Attn JMS: Don't tell me how to write my story

[b5jms-owner at cs.columbia.edu]

Subject: Attn JMS: Don't tell me how to write my story
+  1: Nov 11, 1995: jimg at aegis.ssl.berkeley.edu (Jim Gibson)
+  2: Nov 16, 1995: denebeim at deepthot.cary.nc.us (Jay Denebeim)
*  3: Nov 17, 1995: straczynski at genie.geis.com

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From: jimg at aegis.ssl.berkeley.edu (Jim Gibson)
Lines: 24

"...telling someone how to write their story is like telling them how to have
sex..."

I don't think that's an appropriate analogy.  If you were telling your
story to yourself
and one (or a few) others in the privacy of your own bedroom, then you're
right, it
would be no one else's business what you did with it.  But (and thanks)
you've chosen
to broadcast it all over world-wide TV.  That's great!

But having done that, for good or ill, it's not right of you to take this
stance,
"it's my story and you all have no right to comment".

There's a _difference_, I think, between letting others dictate your story
to you
(you shouldn't, and needn't) and _sympathizing_ with the fact that the
viewers of
a show become attached to it (of _course_ they should) and feel an
interest in the
doings of the characters.  Ok?  You don't have to do what anyone tells
you, but don't
get so damn mad about it!

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From: denebeim at deepthot.cary.nc.us (Jay Denebeim)
Lines: 25

In article <jimg-1111951101590001 at silias.hip.berkeley.edu>,
Jim Gibson <jimg at aegis.ssl.berkeley.edu> wrote:

> "...telling someone how to write their story is like telling them how to have
> sex..."

> But having done that, for good or ill, it's not right of you to take
> this stance, "it's my story and you all have no right to comment".

He didn't say that.  Besides which he takes comments and constructive
critisism into consideration.  He just doesn't like to be dictated to.

His attitude alot of the time seems to be, if you don't like the way
I'm telling the story, go out and write and produce your own damn
story.  Makes perfect sense to me.

If someone could do as good of a job as he's doing, I'm sure he'd love
it.  After all, he can't enjoy the show the same way that we do, he
already knows what's going to happen.  He's a fan, if there was a show
as good as B5 on the air, he'd watch it.

Jay
-- 
*Sig under construction*	denebeim at deepthot.cary.nc.us
Jay Denebeim			duke.edu!wolves!deepthot!denebeim

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From: straczynski at genie.geis.com
Lines: 12

      You're confusing several different issues.  Of *course* people have
the right to comment on the show; hell, that's been going on here, both
positive and negative, since the pilot film.  You can like something, or
not like something.  But if somebody gets up an attitude and says, "Hey,
I watch your show, and I have a right to input, and you should do your
show THIS way from now on," that person is going to be told to bug off.
That the show is seen by many folks gives them an interest, and that's
great; but there's a line in *proprietary* interest that can't be
crossed.  The show that has attracted people is what I've chosen to put
in; if enough people like it, they'll continue to watch; if not, not.

                                                              jms