GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Why be a Brown coat?

POSTED BY: EKIDD79
UPDATED: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 14:25
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Sunday, April 23, 2006 12:29 PM

EKIDD79


For my uni project again...What's the attraction of being a browncoat? and why be a fan of firefly?


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Sunday, April 23, 2006 12:51 PM

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN


Because it's the best show ever put on television



One Day.
One Mission
One Army of Browncoats.

On June 23rd, We Aim To Misbehave.
www.SerenityJune23rd.com

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 12:55 PM

RACH


3 reasons, not necessarily in order of preference:


Brown is such a flattering colour.
Funnies.
Lived fast and died young.

Oh, and number 4:
Nathan Fillion's ass.

One day.
One mission.
One army of Browncoats.

On June 23rd, we aim to misbehave.

www.serenityjune23rd.com

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 1:04 PM

SIMONB


The attraction of being a Browncoat (IMHO) is simply a love of Firefly and the fact that it stands for (or has gone on to stand for) not only being a fan of the show - but a way of thinking and feeling. It's a way of expressing independance, freedom and doing your own thing and standing up for what you believe in, much as the characters in the show did.

And why be a fan of the show? Because it is simply amazing! The quality of the writing, the excellent cast, and the engaging stories. Also, the fact that it is well made, intelligent and has a great edge to it. It's fun, scary, dramatic, touching and exciting - and it makes viewers care about the people in it. The characters are 3-dimensional, utterly real and believable and thoroughly compelling. But also because of the wrongful way the show was mistreated and cancelled. Now, don't get me wrong, I'd still be a loyal Browncoat if Fox had done the right thing to begin with and kept the series going - but because it was so gorram good and yet so criminally mistreated, well, that makes me just wanna fight that little bit harder for it.

Why be a Browncoat? Coz it's the best gorram thing in the 'verse to be! That's why.


- Shiny. Let's be bad guys.

That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 1:07 PM

GRIZWALD


Because I can't help it.

____________________________________________________
They could not take the sky from them -
Our Big Damn Heroes made a film!
I'm gonna see Serenity then
go back the next morning and see it again.
Cuz no one at Fox knew this show had no equal
C'mon Universal, and greenlight the sequel!

Click on my profile for my Annoyingly Long List of Firefly Links.

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 1:48 PM

SAMEERTIA


Why be a Browncoat?

I don't think it's a choice.
I think... you watch "Serenity" or you sit down in front of the "Firefly" dvds, and you suddenly realize that when Kaylee smiles, you're smiling, too. When River cries, you're crying. When Jayne's angry, you want to be angry, too.

It's not a choice. It's just something that happens. When you fall in love with someone, you want to scream to the whole world that you're in love. When you fall in love with Serenity and her crew, you have to do the same. You have to reach out and find people who understand, who have been in love.

Now, whether it goes further than just popping up on a forum to chat once in a while is it's own matter. I don't think you ever really stop being a Browncoat. You're not any less of a Browncoat if you don't spend all your time hanging out in Firefly related websites, writing Firefly fanfiction, playing RPGs, organizing conventions, attending conventions, dressing in coveralls and blue gold embroidered jackets and runing around spinning your rainbow parasol.

Once you're in love with Serenity, you're a Browncoat. You have no choice. It's just something that happens.


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Sunday, April 23, 2006 1:50 PM

SAMEERTIA


Quote:

Originally posted by Rach:
Oh, and number 4:
Nathan Fillion's ass.



Or, you can just go with this answer! Rach! I'm surprised it's not at least Reason #2.



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Sunday, April 23, 2006 2:41 PM

NUCLEARDAY


lol, I didn't know I had a choice :)

________________________________________________
You can take my hope when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 2:53 PM

EMBERS


it is not a decision...
it is a gut reaction,
a compulsion...
and addiction

love just happens



**********************************************
watch the R. Tam Session vids: http://www.hittarivertam.nu/
and buy the 'Serenity' comics published by Dark Horse
have you checked out this thread?:
http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=15816

and listen to 'I'm Going To See Serenity':
http://music.podshow.com/music/listeners/artistdetails.php?BandHash=a0
c814e1229742ce77ed4497cbf4631c

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 4:05 PM

CHRISTHECYNIC


Because sometimes lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.

