Observations From Hadleyville: DUMBING DOWN SCIENCE FICTION OR THE DEATH OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION

Friday, July 10, 2009

DUMBING DOWN SCIENCE FICTION OR THE DEATH OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION

The SciFi Channel has suddenly changed its TV tag to a more trendy "syfy." Trendy but stupid. You see, "SciFi" is shorthand for Science Fiction, while "syfy" is shorthand for "maybe stupid people will watch us now."

Science Fiction has long been the undisputed domain of geeks and nerds; i.e. "smart people." But now it looks as if their reign has come to an untimely end. If the corporate types are willing to dumb-down the tag can the content long survive?

I expect to see new shows like STAR SEARCH: THE NEXT GENERATION, BATTLESTAR CURB APPEAL, perhaps EUREKA, I FOUND A TRENDY LOFT APARTMENT.

I can't wait to see what the Military Channel has planned to attract female viewers.

2 comments:

Eric said...: The camo fashion show (http://www.yardwear.net/blog/2006/01/24/Camo+Wedding+Dress.aspx)?; July 13, 2009 at 1:57 PM
Don the Baptist said...: Egads!; July 13, 2009 at 2:52 PM

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WORDS OF WISDOM FOR WRITERS

The secret of becoming a writer is that you have to write. You have to write a lot. You also have to finish what you write, even though no one wants it yet. If you don't learn to finish your work, no one will ever want to see it. The biggest mistake new writers make is carrying around copies of unfinished work to inflict on their friends.

I am sure it has been done with less, but you should be prepared to write and throw away a million words of finished material. By finished, I mean completed, done, ready to submit, and written as well as you know how at the time you wrote it.
-Jerry Pournelle

WHAT'S THIS HADLEYVILLE THING?

Those of you familiar with Mark Twain’s works might recognize my blog title. As Samuel Clemons grew older, he became increasingly disillusioned with humanity. Towards the end he began referring to the Damned Human Race; employing the secular and religious epithet at one stroke.

I find I’ve not reached that level of despair myself. I still believe in redemption and I still see signs of nobility even among we fallen, damned creatures. So, I could not bring myself to call this blog “On the Damned Human Race.” I do however, resonate with another of Clemmons stories; “The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg.” And viola, there you have it. “Observations From Hadleyville.”