Fandom needs an FAQ

[veronica_rich]

I was trying to find something for "Star Wars" online this morning because I am not a fan and know little about it. Here's a fun exercise: Pop a bucket of corn and get a Coke, then Google "Darth Vader army" to try to find the name. Settle in and get comfortable.

This prompted me to think, we really need an FAQ that can be Googled for POTC for those poor clueless souls who know nothing about our franchise. I don't mean recommendations or anything - I mean facts about the movies, names of characters and places and things that can be taken directly from the screen, that any uninformed idiot who wanted to spend 9 hours watching could find out on their own.

Comments

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

I'm at work and will have to read it later ... but I mean, how hard is it to say "Commodore Norrington is in charge of the Royal Navy in the Caribbean"?

[venusinchains.livejournal.com]

Well, as long as it was restricted to people would keep to the facts - all the facts - then, no, it wouldn't be a chore at all.

The bit I pointed at managed to eliminate by omission one of the three main characters. Guess which one.

"Set in the Caribbean Sea in the 17th century, this is the story of a gentleman rogue of a pirate who teams up with the daughter of a governor to stop the evil plan of a ship of dangerous pirates who are trying to reverse an ancient curse that leaves them stuck between life and death, with the light of the moon revealing their skeletons, like some kind of undead monsters..."

[captsparrow4evr.livejournal.com]

Actually, that's pretty much the TV Guide description of the movie. It's always ticked me off that Will was ignored in that description but it's not evidence of a Sparrabeth conspiracy.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

but it's not evidence of a Sparrabeth conspiracy

Are you feeling well? :-P

Actually, I never expected the wide public to get the nuances of POTC; they see Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley, and most human brains aren't built to handle more than "male + female = Right And Proper" - they certainly wouldn't care about the secondary guy in the credits if Johnny is there, I mean, come on. *G*

[venusinchains.livejournal.com]

If that TV Guide entry is very recent, it would make sense (except that the actors names aren't mentioned in the paragraph). But back when the film was first released, the big names would have been Depp and Rush and the "teen" draws were Depp and Bloom. No one had really heard of Keira. I wonder if Sparrabeth - and summaries like that one - would have become so prevalent if Keira hadn't become an Oscar Nominated actress. I'm guessing not.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

I don't know - I think there would still be a need for some women to self-insert via Elizabeth. It's more how the movies are set up, than anything - one woman and multiple men? She can have her choice pick. I bet that's what appealed.

[captsparrow4evr.livejournal.com]

I am fine. I just wanted to point out that the clumsy plot summary is not a Sparrabeth device as it actually pre-dates the current Sparrabeth (bowel) movement.;)

[golden-helikaon.livejournal.com]

Actually, that's pretty much the TV Guide description of the movie.

Really? In our TV Guide it always mentions the 'rogue pirate' and the 'blacksmith' teaming up to save the 'governor's daughter' from the nasty skeletal pirates, etc. And it only ever lists two cast members, and it's always Johnny and Orlando.

[captsparrow4evr.livejournal.com]

Where are you at? Because every plot summary I've read for the local TV schedule and on the local cable channel guide has completely ignored "blacksmith." The only actors mentioned are Johnny Depp and, possibly, Geoffrey Rush if there's enough space. "Roguish pirate," "skeleton/undead pirates," and "governor's daughter" are generally mentioned.

[golden-helikaon.livejournal.com]

I'm in New Zealand.