JMS on CompuServe (May 08, 1996) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
Brent Barrett
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Wed May 8 13:23:20 EDT 1996
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The following posts may contain SPOILERS for
upcoming Babylon 5 episodes.
Continue at your own risk.
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THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL IS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE
RESPECTIVE MESSAGE AUTHORS AND CANNOT BE
REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED
PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.
Note that JMS has expressed his public permission
that all of his messages may be reproduced freely.
I give permission for my summaries to be reposted in
any form, however I reserve all rights to them and
the right to revoke this permission at any time.
[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #501516-Babylon 5 !!@***!!@*%^**
Sb: #501394-JMS: gun port=respect?
Sb: #501404-#JMS: gun port=respect?
Sb: #501423-Centauri Hair
Sb: #501656-<JMS: Quickies...>
Sb: #501352-JMS: 'Drop Dead' Date?
Sb: #501820-#<Ship of Tears>
Sb: #501771-<Ship of Tears-Bester>
Sb: #501827-Cheers for Mira
Sb: #501845-<Ship of Tears>
Sb: #501858-<Bester>
Sb: #501943-<Ship of Tears>
[ Summary: A new poster thanks JMS for B5 and asks if videos will ever
come out. ]
#: 501789 S5/Babylon 5: General
07-May-96 18:41:43
Sb: #501516-Babylon 5 !!@***!!@*%^**
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks, and tapes will doubtless come out in the fullness of time.
jms
#: 501394 S5/Babylon 5: General
07-May-96 06:37:48
Sb: #501227-#JMS: gun port=respect?
Fm: GAIL MARSELLA
<<The idea of ritually mutilating a young woman's genitals is a hideous,
terrible notion to any sane person in this country...but in many African
nations, it's practiced quite commonly, on an everyday basis as part of their
notion of coming into womanhood.>>
You are certainly correct that one should not view all cultures through a
narrow Western European frame. The Walkabout is clearly cultural and no one
outside should interfere with it. However, neither is it appropriate to view
*all* alien behavior as acceptable just because it is different, has gone on a
long time, and is fine with the powerful segment of the population. Alice
Walker (I think...) has pointed out that torture is not culture, and forced
genital mutilation is consequently unacceptable. I think she's right - was
slavery acceptable just because it was common, we practiced it for a long time,
and a large number of people found it convenient? Was foot-binding in China
acceptable just because it was always practiced on young girls who had no way
to say "no"? Now clearly a person who *chooses* slavery, bound feet, or
circumcision is entitled to do so for cultural reasons - I have no argument
with you there. I don't think, however, that we can ignore the suffering of
those who are abused just because they are part of a different culture - that
would be irresponsible. (By the way, just to be consistent I would say that
circumcising male babies, even for religious reasons, falls into the
unacceptable category. Let the teenagers and adults undergo the procedure if
they decide it is important to their faith.)
Please keep up the good work. No show makes us think like yours does.
GBC Marsella
#: 501790 S5/Babylon 5: General
07-May-96 18:41:45
Sb: #501394-JMS: gun port=respect?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"However, neither is it appropriate to view all alien behavior as
acceptable just because it is different....."
Never implied it was. In general, on the B5 station, though, if an alien
acts toward one of its own kind in a cultural oddity (to us), we tend not to
interfere unless so requested; if, however, an alien turns that cultural oddity
toward one not of its own species, then the B5 staff would definitely
intervene.
jms
#: 501404 S5/Babylon 5: General
07-May-96 06:55:48
Sb: #501227-#JMS: gun port=respect?
Fm: BILL HIRST
Mutilation of male genitals is an accepted practice in Western culture.
-Bill
#: 501791 S5/Babylon 5: General
07-May-96 18:41:47
Sb: #501404-#JMS: gun port=respect?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
True, though the female version of this, as practiced in some countries,
is extremely debilitating and far more violent or severe. Much as we are all
attached to our respective genitalia, I'd suggest that snipping the foreskin is
not quite so severe as taking a razor blade and cutting OFF the clitoris and
parts of the labia major, as is done in some places.
