"I Will Never Stop Believing" - Firefly&Serenity

Translation: I will never take my head out of the sand.

Translation: I will have to stop talking about the Serenity sequel on the internets..... NEVER!!!

[ edited by Rip2~~ on 2006-10-05 03:13 ]

Rip2~~ | October 05, 05:12 CET

A better slogan could be "They can never stop the signal"

impalergeneral | October 05, 06:15 CET

A better slogan could be "They can never stop the signal"

My thinking behind the slogan (besides being the idea that popped into my head and screamed "DESIGN ME!") was that the recurring theme in Serenity was the power of belief.

All throughout the film, people talk about the need to have faith (belief) and the power that it holds. At the beginning of the movie, Kaylee says, "Have faith, cap'n," to which Mal replies "Not today." It's his weakness. It's what makes the operative more powerful. Only once Mal is willing to die for his beliefs can he find the strength to beat the operative.

So I believe. I believe because it sustains me to believe, despite the fact that some see it as unrealistic or obstinate. And I believe because it makes me happy to believe.

But yeah, "They can never stop the signal" works too. ;)

Oh, by the way, I added "Buy Serenity. Spread The Word." to the back of the shirts. Thanks to Rosie for the idea!

[ edited by lexigeek on 2006-10-05 04:36 ]

lexigeek | October 05, 06:33 CET

Not to be creepy, sj, but what does the "sj" stand for? That's my friend's nickname too. (I don't think you're her, though. She's not geeky enough... I mean cool enough... to be on a Whedon blog. Also possibly you're a guy and she's very not.)

[ edited by ormaybemidgets on 2006-10-05 04:58 ]

ormaybemidgets | October 05, 06:57 CET

Translation: I will never take my head out of the sand.

crossoverman | October 05, 03:03 CET

Hmmm, I kinda like my head in the sand. It is warm, and comfy, if a bit dry. lol. And Lexigeek, that is a marvelous idea for a tshirt, and expresses my sentiments exactly. Maybe 2 years from now, I may re-evaluate my beliefs, but for now I will not give up. And that quote is quite inspirational and could be applied to numerous things and not just hope of a Serenity Sequel. Bravo.

kurya | October 05, 07:20 CET

Nice shirt Lexigeek. I prefer to believe too. Children of the Sand anyone?

onthedrift | October 05, 07:27 CET

Maybe 2 years from now, I may re-evaluate my beliefs, but for now I will not give up.

Not give up... what? Your sand-headedness ;-)

I think what would be amazing is if fans actually left well enough alone for a while and then in huge numbers proved there was still a supporter base in a couple of years. You know, when Whedon might have time or the inclination to revisit it.

Never giving up seems like a lot of wasted energy.

crossoverman | October 05, 07:38 CET

ormaybemidgets: Heh. :) Amusing. I'm not female, no. My initials are S. J. (Stephen Jacob) simple enough. :)

sj | October 05, 07:39 CET

Never giving up seems like a lot of wasted energy.

crossoverman | October 05, 05:38 CET

Hmmm... what else would I do? Work? Pfftt... or get involved in another fandom? nahh... i will stick to the quixotic notion that there is a sequel on the horizon. Plus I get to converse with other unrealistic people ;), how much fun is that?

[ edited by kurya on 2006-10-05 06:33 ]

[ edited by kurya on 2006-10-05 06:34 ]

kurya | October 05, 08:33 CET

"Book: It's not about… making sense. It's about believing in something. And letting that belief be real enough to change your life. It's about faith. You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you." -- Jaynestown, FIREFLY

