From owner-b5-listowners@babylon5.babcom.com Sat Mar 15 19:32:44 1997 Received: from proxy2.ba.best.com (root@proxy2.ba.best.com [206.184.139.13]) by plts.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) with ESMTP id TAA09432 for ; Sat, 15 Mar 1997 19:31:42 -0500 (EST) Received: from babylon5.babcom.com (majordom@babcom.com [204.156.142.139]) by proxy2.ba.best.com (8.8.5/8.8.3) with ESMTP id QAA27260; Sat, 15 Mar 1997 16:17:56 -0800 (PST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by babylon5.babcom.com (8.7.5/8.7.3) id QAA00020 for b5-listowners-outgoing; Sat, 15 Mar 1997 16:17:51 -0800 X-Authentication-Warning: babylon5.babcom.com: majordom set sender to owner-b5-listowners using -f From: The Renaissance Man Message-Id: <199703160017.QAA00003@babylon5.babcom.com> Subject: J. Michael Straczynski's "Babylon 5." (fwd) To: ba-b5@babylon5.babcom.com Date: Sat, 15 Mar 1997 16:17:44 -0800 (PST) Cc: b5-listowners@babylon5.babcom.com X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-b5-listowners@babcom.com Precedence: bulk Reply-To: b5-listowners@babcom.com X-Sender: The Renaissance Man X-List: b5-listowners Status: RO I thought this was worth sharing. Anyone who doubts what a bold thing JMS is doing, and what an impact he's having, need only read this. > FROM MOUNTAIN MEDIA > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATED MARCH 7, 1997 > THE LIBERTARIAN, By Vin Suprynowicz > The Ministry of Truth, Part I > As the syndicated Warner Bros. science fiction TV show enters its > fourth season (it's planned for five), I have become a belated adherent of > J. Michael Straczynski's "Babylon 5." > For 30 years, the benchmarks of televised sci-fi have been the spinoffs > of the late Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek," the best of which was "Star > Trek: The Next Generation." > Performers like Patrick Stewart (the voice of 73 percent of all the car > commercials on television, I'm pretty sure) and Gates McFadden could > actually make you believe Jean-Luc Picard and Beverly Crusher had some > history. Michelle Forbes made a really sullen Bajoran, not at all sure > which side she favored when ordered by Star Fleet to infiltrate the > resistance fighters of her own race. And then, just occasionally, there was > an hour that struck a perfect tone, like the wistful tale of the dying > culture that spent its last energies mastering space travel so it could > send into the frozen void one thing to be remembered by ... a simple flute. > The "Deep Space 9" spinoff has some bright moments, what with the > religion of the Bajoran being based on an hallucinogenic sacrament (the > Orbs of the Prophets). I've even warmed on occasion to Nana Visitor's > bubbly enthusiasm as Kira Nerys ... though I remain convinced the part was > written for Ms. Forbes, whose sullen Ro Laren would have lent the show more > of the dark and brooding air that seems to have been intended ... a la > Ridley Scott's "Alien." > But inevitably, a universe concocted for us during the administration of > Lyndon Johnson must wear at the edges, irrevocably betraying its > socialist/utopian roots. > In all four "Star Trek" series, the good guys represent the shadowy > "United Federation of Planets," headquartered in San Francisco (historical > birthplace of the U.N.) to which aspiring cultures have to "apply for > admission," based on their having "matured" to the point where, so far as I > can determine, no more than one government is tolerated per planet, and all > have agreed to foreswear money, salaries, arms dealing, or eating meat, in > favor of the fair and equal sharing of the reconstituted soy protein that > pours forth in endless profusion from the omnipresent "replicators." > Now, this Ivory Tower future does seem to be breaking down a bit in the > last two spinoffs, where folks do wager "replicator rations" (rations?!) at > the D'abo tables, and some smuggling (what? a lingering demand for > commerce?) is occasionally acknowledged. But only rarely does the slightest > qualm surface over the fact that, to be "admitted to the federation," the > planet Bajor will apparently be expected to "integrate its militia into > Star Fleet." > Compare such status-quo worship of centralized authority to the Hugo > Award-winning "Babylon 5," where the commanders have recently seceded from > Earth after the home planet's takeover by a totalitarian regime, providing > us with a set of heroes routinely referred to by the earth government as > "seditious traitors." > After a stumbling start (let's not talk about Claudia Christian's > blessedly-abandoned Russian accent), the show seems to have hit its stride > while I wasn't looking, attracting such guest players as Brad Dourif and > Walter Koenig (where have we seen (start ital)him(end ital) before?) in > addition to such able regulars as Mira Furlan, Andreas Katsulas, Jerry > Doyle, Patricia Tallman and -- I'm not making this up -- Little Billy Mumy > of "Lost in Space." > (In the "weird trivia" department, fans will recall that the late Mr. > Roddenberry pitched "Star Trek" to CBS before finding it a warm spaceport > over at NBC/Desilu. CBS executives grilled him exhaustively about how the > "Star Trek" creator planned to finesse the need for an expensive > special-effects spaceship-landing on a new planet each week -- "Beam me > down, Scotty" -- but finally said "No thanks," took their purloined > expertise, and gambled their wad on ... "Lost in Space," a sort of > "Gilligan's Island" in aluminum foil, better known in some circles as > "Lassie's Mom Goes to Mars." > Skip forward 25 years, and "Babylon 5" creator J. Michael Straczynski > reports he pitched (start ital)his(end ital) series to Paramount more than > a year and half before the inheritors of the Roddenberry franchise gave > birth to "Deep Space 9," which curiously -- and without attribution -- > seems to share the Straczynski concept of a space station manned by sundry > races floating in the dark reaches of neutral space. ...) > But even if I realized "Babylon 5" was making political progress, nothing > prepared me for the episode that aired in my market on Feb. 22, 1997 (as a > syndicated show, "Bab5" is aired when local stations see fit ... often in > such ratings abysses as weekend afternoons.) > Episode 408, "The Illusion of Truth," was written (like most) by creator > Joe Straczynski, and directed for the first time by a cast member. (Stephen > Furst, who played in "Animal House," has directed several independent > children's films, and now plays the second-ranking alien in Babylon 5's > delegation from the planet Centauri, a costume designer's nightmare vision > of the mid-19th century court of the Two Sicilies.) > In the episode in question, a TV news crew from Earth arrives unannounced > on the station, seeking to film a report which will "get your side of > things" across to the viewers back on Earth. > Despite initial skepticism, the commanders of the breakaway station agree > to be interviewed, reassuring each other that "We kept anything we said > down to short, declarative sentences to make it harder to quote us out of > context. ... What can they do to us?" > Tuning in to Interstellar Network News, they find out ... in spades. > In a virtually perfect simulacrum of one of our contemporary newscasts, > our smug, oh-so-sincere newscasters (Jeff Griggs and Diana Morgan, the > latter near-android in her lockjawed perfection) bring us political > prisoners confessing to their anti-government activities on cue, and advise > the citizenry of the latest Martian War developments: > "President Clark announced today that Earthforce troops have now > reclaimed 75 percent of the colony which broke away in an act of sedition > 259 days ago. ... To celebrate this latest victory against the tyranny of a > fanatical few who have endangered the lives of our citizens, Clark > proclaimed today a planetary holiday. Curfew has been extended a full two > hours, until 9 p.m. EST, so go out and enjoy!" > Next up it's the turn of the Babylon 5 crew to be eviscerated, complete > with re-shot footage of their interviewer asking different questions to > give completely new meaning to their answers, and even a ready-made > white-haired medical expert who modestly demurs from his office at Harvard > Medical School, "I don't like to make long-distance diagnoses," whereupon > he proceeds to do just that, explaining that Babylon 5 leader John Sheriden > (Bruce Boxleitner) is obviously mentally ill, suffering a new version of > the old sympathy-for-your-kidnappers phenomenon which the good doctor has > dubbed for the occasion "Minbari War Syndrome." > The flawless precision of this little exercise left me pacing like a > caged cat. The "Illusion of Truth" episode of "Babylon 5" should be > required viewing by every college class studying the ethics of journalism > (if the subject hasn't already been deleted in favor of "Negotiating Your > Network Contract,") as well as every