But you're right, the practice on either side is certain of a piece (so
to speak).
jms
[ Summary: This poster wonders how the makeup people do the male Centauri
hair pieces. ]
#: 501792 S5/Babylon 5: General
07-May-96 18:41:50
Sb: #501423-Centauri Hair
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
All I know is that each Centauri hairpiece is hand-woven into the fabric
at an angle; you can't just take a wig and get it to stand up, you have to
*hand weave* it. It's a fairly difficult and expensive process.
jms
#: 501656 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-May-96 15:53:02
Sb: #<JMS: Quickies...>
Fm: GOPHER
LOVED Ship of Tears! Unfortunately, since I don't get B5 until Friday, the net
is noisy with spoiler information and I learned a few things ahead of time...
I have to control myself...
A couple of quickies:
1) The placement of the people in the shadow ships is similar to the placement
of Draal in his machine. In fact, the whole Draal/machine thing is quite
similar to the whole shadow ship/pilot thing. Is this intentional or do you
just have a thing for people restrained and spread eagle???
2) My B5 group was having a discussion I hope you can clarify. It appears that
most of the races have at least one religion with a prophet figure and angel
figures. Is the below right, specifically for christianity?
Angel: G'Lon, Valencia (sp?), Gabriel (or some other angel)
Prophet: G'Quon, Valen, Jesus
And is the deal that "viewers" applied to the Kosh image their preconceptions
of what their "angel" was? And that Sheridan, apparently not religious or
without preconceptions, applied generic human imagery and nothing more? And
Londo...
That's all! I'm looking forward to I&E (thanks for the Lincoln-analogy spoiler
without notice!!!!!)
/Mark - mpiet at cais.com
#: 501793 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-May-96 18:41:51
Sb: #501656-<JMS: Quickies...>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I think probably most races that have to evolve through a superstitious
phase, at some point enter a religious phase (which is an organized system of
superstition by strictest definition) until such time as the tools are there
for the more scientific description of the universe. So within that context,
yes, most cultures would have at least one major figure in that area in its
history.
jms
#: 501352 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-May-96 05:32:30
Sb: #501237-#JMS: 'Drop Dead' Date?
Fm: DANIEL M. UPTON
Does the fact that one of the prizes in the recent "Mystery Alien Contest" was
the chance to play an alien in an upcoming episode mean that they are more
likely to renew the show?
Dan^^^^
danupton at blueridge.net
#: 501795 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-May-96 18:41:54
Sb: #501352-JMS: 'Drop Dead' Date?
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Doesn't really affect the odds either way; there's always an out in these
kinds of things.
jms
[ Summary: Asks if the implants seen in "Ship of Tears" were part of the
preparation mentioned by Delenn in "Messages from Earth." Also, wonders
if the Shadows wouldn't have wasted perfectly good "Wetware" in the
survivors of the Icarus. He wonders if, perhaps, Anna Sheridan is now
piloting a Shadow ship. ]
#: 501841 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-May-96 20:44:05
Sb: #501820-#<Ship of Tears>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yes, the implants are part of the preparation process Delenn referred to
in "Messages." As for the rest...only time will tell, cause sure as hell I
ain't....
jms
#: 501771 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-May-96 18:26:19
Sb: #500879-#<Ship of Tears-Bester>
Fm: ROWAN KAISER
While we're on the subject, when was this little change of heart for Bester
planned? Was it at the start, when you did Mind War, or something just this
season?
Sin wreak`oar Mistie, Montie, Jordanite and PITAS
Emperor of SPAMM
Kidism Patrol; Recruitment Division and Spoiler Police
#: 501842 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-May-96 20:44:06
Sb: #501771-<Ship of Tears-Bester>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Yes, this was definitely intended from the start with Bester.
jms
#: 501827 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-May-96 20:09:30
Sb: #Cheers for Mira
Fm: VICKI MITCHELL
Would you please relay to Mira Furlan our highest compliments on her scene with
G'Kar in "Ship of Tears"? While the entire cast of B5 does excellent work (and
Mira's stands out even in that company), that scene was probably the finest
piece of acting I have ever seen. The impact was -- incredible. (No writer
should ever admit to being without words to describe something, but . . . I
concede defeat on this. I really cannot find enough superlatives to properly
express my admiration.) Averaging the reactions of friends scattered across
half the country, I'd have to rate that scene as a 15 (at least) on the
traditional scale of 1 to 5.
And, of course, applause and cheers to everyone else as well.
