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Battlestar Galactica Hosted At the UN

TheDopp writes "The United Nations hosted the cast and crew of Battlestar Galactica Tuesday evening in New York. Clips of the show were shown as discussion points during the event, touching on the morality of Suicide Bombers in war, Abortion and the use of torture on enemies of the state. At one point during the event an attendee mentions 'the "Old Man" launched into a passionate speech about casting off the idea of race as a cultural determinant, and said we were one race, the human race. His voice echoed throughout the chamber growing louder until — I kid you not — he was yelling, "So Say We All," and the crowd answered right back. Hell, even I yelled it, I was in the fraking United Nations with Adama, the gods themselves could not have stopped this moment.' The full video of the event is located on the UN website."

38 of 252 comments (clear)

  1. Video by Imagix · · Score: 5, Informative

    RealMedia? People still use RealMedia?

    1. Re:Video by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Real Media if FRACKED up.

      So say we all?

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    2. Re:Video by pdabbadabba · · Score: 5, Funny

      SO SAY WE ALL!

    3. Re:Video by TheDopp · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm fairly certain the use of RealMedia by the UN is proof they ignore human rights vi*BUFFERING*olations.

    4. Re:Video by marcansoft · · Score: 4, Informative

      It's a stupid playlist. Try opening the file as text, copying the first line, and playing it with mplayer:
      mplayer rtsp://157.150.195.57:554/ondemand/specialevents/2009/se090317pm.rm?cloakport=80,554,7070

      The quality is substantially inferior to YouTube though.

    5. Re:Video by ptomblin · · Score: 5, Funny

      SO SAY ...buffering... WE ...buffering... ALL!

      --
      The next Cmdr Taco duplicate will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and see it early!
    6. Re:Video by cayenne8 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Screw it. THIS is the video that says it all to me, with regard to world relations. If this doesn't make you smile...nothing will.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    7. Re:Video by RDW · · Score: 4, Funny

      'RealMedia? People still use RealMedia?'

      "You'll see things here that look odd, even antiquated, to modern eyes, like phones with cords, awkward manual valves, media codecs that, well, barely deserve the name..."

  2. Quick....! by cayenne8 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Someone send in some Cylons!!!

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    1. Re:Quick....! by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This is the UN. They'd just put the Cylons in charge of a commission on human rights in the 12 colonies.

    2. Re:Quick....! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Who was that UN official with the really attractive blond in the red dress?

    3. Re:Quick....! by Vinegar+Joe · · Score: 3, Funny

      For the UN, that would be a step up.

      --
      "The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
  3. Did they mention by MikeRT · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That the whole story is essentially one 4 season long dissertation on the "wages of sin" and even "generational sin?" The recurring sins of sloth and bigotry finally keep coming back to haunt the human race. Sloth lead to two of the colonies being treated horribly until the Cylons could be created as a worker class. The Cylons eventually realized that they were slaves and revolted, and that pattern has repeated itself at least once already.

    In a dark, twisted way, the series is more religious and conservative than the original one. A lot of fans of the original hate that because it's more like a Hobbesian/Calvinist take on human nature, sin, God's judgment, etc. with the human race not being portrayed as noble, but having its own sins come back to haunt it. As a Christian, I find it a very refreshing show in that it has a brutally realistic take on human nature, sin and other factors that are usually ignored by people looking to create a simplistic "good guys in white, bad guys in black" kind of moral dichotomy.

    1. Re:Did they mention by khallow · · Score: 3, Interesting

      No offense, but I found the moralizing tiresome and contrived. Too many dumb moral lessons like "racism == bad" or "there are no good guys in the world". A lot of random garbage apparently intended to confuse the audience and/or inject a simulation of moral ambiguity, eg, the five hidden cylons.

      A common subplot is the cardboard character that has a surprising revelation and turns into a different cardboard character.

      My take is that while the new series does have a little more moral depth to it than the old series does, it's not that impressive. Your talk about Hobbesian/Calvinist viewpoint on human nature and "sin" underscores that. This is obsolete morality. People aren't really like that and fundamentally it is a stereotype just as misdirected and limited as the white hat/black hat story you decry.

  4. Re:/me shakes head by Evangelion · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah, they took some time out of their busy schedule of meetings with Bono to host BSG. At least it's a step up.

  5. YOUTUBE version by DeadDecoy · · Score: 5, Informative

    Thankfully youtube saves us all: BSG at UN

    1. Re:YOUTUBE version by Tyr_7BE · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You know that RealMedia is deeply hated when people are thankful for the posting of a flash version.

  6. I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV by Hordeking · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Seriously. Why do actors and actresses who pretend to be politicans and soldiers for tv and movies get more influence over "real world" politics like the UN than I do? Does the US constitution even have a sovereignty clause that forbids allowing foreign sovereignty (for instance, by the UN), or is that just an interpretation? I can't find one, but I'm at work (and posting on /., yeah I know)

    --
    Disclaimer: The opinions and actions of the US Gov't are in no way representative of those held by this author or its ci
    1. Re:I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV by MoellerPlesset2 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Seriously. Why do actors and actresses who pretend to be politicans and soldiers for tv and movies get more influence over "real world" politics like the UN than I do?

      Um, because Slashdot wouldn't have a story on its front page if you were to visit the UN?

    2. Re:I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV by BorgCopyeditor · · Score: 4, Funny

      Because if you shouted "So say we all," it would sound silly.

      When EJO shouts it, people want--no, need--to obey.

      --
      Shop as usual. And avoid panic buying.
    3. Re:I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV by genner · · Score: 3, Funny

      Seriously. Why do actors and actresses who pretend to be politicans and soldiers for tv and movies get more influence over "real world" politics like the UN than I do?