convention of professional > journalists, Libertarians, and other interested parties who can lay hands > on a tape. > (No, you can't get one from Warner TV, at least not until the series is > released to home video: I asked.) > Next time: Straczynski speaks. > Vin Suprynowicz is the assistant editorial page editor of the Las Vegas > Review-Journal. Readers may contact him via e-mail at vin@lvrj.com, or > vin@intermind.net. > *** > FROM MOUNTAIN MEDIA > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATED MARCH 9, 1997 > THE LIBERTARIAN, By Vin Suprynowicz > The Ministry of Truth, Part II > Last time, we were discussing Episode 408 of the syndicated science > fiction television series "Babylon 5," now entering its fourth season. > "The Illusion of Truth" was written (like seven-eighths of the shows) by > series creator Joe Straczynski. > In the episode in question, a TV news crew from Earth arrives unannounced > at the breakaway space station, seeking to film a report which will "get > your side of things" across to the viewers back home on an increasingly > totalitarian, news-managed Earth. > Despite initial skepticism, the commanders of the breakaway station agree > to be interviewed, reassuring each other that "We kept anything we said > down to short, declarative sentences to make it harder to quote us out of > context, we didn't have any big crises while they were here. ... What can > they do to us?" > Tuning in to the evening broadcast from Interstellar Network News, they > find out ... in spades ... as they witness rearranged footage from the > station intercut with new footage of their interviewer asking different > questions to give completely new meaning to their answers, and even a > ready-made medical expert who modestly demurs from his office at Harvard > Medical School, "I don't like to make long-distance diagnoses," whereupon > he proceeds to do just that, explaining that Babylon 5 leader John Sheriden > (Bruce Boxleitner) is obviously mentally ill, suffering a new version of > the sympathy-for-your-kidnappers phenomenon which the good doctor has > dubbed for the occasion "Minbari War Syndrome." > I asked series creator J. Michael Straczynski if he just dreamed this up, > or if he sees our own major broadcast media heading irrevocably down this > same road. > "On the political side, what we've tried to do over the last couple of > years is show the process by which a democracy, however flawed, can fight > against totalitarianism," Straczynski explained March 3 from his production > office in an abandoned warehouse in Southern California's Sun Valley. > "Usually you come into a fascist science fiction series with them already > in place. We want to show the slippery slope. ... We've tracked it from the > assassination of President Santiago in the very first season, to the > establishment of Night Watch, the establishment of the MInistry of Truth, > to the takeover of the media, the establishment of a fascist state. > "When they see this going on, what is the role of the citizen, of the > soldier? That's the kind of question we're examining. For an army to work > you have to follow orders, there has to be a chain of command. But what do > you if the order is immoral? When Sheriden secedes from Earth he is in > effect committing an act of treason. So the question is, when is that > justified? > "Before what was in essence a totalitarian takeover the media had some > bias, but nowhere like as bad as we see now. We wanted to show how easily > they can manipulate facts and data to make things appear the way they want > them to." > A temptation to present the government-endorsed angle to which our own > news media increasingly succumb? > "There have some charges that the media misuses quotes to throw > candidates in a bad light. But the charges come from both sides, that Rush > Limbaugh takes things out of context to make the liberals look bad, too. So > it's a matter of degree." > I asked Straczynski why the "Babylon 5" universe seems so much more > anti-authoritarian than that of the "Star Trek" clones. > "The Star Trek universe as it is portrayed currently is one that is > bereft of human flaws and frailties; they seem to have leached out all the > qualities that give us all our more independent nature. The cohesiveness of > the characters, it seems like they're all just pumped out by the same > machine. To the extent that they have pursuits or interests it's all > perfectly safe and incidental; they drink Earl