So, in keeping with my Third-Grade Teacher speech on Tuesday about how many of you need to UP YOUR GAME in this class, I am going to insist that ALL of you download the readings this week. Of course, it would be great if you read the essays, too, since they are interesting and provocative (there is even one with the word "whore" in it this week), but all I'm asking right now is that you download them. Last week, 8 people downloaded one article and 6 people downloaded the other. There are 27 people registered for this class. If at least 20 people don't download the articles this week, I am NOT GOING TO GIVE ANYONE POINTS FOR THIS WEEK'S BLOG. And then you'll all be down 2 points. Who wants that? So go on, go to OASIS and download those articles!!
Okay, now that you've downloaded and read the articles, here are the questions:
1) How does the idea of the "China Threat" relate to Firefly?
2) Do you agree with Wright's claims about the visibility of Asianness, and invisibility of Asians, in Firefly? Why or why not?
3) What did you think of Chinn's argument about Inara as an attempt at depicting a "postfeminist prostitute"?
20 comments:
1) Firefly occupies a Chinese American universe. That fact, in itself, is a prime example of a "China Threat" made real. If there were ever a union of China and the U.S. in which both countries made sacrifices to rule a united 'verse then times will have to make some dramatic changes. As of today the United States would NEVER surrender any portion of its power, let alone half, to China. The only way this is even fathomable in todays politics is if China grew to such an extent that the US, for once, would look to solve its political problems through peaceful sacrifice and bargaining.
2) This happens too often in media and I don't understand it. Even after reading Wright's interpretation it still does not make sense to me that no speaking parts are given to asians, nor is there any Chinese spoken except for swear words and exclaimations. I feel that if a show is going to portray a future ruled by a Chinese American government they should hold a certain respect or at least realism. Firefly did a good job of visually mixing cultures through chopsticks and clothing, but as far as culture, traditions, or any other major part of being Chinese it fell short. The lack of Asian actors is especially strange considering the population difference between China and the current U.S. Based solely off of that 1 out of every 4 people should be Chinese unless, as Wright proposed, some form of genocide or class related segregation is occuring or has occured. Those sort of things need to be mentioned though. To go on ignoring them only leads the audience, or at least me, to not take the show seriously.
3) I am not sure what I really think about Chinn's argument. I feel that Whedon's attempt did come across with good intentions and Inara's character was shown respect. One could almost take this respected prostitute as a cliche character, like the inteligent jock or the man who likes knitting. In that case Inara would come across as a early orthodox femenist character, fighting against the automatic disrespect from her male "customers." The early feminists were starkly against prostitution as a whole, though, and therefore she would have to fall into the catagory of postfeminist. Chinn brings up some good points through the examples from the show. Inara's occupation is looked down on by the Shephard and Mal, two highly respected men on Serenity. I would argue that Inara is a fine example of a post feminist ideal mostly because of her direct sexuality balanced with her high respect.
1) The first thing that comes to mind is that the entire colony is a combination of America and China, thus showing that China has become a super power, but unlike some of the issues and fear in the article China does not seek to overthrow and attack but instead forms an alliance with America. The universe of Firefly exists with the cooperation of these two super powers. With this set in place there is a mixture of cultures where the Asian culture is clearly seen mixed with American culture. I don’t see how this is really a threat. There was an integration of cultures that would create change, I guess that is threat enough, but overall the idea of the China Threat seemed to diminish and was a peaceful exchange.
2) I do agree to some extent with Wright’s claim. The use of Asianness is heavy and apparent from the clothing worn to the occasional swear/random spurt of the Chinese language. There are Asian’s in the show, but they are always in the background, always mixed with a group of people, but being so well mixed in the background they are as good as invisible. I think there should have been some Asian actors that had a more prominent role in the series so we could see them interacting with their own culture and not have it used by another race. The few examples above are only but a few of the visible Asian traits that are highly evident within the text of Firefly.