Vicki
#: 501910 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-May-96 23:44:08
Sb: #501827-Cheers for Mira
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
I'll tell her when next I see her; thanks.
jms
#: 501845 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-May-96 20:44:13
Sb: #<Ship of Tears>
Fm: RICHARD M. PERRY
Great episode, Joe; right down to the detailing on the new 'furies. I
like the teeth on the nose and the names on the cockpit, very traditional and
in keeping with the Flying Tigers theme for Sheridan. What's next, little
miniture Shadow ships painted on the side or will we see the jackets first? <g>
The new War Council Room looks good as well, the round table was a nice
touch. Was that a painting (or otherwise map) of the galaxy on the wall?
Whatever it was it looked cool and managed to brighten the mood of the room all
at once.
The interface that Carolyn made with MedLab looked an awful lot like
the one on Epsilon III for Draal and the Great Machine, is there a connection
between the two? (hey, how'd that pun get in there? I blame Carl and Nigel for
that.)
It was nice to see Sheridan's comment about Coventry come full circle;
and that you had shown the personal grief and moral delima of those who had to
keep that secret.
I see Chekov... er, uh... Bester finally got to sit in the captain's
chair. Thanks for that exchange it was hilarious, although I half expected to
hear the line, "Now that we know eachother..."
About that "re-education facility" on Mars, did a certain Winters,T.
spend any time there around seven years ago?
ISN, the news station from the people that brought you The Land of
Ten-thousand Ministries; it's the galaxy's most important news network from the
galaxy's most important news source. (ISN is a direct subsidiary of the
Ministries of Information and Public Moral; trust us it's for your own good)
BTW, did someone at WB get a clue (or replaced by RMES)? First there's
the ad in tv Guide and then Sunday morning in the middle of Top Gun on TBS
there was a bonafide ad to "get in on the best storytelling on television".
People at work Sunday evening were asking me if that was the show I keep
talking about and that it looks like it's worth a look. You know if WB keeps
advertising B5 during prime spots like that they might just get an even higher
viewership.
Also, you'll be pleased to know that when "Ceremonies" was supposed to
air here in WPB, WTVX made the mistake of not fitting it into their schedule
after pre-empting it for Marlins baseball. They recieved so many phone calls
asking them to at least put it on at a time it can be recorded that station
management decided to extend their normal broadcast day to fit it in as well as
"Avalon" which was to be pre-empted as well. They even had two announcements
during "Sic Transit Vir" to let everyone know that they were going to air the
already and the soon to be pre-empted episodes. They were also quite excited
when they told me they had found a time to air those episodes the second time I
called to see if they were going to fit it in. They also kept assuring me that
they like the show and want to air it as long as it's in production.
May the Light shine forever,
Rich
#: 501911 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
07-May-96 23:49:24
Sb: #501845-<Ship of Tears>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks, and that's great to hear about the station's reaction. It's a
very hopeful sign, as is the increased advertising from WB.
jms
[ Summary: JMS did a good job of quoting. No summary really needed. :-) ]
#: 501959 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
08-May-96 02:15:21
Sb: #501858-<Bester>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"If the theme of the relationship is "All Bester needed was to love and be
loved, or he wouldn't have been the slimeball he is today", I will be a bit
disappointed."
Then you won't be.
"It's just a little too simplistic."
Absolutely.
One mongoose can love another; that won't change its attitude toward pythons.
jms
#: 501943 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
08-May-96 00:18:44
Sb: #501841-#<Ship of Tears>
Fm: TRENT K. JOHNSON
Noticed on the takeboards from the sat. feeds for this and a couple of other
episodes:
"Textless at 1:05"
Do you happen to know what this refers to?
Also, they say "Color Corrected". Is this something you do in post, or is that
done at the feed site?
Trent/ReAnimators
^^^^ CD-RMES
#: 501960 S6/Babylon 5: Upcoming
08-May-96 02:18:47
Sb: #501943-<Ship of Tears>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"Noticed on the takeboards from the sat. feeds for this and a couple of other
episodes: Textless at 1:05. Do you happen to know what this refers to?"
Some of the cassettes provided have the opening sequences in a separate section
at 1 hour 5 minutes without the titles over them, so that they can be used in
promos by the stations.
"Also, they say "Color Corrected". Is this something you do in post, or is
that done at the feed site?"
No, color correction is done in post, to make sure that all the colors are
true, and sometimes to enhance one element or another.
jms
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