# Firefly: Origin of "can't stop the signal" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 20, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-origin-of-cant-stop-the-signal/313334 "2005-07-20T19:09:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-origin-of-cant-stop-the-signal/313334/1 "2005-07-20T19:09:37Z")
What’s the origin of this phrase, used so often by online Firefly fans? ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-origin-of-cant-stop-the-signal/313334/2 "2005-07-20T19:18:56Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > What’s the origin of this phrase, used so often by online Firefly fans? It’s a line from the new movie. I’ll refrain from explaining its context, because I don’t want to give away any plot points from the movie. You could also read it (I do) as a reference to Firefly itself, which managed to grow and spread through its fans, despite the network’s best efforts to prevent anyone from seeing it or learning to like it. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-origin-of-cant-stop-the-signal/313334/3 "2005-07-20T21:08:27Z")
> [@FisherQueen](#): > > It’s a line from the new movie. > > I’ll refrain from explaining its context, because I don’t want to give away any plot points from the movie. > > You could also read it (I do) as a reference to Firefly itself, which managed to grow and spread through its fans, despite the network’s best efforts to prevent anyone from seeing it or learning to like it. More directly, Joss and the other marketting guys for the movie have made it the fiilm’s tagline. [www.cantstopthesignal.com](http://www.cantstopthesignal.com) is the site for the early peviews. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-origin-of-cant-stop-the-signal/313334/4 "2005-07-20T22:43:38Z")
> [@FisherQueen](#): > > I’ll refrain from explaining its context, because I don’t want to give away any plot points from the movie. River is made of chocolate! ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-origin-of-cant-stop-the-signal/313334/5 "2005-07-21T01:10:02Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > River is made of chocolate! And Book is Mal’s father! ---
**Author:** ![Camus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Camus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Camus)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-origin-of-cant-stop-the-signal/313334/6 "2005-07-21T03:25:07Z")
> [@FisherQueen](#): > > You could also read it (I do) as a reference to Firefly itself, which managed to grow and spread through its fans, despite the network’s best efforts to prevent anyone from seeing it or learning to like it. Just to echo what’s already been said, it’s basically a “fuck you” to Fox, who cancelled the series. ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefly-origin-of-cant-stop-the-signal/313334/7 "2005-07-21T12:08:40Z")
> [@Camus](#): > > Just to echo what’s already been said, it’s basically a “fuck you” to Fox, who cancelled the series. And Yet they should be greatful fox released the Series to DVD assuring a wider fan base… I never watched the show when it was on and “discovered” it on DVD.