3) I found Chinn’s argument to be interesting and confusing at times. I was lost more at the beginning with the amount of quotations and everything, but I soon got my bearings. When I got home from class on Wednesday night I went out and bought the Firefly set and have watched a handful of the episodes. Some of the article I felt I had to skip because I feared it might spoil part of the story of certain later episodes. However with the beginning episodes I happen to agree with Chinn’s argument to a degree. I can see how Inara is a postfeminist prostitute. Another instance that she didn’t note in the article was a meeting between Mal and Inara during the “Shindig” episode where Mal is practicing with the sword. Inara states that she didn’t need saving that she could defend herself. I think that quote helps enforce some of Chinn’s arguments. On a separate note I’m not sure if it’s just a generational difference, but with the ground work laid down years before my lifetime for civil and equal rights I just don’t see some of these clashes so jarring because I feel the younger generations are more prone to accepting all kinds of people in all roles with a slowly diminishing barrier between sex and race.
1. The only major “China Threat” I could see in the Firefly episode we watched in class was the use of Chinese culture seeming to take over the visual of the first planet the ships crew lands on. When we get to see the culture of the planet everything is heavily Asian influenced. The clothing and the markets are the first thing that stuck out for use of Chinese culture. Denny Roy described how China would need to keep their peace with the other countries they trade with to grow. I think the galaxy with in the Firefly show almost shows how China’s growing economic status can “take control.” I think if I was able to see more of the Firefly episodes perhaps I could make further connections with “China Threat” and the growing of military power, and honestly I could not detect any one nationality wanting to come together to grow a strong military power. I think there was more or a fear of the already in place power than there was for a smaller power over throwing a larger power to take over.
2. I do agree with Wright’s comment on the use of “Asian culture (Asian cultures), takes each artifact, and strips it of its original meaning until it’s just an object… which can be used to signify something else entirely,” gave this other universe an “entertaining but curiously empty” feeling to this universe. If we had not discussed this show before seeing it I would have been even more lost as to why there were various Asian cultures thrown into a “melting pot” together, and to be honest I still am not sure why. I do agree this world does not appear to be a utopia nor a dystopia, but there is a feel as if there are challenges in this universe which need to be handled. Using the Asian culture the way this show does gives the viewer a way to look differently at the Other through different metaphors to “making it easier for us to see our own situation more clearly.” Over all I think the lack of the Asians is to try to give a clear view of us as being the Other in this world, instead of the other way around.
3. I think if Chinn was basing Inara off of the concept of her being an in power type female, I would have to agree with him. And yet while reading Chinn’s article, I was confused as to which Chinn felt Inara related to: feminist or postfeminist. In the beginning of this article Chinn writes how “Inara stands out as the supposed embodiment of the postfeminist woman, able to combine feminism with femininity, but drawing power more from the latter than the former,” which to me means that she was able to keep her female identity but was able to show power without losing that touch of feminism. She was able to choose who she did business with and she was the one with the power, which would demonstrate the postfeminist working woman. But at the end of the article, within the last two paragraphs I became confused on his stance with Inara. Chinn commented that “Inara is not a potential feminist icon, nor a possible postfeminist one, let alone a positive role model for whoredom… Most importantly [Inara is] a woman torn between her desire for independence and her realization that true happiness lies within the framework of heterosexual romance.” Those two comments alone give me the feeling that Chinn is “on the fence” as to whether or not she is a symbol of postfeminist views. I think demonstrating that Inara is a legal prostitute and offers other services other than sex and chooses whom she services herself gives her an edge at being a strong female with a nurturing attitude.
1. I dont really see the corelation between the article on the China Threat and Firefly. I do think that there are similarities. Firefly is about a network of people making up a society that is forced to use their power and resources to survive.
2. I have just recently noticed how strong the arugment is about asian culture and how in many movies asian parts are non speaking and based soley on sterotypes made by Hollywood. I think that beyond an insult its demeaning and shows just how fake and superfical hollywood can be.
3. When reading the article by Chinn I thought that is was insinuated that Inara is profeminist. She may be seen as a prostistute, but actually she is a strong will powered female who's role within society is to be a strong leader, if she wasnt the society would fail.
1.) the china threat relates to Firefly in terms of power and one country giving up power to the other. The U.S. is considered a power house in the world and has always been able to keep other countries @ bay especially the asisan countries. The threat the China possess is the same in the movie in terms of the people and the beings that pose a threat to human civilization. The U.S. is constantly aware of the threat that China may pose and do what is neccessary to monitor and keep the threat from becoming a reality.
