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San Francisco, 12:29 PM
Sun Nov 29
10 posts in the last 24 hours
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11/02/09
11/02/09
11/02/09
@Dirk Anger: This is the second plane when she appears (the first one is a face shot) #stargate
11/02/09
@Dirk Anger: This is the next one #stargate
11/02/09
11/02/09
@Dirk Anger: #stargate
11/02/09
@Dirk Anger: #stargate
11/02/09
@Dirk Anger: #stargate
11/02/09
@Dirk Anger: #stargate
11/02/09
10/20/09
Lt. James is a massively important character and we have humongous plans for her in the future. In the upcoming episode "Immense" Lt. James finds that two very imposing and astronomically large objects are on a collision course with Destiny. She must use her very prodigious talents in order to keep these titanic objects in check.
In another episode entitled "Colossal" Lt. James is given two very mammoth jobs on the ship. She finds she can barely hold her weight under the tremendous load.
As you can see, we have very sizeable plans for this character.
Sincerely,
N. Otareal
Stargate Writer #stargate
10/20/09
...nonetheless....the phrasing "prodigious talents" strikes me as a euphemism. Either way what I mean is we haven't seen a description of James: is she a military scientist like Carter? She seemed just like a marine fighter. In which case, what could she possibly do about asteroids? Unless of course, she's a pilot or something?
Thank you (and admittedly its too early to "hate" the show: we're offering up constructive criticism in the hopes that you can clearly realize what might not be working in the series (I.e. "Ford hasn't done anything significant in the entire year he's been on the show, we should re-fill the "Shepherd's friend" role...) #stargate
10/20/09
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10/20/09
we have seen what 3 or 4 episodes so far so it is pretty early on in the show. #stargate
10/20/09
10/20/09
10/20/09
10/20/09
10/20/09
10/20/09
Well, I wouldn't say "self-centered" so much as "missing the point." I'm just entirely sick of creators coming along and saying, "I didn't mean it that way, ergo your perception of my character/written creation is invalid." If a sufficient number of people on the Internet are noticing this such that the perception comes to the attention of the creators, then maybe they might want to "look to that," so to speak.
To be honest, I've watched each of the aired episodes of SGU twice, and I still can't recall more than two of the characters' names. Which is a problem I've never had before.
10/20/09
10/21/09
10/20/09
Lt James is one of only a handful of military officers on Destiny (Young, Scott and TJ being the others identified so far). But she's cheesed off at being kept out of Colonel Young's command group. She is a leader if not the leader of the disgruntles on board. There's going to be a clash eventually. Since she's the one channeling Starbuck the most, that clash will probably be messy and bloody.
Since she was Scott's storeroom buddy on Icarus Base, she's also going to be cheesed off when Scott hooks up with Chloe. Gratuitous girlfight!
10/20/09
Mocking and continuing to objectify her. Yeah, that's definitely the way to go. #stargate
10/20/09
10/20/09
What is our first impression of this character, and how she uses her sexuality SUPPOSED to put into our minds? I don't know. What is it ACTUALLY putting into our minds, and how is it ACTUALLY informing our impressions of this character??? I think you're getting a hint from this thread. #stargate
10/20/09
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10/21/09
11/02/09
11/09/09
10/20/09
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10/20/09
I think the strong female character issue is actually separate from the issue of female characters in SGU. So far all the characters kind of suck. The problem is that while they're all pretty sucky the males characters get to be sucky in the spotlight, while all female characters are only sucky on the sidelines. The fact is that the show is focusing almost exclusively on the male characters and that bothers some people. #stargate
10/20/09
I don't need all the female characters to be able to win Battle Royale, I just want female characters who exist as people in their own right. #stargate
10/21/09
10/21/09
Well, yeah. Its a television show. FYI if you don't already know, but Hollywood doesn't like ugly people. People don't pay to see ugly people. Even if the script calls for an ugly person TV ugly and real ugly are two completely different things.
I don't want to see ugly for that matter. When I turn on my TV I want to see pretty people doing interesting things. #stargate
10/21/09
Also, you don't want to look at unattractive females on screen. And if you're choosing the Hollywood definition of who is attractive, you're looking at a very cookie-cutter "underwear model" sort of shape and size. That's fine.
But then the reverse should be true. I shouldn't have to look at unattractive males on screen. Oops. There goes 100% of the SGU male cast cos they don't meet the narrow definition of underwear model that I've set up for them.
Why can a variety of male shapes be attractive, but only one view of female shapes be attractive and appropriate for television?
Double standards are not fun. #stargate
10/21/09
While Eli is no Adonis, he is relegated to the role of comic relief. The fat guy is always comic relief, he's never going to be the team leader or the ladies man because it isn't believable and no one wants to watch it. Other members of the male cast fit quite well into the modern conception of male desirability. Lt. Scott and Sgt. Greer probably look great in speedos.
