Tag: firefly

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katsdisturbed:

imperialdalek:

thesecretmichan:

kettlesound:

Firefly, smashing tropes. 

#this is right up there with that one time #when mal left the ship and he was like listen…if i’m not back by a certain time… #and you expect him to say go on without me #but he’s like you get the fuck down here and save my ass do you understand

I fucking love Firefly.

BEST SHOW EVER!

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With two Chinese characters in Simon and River, Firefly would have had a greater opportunity to disprove stereotypes: with only one Chinese character, the show would have run the risk of saying that that one character stood for their entire race, but two Chinese characters would allow the audience to come to the very obvious conclusion that not all Chinese characters are the same. Simon in particular seems like a person who would cling to a culture familiar to him—when Kaylee questions him about his extremely proper behavior in “Jaynestown”, he tells her, “It means more out here. It’s all I have. I mean, my way of being polite or however, it’s… well, it’s the only way I have of showing you that I like you. I’m showing respect.”

As immigrants into the Western culture prevalent on board Serenity, the Tams could have embodied a difference between Eastern and Western ideals that would have given the writers material for several more episodes. The resulting culture clash could have taught a discerning audience a lot about culture. And with two Chinese characters from a relatively well-to-do family gone off to the Outer Rim, there would have been even more opportunity for clever social commentary—many Chinese students now immigrate to the U.S. and to Europe for work or study purposes, and while many are incredibly rich, others come with next to no money. It could also have illustrated the glaring income gap that already exists in China today. Simon and River themselves would actively break some stereotypes—Simon, who’s clearly in love with Kaylee even though he’s a dork about it, goes against the image of the sexless Chinese man; River is hardly a meek geisha or a “Dragon Lady”.

If Firefly had been the seasons-long show its fans wanted it to be, the show would have had a lot more time to develop its characters, Asian or not, into well-rounded, un-stereotypical characters. As it stands, though, all of Joss Whedon’s cultural mashing just came off as oddly, wildly appropriative. In Firefly parlance, not shiny.

from “You Can’t Take The Sky From Me: Racebending the Firefly Universe,“ originally posted March 2014. (via ladygeekgirl-and-friends)