JMS on CompuServe (Feb 25, 1997) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
bbarrett at speedlink.com
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Wed Feb 26 00:40:20 EST 1997
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The following posts may contain SPOILERS for
upcoming Babylon 5 episodes.
Continue at your own risk.
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[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #650935-Cindy LOVED Demon Night
Sb: #651088-<TIoT> Ill-/De-/Coll-
Sb: #651190-Cindy LOVED Demon Night
Sb: #651121-Cindy LOVED Demon Night
Sb: #651195-Atonement
Sb: #651206-Truth, the Media, and B5
Sb: #651207->>The Truth in IofT<<
Sb: #651189-JMS's new book
Sb: #651306->>The Truth in IofT<<
#: 650935 S5/Babylon 5: General
24-Feb-97 06:22:29
Sb: #650887-#Cindy LOVED Demon Night
Fm: JEAN S MCKNIGHT
" Title, yeah, but I'm holding that for now; no pub date, I want to finish it
first, then auction it."
I don't suppose you'd give us a little hint of what it's about? =)
Jean McKnight
#: 651119 S5/Babylon 5: General
24-Feb-97 17:32:25
Sb: #650935-Cindy LOVED Demon Night
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Fraid not.
jms
#: 651088 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
24-Feb-97 15:38:08
Sb: #650892-#<TIoT> Ill-/De-/Coll-
Fm: SCOTT BAKER
>> Thanks...your reaction is about on a par with most folks...that this ep is
one that'll be discussed a lot, but not rewatched a lot, because it's just
really hard to watch, knowing what's coming. It really does tend to upset
people. <<
I found the episode upsetting me, but I've also re-watched it several times
since aring Saturday Morning at 1 am.
It is... disturbing. Disturbing in how it asks us to question what we take for
granted everyday, the media. It beggs the question "Who watches the Watchmen?"
One question, you stated a while back that someone would make some comments
about Sheridans behavior, and that it was just a matter of time and place. Is
Garibaldi's comments to Dan Randall what you had in mind?
--Scott
ps. I loved the look and feel of the episode, to the annoying camera's (and
Lenier shutting it in the lift) to the fish eye views and the timing of the
commercials. If anyone says you can't do commedy, they're nuts.
--Scott
#: 651120 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
24-Feb-97 17:32:26
Sb: #651088-<TIoT> Ill-/De-/Coll-
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
That's certainly the beginning of it, yeah.
jms
#: 651190 S5/Babylon 5: General
24-Feb-97 20:31:13
Sb: #650897-#Cindy LOVED Demon Night
Fm: PHYLLIS SCHMULENSON
Do you plan to put Babylon5 into prose form (three novels I would think) or do
you think trying to translate into another media from TV film would basterize
it? or have you had enough of it working as you have- I don't know how you've
managed to keep track of everything-I'd love to see your diagrams.
Phyl
#: 651211 S5/Babylon 5: General
24-Feb-97 22:32:26
Sb: #651190-Cindy LOVED Demon Night
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
My feeling is, if I'd wanted to do 'em as books, I'd've done 'em as
books. The story was designed for TV, and that's probably the best place to
leave it.
jms
#: 651121 S5/Babylon 5: General
24-Feb-97 17:36:05
Sb: #650550-#Cindy LOVED Demon Night
Fm: ROWAN KAISER
>>But the next one will be better.<<
OK, I'll bite. What's the next one going to be?
<crossing fingers for the Sinclair/Zathras story>
Postmaster General Rowan SOLD!, HTC, KP, SP, MiSTie, Montie
#: 651212 S5/Babylon 5: General
24-Feb-97 22:32:28
Sb: #651121-Cindy LOVED Demon Night
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, the next novel has nothing to do with B5, anymore than did my first
two.
jms
#: 651195 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
24-Feb-97 20:42:57
Sb: #Atonement
Fm: JEAN S MCKNIGHT
Pher from Podunk writes:
"A rollicking good time. Marcus' expando-stick and Gilbert and Sullivan
were belly-laughingly delightful, and my respect for Delenn is thoroughly
restored."
Bertha M from Lesser Elsewhere writes:
" I realized with a jolt as Delenn's heritage was revealed that I, too,
may share Minbari DNA. This must be why the people at the office are always
calling me a bonehead..."
Jean Mcknight from Even Lesser Elsewhere writes:
"Of course JMS is an aetheist. He IS god. "
A perfectly splendid episode, your holyness. We are, as ever,
completely in your thrall.
#: 651213 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
24-Feb-97 22:32:29
Sb: #651195-Atonement
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Thanks....
jms
#: 651206 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
24-Feb-97 21:53:54
Sb: #Truth, the Media, and B5
Fm: MERYL YOURISH
Joe,
After watching Illusions of Truth, and reflecting on your portrayal of
reporters in other Babylon 5 episodes, I've got a humdinger of a question for
you. Or a couple of humdinger questions.
Are we supposed to think that you believe all reporters are slime, or is it
just the slant that they've been given in B5 episodes?
I may not be the biggest fan of some journalists, and I am far from being naive
about the whole profession, but I found some disturbing ambiguities regarding
the issue of freedom of expression.
Go way back to season one, and we have Sinclair ducking interviews with an
abrasive, arrogant female reporter. In "And Now A Word," Kim Zimmer's character
wasn't as obnoxious as the rest of the crew, but she was not portrayed
positively, either. And the attitude of the command staff toward journalists in
general is almost the same attitude they have toward the Psi-Corps.
