I’ve never really thought about the moral ambiguity, but the violence in *Firefly *means that my kids, ages 7 and 11, haven’t seen it yet. The 11-yr-old is almost ready but the logistics are difficult: the little one would be ticked at being sent out of the room for 14 episodes.
It’s always tempting to let them watch the stuff I like. It’s neat to see your children enjoying your favorite movies for the first time.
I’m borderline on my 10 year old, but I chose to have her pass for now. Besides, I doubt she’ll like it as much as my little boy would.
Ghanima, OK, not a spoiler, but it looked like one.
Jim
First line of the second episode:
“What are you up to?”
“Crime.”
The show makes a number of comments about our heros being the “bad guys” on a day-to-day basis.
Like:
“Shiney. Let’s be bad guys.”
I think innocence should be preserved when practical and possible. A kid walking in on their parents having sex probably isn’t going to have as good a view of the mechanics of what’s going on than a kid watching a porno video. What if the little boy thinks it’s cool or funny when the pretty woman sucks on the man’s penis and tries to get another kid to suck on his in preschool? What if it awakens sexual urges in him earlier than normal and it leads to sexual dysfunction?
I’m not saying that it viewing porn can permanently wreck a child’s psyche, or that it necessarily will always cause problems, anymore than watching a violent movie would…but it is increasing the risk of real potential dangers for no good reason.
If my kids play in the street, that doesn’t mean necessarily that they will get run over by a car, but I have no reason to encourage them to do so, and good motivation to keep them out of the street. Why expose your kids to something that might cause them problems if you have no reason to?
The next ep, “Ariel”, does contain some fairly nasty villains who have a rather nasty way of inducing gore which is probably a bit explicit for kids. However, it’s a cracker of an episode, with some top-class Jaynery.
The difference is, we have concrete proof of bad things happening when kids play in the street. Where is the concrete proof of bad things happening if a kid sees a porno video? I think we should have some sort of standard of evidence before we come down on other people for how they raise their children, is all I’m saying. What’s the evidence for your position?
Yikes. T.O. didn’t last long.
Well, that’s what happens when you buy your socks from the $.99 store.
I noticed the oddest thing last night watching a few more episodes. Near the end of the credits is the name Sonny Rhodes as the musician: main title theme.
Now I know* a Sonny Rhodes and he is an excellent Blues guitar player, so I suspect it is him.
Unfortunately IMDB has no other listings for him.
Thankfully Wiki confirms it is the Sonny I have met, talked to and even sang with once.
I think this is very cool little coincidence. I have one or two of his CDs loaded in my CD players. (I have ganged together a Sony 200 & 300 disc CD player to make an in house jukebox.)
He used to play at the Jazz & Blues festival I helped stage and at least once at the Clearwater Festival. He was a great guy, very friendly, hopefully he did well off these recordings. He is a great bluesman.
Jim
That’s him singing the theme song? That is cool.
I’m not sure if he is singing or just playing the guitar for it. The credit is a little vague. Josh Whedon apparently wrote the lyrics.
The soundtrack list says, “The Ballad of Serenity” Performed by Sonny Rhodes Written by Joss Whedon.
It looks like it is safe to assume he is singing and playing the theme.
Jim
I completed the series last night.
I was excellent and I really enjoyed it.
I will probably watch the movie over the weekend.
River’s character never got too annoying. Most of the characters show nice growth for 13 shows. I like the way Mal was developing; I hope that plays out in the movie.
Jayne was the best character, but Mal has no reason to trust him. He has proven from even how he was hired that he is only out for himself. He might rise to the occasion on occasion, but I would hate to have to count on him.
Jim
It’s him. He also appears on-screen as the Mudder singing in the saloon in “Jaynestown.”
The hero of Canton
the man we call… Jayne!
Cool, I need to pop that back in a watch that scene.
Are you sure about that? Sonny Rhodes is an elderly black man and I remember the mudder balladeer being a middle aged white guy.
Glad you enjoyed the show, What Exit?. Hope you enjoy the movie.
Sonny Rhodes would be in his mid-60s now and was definitely an black blues musician. So if the balladeer was white, it isn’t the Sonny Rhodes I know and Wiki credits with preforming the title song.
Jim
Thank you so much! 
Gonna have to watch the show again.