Tag Archives: sci-fi

Frak Pak? Really?

It’s the final season of Battlestar Galactica and SciFi is scrambling to monetize every last moment.

“Buy artifacts from Earth!” they keep cajoling. Er, no thanks, I have plenty.

In addition to all of the prop and costume auctions, SciFi and Kentucky Fried Chicken are apparently running a sweepstakes. I hadn’t paid any attention to it – living in a time-shifted viewing universe I generally ignore the commercials. One of my knitting buddies was over today to catch up on this season and I failed to fast-forward through one of the commercial breaks in the first episode. Our jaws all dropped when we saw the commercial.

I just hit the SciFi channel website to see if they’re still running the promotion. I see that they’re now calling it the “Can’t say that word on tv” sweepstakes. I’d like to imagine that the Battlestar Galactica writers laughed so hard they ruptured their spleens when the SciFi marketing braintrust rolled out what they originally called the “frak pak”.

Now, obviously, you can say the word on television, because they do. That’s the point of the word. SciFi is basic cable, so having characters utter the word fuck every 6 seconds on a 42 minute program would break the bank. On the other hand, I don’t know if I’m willing to give SciFi enough credit to believe that they rolled this out on purpose so that they could then change the name with a wink-wink-nudge-nudge bit of viral publicity.

Husband suggested I embed this video for those who don’t know the show. Here’s a montage of BSG characters using the word Frak. (It’s pretty amusing, anyway).



So why don’t I think this was a calculated plan on the part of SciFi and KFC?

For starters, I don’t think KFC is that cutting edge in their thinking, nor do I think their shareholders would probably dig that plan.

Secondly, SciFi is the channel that killed the clever, witty and original Dresden Files in favor of Sanctuary. I rest my case.

Still, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that my inner 13 year old found this frakkin hysterical. It’s really a miracle I’m able to get through this post without pointing out to KFC that they missed the boat with this one, because they do allegedly sell chicken at their establishment and the phrase “box of cocks” rhymes as nicely as “frak pak” and could be a cross-promotional bonanza.

Maybe that’s not as funny as I think it is – I proposed it to Husband and he just stared at me while I laughed hysterically.

I think I ate too many cookies today.

If you so desire, you can learn about how the FCC determines if the usage of a word is profane or obscene by reading the Golden Globes Award Order, which was the result of the legal wrangling after Bono used what the FCC refers to officially as the “F-word” (in quotation marks) during the Golden Globes. Or, you can just say “frak pak” a lot and giggle hysterically, which is what I’ve been doing.

Day the Earth Stood Still

We went on a date recently and we actually went to the movies – we saw The Day the Earth Stood Still at the local IMAX theater. We watched the original first because, well, we’re geeks. Keanu Reeves acquitted himself nicely as the completely expressionless Klaatu, and the pacing was much better, and GORT the robot was seriously creepy, but it lacked all the nice DC scenery that gave the first one so much of it’s charm (for us).

The real geek-fest was the previews – warning – these websites all launch annoying sound effects when you click the links so you may want to turn your speakers off – The Watchmen (which author Alan Moore is, predictably, upset about), Star Trek, and Monsters Vs Aliens, which looks really cute. I also choose to take it as further evidence of the dinosaur-human hybrid super-soldier project in the basement of the Pentagon.

To be fair to Moore, Hollywood hasn’t done a particularly good job of translating his work to the screen (see also: League of Extraordinary Gentleman and V for Vendetta). Plus, the guy probably gets more press as the disgruntled and disenfranchised creator than he would if he was gung-ho about the adaptations.

Galactica 1980

It may at last be time to face my arch-nemesis. No, not Wolf Blitzer. Galactica 1980.

I’m about to go totally meta here, and quote from that previous post about why you don’t want to try this at home:

Here are the original posts from that first little (mis)adventure, to help newer readers understand why they shouldn’t try this [watching Galactica 1980] at home. Not without first undertaking a rigorous training regimen. And possibly lobotomizing themselves with a number 2 pencil.

Remember people, I watch so you don’t have to. I am a trained media professional and this is the big time. You should not, I repeat, not, try this at home.

And if you do, I’m not responsible for the psychological carnage. Nor will I come to your home and scrape the fetid remnants of your anguished soul off of your rug.

1) galactica 1980 marathon, part I (caution: new series spoilers)

2) Cousin Oliver gets kicked to the curb; or, Galactica 1980 marathon, part 2

3) Mormons, or, Galactica 1980 marathon, part 3

4) Galactica 1980 marathon, part 4, wherein I talk about Knight Rider instead because I still haven’t been able to bring myself to finish watching episode 5

5) Galactica 1980 post part 5; I only wish the 6th episode starred Janeane Garofalo and David Hyde Pierce

6) And, if you got through all that, a bonus post, at no extra charge: The Big Score, and a minor Battlestar Galactica (new series) spoiler

(Original post here).

The DVDs are standing by. If anyone wants to undertake this mission with me, drop me a line. Be warned that you aren’t getting your mitts on one of the lollipops and you’re going to need to know me fairly well to be allowed to babysit.

The category index for Galactica 1980 is here.