2.) Well i agree that in the show there are some asian themes in terms of clothing and things of that nature but there were no asians actors in the series. I find that kind of odd considering the relevance of China in Firefly. I think in order for me to have taken the asian influence more seriously there would have had to have been a greater presence of asian actors in the show.
3.) I feel that the argument is valid in some cases because she does carry herself w/ dignity and seems to get offended when she is looked down on. She understands her position but still is in some way fighting for her respect and right as a woman.
1.) I think the idea of the China threat relates to Firefly in a few ways. Roy’s China threat argument basically says that China will become increasingly more powerful and is likely to threaten local security in the near future. I think it could be applicable to Firefly because if you look at the universe of Firefly it is a Chinese American based society. They incorporate Chinese words and phrases into English, and this reminded me of how I am at home with my family for we do the same things. The only thing that China is lacking right now is a developed economy and if they can grow they can become a superpower. In the episodes we saw, it is apparent that China already did take over and became the superpower for everything from clothing apparel, language, and the use of Chinese chopsticks and food had already been conformed.
2.) I do somewhat agree with Wright’s claims about the invisibility of Asians in Firefly. Although I think Wright looks a bit too much into the show and makes a big deal out of something that to me wasn’t a big issue in the first place. I saw Asians in the show and saw the Asian influence, I really didn’t read too much into the idea that we saw all other ethnicity’s other than Asian. Perhaps this could be saying something about society, as an Asian American, and not noticing the lack of Asian American actors or credit that should be given out. At the same time it still does bother me that the phrases that were used (that were in Mandarin) were either curse words or words only spoken out of anger. I just thought that was interesting that they made the language have a negative context.
3.) I see Chinn’s point of view on post feminist prostitution in Firefly, most of the points I agree with but others puzzle me and I am not sure how interpret them. Such as I agree that she is a post feminist prostitute in the sense that she does have the power to say who, when, and how much and interestingly enough the creator of the show, Joss Whedon, considers himself as a feminist. So it would make sense that he made Inara a strong willed prostitute. At the same time though, I got confused for Chinn made the statement “Inara is not a potential feminist icon, nor a possible post feminist one, let alone a positive role model for whoredom… Most importantly [Inara is] a woman torn between her desire for independence and her realization that true happiness lies within the framework of heterosexual romance.” So that made me think that Chinn didn’t know if she really viewed Inara as a post feminist prostitute or not. Then again she also says that “each of these women is very clear on the distinction between their working, economically surviving selves and their private and truly intimate selves.” Therefore one can conclude that prostitution in this case is not the selling of ones self but merely a “service.” I guess it’s interesting to see the clash of opinions just in Chinn’s paper for she takes a position to say she is a whore, but then on the other hand goes to say that her identity is a “registered” companion. So, I understand Chinn’s points of views and can find truth behind all of them whether or not if I agree with it or not.
1. The China Threat argument states that “an increasingly powerful china is likely to destabilize regional security in the near future.” The Verse, in Firefly, has nothing if not destabilized regional security. This, coupled with the very apparent Chinese elements may lead viewers to believe that China had grown so powerful that they finally became powerful enough to take over. We know little about the war they are fighting, but we do know that the crew of the Serenity is not on the highest rung of the social power ladder. What I find interesting about this is the fact that they sometimes talk in Chinese and eat with chop sticks and express various other Asian elements within their daily life. A connection can be made then to the film Blade Runner in this context. The characters in this film who expressed the most Asian-ness were the street people, the commoners, the people on the lowest level of the social power ladder. Both the Asian elements in Firefly and Blade Runner suggest that the Chinese have grown so powerful that their eventual take over had a sever effect on the stability of the future and aspects of their culture bled all the way down to the lowest levels of the newly formed society.
