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A 249 is about as curved as a brick made of anger

 whembly wrote:
Erm... he was successful even before Firefly...

It's just that Firefly put in on the map.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer put him on the map. In both senses of the term, because his original movie script getting picked up meant studio execs were now aware he existed. It meant he became part of the system, and got future gun for hire work writing Toy Story, Alien Resurrection and Titan AE. Only one of those was any good, but having writing credits on major release movies carries cred no matter what.

All that meant when he went to FOX and talked to them about licensing his own Buffy property and turning it into a TV series they took him seriously. And then we got the Buffy TV series, which judging by it's seven series and spin off with its own four series, was something of a hit. That's the kind of success that puts you on the map.

Firefly, in turn, was the kind of show that gets greenlit because the guy behind it had already been put on the map with a previous mega-hit. It's failure limited Whedon's immediate future, and the combined ratings failure and sheer absolute awfulness of Dollhouse made it look like he was done for a while there. But now there's been Avengers, and he's basically back to getting to make whatever he wants.


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 Seaward wrote:
I've never much understood the point of endorsements.

If you require someone else's opinion to make up your mind about a candidate, I probably don't want you voting.

Definitely. The idea that a candidate is more appealing because a celebrity likes them is just odd. There just couldn't be that many people who are swayed to a politician because a famous person liked them.

That said, I get why the celebrities give their piece, everyone hears politics and instinctively wants to give their opinion. That's what we're all doing when we post on Dakka. And I suspect just like us, celebrities manage to ignore that having their little say means exactly nothing to no-one.

Why the media picks it up and pretends it is news, and why candidates put celebrities on the podium next to them is a whole other question.

EDIT
I mean, I just read that Susan Eisenhower endorsed Obama. The essay itself is okay, but I refuse to believe for one second that anyone out there is saying, well I've heard what the candidates have to say, but to really confirm my vote I need to hear what the grandchildren of former presidents think about stuff.

I quite liked Dollhouse...

He wrote, or helped write, Titan AE, Alien Ressurection and Toy Story? I had no idea he was involved in those. I may have to check out his filmography to see just what all he's worked on.

P.s. Titan AE was ok, if you could ignore the massive plot hole of the aliens' motivation.


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Oh, and endorsements work because when someone's who's opinion matters to you for whatever reason says something, it influences you. Why do people ask for opinions and critique of their modeling and painting work?

 AduroT wrote:
He wrote, or helped write, Titan AE, Alien Ressurection and Toy Story? I had no idea he was involved in those. I may have to check out his filmography to see just what all he's worked on.

To be honest it's mostly just that stuff.

P.s. Titan AE was ok, if you could ignore the massive plot hole of the aliens' motivation.

It was okay, the motive for the aliens was a problem, but mostly there was nothing there to really grab people's attention. It's a rebellious kid redeeming his Dad, saving humanity, same as everything else I've ever seen.

Oh, and endorsements work because when someone's who's opinion matters to you for whatever reason says something, it influences you. Why do people ask for opinions and critique of their modeling and painting work?

Sure, but would you ask the opinion of your painting skills from some guy who directed a movie you liked, or a skilled painter? And how much would the opinion of the granddaughter of a famous painter matter to you?

I will be that person just as in real life. Who is Joss Whedon?

He's a director, producer, and writer of many cult classics. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly are his most famous TV shows. He's also was one of the men behind the Toy Story films, The Avengers (the recent one), and The Cabin in the Woods.

Now I got my dude mixed up... I mean, I *knew* what he's done, just didn't make that connection.

Actually, I think it was writing for Rosanne that put his foot in the door, and then writing Toy Story that let him do whatever he wanted.

 whembly wrote:
Is it wrong that if he'd say "FireFly will startup soon, only if Obama gets re-elected" that I'd hold my nose and pull the level for Obama?

Man I miss that show...

LOL. If only the super-pacs knew that!

I don't like Romney because his plan doesn't add up and money magically appears from somewhere. If he'll tell me how to do that with my personal budget, without borrowing money or committing robbery, I might change my mind.

 BaronIveagh wrote:
I don't like Romney because his plan doesn't add up and money magically appears from somewhere. If he'll tell me how to do that with my personal budget, without borrowing money or committing robbery, I might change my mind.

Stealing is a form of borrowing and technically your not committing robbery if your simply conspiring to commit robbery and have others do it for you.

 WarOne wrote:
and have others do it for you.

Where's the fun in that?

Ahh gotcha. I felt lazy and did want to look him up. I have seen Roseanne and Toy Story. I do not care what this writer/directors opinion is.

http://www.cracked.com/article_20139_6-bizarre-factors-that-predict-every-presidential-election.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=110112

... I'd heard about the schoolkids one before and I seem to recall a similar/related "theory" relating to the oscars and Uk elections.

... Go Redskins I guess then ?