"If Your KIDS Or NEPHEWS Don't Think Much Of SCIFI . . ." Topic

If they roll their eyes or shrug every time you suggest a SF film . . .

If they tell you they don't like to watch things that aren't real or believable . . .

Try setting this up on their bedroom wall while they are out visiting friends or going to the store, particularly when you expect them to come home late that evening:

link

Do you think that will leave some sort of lasting impression and, perhaps, teach them to take SF more seriously?

If you think that will not do the job, then WHAT pranks do you think might do it?

CC
PS. C'mon, guys. Isn't Halloween around the corner? >:)

You can lead a horse to water.

Why should they take SF more seriously, by the way? It is inherently silly.

Yes, what we need are more people who take sci-fi really, really seriously. Like there are a shortage of those.

Maybe then we'll get more amazingly good films like this…
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I cannot wait.

I think a still from the cow-hunting scene would be much more effective for capturing the gravitas of Battlefield Earth.

Battlefield Earth is a terrible example of serious SF. It plays like a comedy, even if it was unintentional.

Bad, bad script and acting, not to mention horrible makeup.

CC

I couldn't find a picture of that, Hrothgar, so you have to make do with John, Forest and their space-boners.

Who cares as long as it goes to the greater glory (and bank account) of the disciples of the non-church of We-Are-Not-A-Cult-ology?
(Better watch out, lawyers may be watching….)

Or, if someone you dislike inadvertently leaks out a hidden fear of alien abductions . . .

link

Cheaper option:

YouTube link
YouTube link
YouTube link

CC

It might give 'em nightmares but I doubt if they'll gain much of an appreciation for sci fi.

For me, the problem with sci fi is that I don't enjoy or appreciate most of anymore, so I'd be hard pressed to "sell" it to anyone else.

Battlefield Earth

Best Travolta movie ever!

Plynikes, you are right-there are no good pics to be found. So the rest of you who haven't seen it will just have to follow the links and use your imagination:
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If you enjoyed this synopsis, IMMEDIATELY run out and rent yourself a copy.

Jason

Thanks for the hijack, guys.

CC

If you really want…I'll let you put that on my living room wall. If you really want to. Don't feel pressured or anything. I promise to take Sci-Fi more seriously if you do…Forget the relations, I could use this specific science fiction reminder.

Catch the kid(s) away and remove everything they have that might be even remotely Sci-Fi/Fantasy. GI Joe, Transformers, Britney Spears, Halloween themed, fairy tales, etc. Depending on their ages of course. Give them proper history books and movies. That'll work for all of us…(ahem)…them.

The book seriously sucked, too !

Best Travolta movie ever!

CC,

What about a nice talk with the chaps about the universe and the possibility of life on other planets? Baring religion (not going there I promise) maybe discuss with them why they think Science Fiction is "Not Realistic". You can then bring up things we take for granted today that started as nothing more than SciFi stories that scientist eventually figured out how to make real. Scientists that were often inspired by the "not realistic" stories your nephews/kids say they don't like because they are not "realistic". Think of the computers, cell phones, TV sets, planes and especially space craft that we see everyday and remind them that less than 100 years ago (one human lifetime) all of those things were make-believe, impossible, unbelievable items that only existed in the wild imaginations of story tellers and SciFi writers.

Another idea is to discuss with them what they feel is "real". What type of movies and stories do they like and how "realistic" are those stories versus SciFi. In many cases, SciFi has more grounding in reality than horror movies or most of the comedy garbage that are often show in theaters. Maybe the right answer is understanding why they think SciFi is less real than the other types of stories and movies they like and try to form a bridge between what they see as realistic and the truths that are found in SciFi. Worth a try and at the very worst, they learn more about you and your strange hobbies and you learn something about how young people think (or don't think). It's likely educational for both groups and does not require an alien sculpture stuck to a wall.

Good luck,

Jeff

(Heck, without Star Trek we would likely never have had flip phones . . . be interesting to know what kinds of books and movies Bill Gates and the two Steves from Apple like growing up since they definitely changed the course of modern society . . . bet they liked "un-realistic science fiction" . . . . )

First, if they think SF is "silly" or unbelievable, I bet their answer will be "well all those movies…" SOmetimes I wonder if people pick up books…

Damon.