2. I agree and disagree with Wright’s theory in this essay. He states that the creators of the show Firefly have simply borrowed elements of Chinese culture in order to spice up the feel of the show. Wright talks about how Firefly has tried to create a sense of the future being equal in terms of the melding of various races, but notices the emphasis placed on adding mass amounts of Chinese and other Asian elements into the mix. Or what he calls “a global melting pot with a distinctly Asian flavor.” The term “eating the other” is brought up in wright’s essay. It means that the “other”, a mysterious and alluring foreign culture, is added into every day life in order to make every day life more interesting. Wright claims that this is exactly what the creators of firefly did to add more spice to their show. However, almost in jest, he talks about the fact that we never see the more important planets, the higher levels of the interplanetary food chain. So there is a chance that the Chinese have taken over the Verse and thus their influences have spread to the outside and less well to do planets.
3. Chinn arguers that Inara’s character goes a long way to showing a postfeminist attitude in prostitution. He states several reasons for this argument; such as Inara seems to be one of the most respectable people onboard Serenity. She seems to carry with her some regale power that everyone respects and admires. It is even stated in the show that ships can not travel to certain areas without a good companion onboard; thus putting the prostitute in a political and ambassadorial position within the crew. However Chinn does not think the shows creators have done enough to promote the “valorization of the prostitute.” I think that postfeminist ideals fit perfectly in the character of Inara. She is a prostitute with power and a respected position with a society. The limitations placed on her as stated by Chinn don’t seem to be enough to mask the fact that she has taken postfeminist representation to a new level within this show.
1) I think the China Threat is seen in the mixing of the American and Chinese cultures in this futuristic world. Even though America can hardly claim to have its own true culture that is completely its own because of all the different cultures that have poured into it through the years, I think it’s still hard for Americans to see an Asian culture reign higher than a European culture in this future world. From the languages, to the costumes, traditions and food (was I the only one that got a kick out of the Chinese man selling dog-kabobs?), there is an obvious pattern of Chinese culture. In fact, I saw more of that than I did Western culture, except for all the “wild west” allusions. The music and terrain was like watching a western.
2) See, I was a little confused because I could have sworn I saw Asians on the first planet they went to, but maybe I was wrong. However, there was indeed a large amount of Asianness and not a lot of Asians running around. But what was going through my mind is that we are only really seeing the rogue, counterculture of the Verse, not the classy up scale side. Because there is so much Asian culture penetrating through the Verse, maybe the Asians are the ones in the powerful positions. We haven’t seem many of them yet, and even though America and China are the super powers, one will tend to be more super than the other, and Americans are known for mixing cultures.
3) I definitely agree with Inara being a post-feminist prostitute; as classy as a whore can be. But still, although there was a certain amount of respect for her and that she was able to occupy her own space and select her own clients without the authority of a pimp, she was still “a whore”. There was still a level of hierarchy between the women who had “real” jobs and the sex worker. It seems like she still had a level of being ashamed of what she did, even though it is primarily social acceptable, legal and she is able to do quite well for herself. Sidebar: Did anyone else notice sexual tension between Kaylee and Inara?
1. The China Threat article relates the notion of appeasement as a means of producing a cooperative future for China and the US. When Roy's take on the China Threat informs the deleted portion of the script presented by Wright's “Chinese Objects in Space” we get a different picture of a China who has suffered the kind of containment produced by US cooperation with old enemies. Whedon's having spilled his guts about the substance of the project seems to reluctantly support Roy's impression that while Firefly employs Asian imagery and objects, these objects are divorced from their present meanings, presenting a universe authored by US sources that have cannibalized Chinese language and culture. This perspective has more relevance currently, and while Roy's “China Threat” article is more than 11 years old now, it presents several scenarios that have not played out on the world stage and avoids the idea that a PRC ascent to economic power is inextricably linked to Western development and consumption, as reaffirmed by China recently declining reevaluation of the RMB.
2. I agree. Rarely is exclusion and a classic media stance of symbolic annihilation so obviously executed in modern media. This includes the idea “Tis a Pity” raises that we do hold Whedon to a higher standard of media production. While Write proclaims an apologist explanation at the end of the article, there is little within the source material to support this interpretation, save a single line, that Whedon intended to explain the exclusion of Asians from the main cast at any point in the show should it have been permitted to continue filming.