"(Re: Serenity): I had one definitive statement to make, which was simply the power of belief, the power of something greater than yourself does not necessarily have to mean religion. And Shepherd Book himself says that. He doesn’t say, 'Find God.' He says, 'Find your way.' Shepherd Book obviously believes in God. He believes that God is a part of what’s going on. Mal doesn’t, but Shepherd isn’t judging him for that. He’s saying, 'The point is not whether or not you believe what I believe. The point is that you don’t believe anything, and it’s killing you, and it’s tearing your crew apart, and it’s making you do stupid things.' And the word 'belief' comes into the film a lot for that reason. It’s the simple act of subsuming yourself to the idea of something that is…believing there is something worth structuring your life around that will direct your moral decisions and sometimes make you make the harder decision. But is it important what that belief is? No." -- Joss, JoBlo Interview with Thomas Leupp, Sept. 30, 2005

QuoterGal | October 05, 08:41 CET

"I think what would be amazing is if fans actually left well enough alone for a while..."
So what would that mean exactly? Not buying t-shirts, not buying DVDs, or not even buying the comics Joss is working on? The fact is that 'Serenity' is NOT dead, it is alive and well in dozens of different ways; waiting for the sequel is only one aspect. Speaking as someone who attended the amazing event that was the Browncoat Ball in San Francisco, I would say that the fandom is alive and well.

embers | October 05, 09:20 CET

I think there is a difference between focusing on what has come before and focusing on what may or may not come after. Personally, if there was never any further stories from this 'verse, I'd be satisfied with the way the way Serenity ended (but maybe I just have low expectations when it comes to series wrap-ups after watching anime for a decade.) If there ever was a sequel, that would of course be fantastic. But honestly, I'm not particularly concerned either way, especially when you look at how much Joss has on his plate at the moment. Doesn't mean that I don't love the show or think that the fandom should/will fade away (I suspect it will Not Fade Away :)

[ edited by Lady Brick on 2006-10-05 07:58 ]

Lady Brick | October 05, 09:57 CET

I wasn't suggesting that the fandom cease to exist - which is a completely ridiculous notion. This constant petitioning of Universal seems like a waste of time to me. The fandom over-analysing LJ posts for word of a feature film is beyond ridiculous.

I think I'm just getting burned out with the fandom jumping for joy over nothing. It seems like a lot of people here never learn to wait and be reasonable about the false stories that fly around.

Maybe this is just my problem. This clinging to false hope thing is tiring to watch.

There's so much great television on at the moment. So many great films. I'm not saying abandon your love of Firefly or Serenity, but *man* get over it. It was nice while it lasted.

And if a sequel does ever happen, it won't be because of t-shirts or postcards or petitions.

crossoverman | October 05, 09:58 CET

I never really looked at hope as a waste of energy. I mean, I put out open-ended positive attention and wait for something to bounce back... I don't feel like I'm wasting anything. I'm using energy, yes, but I also get a lot back in the form of camaraderie and entertainment from the other fans out there.

And frankly, discussing the possibility of a hypothetical 'Verse project somewhere in the infinite pants legs of the future is far more entertaining than seeing who gets "cast off" of the latest Survivor.

BTW, this place? Perhaps not the prime location to connect with people who are "over it".

[ edited by UnderTheDark on 2006-10-05 08:07 ]

UnderTheDark | October 05, 10:06 CET

I now have Journey stuck in my head.

Odysseus | October 05, 10:18 CET

I'm not saying abandon your love of Firefly or Serenity, but *man* get over it. It was nice while it lasted.

Please remember that people do not have to share your point of view or may not appreciate being lectured in such a manner. I'd like to think the majority of posters here are sensible enough to know that the chances of a Serenity sequel are extremely slim. But some will like to think that it will happen. Which is nice, and doesn't do me any harm.

Simon | October 05, 10:25 CET

And if a sequel does ever happen, it won't be because of t-shirts or postcards or petitions.

I didn't make the t-shirt in the hope that Joss would see it and say, "Gosh, people sure do like Serenity. I think I'll make a sequel." I didn't make it to petition Universal, or any other PTB. I made it for me, and for anyone else like me who wants to show how much Firefly and Serenity meant to them personally.

