Oh Beautiful For Spacious Skies....

[lls_mutant]

I pulled jury duty. Well, I've been summoned. First time in my life I've been summoned.

I finally filled out the questionnaire. Hubby mentioned pleading hardship, but somehow I doubt I can do it. I mean, I'm a stay at home mom and they offer child care for kids from 6 weeks to school age. (I do want to check the childcare out a bit first.)

To be honest, a lot of me doesn't want to plead hardship anyway. I mean, I'm not looking forward to jury duty, but I do believe rather deeply in the ideals of this country. Yeah, it's inconvenient and stuff, but I do believe firmly that everyone should have a trial, and the jury system isn't one of our country's bigger flaws, y'know? I'm not called on to serve my country all that often. And sure, sitting jury duty isn't exactly the most glamorous or necessarily life-changing event (although depending on the case, it could be I suppose), but I actually am quite patriotic. Heck, I worked for the government, and I'd do it again if I found a good fit.

I'm probably way behind the times, but someone on MRFH linked to this post about how Firefly is anti-feminist. Now, I MIGHT possibly agree with the whole thing about prostitution being glorified (still haven't made up my mind), but alleging that Joss Whedon rapes and beats his wife based solely on his work is flat-out slander. And Wash rapes Zoe? What part of "Sir, I need this man to rip off all my clothes," sounds REMOTELY non-consensual, in any way, shape, or form????? And yes, Mal jokes about throwing Kaylee in a hold, but he's joking and he seriously threatens to airlock Jayne. And Zoe calling Mal "sir"? Um, maybe because he outranked her in the military and the war isn't over for them in ways?

Careful if you read it. Your brain might explode.

Comments

[lilacsigil.livejournal.com]

I remember that post! It's not even radical feminism (which can include the idea that under current political and socioeconomic circumstances, heterosexual sex in marriage *is* rape), it's just silly.

I really would like to read a coherent feminist critique of the Companions in Firefly, though - their alleged high social status was constantly undercut and denied right through the show.

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, that drivel got sporked AGES ago.

[krabapple.livejournal.com]

I agree that an interesting, thoughtful write up on the Companions and the ensuing issues on the show (especially Mal's) would be great, especially as I'm not the person to do it. :)

I served on jury duty for three months, so if you need any pointers, let me know. (Securities fraud, nothing exciting, let me tell you. Days and days and days of testimony from the forensic accountants.) It was a crazy time, no less so because September 11 occurred smack in the middle of the trial and a whole bunch of us witnessed the whole thing from the courthouse about six blocks or so away.

Anyway. I wouldn't be eager to do it again, but I'm sure one reason I was chosen in the first place is that I clearly felt fine about doing it. Deliberations were a quite emotional process, actually; when it comes down to it, having someone's life in your hands was, to me, a really immense responsibility.

(The fact that my tour of duty ended up getting me fired from NYU -- where I had started two weeks before I was summoned -- is an entirely different story.)

[such_heights]

Ugh, god, I remember that article and its ridiculousness. BAH. Any good points it briefly flirts with are totally undermined by idiocy, how infuriating.

[aome.livejournal.com]

When do you have to report for Jury Duty? My dad mentioned kind of wistfully a while back that he'd never been summoned; as a naturalized citizen, I think he found it an interesting process. I was called once, during college, so I managed to postpone - possibly twice, I think - until there was a break. I went, we did roll call and then, while they were entering our names into the computer, the defendant pleaded guilty and the case was thrown out. But since we were all entered into the computer, we were considered to have served so ... that was it for me. :P

[snorkackcatcher]

I remember reading that article and thinking that it was of the type where any possibly valid points got lost amid the batshit.

Anyway, practically speaking how can anyone except Josh Whedon and the people he pitched the show to be sure about how the Companions thing would play out, or indeed any other storyline? It lasted half a season. That's just about enough time to get everyone used to the characters and setting and have a plot-of-the-week, and then move on to start developing them. (One reason I've never bothered to seek it out.) Or has he talked about what was planned?

Good luck with the jury duty.