      Um, because Slashdot wouldn't have a story on its front page if you were to visit the UN?

      Oh I guarantee I would make the news if I visted the UN....which is why they won't invite me.

    4. Re:I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV by Yvanhoe · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm unsure that politicians and soldiers are more qualified. People did not applaud an actor. They applauded a beautiful idea told by a great orator. That is no acting, that is what politics is since the word exists.

      --
      The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
    5. Re:I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV by Scrameustache · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Seriously. Why do actors and actresses who pretend to be politicans and soldiers for tv and movies get more influence over "real world" politics like the UN than I do?

      Because they have an audience larger than the population of many UN member states. Seriously.

      --

      You can't take the sky from me...

    6. Re:I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV by eepok · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Indeed. Whether a political philosophy or better understanding about our living society comes from someone who was voted into bureaucratical power or someone who "merely" has cultural influence bestowed by science fiction, that philosophy and that understanding is significant on its own. They were not applauding "Adama" nor were they applauding Olmos. They applauded a proper philosophy about the being of man in the halls of a building that has been trying to make such strong assertions for decades-- if ever so impotently.

      The people that made this entire event happen understood that, beyond all things, old people want to stay in power but they do not change. Society changes. And the only way society changes is by the growth and further education of the youth that will replace our now-ignorant elders. They understood that we as adults have been so very flawed and that our kids need to know our mistakes and errors lest they be doomed to repeat them.

  7. Galaxy Quest anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Jason Nesmith: Mathesar, there's no such person as Captain Taggart. My name is Jason Nesmith. I'm an actor. We're all actors.
    Sarris: He doesn't understand. Explain as you would a child.
    Jason Nesmith: We, uh, we pretended.
    [On Malthesar's blank look]
    Jason Nesmith: We lied.
    Jason Nesmith: I'm not a commander. There's no "National Space Exploration Administration." We don't have a ship.
    Mathesar: [looking at TV screen] But there it is...
    Jason Nesmith: [gesturing with his fingers] The ship is that big.
    Mathesar: But inside, I see many rooms.
    Jason Nesmith: You've seen plywood sets that look like the inside. Our beryllium sphere is... is wire with plaster around it. And our digital conveyor is... it's Christmas tree lights. It's a decoration. It's all fake. Just like me.
    Mathesar: But why...?
    Jason Nesmith: It's difficult to explain. On our planet, we, uh... we pretend to... to entertain. Mathesar, I am so sorry. God, I am so sorry.

  8. Re:amatures by Cornflake917 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wow, I didn't know Christian Bale visited Slashdot. Can I have your autograph?

  9. Now if only the UN... by PK+Tech+Guy · · Score: 5, Funny

    can pass a resolution to stop SciFi from becoming Syfy.

  10. Re:Bastards made piece with the Cylons by Cornflake917 · · Score: 4, Funny

    As someone who is about 3/4 of the way though the 3rd season, all I can say is:

    Fuck you, asshole

  11. Re:Bastards made piece with the Cylons by RabidMoose · · Score: 4, Funny

    At least the spoiler he gave isn't that far off for you, only a few more episodes.

    Now, you've got about 30 hours to watch 23 episodes + Razor + webisodes before the finale tomorrow night.

    Better go get some energy drinks.

  12. Re:Sci-Fi Channel Better Have Footed the Whole Bil by elrous0 · · Score: 3, Funny

    The UN never does anything useful anyway. They'd might as well entertain us a little.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  13. LIES! Damned dirty LIES!!! by Murpster · · Score: 4, Funny

    Lorne Greene is dead, so there's no way Adama was just at the UN.

  14. Think now, there is something very, ah, right by sammyo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's TV show, it is not how the real world works... oh, wait

    It's the UN, it is not how the real world works.

  15. This is disturbing by maynard · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Battlestar Galactica is a television show. It's a fine enough show I guess, but it is not worthy of wasting the time of a body that meets ostensibly to diplomatically resolve real world conflicts, forge various international agreements, and - at times - deploy troops for peacekeeping. That television show is fantasy. What's going on at Darfur is the real thing.

    WTF?

  16. Hippocrite? by doug141 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If I understand him, the word "race" can't be used as a "cultural determinant" UNLESS you are blaming something on "the caucasian race", like he does at 1:42 in the video on youtube.

    1. Re:Hippocrite? by Smuttley · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The guy is a fraud. When he said that part, it showed his true colours. He was the biggest racist in the building.

      it was pretty clear he was using the term ironically. Just listen to the tone of his voice.

      There ARE different races. The world would suck pretty badly if it was one global monoculture.

      you clearly missed his point about race not being the same as culture by a country mile. Do the Caucasians in America all have the same culture? How about compared to caucasians in say Hungary?

  17. Re:/me shakes head by JWSmythe · · Score: 5, Informative

        Well, it wasn't quite that. Watch the video. It's 100 students and a few members of the UN listening to a couple members of the BSG cast.

        They were simply using the building, which added the illusion of authority to the event. If it had happened in any other venue, it wouldn't have been news.

        It does give the impression that they were addressing the UN General Assembly, which simply wasn't true.

        The event was more of a photo op.

    --
    Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
  18. Re:More news... by geekoid · · Score: 3, Informative

    huh, good thing that first kiss didn't turn out to be a blow job. THAT would have been awkward later on.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  19. Re:Bastards made piece with the Cylons by CohibaVancouver · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Couldn't have at least had a spoiler warning on your title?

    If you're that far behind, why are you *reading* anything bsg related this close to the finale? You're bound to hit spoilers.