It's just a t-shirt. It doesn't mean what you think.

lexigeek | October 05, 10:25 CET

"How weird is that!"

That's my new T-shirt idea...well, that and something I came up with yesterday which was mind-blowing, but I can now no longer remember. T-shirts have sort of become statements of your current mental state, or at least that's what I think.

Although, this taken to it's extreme, would be highly impractical. Lexi, nice T-shirt, like the sentiment.

bubblecat | October 05, 10:40 CET

Simon: "But some will like to think that it will happen. Which is nice, and doesn't do me any harm."

Aw, Simon, your innate sweetness is showing... (It's a compliment.)

lexigeek: "It's just a t-shirt. It doesn't mean what you think."

lexigeek, you get my vote for Best On-The-Fly Quote Adaptation From An Original Source.

[ edited by QuoterGal on 2006-10-05 08:44 ]

QuoterGal | October 05, 10:42 CET

lexigeek, you get my vote for Best On-The-Fly Quote Adaptation From An Original Source.

Thank you, thank you. *bows* :D

lexigeek | October 05, 10:51 CET

lexigeek, you get my vote for Best On-The-Fly Quote Adaptation From An Original Source.

Agreed!

For me, I think it's "never stop believing in Joss' talent." I loves me some Jossy goodness, and I don't see that changing. But I don't know if I believe that TPTB will someday make it possible for Joss to make a sequel with all the BDHs. I hope that happens, but in the meantime I'll be happy to read the comics yet to come (Serenity and Runaways), go see WW and Goners, etc., as well as whatever Joss does next.

billz | October 05, 10:54 CET

Believing is great. But Never is a long time. The only thing more powerful than Never is Always.

Example: I always never get laid.

mister0 | October 05, 11:43 CET

This is what I want (right now, at least) on a t-shirt:

"I hate Serenity, I hated Firefly, I think my fans are stupid and Nathan Fillion smells like turnips." -- Josh "Get Over It" Whelan

If, in fact, I even wore t-shirts, which I don't, so maybe it could go on a shiny and overly-large brooch.

"When people come up to me, it’s like you’re both being fans together of the same thing, so that’s kind of lovely." -- Joss, from Chud.com interview with Fred Topel, Dec., 2004

QuoterGal | October 05, 11:56 CET

This is what I want (right now, at least) on a t-shirt:

"I hate Serenity, I hated Firefly, I think my fans are stupid and Nathan Fillion smells like turnips." -- Josh "Get Over It" Whelan

Don't tempt me ... I'll do it!

lexigeek | October 05, 12:01 CET

*grin*.

Can't Stop The Satire. (Night, all.)

QuoterGal | October 05, 12:30 CET

Joss his own self said: I had one definitive statement to make, which was simply the power of belief, the power of something greater than yourself does not necessarily have to mean religion ... But is it important what that belief is? No.

Ah, couldn't agree more with the first part, couldn't agree less with the second ;). Or rather I think it's important what you NOT believe.

And the orange one does speak with great wisdom and unforked tongue, not harming anyone else so not a problem AFAIC even if I personally don't have the emotional energy to continue on forever. 'Never say Never Again' as they say (unless you're Sean Connery and then sometimes you should. Bad, bad film).

I do kind of see crossoverman's point though since whenever there's a post about a sequel I used to get the little stomach flutter at the possibility. Then you find out it's just a rumour or whatever and that got tiring. Now I just let it wash over me, duck's back stylee, literally not fully believing it until I see it and if everyone else wants to keep the flame aflaming then go for it.

Saje | October 05, 14:35 CET

I no longer believe there will be a sequal, but I'm still hopeful. Guess I'm an optimistic agnostic.

Reddygirl | October 05, 15:10 CET

I don't really understand the big hub bub. Like some others here, I lived through the years between the original Star Trek and the first movie. Talk about rumors! A lot of them were probably true. They were going to make a movie but recast all the characters because the originals were too old. Ditto for a new TV show. It would all never happen and it was silly to think it would.

