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beccatoriaOnce upon a time, I would have been thrilled that my show was the first TV show ever to get invited to the UN. In retrospect, considering how faily I tought the finale was particularly on issues such as race, gender, religion, colonialism, etc., it wasn't quite as awesome for me as I wanted it to be (read: faintly embarassing) but I know that's both my opinion and hey, the UN couldn't have known that at the time?
So then EJO says things like, "There's only one race! The human race!" and some UN person - I apologise I can't remember the exact words, basically says something diplomatic along the lines of, "Yes, and that's a lovely thought but it's not useful to dismiss people's very real experiences of racism," to which EJO replied, profoundly, "When a bug doesn't like you, that's racism." TO THE UN, PEOPLE. TO THE UNITED. NATIONS.
Which was - UNTIL TODAY - my all-time all-encompassing symbol for everything I found off-putting about the guy's public persona.
YOU GUYS. EJO IS CLAIMING HE - OR RATHER HIS APPEARANCE AT THE BSG UN PANEL - IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CHANGING THE UN CHARTER.
This would not be so bad, if there were any evidence at all that it had been changed.
I do not even know what to do with this information, y'all. I just cannot process it.
I found this link through fandom grapevine; I believe it originated with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
greycoupon? I got it from asta77 in any event:
http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/6569
There's the link, though since it's written by Michael Hinman and I don't really want to increase his hits, the article is reproduced for posterity below.
"Battlestar Galactica" has been influential in the lives of millions of fans, but probably never like this.
Becoming the first television show ever invited to speak at the United Nations last March would be enough for some people. But not series star Edward James Olmos. Instead, he was out to change the very core of the United Nations itself. And he succeeded.
"The United Nations changed their charter three weeks ago after 'Battlestar' went and spoke at the UN," Olmos told G4's "Attack of the Show." "They changed the entire understanding of their charter that was written in 1947 so that they would never use the word 'race' as a cultural determinate again. There is only one race, and that is the human race."
The news of the charter change has not been made public until that announcement, Olmos said. A search for press releases over the past seven months on the United Nations Web site produced no results for "race" and "charter," and there are no other reports that such a change has been made.
"Nobody knows that the charter has been changed," Olmos said. "It's one of the hardest things that happened to me, and it would've never happened but if it weren't for 'Battlestar.' Did they invite 'The Sopranos?' Did they invite 'The West Wing?'
"'Battlestar and its writers decided to take on what was happening now. The reconciliation between the Cylon and the human being. How did that happen? How could it happen? If the Palestinian and the Jew could only see 'Battlestar,' they would understand how to reconcile."
Olmos did not explain how he was allowed to be the first to break the news, and why it seems that nothing about the charter change was made available through the United Nations. In fact, the charter that is still published on the UN's official site still uses the word "race" as part of its cultural determinant, so it's unclear why such changes have not been reflected in official documents.
The charter was not signed in 1947, but rather on June 26, 1945, and was put into full force in October of that year. Among its purposes listed for the United Nations in Article I, it continues to state that "to achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction to race, sex, language, or religion."
The power to amend or modify the charter is listed in Chapter XVIII has to take place after approval by a two-thirds vote of the members of the General Assembly as well as by a vote of nine members of the Security Council. Any alterations would have to be ratified by two-thirds of the members, including all the permanent members of the Security Council.
It is not clear if such a move was made, and if so, how such a massive undertaking was not previously reported in the media.
An attempt late Monday to reach the United Nations by e-mail is pending return, as is a message to G4 asking if they had verified the statement made by Olmos during the interview.
In the meantime, see Olmos' entire interview with "Attack of the Show" below.
So there you have it folks. Palestinians and Jews just haven't watched enough Battlestar Galactica.
I just. Text is inadequate to conveying the level of WTFery this engenders in me. There are no words, people. No. Words.
