Goofy Sci-Fi swearing...

[Reaver]

Well, since there seems to be a rather large contingent of Sci-Fi fans here, I thought I'd bring up one thing that bugs me about some shows - made-up swearing. Galactica has got to be the winner for dorkiest swear with "frack". This just sounds stupid every time someone says it. It's like a child made it up, to avoid getting in trouble with their parents for saying another word that starts with an "f" and ends in "ck"... I honestly don't know how the actors can say it in these tense scenes without bursting out laughing...

Farscape, of course, has the word "frell", which is similar, but doesnt sound as silly and obvious, and also is far more flexible in use. It seems to take the place of several different types of profanity, depending on the situation.

It's funny what TV shows will do to get the feel of profanity, without actually using it. What do you think? Any other silly words in a show or movie that anyone wants to mention?

[Alan]

Kinda shows the ineptitude of todays TV writers. I thought I was going to fall asleep with the new Galactica.

[Reaver]

Kinda shows the ineptitude of todays TV writers. I thought I was going to fall asleep with the new Galactica.

Galactica can be quite slow at times. I'm actually getting into the show now, but honestly, they could trim a half an hour of most of the episodes, and not lose anything but some "walking through corridors", "launching vipers" or "characters looking concerned" exposition shots. And I swear that annoying "dramtic" camera zooming in and out at random effect is sponsored by the makers of Dramamine. It's quite annoying...

[ah schucks]

"Frak" is a carry over of the original show and is not a reflection of the ability of the current writter's inability to write but there loyality to those elements that worked from the original show. If you visit Sci-fi.com and read the blogs by the producer he explains why the word "frak" carried over from the original series, where other catch phrases did not.

I for one and more impressed with television shows that provide examples of future cussing simply because it is far more realistic than some nihilistic future exsistance where humans do not posess emotions or contains greed or profanity. EG- Star Trek. Sorry trekies but I have turned my back on the idea of a future like that.

We cannot expect language to remain unchanged by time and distance. Look at linguistics prior to 1500s and you can see prime example of the evolution of words from then to now. So why wouldn't profanity and slang not also do the same? A prime example in my one of my favorite cartoon series "Batman Beyond" set roughly 30-40 years from now, teenagers say something is "schway" if it is cool or hip. Simply ignoring language changes shows a lack of imagination by sci-fi writers.

[Alan]

The original Galactica was pretty campy but I liked it better. It wasn't so dark. It had more the look and feel of the original Star Trek. It wasn't some of the greatest writing but at least it struck a cord of hope at a tme when there was none. Ine of my favorite Sci Fi movies was War of the Worlds. Great movie for its time.

[ah schucks]

The original Galactica was pretty campy but I liked it better. It wasn't so dark. It had more the look and feel of the original Star Trek. It wasn't some of the greatest writing but at least it struck a cord of hope at a tme when there was none. Ine of my favorite Sci Fi movies was War of the Worlds. Great movie for its time.

Oh yeah, I am fairly upset they are remaking it and setting it in modern times! I am less and less infatuated with Spielberg everyday. Original Galatica ruled!

[Reaver]

I actually like the older Cylons better than the new, anorexic models. The new ones are too blatantly CG, and they rarely look like they're actually a real part of the scene...

[Alan]

Oh yeah, I am fairly upset they are remaking it and setting it in modern times! I am less and less infatuated with Spielberg everyday. Original Galatica ruled!

There are so many farking stories to be told, why is there this great need to remake theatrical and video material? It's sad but i gues it is the sign of the times.

[Alan]

I actually like the older Cylons better than the new, anorexic models. The new ones are too blatantly CG, and they rarely look like they're actually a real part of the scene...

I loved those tin cans. I hope the rerun the old series again soon.

[Nephythys]

I don't know what the frell any of you are talking about. It's all a bunch of dren if you ask me. Let's not drag this down to hezmata, or it will bite you in the mivvonks.

Ya'll a bunch of fecciks anyway!

[Alan]

LOL, you are cute Neph.

[Reaver]

I don't know what the frell any of you are talking about. It's all a bunch of dren if you ask me. Let's not drag this down to hezmata, or it will bite you in the mivvonks.

Ya'll a bunch of fecciks anyway!

LOL!!! You are absolutely classic, Nephy!

[Captain Zissou]

on the show recess they made up the curse word "whomp"

[Xharryb]

I take a slightly different view. The use of some of these made up swear words, wether they be the sci-fi future swears or the whomping on recess, proves a point. Words are words and people shouldn't get so darn offended by a few of them simply because society has deemed them as "bad words".

I remember years ago (and even now to a much lesser extent) when I was involved heavily with a dance studio i used to question some of the music choices. Not because I personally was offended, but because I was concerned about offending the general public. What i learned from experience is that very few people pay any attention to the lyrics (or words if it's dialog). You could have the most offensively dirty or sexual lyrics ever utterred if only you phrased it a bit more cleverly, but the moment the audience hears one "bad word" they are outraged.

I remember loving the "Whomp" episode of Recess because it got that very message across that words are just words until we give them power. I'm not going to claim that all of the aforementioned fake swear words are purposely written to prove that point, but i do think that the silliness of them does provide further examples to prove the point.

[Nephythys]

LOL!!! You are absolutely classic, Nephy!

whew, I'm all a flutter now! A classic....*swoon*

Thank you thank you (taking bow)

[PeaJay18]

How about the one great British contribution to made-up sci-fi swearwords?
Smeg!

[Nephythys]

yep- you Smeg-head!

I'm a Red Dwarfer too..neener neener! :lol:

[Giant Panda]

I was partial to felgarcarb myself ......

[Demigod]

I always thought it was feldercarb...?:confused:

Anyways, I loved the old BSG, and actually I rather like the new one.

Yeah, it's darker, but I think that helps draw me in a bit more.

Oh, and at least in the Star Trek movies they swore: "Well....a double on you!" :lol:

[Reaver]

In the Trek movies, and the series after the original, they swore all the time. (actually, they swore once or twice in ToS as well, but it was rare) I always found that odd, that races from disserent worlds/glaxies used the same profanity as we do in the modern U.S. of A.... I'm a huge Trek fan, but I'm also the first to point out it's many, many faults. I don't take it too seriously, but I enjoy the shows. I hated Voyager, though, but loved DS9. DS9 was my favorate of all the series...

I could never get into B5... It just rubbed me the wrong way, I don't know. I have a lot of friends who are big fans, so I really tried to get into it, but it just didn't work. I like both Galacticas, but I have to constantly remind myself that they're totally different shows, or I get annoyed by some of the things they do. It's like the book Dune vs. the original movie Dune ("I WILL kill him!") vs. SciFi's Dune. All good on their own, as long as you don't expect one to be the other...