# Aliens question. Spoily bits inside. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000 "2010-09-16T18:55:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/21 "2010-09-17T19:26:16Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Would you settle for Gilbert Gottfried? Settle? I have dreams where Gilbert is doing that voiceover. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/22 "2010-09-17T19:37:13Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > > [@Bytegeist](#): > > > > I wasn’t being serious there. > > At least you don’t see the aliens screwing each other over for a god damn percentage. I say we grease this rat-fuck son-of-a-bitch right now. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/23 "2010-09-17T22:32:38Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > > [@Ludovic](#): > > > > At least you don’t see the aliens screwing each other over for a god damn percentage. > > I say we grease this rat-fuck son-of-a-bitch right now. You can’t make that decision, you’re just a gladiator, no offense. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/24 "2010-09-18T01:39:02Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > > [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > > > I say we grease this rat-fuck son-of-a-bitch right now. > > You can’t make that decision, you’re just a gladiator, no offense. None taken. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/25 "2010-09-18T04:07:23Z")
(Nitpick) …just a\* grunt\*… (end nitpick) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/26 "2010-09-18T04:17:11Z")
> [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](#): > > (Nitpick) > > …just a\* grunt\*… > > (end nitpick) _cough_ lookattheusername _cough_ ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/27 "2010-09-18T04:38:48Z")
Oops. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/28 "2010-09-18T04:47:48Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > Oh. We’re supposed to root for the _humans_? I’ve always wanted to see a movie, especially _Aliens vs Predator_, with no human characters in the story at all, so that during the battle you can pick either side as your champion. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/29 "2010-09-18T14:24:42Z")
I love the movie, but Ripley’s resistance to greasing Burke does strike me as a bit odd and misplaced, i.e. it’s not what _I_ would do under those circumstances. And criticisms of Newt are just not _on_… it’s one of the absolutely very few child performances I can tolerate. Her character helps the protagonist (the extended footage makes it clearer that she’s something of an expert at navigating the ventilation system, something “all the kids” do, probably out of boredom, explaining her survival) and when the grenade goes off and she gets separated from Ripley and Hicks, it’s not her fault (as opposed to the lame convention of the child character wandering off to explore in the middle of a crisis, to be rescued by an adult at the cost of the adult’s life). And when the facehugger is trying to get her, damn if she ain’t there all gritted-teeth and determination to hold the thing at bay until Hudson shows up. Speaking of which, she gets to call the adults by their last names (“Hudson!”, “Ripleeeeey!”, “Bishop!”) and how cool is _that?_ ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/30 "2010-09-18T15:49:04Z")
Game over man, game over. ---
**Author:** ![Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acorns.but_not_Bacon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/31 "2010-09-18T15:55:22Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I love the movie, but Ripley’s resistance to greasing Burke does strike me as a bit odd and misplaced, i.e. it’s not what _I_ would do under those circumstances. Especially since “The Company” want the aliens for their own gains anyway so any trial trying to get justice for those who lost their lives would never take off. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/32 "2010-09-18T18:35:59Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I love the movie, but Ripley’s resistance to greasing Burke does strike me as a bit odd and misplaced, i.e. it’s not what _I_ would do under those circumstances. > > And criticisms of Newt are just not _on_… it’s one of the absolutely very few child performances I can tolerate. Her character helps the protagonist (the extended footage makes it clearer that she’s something of an expert at navigating the ventilation system, something “all the kids” do, probably out of boredom, explaining her survival) and when the grenade goes off and she gets separated from Ripley and Hicks, it’s not her fault (as opposed to the lame convention of the child character wandering off to explore in the middle of a crisis, to be rescued by an adult at the cost of the adult’s life). > > And when the facehugger is trying to get her, damn if she ain’t there all gritted-teeth and determination to hold the thing at bay until Hudson shows up. Speaking of which, she gets to call the adults by their last names (“Hudson!”, “Ripleeeeey!”, “Bishop!”) and how cool is _that?_ Affirmative! ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/33 "2010-09-18T22:33:57Z")
> [@Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](#): > > > [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > > > … Ripley’s resistance to greasing Burke does strike me as a bit odd and misplaced, i.e. it’s not what _I_ would do under those circumstances. > > Especially since “The Company” want the aliens for their own gains anyway so any trial trying to get justice for those who lost their lives would never take off. Maybe, maybe not. We don’t know much about the Earth of Ripley’s time. (Not from the films anyway, which is all I’ve seen. Maybe there’s more backstory in the written fiction that’s out there.) The courts are not necessarily all run by Weyland-Yutani. There might still be a free press. There might still be representative democracies which (imperfectly, as always) bring criminals to justice in the interest of their citizens. Civilization need not be wholly corrupted quite yet. I like to think this, partly because I’m a long-term optimist, but also because of the scene being talked about. Ripley seems to want Burke back on Earth to either face responsibility for what he’s done, or help expose who else might have been responsible. If she thought it was futile to even try this, she’d probably already have shot him herself. [QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] And criticisms of Newt are just not _on_… it’s one of the absolutely very few child performances I can tolerate. Her character helps the protagonist … [/quote] _Why don’t you put her **in charge**?!_ ---