-

Actually I have to go with everyone who said, "I didn't have a choice."

Being a Firefly fan (for some reason I never got the hang of referring to myself as a Browncoat) is being part of something larger. It's being part of a family where you're all drawn together by a love of something that is at once not real and more real than flesh and blood.

No one really gets to chose their family, be it the one you are born into or the one you create with friends. You have connections with people, and you have connections with things. Sure you can choose who you spend enough time with to create a connection, but once it is there it's there and there's no one who tells you, "If you take the red pill you'll be a part of this and if you take the other one your headache will go away in 20 minutes."

If you can honestly say that you have a choice in whether or not you are part of something than you will never know what it is like to be in it heart and soul.

My choice was not whether or not to be a fanatically devoted fan, it was whether or not to watch a show I'd heard about in passing and never seen a commercial for. I saw the premiere, and then I was a brownout (there, I said it) there was no sign up and certainly no moment where I said, "Do I want to be a fan."

I saw it, I fell in love, and that was the end of it.

If it wasn't something I loved, if it wasn't something I was a part of, and more importantly if it was something where I could have simply decided to not be a fan then I probably would have. I probably would have moved on when it was canceled.

-

As to why be a fan in terms of someone looking at Firefly and saying, "Should I try this out?"

Well that's easy. Look around. Look at the effect it's had on people. It isn't something that you watch and say, "Oh that was nice," and then forget about within a year. It's something that effects you, it's something that matters.

That's an effect that money usually can't buy. It's love, it's belonging, and it's in a convenient box set that you can bring with you anywhere there's a DVD player.

If something can move someone as much as Firefly has, if it can make them care in the way that Firefly does, you know it's good entertainment, you know it's the best type of entertainment in existence.

That makes it worth watching, and if it is something that they like it will be something they love. There's never been a better reason to partake in a TV show.

-

Of course for an essay or whatnot you'd need to put that into better terms, but the reasoning is sound.

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 4:07 PM

CHRISTHECYNIC


Damn it, everyone said it better than me.

Change my answer to, "Love just happens," or something similarly good.

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 4:32 PM

MIKAMOM


I've enjoyed a lot of shows, but I have never felt this way before.

I wish I could give you some specific, tangible item that made me a fan. I feel the same things as everyone else here, but there is something in the combination of attributes of the show that makes it greater than the sum of the parts.

When you watch a show that touches you this way, you don't chose to be a fan, you just are one. The only thing you can chose is your level of participation in the fandom.

One day.
One mission.
One army of Browncoats.
On June 23rd, we aim to misbehave.

http://serenityjune23rd.com/

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 4:51 PM

DARKJESTER


It's hard to know exactly, why. All I know is that I almost had an out-and-out panic attack when I realized that I missed taping an episode during its' Fox broadcast.

MAL "You only gotta scare him."
JAYNE "Pain is scary..."

http://www.fireflytalk.com - Big Damn Podcast

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 4:55 PM

VINTERDRAKEN


When I call myself a Browncoat, im more or less saying that I love that show, and more importently I put my hope and support to its eventuall ressurection. To me being a Browncoat is showing your love to what I consider the best show ever.

You can’t stop the Signal.
Keep spreading the word about Firefly!

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 4:55 PM

VINTERDRAKEN


When I call myself a Browncoat, im more or less saying that I love that show, and more importently I put my hope and support to its eventuall ressurection. To me being a Browncoat is showing your love to what I consider the best show ever.

You can’t stop the Signal.
Keep spreading the word about Firefly!

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 4:55 PM

VINTERDRAKEN


When I call myself a Browncoat, im more or less saying that I love that show, and more importently I put my hope and support to its eventuall ressurection. To me being a Browncoat is showing your love to what I consider the best show ever.

You can’t stop the Signal.
Keep spreading the word about Firefly!

