i have no idea if this is relevant, but it is hilarious

Okay, wtf, people, I had to find out from fail_fandomanon about Brad Wright sulking in his sulking pants?

Okay, see, I get it, Brad, PTB, Stargate franchise, all franchises, everyone, ever. I am just a fan! I have no power! I have no influence. You will tell me what to like and when to like it. I WILL SIT DOWN, SHUT UP OKAY. WHY ARE YOU STILL YELLING AT....

Opinion: Atlantis fans need to stop punishing Universe

...hello, wait.



“I don’t think if we for any reason go away, it is an issue necessarily of the quality of the product that we’ve been making,” said executive producer and co-creator Brad Wright.

...sure, we'll go with that.

“I think getting moved on the schedule has hurt us.

Okay, that's fair.

And the fact that some of the fans that liked SG-1 and Atlantis were so angry that they have deliberately hurt us, which is unfortunate.”

..wait, sorry?

Technically speaking, the longer you stare into the Moebius strip that is popular entertainment, the more you think 'fans' are not 'people' who can 'type' and don't 'like' things (Cooks Source? Terrible grammatical influence.), but actually are mindless faceless numbers without actual opinions that live within Nielson boxes.

It's not that I necessarily disagree with the premise that small, vocal groups of fans do not and maybe should not have power over the life and death of any show (...we don't need to talk about shows with that kind of influential fanbase, do we?). Having said that, it's a pretty fucking specialized population that watches the Sy-Fy channel and not die inside just looking at how we have to spell it (did I spell that right? I can't stand to go look. Just, no.) and it gets exponentially smaller when it's like, people who watch the actual sci-fi on it, and when it comes to the Stargates, and when it doesn't have Daniel Jackson.

(Truth: the more I look at statistics, the more I suspect Nielsen's statistics are based on constellations or possibly, cheese.)

And having said that:

a. SG1 and SGA fans did not have anything to do with the failure or success of SGU. Hello, we came, we saw, we left as you told us to, but when I started watching SGA, I was not contractually obligated to give a shit much less an hour a week to anything else in the franchise. You make a good show and hope for the best. And also, you're not even canceled, Christ.

b. ..you mean that 'fans' are 'people' that 'watch shows' and that's you? Whoa.

c. ...you really want to tell a group of people who can and do pull off massive mail-in and charity efforts in twenty four hours or less and spend enough time on the internet to qualify as AI in some jurisdictions and can flame your ass in Imperial fucking Klingon and sixteenish hours and going of obscure pop culture references....

That we have power? How are you on land wars in Asia, btw? Just curious.

Seriously, Brad, honey. We've both changed as people. It's time to let go. The BBC is really impatient sometimes, and they have tea!



Oh, whatever, hands up: tell me your inner fangirl did not just laugh herself silly.

Context is Contexty: For those of you playing the home game, circa January 2009:

No. You guys are actually pretty predictable (take no offense, most fan groups are). Unfortunately, you represent a very small portion of the actual viewing audience we need for financial success. - Brad Wright, on fans of SGA and SG1 at the cancellation of SGA and the release of SGU

Yeah. You're fucking adorable, sweets.

Comments

[kuwdora]

I have spent the last twenty minutes reading the awesomely articulate comments over there in response to the article.

I went and watched a bit of SGU, but it really wasn't my thing. BSG wore me out and that was enough for me. But I do have friends who loved SG-1, loved SGA and currently love SGU. I don't fault them for it, though I do boggle at the concept sometimes. But I haven't run across many (or any?) Stargate fans who did not watch SGU on principle or because they were bitter over SGA. The whole whiny crybaby thing is getting old. And annoying.

Seriously, I have hitched my wagon to Amanda Tapping. Sanctuary is really coming into it's own after two seasons of up and down in terms of narrative quality and character development. I am really hoping her steampunk digital web series Riese gets enough hits that they'll develop it into a show like they did with Sanctuary, not to mention that Tapping and Damien Kindler are producing a show called Sherwood that takes place in the 23rd century and is about, I think, Robin Hood and his band of misfits and Robin'll have parental angst and I dunno what else but it sounds cute and awesome and something I am eager to watch and see if I like it. \o/ Amanda Tapping.

[abbylee]

I'm not interested in watching SGU because of my frustrations with the rest of the Stargate franchise. But isn't that... sort of the whole point of a franchise? To be a known quality, so that while you may lose people who "know" they won't like it, you also pull on people just based on the name. That's why they didn't just pitch a story in a new Universe. And given that (I understand that) this show has a different tone, then the question should be "would the numbers be different if it wasn't part of the franchise?". And personally, I think that if the answer is that they're hurting because of the franchise, then that's their own lesson to learn about why some fans have reacted like this. And it's funny to me because it that fact that they never do - everything is always our fault - that is why I stopped watching in the first place.

[cofax7]

But I haven't run across many (or any?) Stargate fans who did not watch SGU on principle or because they were bitter over SGA

I am not sure what "on principle" means in this context. I watched all of SG-1, and 4 seasons and change of SGA, and then I stopped because the ethical morass the writers had constructed had become supremely unpalatable to me, the writing was bad, the female characters had been shafted, and I basically had better things to do with my time. (Though I did watch the finale, and got all pissed off all over again.)

So when the word broke that they were going to do a new show that would be like BSG, well. My opinion is that these writers do not have the talent to pull off BSG, or even BSG-lite. I have no desire to get attached to a show and then end up pissed off again.

I have friends who watch, and like, SGU, but my life is busy enough. I'd rather watch Olivia Dunham kick ass than watch Wright and Malozzi try to convince me that they're doing "cutting edge" SF. Not even for Lou Diamond Phillips.

[kuwdora]

I think "on principle" means "You cancelled my SGA so I'm not going to watch SGU!"

And yes, Olivia Dunham is incredible. I haven't seen you post about Fringe lately. Are you caught up to season 3 yet? I love how 90% of the Fringe vids I've seen are about How Olivia Kicks Ass. <3

Alas, I have no fringe icons at the moment! Ack.

[cofax7]

I am not caught up! I got distracted a couple of episodes into season 2. Must get back to it... This fannish thing, it's like WORK.

[busaikko]

I hadn't thought about the comparison between Sanctuary and SGU, but I think Amanda took from Stargate the idea of having a strong team, and that's one of the things I love about Sanctuary. SGU, on the other hand, is anti-team. All the characters hate each other and are unlikable. And in the end I watch for the characters.