Guys, guys, guys. You are taking this waayyy too seriously! I'm playing, ok? I hope you don't really think I would do those things to kids and other people. :)

I saw the alien wall piece and thought it was ideal prank material – if someone was inclined to do that.

Besides, as I state on the initial post . . . Halloween is just around the corner!

So . . . what other SF pranks can you guys think of? (if one were to do such a thing)

CC

If it had a probe in it's hand, it would be even scarier…. ;)

If your kids or nephews don't think much of scifi…

… then it's time to get new kids and nephews.

I think STAR TREK, (the original series) did more for me as far as looking FORWARD to the future…computers, cell-phones, multiple races, species WORKING together towards a positive outcome…

Yeah, there were 'monsters' and 'bad guys', etc…but there is 'opposition' in everything, always has been, always will be. BUT…the 'family/team feeling' of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, Chekov, Sulu…and later crews from Next Gen, DS-9, Voyager…even ENTERPRISE…and the 'cool technology'…

I liked some of the early Lost in Space, 'Exploration' stuff too…before the 'Dr. Smith Goodtime hour'…and the Seaview w/flying sub….(they WERE/the Navy!?) mentioned they were GOING to build an actual vessel based on the SEAVIEW at one time???

The Proteus from 'Fantastic Voyage', 2001: A space Odyssey…

All of those things 'shaped' my youth…my 'growing/formative years'…and yet there was also 'Voyage to the Planet of the Prehistoric Women' and other 'space pulp' too…

But TREK…had the most profound, lasting, positive effect…for me and a lot of folks…and I bet if you asked Spielberg, Lucas, Gates and others…it was 'similar'

Pulling 'pranks' on kids nowadays, in 'Generation Wii+' of a sci-fi type…to try and show them how 'future past' is now 'future now'…would be a 'challenge' I think.

and yet, while we have cell-phones, sat phones/'tri-corders'/personal computers…'virtual reality'…the 'food pills', rocket packs/flying cars per se, haven't happened…yet!

I think subjecting them to 'Plan 9 from Outer Space', 'Attack of the Killer Tomatos', 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' and 'Alien Tresspass'….(a direct to dvd attempt to make a 1950's pulp sci-fi movie) would be 'better' than 'Battlefield Earth'…but that's just me…

Slishfully,
Sgt DWW-btod

Guys, guys, guys. You are taking this waayyy too seriously! I'm playing, ok? I hope you don't really think I would do those things to kids and other people. :)

No sure I want to answer that one . . . . .

Jeff

LOL. That's why it's a good thing we don't have any kids!

CC

"Yes, what we need are more people who take sci-fi really, really seriously. Like there are a shortage of those."

To wit:

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And yes, and most tragically:

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…or:

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Xenu help us…

Allen

Ok, Allen.

Obviously, those who follow Xenu and similar other . . . hmm . . . "groups", see SF topics as historical fact.

Oh well. One person's entertainment is another person's belief.

Here's Xenu, by the way (for those who don't know):

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link
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CC

I didn't get the Xenu references, so I googled … OH MY GOD!

***
Xenu, also Xemu (pronounced /ˈziːnuː/[1][2][3]) was according to Scientology founder and science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, the dictator of the "Galactic Confederacy" who, 75 million years ago, brought billions[4][5] of his people to Earth in DC-8-like spacecraft, stacked them around volcanoes and killed them using hydrogen bombs. Official Scientology dogma holds that the essences of these many people remained, and that they form around people in modern times, causing them spiritual harm.[1][6] Members of the Church of Scientology widely deny or try to hide the Xenu story.[7][8]

These events are known within Scientology as "Incident II",[9] and the traumatic memories associated with them as The Wall of Fire. The story of Xenu is part of Scientologist teachings about extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in Earthly events, collectively described as space opera by Hubbard. Hubbard detailed the story in Operating Thetan level III (OT III) in 1967, warning that an "implant" (past trauma[10]) discussed in these materials was "calculated to kill (by pneumonia etc)[sic] anyone who attempts to solve it."[11][10][12]

The Xenu story is part of the Church of Scientology's secret "Advanced Technology",[9] normally only revealed to members who have already contributed large amounts of money.[13] The Church avoids mention of Xenu in public statements and has gone to considerable effort to maintain the story's confidentiality, including legal action on the grounds of both copyright and trade secrecy.[14] Despite this, much material on Xenu has leaked to the public via court documents, copies of Hubbard's notes, and the Internet.[7]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenu

Xenu, UFO:s, Urantia and whatnot really doesn't have all that much to do with science fiction. After all, even most of the hardcore fandom dorks, not to mention the more casual consumers, do understand what the second word of the compuound means…

Regardless of whether or not they grow up to like or dislike Sci-Fi (and Fantasy) by nephew and neice will get nothing but Sci-Fi (and Fantasy) books until they turn 18 (which is when I will take them sky diving!).