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 4:55 PM

VINTERDRAKEN


When I call myself a Browncoat, im more or less saying that I love that show, and more importently I put my hope and support to its eventuall ressurection. To me being a Browncoat is showing your love to what I consider the best show ever.

You can’t stop the Signal.
Keep spreading the word about Firefly!

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 4:55 PM

VINTERDRAKEN


When I call myself a Browncoat, im more or less saying that I love that show, and more importently I put my hope and support to its eventuall ressurection. To me being a Browncoat is showing your love to what I consider the best show ever.

You can’t stop the Signal.
Keep spreading the word about Firefly!

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 4:55 PM

VINTERDRAKEN


When I call myself a Browncoat, im more or less saying that I love that show, and more importently I put my hope and support to its eventuall ressurection. To me being a Browncoat is showing your love to what I consider the best show ever.

You can’t stop the Signal.
Keep spreading the word about Firefly!

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 6:20 PM

FREDGIBLET


What's the attraction of being a Browncoat? Simple, there are other people with shared experiences that you can relate to.

Why be a fan? Zoe said it best "Once you've been in Serenity you never leave" (from the deleted scenes).

My two cents

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 9:09 PM

MIKEC


because firefly is so gorram brilliant! never venne into a show as much as i am into firefly, hell a few years back i was a trekkie but was nowhere near addicted to that as to what i am firefly.

damn you joss!

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Sunday, April 23, 2006 10:44 PM

SPACEMANSPIFF


If you love the show and the movie, you can't help but be a Browncoat.

Did he just go crazy and fall asleep?

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Monday, April 24, 2006 1:28 AM

DISKA


why be a browncoat?

believe me i didnt want to be! i never wanted to be sucked into a tv show this much, i never wanted to a be a sci fi fan, i never thought i would love something as much as buffy. i always believed that i could turn off the tv and say to myself 'its ok its just a tv show/ a movie' these things flew out the window the very first second i was introduced to the firefly 'verse.

this went beyone normal viewing habits, this wasnt something i could disregard, and this is the only fandom that i've been a part of where i've genuinly felt the need to contribute something and to communicate. the only fandom which hasn't developed into 'shipper wars, cliques, and elitism.
i'm a browncoat and it isn't even a choice anymore.

One day.
One plan.
One army of Browncoats.

On June 23rd, we aim to misbehave.

"Dear diary: Today I was pompous and my sister was crazy. Today we were kidnapped by hill folk, never to be seen again. It was the best day ever."

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Monday, April 24, 2006 1:42 AM

J6NGO1977


Beside the obvious that it contains good stories and good acting I think what turns me on to Firefly and being a browncoat is the message it gives out. It gives me a message of hope, good moral values and makes me want to do better in life and be a better person. It doesn't do it in a schmultsy, perfect way because the crew are not always on the right side of the law. They are all flawed characters. However each 1 of them will always try to better themselves as a person and not let those flaws effect them in a negative way (even Jayne). They are chracters I look up to and admire. the whole show just makes me feel positive about who I am and my life. :)

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Monday, April 24, 2006 7:25 AM

FUTUREMRSFILLION


1 reason


LOVE

One day.
One mission.
One army of Browncoats.

On June 23rd, we aim to misbehave!



Nathan doesn't know it yet, but I am his one true love! Is that weird?
(he will believe, he will believe)

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Monday, April 24, 2006 7:39 AM

INDIGOSTARBLASTER


I didn't choose to be a Browncoat. I chose to rent Disc 1 of the series when we finished watching a bunch of other DVDs we were following (The Sopranos, The Shield, The Wire) and promptly fell all over myself, laughing (or gasping, as appropriate) at the dialogue, singing along to the Ballad of Serenity, noticing all the little details, musing about the 'Verse, caring about the characters, falling in love with Mal...

The series ended and I didn't know what to do with myself. A friend mentioned that there are fan websites out there and I found myself obsessively reading them and contributing them... and now I'm writing fanfic, goddess help me...

And then I bought the series DVDs... my first DVD purchases ever...

I don't know how it happened, but Joss and co. made me care intensely about the Serenity crew, and I'm not ready to let them go. So here I am.

Indigo S.