Grey tea or they listen to > Shakespeare. > "In Babylon 5, of course, the characters are just plain nuts. They're > fractured; they're flawed. Our goal is to show the power of the individual > to change the world ... and beyond that. > "We're all taught from a very early age that you can't fight city hall, > that you can't change things. Well in fact the world is being changed every > day. In this show, the theme is choices, consequences and responsibility. > That you can and make must choices in your life, and then taking the > responsibility for those consequences. ... > "We have been called on occasion a moral show, and in fact we ain't. What > we is, is an ethical show. My job isn't to make a point for or against > corporations, individual rights, religion, ... our job isn't to tell you > what to think, but to honestly portray both sides of an issue, ... > political question, social questions, religious questions. ... > "We got to the death penalty once or twice in the course of the show. ... > They have substituted the death of personality, they wipe your memory clean > and then they reprogram you to serve society, so you will believe you want > to serve the community you harmed. So the first question is, is that better > politically or morally than the death penalty? Here's a Catholic priest > who's been doing good works, helping people, but then he begins to > remember, discovers that he used to be someone else, that he was a mass > murderer whose memory was wiped. ..." > "That was an excellent episode. It starred the treacherous mentat from > 'Dune' --" > "Yes, that's Brad Dourif, a fine actor. > "So the question there was, where does forgiveness end or begin? How does > he repent his sins if he doesn't know what they were? These are the kinds > of questions television doesn't often get into. > "The problem with television overall -- I'll be killed for saying this -- > is it has too many trivial answers and not near enough damn good questions. > The question always is, will they defuse the bomb in time? The answer is: > It's always the green wire, never the blue wire. > "The real questions are: who are we, where are we, how did we get here, > and where are we going?" Because it deals with such sterner stuff, > Straczynski figures, "Babylon 5 appeals to a very wide political landscape, > conservatives, liberals, Libertarians. ... > "We've lost the sense that we were going somewhere. Remember a time in > this country when there were 'kitchens of the future?' We wanted to know > where we were going and when we were going to get there. But we stumbled > with the Kennedy assassination and we stumbled with Vietnam, and if you > stumble too many times you take your eyes off the horizon and look at your > feet. Science fiction's job is to take people's eyes and put them back on > the horizon. ... We need to look to our ancestors, who say to us 'make it > so our lives had meaning,' and then we need to look to our descendents and > build for the future. ... > "Don't 'Just say no.' Just say yes: Say yes to creating something." > Peruse the far corners of your local television guide. Set your VCR if > necessary, but locate "Babylon 5." If you find the conventions of science > fiction infantile, pretend the guys with the spots on their heads are > Chinese, or Palestinian ... or Branch Davidian. > Like the proverbial canary in the mineshaft, whether J. Michael > Straczynski's "Babylon 5" prospers or succumbs may have wider significance > than even he realizes. > For the alternative is, I fear ... the Interstellar Network News. > Vin Suprynowicz is the assistant editorial page editor of the Las Vegas > Review-Journal. Readers may contact him via e-mail at vin@lvrj.com, or > vin@intermind.net. The web site for the Suprynowicz column is at > http://www.nguworld.com/vindex/. The column is syndicated in the United > States and Canada via Mountain Media Syndications, P.O. Box 4422, Las Vegas > Nev. 89127. > *** > Vin Suprynowicz vin@lvrj.com, (OR:) vin@intermind.net > Voir Dire: (n), A French phrase which means "jury tampering." -- "It's not as if this barricade blocks the only road, It's not as if you're all alone, in wanting to explode...." -- Rush alaric at babcom dot com http:slash slash babcom dot com slash alaric I never want to be the windshield, but I'm really tired of being the bug. -- Babylon 5 List-Owners Mailing List b5-listowners-request@babcom.com : (un)subscribe, who, and info requests. List administrator: alaric@babcom.com