Comments on: Bill me later http://mcgees.org/2009/02/03/bill-me-later/ Website of Joshua McGee Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:51:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Bob Mike http://mcgees.org/2009/02/03/bill-me-later/comment-page-1/#comment-50644 Bob Mike Tue, 03 Feb 2009 18:25:21 +0000 http://mcgees.org/?p=1426#comment-50644 I am not, generally, bothered by the notion of phrases from mass media (particularly sci-fi or fantasy) being used in daily conversation. My life in retrospect can be charted by the various books, shows and movies that I'd quote or from which I'd borrow terms. It's not like I've never worked the phrases "<I>dust off and nuke the site from orbit</I>", "<I>by the hoary hosts of Hoggoth</I>", "<I>Brock f'ing Samson</I>" or "<I>what is the riddle of steel</I>" into a conversation, and Gawd help anyone trying to have a chat with high-school aged me if I'd recently watched <I>Pulp Fiction</I> or anything by Monty Python (which I did on a roughly weekly basis, if you'll recall). I think it's charming when Tina Fey says "<I>by the hammer of Thor</I>". References and catch-phrases are a big part of my conversational style; I don't think it's accurate to think that I have a problem with certain <I>Galactica</I>-derived ones as a result of a lack of early exposure to sci-fi. I know half a dozen terms in Klingon and twice as many in Hutt. My problem is that sometimes a term is used in a fashion that seems so forced and shoehorned into the show/book/whatever that it drops me out of my suspension of disbelief. "Frak" and "oh my Gods" do this for <I>Galactica</I>. "Shiny" did it on <I>Firefly</I>. These things don't remind me that I'm dealing with non-Terrans, they remind me that I'm <B>watching a television show</B>, and that's the last thing that I want to remember when I'm wrapping myself in a story. I am not, generally, bothered by the notion of phrases from mass media (particularly sci-fi or fantasy) being used in daily conversation. My life in retrospect can be charted by the various books, shows and movies that I’d quote or from which I’d borrow terms. It’s not like I’ve never worked the phrases “dust off and nuke the site from orbit“, “by the hoary hosts of Hoggoth“, “Brock f’ing Samson” or “what is the riddle of steel” into a conversation, and Gawd help anyone trying to have a chat with high-school aged me if I’d recently watched Pulp Fiction or anything by Monty Python (which I did on a roughly weekly basis, if you’ll recall). I think it’s charming when Tina Fey says “by the hammer of Thor“. References and catch-phrases are a big part of my conversational style; I don’t think it’s accurate to think that I have a problem with certain Galactica-derived ones as a result of a lack of early exposure to sci-fi. I know half a dozen terms in Klingon and twice as many in Hutt.

My problem is that sometimes a term is used in a fashion that seems so forced and shoehorned into the show/book/whatever that it drops me out of my suspension of disbelief. “Frak” and “oh my Gods” do this for Galactica. “Shiny” did it on Firefly. These things don’t remind me that I’m dealing with non-Terrans, they remind me that I’m watching a television show, and that’s the last thing that I want to remember when I’m wrapping myself in a story.

]]> By: Joshua <i>(Site Owner)</i> http://mcgees.org/2009/02/03/bill-me-later/comment-page-1/#comment-50642 Joshua (Site Owner) Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:12:40 +0000 http://mcgees.org/?p=1426#comment-50642 Yes, I admit that I almost wrote "Oh. My. Gods." -- just to <a href="http://www.mcgees.org/2009/01/05/look-into-my-ui/#comment-50535" rel="nofollow">piss Bob Mike off</a>. And although this is a really weird place to do it, I'll parry him in this auto-comment: I think, Mike, that you didn't read as much sci-fi as I did growing up. I read enough Niven, for instance, that "What the tanj?" started to read smoothly for me (<i>tanj</i> -- for real -- is short for "There Ain't No Justice".) And in BSG, "Oh my gods" and "frak" just (subtly) remind me that I'm not dealing with Terrans. Sorry it bugs you. Hope you can deal. (OK, so I'm behind on <i>BSG</i> -- so please don't spoiler me -- but if the writers would put the "Who's a cylon?" dartboard [that they presumably used] up for auction, I'd bid every penny I own to buy it.) Yes, I admit that I almost wrote “Oh.  My.  Gods.” — just to piss Bob Mike off.  And although this is a really weird place to do it, I’ll parry him in this auto-comment:

I think, Mike, that you didn’t read as much sci-fi as I did growing up.  I read enough Niven, for instance, that “What the tanj?” started to read smoothly for me (tanj — for real — is short for “There Ain’t No Justice”.)  And in BSG, “Oh my gods” and “frak” just (subtly) remind me that I’m not dealing with Terrans.  Sorry it bugs you.  Hope you can deal.

(OK, so I’m behind on BSG — so please don’t spoiler me — but if the writers would put the “Who’s a cylon?” dartboard [that they presumably used] up for auction, I’d bid every penny I own to buy it.)

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