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Monday, April 24, 2006 7:41 AM

FUTUREMRSFILLION


"and I'm not ready to let them go. So here I am."

That sums it up exactly for me. I am just not ready. Don't think I ever will.


One day.
One mission.
One army of Browncoats.

On June 23rd, we aim to misbehave!



Nathan doesn't know it yet, but I am his one true love! Is that weird?
(he will believe, he will believe)

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Monday, April 24, 2006 7:45 AM

BWARE42


To watch Inara bathe

Time for some thrilling heroics.

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Monday, April 24, 2006 7:49 AM

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN


all these people have take my little response to greater hights in a way I never could have done myself. I have never been prouder to call a group of people my freinds *wipes a tear from his eye* well I hope we have answered your question, and if we haven't I'm sure some more people will be along soon.

One Day.
One Mission
One Army of Browncoats.

On June 23rd, We Aim To Misbehave.
www.SerenityJune23rd.com

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Tuesday, April 25, 2006 1:15 PM

EKIDD79


Thanks for all the comments so far, you're all fab people for helping with my research project.

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Tuesday, April 25, 2006 1:43 PM

DASHBOARDDINO


I first knew I was a Browncoat when I saw someone online refer to them. And I thought, "Yeah, that's me."

Because the dialogue is exactly what real-life dialogue is if people bother to say what's on their minds.

Mal: "Do you want to run this ship?"
Jayne: "Yeah, I do."
Mal: "Well...you can't."

There is something endearing about that kind of talk.

Also, Firefly just FEELS like home. I grew up in Georgia, and that's a lot like how we talk down here. I spent a lot of time learning how not to speak that way, but then seeing Mal and the others do it with such pinache, it made me proud to be who I've always been.

Because Firefly is about loyalty to your family, taking care of your crew. It's about simple desires, like simply keepin' it flyin'. It's about keeping your sense of humor when times are tough and realizing you'll make it through the storm. This one, and every other. It's about taking care of business in the present even when the past is eating at you. It's about freedom, and keeping one step ahead of the Alliance.

Besides, I just like brown.

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Tuesday, April 25, 2006 1:49 PM

SAVEWASH

Now I am learning about scary.


Everybody already gave answers that are exactly what I would write if I was that clever/insightful/brilliant.

However, I can add one more aspect of Firefly's appeal: timelessness. I've enjoyed several TV shows throughout my life and there are many of them that I could never watch again now because they'd seem outdated or boring after the first time I saw them. Yet I watch "Firefly" over and over because it never gets old and there's always something new to discover in each episode. I think when I watch it again in ten years, and twenty years, and fifty years, I'll feel the same way. (Not that I won't be watching it again before then!)

One day.
One mission.
One army of Browncoats.

On June 23, we aim to misbehave.

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Tuesday, April 25, 2006 1:56 PM

CHRISTHECYNIC


Quote:

Originally posted by DashboardDino:
Also, Firefly just FEELS like home. I grew up in Georgia, and that's a lot like how we talk down here. I spent a lot of time learning how not to speak that way, but then seeing Mal and the others do it with such pinache, it made me proud to be who I've always been.


Firefly feels like home to me too and I'm in Maine, and when I listen to them talk it feels like what I'd hear around here.

In a more general sense I love the way the talk like real people. I've never met anyone who would talk like the people on Star Trek (nothinmg against the show mind you), I have met people who would say, "We may experiance slight turbulance and then explode." I have met people who would say something like, "I need that in captain dummy talk." I expect the phrase, "In ernest," to come from the same person who said, "If I'd wanted schooling I'd have gone to school."

But on most shows I won't get that. People never seem to say what they would say in real life.

Quote:

Because Firefly is about loyalty to your family, taking care of your crew. It's about simple desires, like simply keepin' it flyin'. It's about keeping your sense of humor when times are tough and realizing you'll make it through the storm. This one, and every other. It's about taking care of business in the present even when the past is eating at you.

There's another way to say that: It's about life. And I agree.

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Tuesday, April 25, 2006 2:25 PM

DASHBOARDDINO


Yep. Exactly. Siiiiiiigh.

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