So then EJO says things like, "There's only one race! The human race!" and some UN person - I apologise I can't remember the exact words, basically says something diplomatic along the lines of, "Yes, and that's a lovely thought but it's not useful to dismiss people's very real experiences of racism," to which EJO replied, profoundly, "When a bug doesn't like you, that's racism." TO THE UN, PEOPLE. TO THE UNITED. NATIONS.
Which was - UNTIL TODAY - my all-time all-encompassing symbol for everything I found off-putting about the guy's public persona.
YOU GUYS. EJO IS CLAIMING HE - OR RATHER HIS APPEARANCE AT THE BSG UN PANEL - IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CHANGING THE UN CHARTER.
This would not be so bad, if there were any evidence at all that it had been changed.
I do not even know what to do with this information, y'all. I just cannot process it.
I found this link through fandom grapevine; I believe it originated with
greycoupon? I got it from asta77 in any event: http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/6569
There's the link, though since it's written by Michael Hinman and I don't really want to increase his hits, the article is reproduced for posterity below.
"Battlestar Galactica" has been influential in the lives of millions of fans, but probably never like this.
Becoming the first television show ever invited to speak at the United Nations last March would be enough for some people. But not series star Edward James Olmos. Instead, he was out to change the very core of the United Nations itself. And he succeeded.
"The United Nations changed their charter three weeks ago after 'Battlestar' went and spoke at the UN," Olmos told G4's "Attack of the Show." "They changed the entire understanding of their charter that was written in 1947 so that they would never use the word 'race' as a cultural determinate again. There is only one race, and that is the human race."
The news of the charter change has not been made public until that announcement, Olmos said. A search for press releases over the past seven months on the United Nations Web site produced no results for "race" and "charter," and there are no other reports that such a change has been made.
"Nobody knows that the charter has been changed," Olmos said. "It's one of the hardest things that happened to me, and it would've never happened but if it weren't for 'Battlestar.' Did they invite 'The Sopranos?' Did they invite 'The West Wing?'
"'Battlestar and its writers decided to take on what was happening now. The reconciliation between the Cylon and the human being. How did that happen? How could it happen? If the Palestinian and the Jew could only see 'Battlestar,' they would understand how to reconcile."
Olmos did not explain how he was allowed to be the first to break the news, and why it seems that nothing about the charter change was made available through the United Nations. In fact, the charter that is still published on the UN's official site still uses the word "race" as part of its cultural determinant, so it's unclear why such changes have not been reflected in official documents.
The charter was not signed in 1947, but rather on June 26, 1945, and was put into full force in October of that year. Among its purposes listed for the United Nations in Article I, it continues to state that "to achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction to race, sex, language, or religion."
The power to amend or modify the charter is listed in Chapter XVIII has to take place after approval by a two-thirds vote of the members of the General Assembly as well as by a vote of nine members of the Security Council. Any alterations would have to be ratified by two-thirds of the members, including all the permanent members of the Security Council.
It is not clear if such a move was made, and if so, how such a massive undertaking was not previously reported in the media.
An attempt late Monday to reach the United Nations by e-mail is pending return, as is a message to G4 asking if they had verified the statement made by Olmos during the interview.
In the meantime, see Olmos' entire interview with "Attack of the Show" below.
So there you have it folks. Palestinians and Jews just haven't watched enough Battlestar Galactica.
I just. Text is inadequate to conveying the level of WTFery this engenders in me. There are no words, people. No. Words.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-07-29 05:44 am (UTC)If only there were a convenient phrase I could use to illustrate this phenomenon... something about going the wrong waaaaaaaaay, perhaps?
Also, that video is beyond insane. Admiral, there's a wireless call from Earth for you: YOU ARE AN ACTOR AND THE SPACESHIP WASN'T REAL.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-29 04:21 pm (UTC)The only thing left to decide is whether God should be killing 95% of the Israelis or the Palestinians. I say we toss a coin!
