JMS on CompuServe (Nov 11, 1997) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
bbarrett at speedlink.com
bbarrett at speedlink.com
Tue Nov 11 21:48:44 EST 1997
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 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
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the right to revoke this permission at any time.
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Archives of this material may be found at:
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[ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
Sb: #6027-Live chats OnLine
Sb: #6202-#Rebo & Zooty
Sb: #6337-Gerrold's Tribute...
Sb: #6215-<<Rising Star>>
Sb: #6321-Marcus Aurelius
Sb: #6344-Rebo & Zooty
[ Summary: "I'll go with you on the V-C but I didn't know about Zinc
except for people with eye problems." ]
#: 6159 S2/Bab 5: General
09-Nov-97 22:47:01
Sb: #6027-Live chats OnLine
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
The zinc lozenges are absolutely positively the #1 item to have as soon
as you start to feel a cold or flu coming on. Trust me, I've learned the hard
way on this one (and they can alleviate the symptoms a bit once you've got
it). You can get the cherry flavored ones, which take some of the onus off it
(the throat-candies with zinc aren't as effective, btw). Alternate zinc
lozenges (NOT the pill form, letting the lozenge dissolve slowly in the mouth)
and the vitamin C (ditto) as often as you can, eating to counteract any acidic
effect...and lemme tell you, it makes a HUGE difference.
jms
[ Summary: "Were [Penn and Teller] on your wish list or were they
suggested by someone else?" ]
#: 6293 S4/Bab 5: **SPOILERS**
10-Nov-97 23:19:06
Sb: #6202-#Rebo & Zooty
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Their name came up in discussions, and they just seemed a perfect match.
jms
** REMOVE **
[ Summary: Shares a draft of David Gerrold's LosCon tribute, which is
reproduced below. ]
"Joe Straczynski, Superhero!
Actually, Joe Straczynski isn't a superhero -- he looks lousy in cape and
tights -- and if he were a superhero, he'd have to toast me with his
positron-beam hypervision for revealing his secret to the world anyway -- but
I always wanted to write a story called Joe Straczynski, Superhero! because
the mental image is so compelling.
Imagine it! "Joe Straczynski leaping tall conclusions at a single bound. Joe
Straczynski, faster than a speeding subpoena. Joe Straczynski, strange
visitor from another dimension, and who disguised as a mild-mannered(?) TV
producer, leads a never-ending quest for truth, money, and writing credits."
Unfortunately, the last time anyone saw Joe in any kind of costume at all was
when his mother dressed him up in a big fluffy dog suit so he could go out
trick-or-treating. This was in 1993. I remember him knocking on my front
door and woofing hopefully as he held out his little plastic pumpkin, hoping
to get a snickers bar. Of course I gave in. How can you say no to someone
who has such big sad brown eyes? And who's six inches taller than you. And
besides, he threatened to pee on my birch tree if I didn't. Ever since then,
I've been trying to sell Joe a story about a guy in a dog suit, but he thinks
it's a personal attack, so that's one story you'll never see on Babylon 5.
But back to Joe's quest for truth, money, and credit. You and I would agree
that two out of three ain't bad. But Joe, showoff that he is, has gone and
done all three. First of all, I don't have to tell you how difficult it is to
get a TV series on the air -- and keep it going for five years. Not because
you know from experience, but because Joe has been telling you for five years.
So here's the short list of what Joe has done right:
1. He treats writers with respect. I visited the set when the "Believers"
episode was shooting. The director came up and introduced himself to me and
asked me if I had any suggestions. It took them all day to revive me. By
that time, it was too late to offer any suggestions. But the thought was
there anyway. Joe tells all his directors to be nice to writers. Despite
numerous complaints from the Directors' Guild that this is likely to set a
very bad precedent in Hollywood, Joe has stuck to his guns.
2. He knows how to write himself. Too many producers in Hollywood do not
know how to write at all. The best that some fellows can do is write their
name on the front page of someone else's script. Joe doesn't need to do that.
He's more than demonstrated he knows how to write his own show.