3. Chinn's lengthy explanation about the distinctions between feminist and postfeminist takes care of any doubt anyone could have that she represents Whedon's impression of this character's role in the Firefly, inclusive to her eventual submission into normative heterosexed pairing with Mal. It also takes care of the idea that anyone could be a feminist when the idea has become about a historical period rather than a modern perspective. I suspect this distinction is more part of the normalizing process academic language takes on its transformative journey from the present to past tense, but part of me thinks of it as a reinterpretation of the fight for civil rights. The struggle might not be over, but to identify with that movement places you distinctly in the past, an unfair outcome for individuals making the distinction that there has been no end to the struggle for civil rights or equal rights for women, oppressed not only by social norms but also by a formerly sympathetic but inactive academia. Inara is too attached to her hypertraditional role to be anything but a revered paper doll, like Whedon suggests, a religious figure, but like all traditional shrine maidens, doomed by her role to be forever outside true intimacy she longs for as a woman.
1.) In Firefly, Asia and America have combined into one superpower. It's a perfect example of the extremes of the "China Threat" made into a reality.
2.) What I thought was so interesting about Firefly is how both cultures were represented so well throughout the movie. There was both a sort of cowboy/wildwest aesthetic to the characters and surroundings, but at the same time, there was a very strong tie to asian culture (the use of chopsticks, kimonos, randomly spoken mandarin). However, there was a HUGE lack of asian actors. There is no argument you could make that could justify this. Every other race is represented except for asians.
3.) I thought that Inara was one of the more mysterious characters on the show. On one end, she's a prostitute, but at the other end, she seemed to be very highly regarded and respected on firefly. She also takes the role of a sort of diplomat for serenity ("you can't travel to some places without a decent companion onboard")
Kyle Privette
1.) after reading that essay, a few things that had showed me a few concepts that carried over into the firefly show was the major asain culture influence. the apparent concerns of china's economy growing, inducing a stronger political and government are not really a concern in firefly. it seems that yeah in the future the product of china growing could have a major impact on our world. but all the china scare seems a little ahead of itself right now. looking back on the lecture you gave us about china, im not to concerned on china's rise to destroy other nations... they even named it china's peaceful rise if im remembering right.
2.) i somewhat agree. from what i remember there is alot of mixed culture's throughtout that episode, and im sure carries out through the whole series. the evident that was easiest to see was the outfits, the eating ware, and even the space ships remind me of this weird asain comic book that i couldn't read. but there were ships in it that looked similar. but the whole asain's not having a major role in the sereis, i do not have an answer for... maybe its just hollywood.
3.) it just seems werid to me that she's suppose to be a women in a somewhat respectable postion. granted she is somewhat intelligent and holds herself in a somewhat authoritative position. even if postitiution is legal and the crew almost seems understanding and accepts what she does... she is still selling herself for money. how can you be a postfeminist agreeing with similar views of feminst's... and still be selling your body, sounds like an oxymoron. anyways she's still a slut and i hate women who degrade themselves with sex.
1.)The idea of the China Threat, relates directly to Firefly. Not only has China become a economic superpower, but they are also in alliance with the US. In the show, both China and the US co-exist, with out any cultures direct assimilation into the other. The fear of China taking over is somewhat met, but not fully. Instead the US excepts China as an Ally, and peer. The Fear of Chinese domination over American culture is not fully realized in the show or the film.
2.)I agree with Wright's claims. Asians are absent, from the Firefly series, but their culture is not. I feel that there is no reason for Asians to be left out of Firefly, but at the same time. Maybe this says something more about the China Threat. Even though we respect China as a Nation, and an equal to the US in Firefly, there may still be some American separatist attitudes concerning the Alliance. Leaving the fate of universe up to the still superior leading white hero.
Even though we respect and admire their culture. We don't respect and admire them.
3.)I bought Serenty as soon as it came out, and I have seen the film and the show countless times. I think that Inara's character was very deliberate in her actions. She was a high class prostitute, and for the time period there was nothing wrong with that. Concerning the essay, I was somewhat confused. Chinn's argument stated "Inara is not a potential feminist icon, nor a possible postfeminist one, let alone a positive role model for whoredom...Most importantly [Inara is] a woman torn between her desire for independence and her realization that true happiness lies within the framework of heterosexual romance." This statement made me believe that Chinn, didn't really know herself if she considered Inara a post feminist prostitute. I don't agree with this statement. Inara in my opinion is most definately a post feminist prostitute. I feel that just because Inara is a prostitute, she is still a feminist role model. In comic strips and books, Inara is a strong willed character, who does not need men to protect her. Her profession is what she chose and in it being her decision, she is the one in complete control. She, like the culture is respected but her profession, is not.