*facepalm*
Also, that video is beyond insane. Admiral, there's a wireless call from Earth for you: YOU ARE AN ACTOR AND THE SPACESHIP WASN'T REAL.
I want to print it on a T-Shirt and mail it to him. Possibly also the genius football analogy...
no subject
Date: 2009-07-29 05:41 pm (UTC)Yeah. Nothing says funny like somebody who thinks shoving Paradise Lost into their TV show is compatible with a progressive, UN-friendly ending. :P Hell, the writers didn't even bother to reconcile anything in the last season with their own canon, so I'm sure they have lots of very apropos advice for the Middle East -- ooo, perhaps Rachel could wake up in a Resurrection tank and then get Netanyahu to "hug it out"!
Possibly also the genius football analogy...
Can't forget the lovely trick play in which it looked like they were finally going to throw for a touchdown, but then they suddenly strangled all the defensive linemen and blew the ref's head off.
SURELY I AM GOING TO WAKE UP FROM THIS RIDICULOUS DREAM ANYTIME NOW, JUST IN TIME TO CATCH THE FINALE
no subject
Date: 2009-07-29 07:09 pm (UTC)I'm sure this makes me a terrible person but lol.
SURELY I AM GOING TO WAKE UP FROM THIS RIDICULOUS DREAM ANYTIME NOW, JUST IN TIME TO CATCH THE FINALE
OH GOD I KNOW THAT FEELING.
Then again, eventually I got so tired of it I went insane and actually edited my own as best I could, but I'm fairly sure you already knew that, so chances are you won't flee the crazy girl. ;)
no subject
Date: 2009-07-29 07:32 pm (UTC)I just started writing an AU ending for the BSG Big Bang, myself... not sure if this sort of behavior is properly spelled "c a t h a r s i s" or "d e n i a l", but whichever it is, I hope it helps. :P For what it's worth, I liked your edit, too!
no subject
Date: 2009-07-29 08:10 pm (UTC)And thank you - I thought I recalled some very thoughtful feedback from you which is why I was fairly sure you knew about the project anyways.
I think it's great that you're writing your own. I'd love to read it when it's done. A lot of our ideas about where we thought it was going and the role we thought the Cylon would have seem to line up.
I really, really wish more people would undertake projects like this. A friend of mind has this theory that everyone should rewrite the Star Wars prequels at some point, or go through them instituting personal canon just to...recover the wonder of their lost childhoods (apologies if you are not a SW fan or liked them!) and I kind of think I feel the same way about BSG.
I kind of want some mass fandom rejection of the finale and just for everyone to make their own perfect, yet interconnecting, series of AUs and we can all visit each other's and stuff. And it would be like living in hippy harmony on our beatup battlestar with algae for food and a tragic lack of metal hands.
But then, the whole problem is that half of fandom finds that idea insulting to canon and the other half are apparently having trouble getting to that lovely land of denial. :/
no subject
Date: 2009-07-29 08:44 pm (UTC)Yeah. Me, too. *sigh*
I think it's great that you're writing your own. I'd love to read it when it's done. A lot of our ideas about where we thought it was going and the role we thought the Cylon would have seem to line up.
We do seem to have a similar outlook on things, which is nice. :) Hopefully I can finish this fic... I'm very much a short story writer, so I've never attempted something even half this long. If I miss the Big Bang deadline, that's no big deal, but I'd at least like to get it finished (if not posted) before The Plan comes out and retcons everything again. It'll be a fun challenge, though, that's for sure!
But then, the whole problem is that half of fandom finds that idea insulting to canon and the other half are apparently having trouble getting to that lovely land of denial. :/
Yeah, I think everyone deals with these things in their own way. I'm a big believer in fanfic/personal canon, to the point where I don't have much patience for the "omg it's Ron's story and it is sacred forever!" perspective, but BSG 4.5 has forced me to stretch canon about as far as I can take it. I can definitely understand why some people have thrown their hands up in disgust. :P