Granted, the propagandists that we saw in "Illusions of Truth" deserved the
scorn heaped upon them, but the images of reporters in the Babylon 5 universe
are adding up to one gigantic negative on journalism as a whole. I can think of
only one scene--in "The Fall of Night," I believe--where we saw a journalist
acting with morality, character, and strength--just before the plug was pulled
on ISN.
And what I find most disturbing about this is that it comes amidst the
references to McCarthyism in "Illusions of Truth." On the one hand, we're given
echoes of the witch-hunt era that destroyed lives. We recognize the
names--Trumbo, Mostel--and proclaim the evils of that time, and reflect with
outrage on the Constitutional rights that were trampled by the McCarthyites. On
the other hand, we see journalists portrayed as tools of the Administration, as
arrogant reporters butting in where they're not wanted, asking questions no one
should have to answer, and overall being creeps. And I see a lot of people
online jumping on the "media are slime-devils" bandwagon.
I don't think journalists are saints. Neither do I think they're devils. But I
do think they're getting a bad rap on many of our television programs. When all
is said and done, it is the journalists of this world that bring attention to
the excesses of the public and private sector. Geraldo Rivera may have been a
buffoon when he opened Al Capone's vault, but he is also the reporter who broke
the Willowbrook institution scandal and ultimately caused changes in the way
those institutions were run.
So I guess my main questions are these: What is your attitude on the press? And
will you ever portray reporters in a good light?
Meryl
#: 651214 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
24-Feb-97 22:32:32
Sb: #651206-Truth, the Media, and B5
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
No, I don't make any blanket condemnations of journalists. For one
thing, there's a difference between portraying journalism in a relatively free
society, and one that's operating under a dictatorship, a la President Clark.
It's the difference between journalism and propaganda.
In "Midnight on the Firing Line," we had a reporter there doing a
straight-ahead story; in "Point of No Return" we had the Good Journalists
fighting to reveal the truth even as Clark was shutting them down.
There have been favorable portrayals; it's just that under the current
regime, they don't have access to the media.
jms
#: 651207 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
24-Feb-97 21:55:45
Sb: #>>The Truth in IofT<<
Fm: MORRIS L. GAVANT, M.D.
O Great Maker,
Great episode as alway, good break from the CGI. Dark and humerous at the same
time especially at 12:30 in the morning. Nice feat. But,enough condecension . .
.
The opening outside shot CGI was nice especially of B5's belly, but, everything
looked brand new. Is there no wear and tear on space suits and space ships?
Everything looks too crisp and just out-of-the-box. Don't people and equipment
bump into things in space and scratch letters and bend things that aren't worth
repairing?
Also, noticed lots of footstep sounds in the background when Garibaldi was
talking in the bar. Is this intentional? Seemed a little distracting.
Finally, nice poster of a fighter circling a star or planet or something in the
far wall of the bar seen from Garibaldi's POV. What does the print say on the
top? Any of these available on the market yet?
Finally,
Ya'll know that the reporter seemed truly earnest when he said he would try to
get the truth across a little. It's just that the truth hurts.
Is not Sheridan bothered a little bit by the fact that the reporter may be
right? That's why Delenn can't say anything to Sheridan and walks out to let
him stew in his thoughts and emotions. The same as when Anna showed up just
before Delenn jumped into bed with him. Clarke is sending a message to
Sheridan - choose your father, your family, your humanity.
Delenn has been very manipulative in the past. She has an agenda which
requires merging of Human and Minbari genetic pools. She is ruthless in a
sweet way. Who really is telling the truth just a little, Delenn or ISN?
(rhymes doesn't it?)
Dr. G
Give MEmphis Tennessee
ELVIS LIVES IN DOWNBELOW, since the blockade won't let him go home!!
#: 651215 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
24-Feb-97 22:32:35
Sb: #651207->>The Truth in IofT<<
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
The Hubble looks pretty new and gleaming, until you get right up close to
it. You don't allow wear in a space suit because it'll kill you. And the
stuff at B5 is at *most* 4 years old, and only outside when needed.
jms
#: 651189 S5/Babylon 5: General
24-Feb-97 20:26:41
Sb: #JMS's new book
Fm: JEAN S MCKNIGHT
Here's what Joe posted elsewhere about his new book:
"Thanks. I'm loathe to say too much about the book for now, because I tend
to prefer to talk about these things closer to completion, so I know it's
something that will *happen*. I can say for now only that it's an SF
novel, probably with a good mainstream appeal to it, in a contemporary
setting. I'm not able to work on it as much or as often as I'd like,
stealing away a few hours here and there, but I'm about 100 pages into it
now, and hope to have it done by the end of the year."
OK, sure, he didn't tell ME this when I asked, but I still think he's CUTE.
That's right, CUTE. A great big cuddle-bear! (Sorry to have to get rough with
you, big guy. No fury like a woman scorned, you know).
Jean McKnight
#: 651222 S5/Babylon 5: General
24-Feb-97 23:47:22
Sb: #651189-JMS's new book
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Didn't say it to you 'cause I'd already said it, and didn't want to
repeat myself.
jms
#: 651306 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
25-Feb-97 10:43:10
Sb: #651215-#>>The Truth in IofT<<
Fm: MORRIS L. GAVANT, M.D.
No rust in space, but no dust also?
#: 651393 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
25-Feb-97 16:53:45
Sb: #651306->>The Truth in IofT<<
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
You don't want to get dust into your space suit or it'll screw up the
works and you'll die, which is a definite design flaw.
jms
[END]
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