Things changed. They made a movie no one ever thought would get made. Someday Serenity 2 might happen for any number of reasons. Until then I wouldn't go crazy about people nursing a dream...as said, as long as they aren't hurting anybody. T-shirts generally don't hurt anybody, especially now that they are making them without those scratchy tags inside.

newcj | October 05, 16:02 CET

T-shirts generally don't hurt anybody, especially now that they are making them without those scratchy tags inside.

I've been attacked by my fair share in my time. Sometimes they get rabid and you have to put 'em down. Like dogs... but made of cloth... and completely inanimate... and stuff!

Joss his own self said: I had one definitive statement to make, which was simply the power of belief, the power of something greater than yourself does not necessarily have to mean religion ... But is it important what that belief is? No.

Is it important what the belief is? I'm with Saje on this. Hitler, for example, believed a thing or two... cliche for the win!!! I know, I know, that's not what Joss meant, but some of us can never leave well enough alone, with our t-shirts and our hopefullness and whatnot ;)

ETA - I am very sleepy and very punchy today :)

zeitgeist | October 05, 17:25 CET

zeitgeist wins with the Godwin!

Allyson | October 05, 18:25 CET

"Joss his own self said: I had one definitive statement to make, which was simply the power of belief, the power of something greater than yourself does not necessarily have to mean religion ... But is it important what that belief is? No.

Is it important what the belief is? I'm with Saje on this. Hitler, for example, believed a thing or two... cliche for the win!!! I know, I know, that's not what Joss meant, but some of us can never leave well enough alone, with our t-shirts and our hopefullness and whatnot ;)"

...and for quite a while Hitler was very successful at what he was trying to do. Sane people are not happy about the results, but he may not be the best example of what you believe negating the power of belief. Just sayin'.

newcj | October 05, 18:33 CET

Oh, I'm not saying that what he believed negated the power of his belief (which was really what Joss was talking about), I am saying that its important what you believe in that it should ideally be a force for good. I was just having fun/taking liberties with the fact that it could be read multiple ways. In other words, I was kidding :)

zeitgeist | October 05, 18:40 CET

I'm looking at the shirt and trying to imagine what someone who has no idea what its about will think, especially since the graphic seems somewhat phallic. Add the "Buy Serenity, Spread the Word" stuff on the back and the WTF factor increases exponentially. LMAO!

killinj | October 05, 18:59 CET

especially since the graphic seems somewhat phallic

LOL, again with the phallic-ness! I ran into that when I designed the SF Browncoats logo. "Can you make it look a little less phallic?" Um, no ... that's what the ship *looks* like! I blame Joss! :)

lexigeek | October 05, 19:51 CET

Cue:

"Browncoats Blame Joss for Penises"
"Serenity is Example of Oppressive Patriarchy"
"Serenity Adverts Banned from Superbowl Half-time"
"Firefly ? Fire-lies ! Won't Somebody Think of the Children ?"
"Whedon says 'Hitler was very successful'"

It's just a matter of time.

Saje | October 05, 20:09 CET

Since Serenity makes a point of blowing The Operative's belief to smithereens, and Inara makes the point that The Operative is dangerous because he believes, I'm guessing that when Joss said, "But is it important what that belief is? No," he meant that it didn't matter whether Mal acquired the same religious belief as Book. Joss has admiringly quoted C.S. Lewis to the effect that we all worship the same god, just by different names. The point -- again, guessing here -- being that the particular spiritual path does not matter as much as setting out on the serious spiritual quest, including the "angry atheist" spiritual quest, which I think is Joss's.

So: no to the Hitler thing.

Pointy | October 05, 20:23 CET

I suggest y'all click on this.