I) As it was mentioned before viewing Firefly, the show depicts a Chinese American combined universe. I highly doubt that there would be a perfect union between the two countries. Neither would ever feel comfortable enough to be that vulnerable. Both have great pride and the idea that it would be hard to see where one ends and the other begins would make many uneasy. However, I am not saying that it can never be done. I think realistically, both countries would be fine combining culture, but power is another issue.
II) I personally think it’s ridiculous that there are basically no speaking parts for Asian yet it’s supposed to be showing a combined universe of China and America. Though the cultures have been flawlessly combined, it is showing American dominance. There is very little Chinese that is spoken and not to many Asian rolls, speaking or not.
III) So I’ll admit that I was kind of lost through part of this article. However, what I did get from it was that though Inara was a prostitute, she is in power (and I’m not talking about dominatrix power). She doesn’t apologize for her lifestyle and holds her head up. There are many jobs for women in Firefly and each has it’s importance to society.
Why are some of the articles sideways?
Elliot Taesoon Kahng
1. Maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t really see much in the episode that related with china threat. Maybe I just missed it because I was more enjoying the action that was happening. I did see however how the street markets resembled Asia…? Also I remember one of the market stands selling dog as food. Which is the animal Americans always stereotype Asians for eating. OH wellll maybe the part where the government has a “school” for gifted children, shows china threat? Where in reality the school is to test on the gifted children, to somehow enhance their power. Even though what they do is unethical, to them it’s righteous, the law, and believe to be the power house. I think…
2. I agree with Wright. I guess oriental costumes/cultures/clothes is the future. Because Star Wars and Blade Runner was very Asian-ish as well. Even though the episode shows all that, there are no Asians. I believe the reason for that is, I personally think that the American Viewers find it more comfortable and pleasing to see majority white and some blacks and hispanics. The viewers and Hollywood still sees Asians too ethnic/foreign. I’m sure when people see Asians, they can’t stop from thinking something stereotypical about them. Like, “I wonder if he’s related to Jackie Chan or at least knows some kungfu? I bet he’s good at math. I’m sure she’s wild in bed because she’s asian,” ignorant stuff like that.
3. She definitely was not a typical prostitute. She was strong, compassionate, and independent. If she didn’t mention she was a prostitute, I would have never guessed because when I think of prostitutes…I picture someone trashy and slutty looking. But she was the opposite. She was sexy, but classy at the same time.
1) In the Firefly universe China and the United States rule together which relates to the idea of the "China Threat." Although the two are allied together, some might still see it as a threat in that Asian culture is becoming one with American culture.
2) I agree completely with Wright. The fact that there is a heavy use of Asian culture but a lack of Asian actors makes the show a little less credible. Also I believe it's an unfair use of Asian culture if they are not going to depict it correctly.
3) I believe so. Even though Inara's 'job' is usually thought of as deeming and womanizing, she still carries her self with a lot of respect and in return demands respect from others. She also takes responsibility for her actions and doesn't seem to blame anyone for the position she is in, she is just making a living.
[1] Well, only the culture really took over. It was not as extreme as Chinese running the whole country, but it was mostly just some of the detail like clothing and atmosphere. Everyone was mixed in and I did not see China as a dominant power.
[2] I agree with Wright. Like I said in my first post, there is Asian culture everywhere. I saw a few Asians in the background but none as major or minor characters Although, I thought of a wise old ancient Asian man when I saw the shepherd.
[3] I am not so sure about this one. Some people think that feminists just straight up hate prostitutes, but they fight for abortion and the ability to do whatever they want to their bodies. Her being a prostitute seems postfeminist to me.
