in tact.

Remember this well.

[Winemaster]

I think you are probably right on most of your points but Ron Moore said in your interview that he found "frustration" with TOS fans for not giving it a chance. If he said things as a "joke" and the fans took them as an insult then it seems to me he would have made some kind of effort to clarify what he said. I havn't seen anything done on his initiative.
Back in April when the mini was on the eve of beginning production he came onto the SCI-FI board and tried to "approach" the TOS fans on that board to give it a chance.
He was met with an 80 to 1. (my estimate after clones are filtered out)
negative response.
A lot were angered (and rightly so in my view)
He should have immediately come back on and clarified what he meant if his post was a gaffe. Instead he said nothing leaving the impression of giving the finger. His inaction on this makes his motivation for the post a moot point. He is guilty at the very least of complicity in inflaming TOS fans because of his in action to explain the contexts of his "jokes".
For that reason I do not encourage anyone to give it a chance.

[TwoBrainedCylon]

Winemaster,

I don't care if you give it a chance or not.

I do know that Ron doesn't say much because everything he says is torn apart by the fans.

In all fairness, if you got an 80 to 1 negative response to things you said would be you be inclined to clarify misunderstandings. If he had, then he'd have gotten the "now you're trying to backtrack and clean up your statements". Since he hasn't, then this is the result.

Personally, if I'd been treated as he has by us, everyone would have a lot worse to quote from me than a popcorn statement.

JJ - I answered you in this same post at CA.

Two-Brain

[jjrakman]

Yeah I think we resolved this at CA

[Winemaster]

If I read the main boards (which Ron Moore does) I would know the score. If I had made a post like that in that circumstance (I don't see myself doing something like that ) but if for arguments sake I did and I saw that I had screwed up bigtime (unintentionally inflaming fans with that post) yes I would come on clarify and apologize. If the fans came
back and said your back tracking and clean up your comments I would come back and say yes I am back tracking because I am apologizing for a mistake. Yes I should watch how I say things (not what I say) because the comments are not intended to be inflamatory but to state my position.
So long as my statements were sincere and I practised what I preached in future postings I would have won the public relation war either way.
If the fans continued on with mistreatment they simply make themselves look foolish and me look good. If they stopped then I have a chance to state my case and some might just give the production a chance (even if they do it secretly) and most importantly I would be looked on favourably by the fence sitters who are lurking.

[kingfish]

I remember when BG was shown on Intergalactic Wednesdays. There was also a voting opportunity for the fans by logging on and voting on a series of questions. I couldn't vote because I wasn't online at the time. I wonder if anyone was able to research the results.

[default]

Everyone assuming Sci fi channel gives a D@# about the true fans. They donot. All that crew wants is the revenues that may come in from capatalizing on a much loved show. They are assuming that the new generations totally braindead and will blindly jump on the next "New " thing. Bad bad idea IMHO. Thats what they all thought about the new Starwars and a few other so called good movies. They did not do as well as everyone hoped. Why? Because they paled in refrence to the originall classics. Not that that movie will not seem 100 percent better then what they are offering now. Personally I watching the DVD's or een the old vcr tapes on Dec &th. Hammer and crew can go to hades with my blessings. Sci fi lost a fan.

Lisa FireWolfe
FireStar