**Author:** ![Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acorns.but_not_Bacon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/34 "2010-09-18T22:48:15Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > > [@Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](#): > > > > Especially since “The Company” want the aliens for their own gains anyway so any trial trying to get justice for those who lost their lives would never take off. > > Maybe, maybe not. We don’t know much about the Earth of Ripley’s time. (Not from the films anyway, which is all I’ve seen. Maybe there’s more backstory in the written fiction that’s out there.) > > The courts are not necessarily all run by Weyland-Yutani. There might still be a free press. There might still be representative democracies which (imperfectly, as always) bring criminals to justice in the interest of their citizens. Civilization need not be wholly corrupted quite yet. > > I like to think this, partly because I’m a long-term optimist, but also because of the scene being talked about. Ripley seems to want Burke back on Earth to either face responsibility for what he’s done, or help expose who else might have been responsible. If she thought it was futile to even try this, she’d probably already have shot him herself. I definitely see where you’re coming from but if we look at the practices of Weyland-Yutani in the past, they appear to be this huge megacorporation with billions behind them and will do anything to get what they want ergo aliens eating people and impregnating people and sliming all over people. I imagine any trial that would try to take place would be quashed and people bought to keep their mouths shut. Also, I’m not sure whether they had the government behind them but I presume they did if Weyland-Yutani wanted the aliens for bio-weaponry, so that’s another massive power you’re up against. If I were in that situation, I wouldn’t have been able to shoot Burke anyway, whether I thought he would be brought to justice or not. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/35 "2010-09-18T23:58:57Z")
The problem I have with this theory is how woefully unprepared they were. They sent a green lieutenant in to pop his cherry on a low risk rescue mission with a dozen marines. Even if they were meant to be cannon fodder there should have been someone to scoop them up. Neither the company nor the government thought there was anything really going on, _because only Burke knew they’d been sent to the spacecraft_. ---
**Author:** ![Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acorns.but_not_Bacon)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/36 "2010-09-19T00:10:56Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > The problem I have with this theory is how woefully unprepared they were. They sent a green lieutenant in to pop his cherry on a low risk rescue mission with a dozen marines. Even if they were meant to be cannon fodder there should have been someone to scoop them up. Neither the company nor the government thought there was anything really going on, _because only Burke knew they’d been sent to the spacecraft_. Oh yeah that’s true, also I missed out a major plotline - they were colonising the planet. In Alien 3 Ripley was explaining to the prisoners near the end of the movie that the rescuers coming wouldn’t care about the prisoners lives because the company, “official” people outside had already sacrificed Ripley’s crew then after that the military. That they had lead the crew to the aliens, then led the military to the aliens after that. In the end I suppose I’m just confused about how influential and massive Weyland-Yutani are. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/37 "2010-09-19T02:47:39Z")
The Aliens _Colonial Marines Technical Manual_—which is probably the awesomest, geekiest, most well-written tie in book I’ve ever read—actually has as the later chapters the transcripts of Weyland-Yutani execs in the aftermath of Aliens/Alien3 trying to figure out what the hell had happened and who was behind what, and if they could still get some kind of profit out of it. I really can’t do it justice—it’s really nicely done. The book is out of print (Amazon lists some copies as high as $88 :eek: ), but I’m sure you _can’t_ find a copy online anyway by searching by the book title. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/38 "2010-09-19T03:22:10Z")
OTOH, after I posted I thought, well, if the federal trade commission (or whatever) is willing to reinstate Ripley’s flight status, and the companies promising her a job, someone must have given it _some_ thought. Of course this is all ex-post fan wanking, it’s necessary for the plot but doesn’t have to make sense, just like Ferro landing the drop ship and hanging out with the loading doors open and unguarded, I mean WTF cpl, weren’t you ordered to circle? But it’s just one of those things where they started with the major plot points and back filled the details, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/39 "2010-09-19T03:33:04Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > Of course this is all ex-post fan wanking, it’s necessary for the plot but doesn’t have to make sense, just like Ferro landing the drop ship and hanging out with the loading doors open and unguarded, I mean WTF cpl, weren’t you ordered to circle? That was Spunkmeyer’s job, watching the loading doors. But I guess he was off spunking or meyering or something. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/40 "2010-09-19T04:01:03Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > > [@mlees](#): > > > > The “Company” (I forget the name)… > > Weyland-Yutani. Sorry, a bit off-topic, but if you’re thinking of buying one of their atmospheric processors, don’t. Absolute crap; they have a nasty habit of blowing up if you accidently sever a couple of feed lines. And what person using a hedge trimmer hasn’t done _that_ occasionally? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000.md?page=3)