1. Firefly’s Chinese American empire epitomizes the “China Threat.” The idea that the Chinese could end up basically taking over America is the extreme of the theory; that China will keep growing and growing, and in the future, it will be everywhere. In Firefly, it seemed like the Americans were below the Chinese; dressed in dirty tattered clothes, flying around in beat up ships stealing and dealing cargo.
2. I strongly agree with Wright’s claims. With all the talk of this Chinese American run government, I was wondering where all the Asians were! It was also a good example of a show that had many Asian influences, but nom Asian actors. I’m not sure that is explained in later episodes, or if Whedon just doesn’t want to cast Asians. I did ponder the possibility that maybe the Asians were supposed to higher ranking officials and such, and just aren’t revealed until later episodes, but if his article is accurate, it doesn’t seem like it.
3. I do think Whedon is pointing out that whether past, present and or future, prostitution, as well as other criminal ways of making money throughout the show, is inevitable. I also think he is suggesting that in the future, sex may become more and more casual until prostitutes are more classy companions than whores. I do think some of Chinn’s ideas are true, but at the end of the day I don’t think it’s that deep. Whedon used this character for one main reason: sex sells.
1)It's the idea that China could someday become at least EQUAL to the US that scares the country so much. In Firefly they were equal. For me thats pretty unrealistic. America is the snobby baby brother that doesn't know how to share anything. Either The universe toy is his or it gets taken away.
2)I could see a lot of asianess in the movie, yes. But for me it was really western. It had a lot of dust and grime, like the civil was thing. But I did notice the lack of asians in a pretty asian setting.
3)I thought that it was written as if prositution would someday become legalized and respected. She seemed very asian as well, the Middle easern and Indian decor in her room, her clothing, she was also very calm and somehow reminded me of a monk.
1.) If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em. That seems to be the nature of the union between China and the U.S. in the fictional universe of Firefly. It doesn’t take a political analyst to realize that the PRC is quickly becoming a superpower to rival America. So quickly is China slipping into the role of global power the U.S. and Chinese governments have set up the ubiquitous “red phone”, a direct connection between leaders that serves as last ditch effort to avert conflict. This seemingly passe tool of communication evokes memories of the Cold War, waged against the last nation to pose a challenge to the U.S.’ economic and military dominance, the U.S.S.R. There isn’t enough money and oil on the planet to satisfy two superpowers the size of the United States and China, thus the perceived threat. However, if there were, say, a dozen other planets to live on well then we could have room for two bullies in one neighborhood. We already know that the U.S. is a staunchly capitalist government with China adapting many similar policies to fuel its growth. Leigh Adams Wright brings up the idea of both nations merging together to form some sort of corporation to better exploit the resources of a galaxy suddenly opened up for exploration and exploitation.
2.) The absence of Asian faces was one of the most immediate and glaring omissions from the Firefly universe. Oh yes, as Wright points out, there are plenty of cultural references in the rabble that populates the backwater towns of distant planets. But not so much as a word if direct dialogue is uttered by a character of Asian descent and still only a smattering of Mandarin curses from our predominantly white cast. Even the role most often filled by minorities, the criminal, is held by Caucasians. Sure you’ve got a couple of black characters with speaking roles but for a universe half run by the Chinese they seem to hide pretty good.
3.) If there’s ever been a good way to present an individual who sells there body for money, male or female, I have yet to see it. Whether their choice of occupation is chosen or forced upon them, prostitution’s drawbacks lay not in how it is presented or who it entails but is rather the moral dilemma of
1) It is relevant to the Firefly universe in the fact that it is a perfect example. The United States has finally stepped down from its throne of power to share it with china. China then becomes considered a super power. The idea behind the “China Threat” is that in recent years China’s economy is rapidly increasing, and with its high population, it will become a super power.
2) I agree with Wright. There is a lot of Asian culture in Firefly but I don’t recall ever seeing any Asians. They speak Chinese, they wear some Asian fashion, and then even use chopsticks to eat their dinner but not once can I recall them interacting with an Asian person. You get the idea that there is a lot of Asians in the Firefly ‘Verse.
3) I don’t really know how to respond to her article. I found it to be extremely hard for me to understand. I think that prostitute wouldn’t be the proper term to describe her. She is more like a ambassador then a whore.
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