First and foremost the show exists to make money, if it doesn't it won't be around too long. To this effect the producers have made good choices with their casting. The free market has spoken and if you don't like it I suggest you go read a book and imagine the characters as hideously as you can. #stargate
10/21/09
That "etc" is worryingly vague. You could put just about anything in there. #stargate
10/21/09
Seriously, I write all that and the only thing you can comment on is my use of the term "etc"? Ok then, in the context of what I wrote "etc" refers to any other role in which a female character is used for the sole purpose of furthering the development/quest of the male character (and yes, sometimes it is necessary to use one character as a plot device to move the story along, my point is that this is usually the only role female characters serve). So the "etc" could be love/protect/save/defend/trade/sell/seduce.
I really don't see why you needed that clarification, but there you go. #stargate
10/21/09
I don't think it's productive to jump straight to "if you don't like it don't watch it" just because I disagree with you. As a grownup, I'm capable of having a multitude of views on something I watch, and I'm capable of appreciating some aspects while criticizing others. A complex show will have aspects worthy of discussion and worthy of criticism. I HATE Battlestar Galactica on a visceral level. There're still things quite worth discussing in the realm of gender and equality in science fiction.
Now, do you not like the discussion because it makes you uncomfortable or angry to talk about the vast differences in portrayal of characters based on physical attributes alone? It may. That's OK. But it might be worth asking yourself why. #stargate
11/02/09
10/20/09
10/20/09
10/20/09
But I think it's more a question of why they had a shower scene at all rather then who was in it.
And why an unmanned space ship has a shower. And towels. #stargate
10/20/09
Since the ship is obviously designed to accommodate a crew, it doesn't seem implausible that there would be shower facilities. The existence of clean towels is slightly more problematic unless they're composed of some sort of advanced synthetic cloth that doesn't break down for several hundred thousand years. #stargate
10/20/09
The scene did have some value, which was to illustrate the attraction that Eli has toward Chloe and the trust she has in him, apparently justified in both directions. Clearly making the series "steamier" is on the producers todo list.
I do think that some of the female characters have some potential. They're less two dimensional then the male characters and appear to have more room to grow and overcome obstacles as well as more of a backstory. JT in particular stands out in this regard and I am curious how her character will develop.
I would extend the argument that you made about about having a shower on an unmanned ship to any form of life support at all. My interpretation, thus far, is that the destination of the ship is important and that the life support would be necessary once the ship ends its voyage. #stargate
10/20/09
Not only are they lovely and clean, but why are they there in the first place? Either someone brought the through the gate (possibly whoever remembered to bring the medics' make-up and hair products) or they were already on the ship. In which case some should have brought up there were some supplies on board. Are at least said "Hey, they are clean towels. Maybe we should look to see what other crap got left behind?
And yes, I ready to admit the fact that I'm thinking about this may mean I'm weird.
@Logan5: But by putting Chloe in the shower they also seem to have lost a part of their target audience, unless they don't think of women as part of it.
In the end, I think they just shouldn't have had the shower scene. I don't think anything would have been lost without it, and maybe they could have used the time to show the characters actually doing stuff.
It's interesting that you mention that the destination of the ship could be important, because that's something I hadn't thought of at all. It would be cool if the ship wasn't on an endless loop of planets, but instead had some type of destination that could effect the characters.
10/20/09
I liked it better when it was Wesley Crusher - played by a kid. #stargate
10/21/09
10/20/09
But I feel that is such a cop out. It should have been good from the beginning, with well rounded characters.
And no, her breasts don't count as well rounded characters. #stargate
10/20/09
I remember when Lost started and I knew what every single character on there was about, what their motivations were, what their likes and dislikes were, bt the end of the second episode.
I can't believe that SGU has done such a horrible job of this! #stargate
11/02/09
Something SGU has done with just a couple of the characters
And you can check the internet for Kate's pictures, and see that yeah, she's extremely attractive to most guys, and the same for Sawyer/Jack for girls, but nobody will say they're just eye candy, because they are actual characters with personalities and roles to play, since the first time they appear. There ARE people in the background in Lost, but they don't get scenes where the only point is show off how hot they are.
Yeah, in Lost, they show off how hot the main characters are, not to talk about BSG, the point of all the criticism is that character's only reason to exist and not be "random girl in the background" seems to be, well, being well endowed.
It's either that or they want to kill someone we remember but who's not a main character.
10/20/09
lets get some more visuals here from random google-search (does anyone have a clip of the particular scenes in question with idiotic camera angels?) #stargate
10/20/09
I am not an SG fan, and I have not seen SGU but after this pic I can understand why there's such a stir in the sci-fi tv community.
10/20/09