Simon | October 05, 20:34 CET

I would think that most of us would love to see a sequel, but I have to agree--somewhat--with crossoverman. There is the way that Firefly and Serenity effects me right now, and it is beautiful. Change is inevitable, death is inevitable. Our Serenity is akin to a bright star burning out. It was there shining its light, and now it is not. What we can most assuredly expect is more of Joss' brilliant imagination, and we can look forward to that as long as he is around. So maybe letting go of our hopes of a sequel is not a bad thing. Retaining our belief in Joss, well that is what I am going to do, and I cannot wait to see what delights await.

Livewire | October 05, 20:37 CET

I say .... Woo and hoo!

lexigeek | October 05, 20:38 CET

The only fandom tee I'm interested in wearing is the one Kirk made on Gilmore Girls that says "Babette ate oatmeal."

| October 05, 21:02 CET

"Browncoats Blame Joss for Penises"

That bastard!

Also, I'm off to see All My Sons.

gossi | October 05, 21:43 CET

"In other words, I was kidding :)
zeitgeist | October 05, 16:40 CET "

(kicks feet in dirt) Yeah, I knew that, but something still rose up and insisted I point out the interpretive discrepancy.

Have I mentioned Accuracy Girl? ;-)

Thanks for the link, Simon. Damn, that guy gives good post.

newcj | October 05, 21:43 CET

:) <-- that's all, I got nothin' else!

zeitgeist | October 05, 21:51 CET

Its b/c of Joss's wonderful posts, that I hold my belief, and not just in his future work being awesome, but of one day that there may be a sequel. It may be fruitless, but I would rather have that hope than not.

kurya | October 05, 22:26 CET

I know exactly how you feel, Adam

*still wears I want my Spike movie T*

anindoorkitty | October 06, 00:11 CET

Thanks, Pointy, I think your post was right on.

Tra-la-la, off to spread rumours...

QuoterGal | October 06, 00:37 CET

Face it folks...

A second Serenity movie has about as much chance of happening as a cancelled, half season TV show being made into a major motion picture.

8-}

11thHour | October 06, 01:04 CET

Simon, thanks for sending us to the uber-rockin' Joss postage. Damn, that guy can write. He ain't kiddin' when he says "scribe." ;-)

Like I said earlier -- I will never stop believing in Joss. You go, scribe! ;-)

billz | October 06, 06:48 CET

kurya wrote:

Its b/c of Joss's wonderful posts, that I hold my belief, and not just in his future work being awesome, but of one day that there may be a sequel. It may be fruitless, but I would rather have that hope than not.

Not me. If there are no Fruity Oat Bars in the sequel, forget it.

jaynelovesvera | October 06, 10:02 CET

Fruity Oaty bars rule and for those with a Target/SuperTarget nearby their Archer Farms food brand sells some Fruity Oaty bar things, think they even say FRUITY + OATY on the label, thoguh i can't recall for sure. Good stuff, though.

zeitgeist | October 06, 18:18 CET

Hmmmm I am not a fan of fruity oaty bars(its the oat thing it has a nutty flavour and I am allergic to nuts and I get upset stomach, I will not continue...), and frankly if it didnt appear in the sequel, I would be more than happy. Just not feelling the fruity oaty bar goodness. And isnt the quaker oats fruitish bars considered fruity oaty bars? I suggest that if SOME people need their fix. *cough* jaynelovesvera *cough*

kurya | October 06, 18:33 CET

and I am allergic to nuts

I wondered why you never came over.

jaynelovesvera | October 06, 23:48 CET

What can one say about belief? Well I for one will never stop believing, because I'd rather be a foolish believer proven wrong in the final calculation than a bitter cynic, proven right but wishing he had not been. That's just my personal take on it though.
They say then when all the demons and other evil had left Pandoras box the greatest evil to be wrought upon mankind was left, and that evil was hope.
Interesting isnt it?

dev | October 07, 15:00 CET

Hmmm it is interesting dev, wacky greeks. And Jaynelovesvera... sorry its not YOU, its me... It just can't work out. I thought you knew that, sorry.

kurya | October 07, 23:33 CET

October 05 2006