3. But when he does hire outside writers, Joe trusts them. If the writer
turns in a good script, Joe doesn't rewrite it for the sake of rewriting. If
an actor asks for a line change, Joe checks with the writer. And if the
writer isn't available, he won't change the line gratuitously.
4. He found honest work for Harlan Ellison. This is the first time Harlan
has had a job that has lasted longer than 7 weeks.
I suppose I could list a few more reasons to admire Joe Straczynski, but if I
do, he'll think I'm writing his eulogy, and I've done enough eulogies this
year and I don't feel like doing any more. (I'm putting everybody on notice.
Nobody else dies for a long while! You hear me! Enough is enough!)
Three months ago, Joe took home a Hugo for the "Severed Dreams" episode of
Babylon 5, incidentally clobbering half a dozen Star Trek episodes, a Star
Trek movie, and Independence Day, along the way. "Severed Dreams" won more
votes than all the others combined. And as Joe walked up to the podium, the
fans of Babylon 5 began chanting, "Joe! Joe! Joe!" Probably because
"Straczynski! Straczynski! Straczynski!" would have been too difficult.
Joe stepped up to the podium and made what may very well be the best Hugo
acceptance speech of all time. He said (quoting from memory), "Too many TV
shows are about answers -- easy answers that you get just before the last
commercial. I wanted to do a TV show about questions -- hard questions.
Because knowing how to ask the right question is more important than getting
the easy answer.
This proves that Joe Straczynski is not only an uncommon TV producer -- he's
also an uncommon man."
#: 6349 S2/Bab 5: General
11-Nov-97 13:38:13
Sb: #6337-Gerrold's Tribute...
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
There's nothing I can possibly say about that tribute that could not be
better said in open court before a jury.
jms
#: 6215 S4/Bab 5: **SPOILERS**
10-Nov-97 10:48:06
Sb: #4747-<<Rising Star>>
Fm: JONATHAN KASS
Message text written by J. Michael Straczynski
> It was also contractual language on other sides, since giving what was
asked for would've violated our contracts with every other member of our cast,
and we couldn't do that.
jms<
Appreciate the clarification :)... I believe you've mentioned that aspect
before (seems familiar to me), and to me that still falls under the
"contractual language" part of my hopelessly brief synopsis of everything I
read.... hope this wasn't aggravating to you, I just don't feel that talking
about what happened in black and white terms like "right and wrong" was very
productive in the conversation I was having...
#: 6345 S4/Bab 5: **SPOILERS**
11-Nov-97 12:44:07
Sb: #6215-<<Rising Star>>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Things can sometimes be black and white without being right or wrong. If
I say a thing is hot and dry and you say it is wet and cold, those are bipolar
distinctions; neither is morally right nor wrong, but there is a very definite
and demonstrable difference.
jms
#: 6321 S4/Bab 5: **SPOILERS**
11-Nov-97 07:45:04
Sb: #5777-Marcus Aurelius
Fm: PHILIP HORNSEY
I've always found it interesting that Minbari society is basically *identicle*
to medieval society. Neroon's description of it "We fight, they work, you
pray." was lifted whole from the church's description of proper societal
roles. You took it word for word (which I assume was the intention).
Phil^^^
FREE MARS!
#: 6350 S4/Bab 5: **SPOILERS**
11-Nov-97 13:38:13
Sb: #6321-Marcus Aurelius
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
"Neroon's description of it "We fight, they work, you pray." was lifted whole
from the church's description of proper societal roles. You took it word for
word (which I assume was the intention)."
Actually...no, I wasn't even aware of that until you mentioned it just
now. But I can see how it would fit.
jms
[ Summary: Considering that Teller is known for not speaking, this poster
asks if Teller's character will have any lines. Note: Neil Gaiman
responded with, "They both have lines. But I cannot comment on whether
or not Teller will be speaking them..." ]
#: 6351 S4/Bab 5: **SPOILERS**
11-Nov-97 13:38:14
Sb: #6344-Rebo & Zooty
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Do both characters have lines?
Yes and no.
jms
[END]
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