Why "KIDS or NEPHEWS"? What about nieces?

Frankly, as long as they read something, I don't much care what it is. I detest most science fiction myself.

Catenwold has revealed chuch secrets! I fear a Tom Cruise clone has already been dispatched to deal with the situation.

Well Xenu & Scientology sounds like it makes for good Syfy !! Kind'a scary people actually believe it … But of course I'm sure there is a Stargate at NORAD …

Neotacha: "Why "KIDS or NEPHEWS"? What about nieces?"

Oops. Sorry. I think in Spanish most of the time. For us "hijos y sobrinos" oftentimes involve both genders.

Never meant to exclude the girls from the pranks.

CC

Legion4: "Kind'a scary people actually believe it"

Well, you remember this group of believers in SF, right?

link

But there are a lot of other groups of UFO "believers":

link

CC

Legion 4 12 Oct 2009 10:21 a.m. PST
Well Xenu & Scientology sounds like it makes for good Syfy !! Kind'a scary people actually believe it … But of course I'm sure there is a Stargate at NORAD …

Meh. To me scientology is no more nor any less weird than any of the other religions. Souls being dropped from spaceplanes versus all the world's animals on a boat? Six of one half a dozen of the other as far as I am concerned.

Kids not liking science fiction? Well their midichlorian count must be below 7000 and thus not worthy of note, so send them to orphanage or foster care.

Or possibly sell them to the Hutts. They do pay well for the little creeps.

Wait, are telling me Battlefield Earth wasn't a comedy?

"Wait, are telling me Battlefield Earth wasn't a comedy?"

Ah thought it was a tragedy (that ah read the whole thing) <chuckle)

Yep … CC & Mock … I agree … Truth is in the eye of the beholder …

Using one's imagination and exploring 'What ifs or what could be' is what science fiction (most people forget the science part) is all about. This should appeal to kids of any age 4-115, no interest may indicate too little imagination/thinking exercises?

Good science fiction: The Twilight Zone, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine and the authors he showcased.

Bad science fiction is any genre where one feels the need to dress up as a character and it's not Halloween, (wait, even if it is) or one is not under 13 years old.

A personal opinion only. Each his own. I just could not subject my son to a Star Wars convention even though he likes the books and figures. But partly because of Star Wars he's interested in Space, loves the Planetarium, and wants to be a cosmo/astronaut.

Hope the kids are interested in SOMETHING?

Just curious but what ages are the original children in question and what do they like. I have no kids and all my friends kids are still to young for such fun.

Saxondog,

I don't have any kids, and all my nieces and nephews are grown up (in age at least).

Here's what I mentioned in one of the posts above:

"Guys, guys, guys. You are taking this waayyy too seriously! I'm playing, ok? I hope you don't really think I would do those things to kids and other people. :)
I saw the alien wall piece and thought it was ideal prank material – if someone was inclined to do that."

So, the question remains . . . IF you were going to try an alien prank on kids, what would it be?

CC

Personally, I'd have fun with that wall plaque. Mount it on a large black slab. Han Xenu in Carbonite!

CC, thats the point. Some jokes would just be over the heads of younger kids and not fun. As I said my friend's kids are to young and just wouldn't get it or would be scared to tears.
Others are to old for the simpler pranks.

I have put a rubber monster mask on a kid's basketball and hid it under a bush. Tin foil in it's eyes and all. When it got dark out and lighting under the bush was even poorer then usual, A bit of porch light would glint off the foil. Wasn't to funny for the younger kids.

That wall mount placed looking into a kids window would be priceless (depending on the kid). A P.A. speaker located behind a stuffed animal on a shelf to high to reach can also be a hoot.

Saxondog,

That's the spirit.
And I like how you think!!! >:)

CC