Hmmm. Wonder if this guy is a Browncoat?

Seems pretty fishy! If he did steal the idea, it's pretty ballsy to call it the "Serenity Screen". And frankly, I can't think of any other reason for him to use that particular word.

Willowy | September 09, 03:47 CET

Very strange! and fishy!

mister0 | September 09, 03:51 CET

If they started work on this a few years ago, I can see a lawsuit here... ;)

gossi | September 09, 03:56 CET

What's hilarious is I've got Google News set up to give me articles on "Serenity" and this showed up.

kishi | September 09, 03:56 CET

At first I thought that his idea could easily be totally independant of Serenity, until I saw the name that is! It doesn't relate to the product, the only reason i can see for the name is... the BDM

gilesno1fan | September 09, 03:56 CET

People say you find Serenity in death. I believe there a few religious poems and such for it.

gossi | September 09, 04:00 CET

Oh, for crying out loud.

Nebula1400 | September 09, 04:02 CET

This concept has been around for several years, at least. And, in fact, it was the subject of an episode of Max Headroom, which goes way back in terms of years now.

[ edited by theonetruebix on 2005-09-09 02:03 ]

The One True b!X | September 09, 04:02 CET

I'm thinking it might have been more inspired by the movie "The Final Cut".

RavenU | September 09, 04:20 CET

Seems mildly suspicious to me too. Serenity is not inappropriate, but still...Of course, it could always be a tie-in with the adult diapers.

bobster | September 09, 04:28 CET

Not suspicious...not to me, anyway...the "peace of the grave" is positively proverbial...

bobster, that's just flat out wrong!!

Chris inVirginia | September 09, 04:31 CET

Indeed. And "serenity" is pretty common marketing for death industry products and services.

Samantha | September 09, 07:09 CET

Oh bother.

If it's been around for "years", then why hasn't it been marketed until now? Why did they call it Serenity just weeks after the sneaks came out, and just weeks before the BDM? Come ON.

Even if this is a totally unrelated thing, you must admit that the coincidence is staggering. Good find, Rogue Slayer. And hyeeah, I damn well think it's related.

Willowy | September 09, 07:15 CET

The "Serenity Panel" prototype was shown at a funeral trade show in early April this year. There is another company with a patent on similar technology several years older. That patent fight should be interesting. The "launch" of the Serenity Panel certainly coincides with the sneak peaks of the BDM, but I suspect coincidence.

dcubed | September 09, 07:42 CET

This is really funny, but i was hoping that Fruity Oaty Bars were finally coming out. Delicious!

bonzob | September 09, 09:37 CET

I'm sure this is a coincidence. As Samantha pointed out, the word "serenity" has been used by the funeral biz for decades. The word was likely chosen for its alliterative qualities alongside "screen."

krad | September 09, 11:08 CET

bonzob, I was also hoping this link would end up referring to Fruity Oaty Bars.

Kris | September 09, 16:38 CET

So, how long do y'all figure before the cemetaries are full of video messages of people in caskets begging "Someone help me! I'm still alive, only I'm very badly burned..."

ella | September 09, 18:12 CET

Similar products have been marketed before, just not heavily or widely. There's one company with a 2004 patent pending, one with a 2002 patent pending, and I believe at least one more older than that. I'd guess that if there's any connection, it's that Joss is the one who lifted the idea, and if that's true, then good for him for knowing about this new, quiet little advancement and adding it to a world where it's suddenly so commonplace that even our fringe heroes can get their hands on it.

As for the specific product that uses the name Serenity, I just don't think it's terribly surprising. There are Serenity models of caskets, flower arrangements, headstones, etc., etc., etc. Joss didn't invent the word or the concept.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this guy is a fan, and it's his shout out, or maybe there's even something more sneaky going on. But frankly, I doubt it. It all just sounds like conspiracy theory to me.

[ edited by Samantha on 2005-09-09 20:53 ]

[ edited by Samantha on 2005-09-09 20:53 ]

Samantha | September 09, 22:10 CET

So, how long do y'all figure before the cemetaries are full of video messages of people in caskets begging "Someone help me! I'm still alive, only I'm very badly burned..."

Have you been to the future and seen my grave? I was thinking of something along the lines of "Guys? Guys? Come on, let me out! This isn't funny anymore! I don't want to join your stupid Freemasons anyway! Guys?"

kishi | September 09, 22:32 CET