Comments on: Linky-loos part II

By: Shulamuth

Shulamuth — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:20:49 +0000

I consider internal consistency to be one of the basic canons of science fiction. (Or fantasy for that matter.)

You don’t have to be true, but you have to make sense within the world you are creating.

Which, when it comes down to it, is why I liked the portrayal of the scientists in Avatar — they acted like people who believed in scientific method.

By: Stupendousness

Stupendousness — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:46:00 +0000

Shulamuth – I thought the same thing while I was watching the movie. That’s really the only thing that bothered me the most. I am accepting of humanoid aliens and other alien creatures that are similar to Earth’s animals because that’s pretty standard for sci-fi. But I appreciate internal consistency, if that makes sense.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:55:38 +0000

I must admit that I was not talking about the Na’vi themselves, so much as their world, when referring to that shock of recognition that “this all makes so much sense”.

By: Shulamuth

Shulamuth — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:27:36 +0000

The Slate article misses the really Big Bad in Na’vi biology (or maybe Pandoran evolution) — every other critter on the planet has 6 limbs and the Na’vi only have 4!

By: Gnatalby

Gnatalby — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:39:58 +0000

Oh man, Scott’s Tots was an excruciating episode of tv, I was completely dismayed by the ending and it still bothers me to think about it.

I still enjoy 30 Rock, but I am increasingly bothered by the shtick that Liz Lemon– and therefore Tina Fey– are somehow unattractive and fat when neither is true. I certainly think it’s possible to be fat and attractive, but Tina is tiny and she differs from the cultural beauty ideal in extremely limited ways.

I feel like that has to be such a damaging message for young women to receive: even if you look as beautiful as Tina Fey, everyone will make jokes about how ugly you are.

By: Robin

Robin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:39:39 +0000

Elizabeth, Shulamuth — Yes, seeing scientists portrayed accurately is nice. I listed my main ideological and aesthetic objections to “Avatar,” but another big thing is, I’m just not a movie person. I love books and theater and high-quality television, but I see about six movies a year, if that.

Also, Elizabeth, are you really that sure about the biology of the Indiglo monkeycats? Check out this article from Slate: http://tinyurl.com/y8bwd98. I’m particularly annoyed, of course, by Cameron’s decision to give them non-evolutionarily-necessary boobies because men like to look at boobies.

Michelle — thanks for the recommendation!

Kerri — I love passiveaggressivenotes.com. Although there’s nothing “passive” about that professor’s aggression! Have you seen http://emailsfrommymother.blogspot.com/? It’s downright eerie how all parental e-mails sound like they were written by the same person.

By: Kerri

Kerri — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:19:06 +0000

I have to thank you for linking to the Sassy Crumudgeon a few weeks ago – I loved the entry you linked to and I’ve been reading it religiously since. Nothing to get you through a workday like a few good blogs to follow!

Have you seen passiveaggressivenotes.com? It’s like that professor’s note, but in post-it form.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:39:47 +0000

I wish I could get away with talking to my 8th graders like that professor!

A book recommendation for you, if you haven’t already read it: The Faith Club, written by three women whose names escape me at the moment. One Jewish, one Muslim, one Christian. They initially got together intending to write a children’s book about the shared heritage of their three faiths but it quickly turned into something else that’s well worth reading. Ping me on FB if you want me to look up the authors when I get home!

By: Shulamuth

Shulamuth — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:14:45 +0000

Elizabeth, that was my take on Avatar too. The scientists (indeed, all the Good Guys) were Real Scientists (or chopper pilots, or disabled Marines, or whatever) which was kind of cool. And they got the difference between science and technology, avoiding a pet peeve of mine.

The bad guys, of course, were standard military industrial complex, which I would like to think is Not Real, but I’ve met folks like them.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:42:17 +0000

Hm – there is one thing about Avatar that I think would appeal to you, but might not be enough to overcome your gripes. It gets both the science and the scientists right. When they step out into that alien world, the biology student in me was saying, “Yes! Yes, that’s exactly what it would look like!” Unearthly, but also entirely believable as an alternate evolutionary path. Further, the scientists are actual people, not walking computers, and their use of science isn’t some kind of Achilles heel – it’s just part of what they do and who they are. So Sigourney Weaver’s character is totally believable in wanting to take some samples wherever she goes, but also being respectful and sensible enough to know when that’s appropriate and when it’s not.