Scy Fy

Have you heard the Sci Fi network is changing their name to this in an attempt to make them seem hipper and less geeky.



Dudes... are you fucking kidding me? Do you really think you're going to fool people that way? I mean... it's still pronounced the same way!


Not that I'm a huge fan of the network or their programming (other than reruns of Twilight Zone and horror anthology shows like that) or that I feel that there's ANYthing wrong with having a geeky fanbase but still. This is a "rebranding" that is beyond worthless.

I think what I'd rather change is the social stigma around science fiction. It has application to everyone, beyond just geeks. That's the real challenge here, not just in building more of a viewership by any means necessary.

In truth, I can stand Sci Fi programming in limited doses because the shows it offers often recycles the same themes and plots, but certainly they don't have to. Why not improve the quality of the shows instead of feeling compelled to resort to a shallow, transparent ploy?

The only thing I want them to change is the shit programming they air on a regular basis. I'm so sick of seeing shotty CGI raptors (or any Dinosaur, for that matter). I don't really care for their psuedo paranormal detectives either. Who, for the life of them, can't detect paranormal activity. anywhere.

About 99% of the content they air sucks ass. Occasionally they'll pick a decent movie to present, or decide to rerun good shows from years gone by, but they tend to just pull stupid, B grade moves as often as they can.

Edit: I will admit that they have come up with some good "original" that I have liked. Stargate SG1 was one of my fave shows and I was starting to get into Atlantis too, until they killed it.

I've got to be the only person on the planet who likes the new logo and name. I believe that the main reasoning is that if they branch out into other forms of media, they wanted to have their own identity other than "Sci-Fi Channel", or "Sci-Fi", as both seem pretty generic.

That started out on Fox, I believe.

Correct, but Fox didn't have the niche fanbase to keep it on air. Sci-Fi picked it up and ran with the original series for 10 seasons, before coming up with Atlantis on their own.

They've been branching out for a while now, and all of the new branches suck. Pro wrestling and ghost hunter bull crap? No thanks.

Yeah, I can't wrap my mind around the wrestling thing. ECW isn't science fiction. <_<

Neither is ghost hunting. Pseudo-science is not the same thing as science fiction. Not to mention that tracy morgan hidden camera show. And didn't John Edwards used to have a show on SciFi?

They seem to be desperate to hit on a money-for-nothing reality show that fits into their theme. I have to believe that this is not the only way left to make money in television.

And, what exactly was wrong with "science fiction", that Harlan Ellison's suggestion of "speculative fiction" didn't cure?

So when I get cable again, I won't recognize it.

You'll still recognize the crap they air....

Sadly, even SciFi channel can;t get it right. They fuck it up far less, but man even they miss the point most of the time.

Well, on the one hand, the network's focus has definitely changed since their inception. It's more honest, at least.

On the other hand, ScyFy is pretty much the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard. Also, it apparently means warts or syphilis or something similar in Polish.

Trying not to be nerdy makes them more nerdy, right?

It makes them a closet case self-loather.

By "branching out", I meant like video games and books and what not. At least that's what one of the articles I read mentioned.

I don't care... because after Friday, I don't think I'll ever have a reason to watch "SyFy" again.

Truth.

I've heard rumors that "syfy" is eastern European slang for syphilis or for calling someone a shit.

excerpts from NY Times article:

“We couldn’t own Sci Fi; it’s a genre,” said Bonnie Hammer, the former president of Sci Fi who became the president of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and Universal Cable Productions. “But we can own Syfy.”

Ms. Hammer and her successor as Sci Fi president, Dave Howe, said they had sat through many meetings over the years at which a name change was debated.

The principal reason the idea kept coming up, Mr. Howe said, was a belief “the Sci Fi name is limiting.”

“If you ask people their default perceptions of Sci Fi, they list space, aliens and the future,” he added. “That didn’t capture the full landscape of fantasy entertainment: the paranormal, the supernatural, action and adventure, superheroes.”

That became more important as Sci Fi expanded its program offerings into those realms, Mr. Howe said, with series like “Destination Truth” and “Ghost Hunters.”

“The brand needed a little refreshing,” said Steve Mandala, executive vice president for cable ad sales at NBC Universal, who will be among those promoting Sci Fi — and Syfy — at the upfront presentation.

kinda boring branding shit but if interested here's the full article
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/business/media/16adcol.html?_r=2

I imagine that it is pretty close in a lot of Slavic languages. My English-Czech and English-Polish dictionaries don't include the word "syphilis" for some reason.

In Russian, "syphilis" is "sifilis." If the word is part of Russian slang (as a shorter form such as "sifi"), the pronunciation would be similar to "see-fee," not "sigh-figh" despite any similarities in spelling.

Note: The Cyrillic characters that Romanize into "y" and "i" are not identical in pronunciation.

Sounds like corporate bullshit to me. Sounds like a way to break away from Science-Fiction specific program and move more into USA/TBS//TNT/etc... territory. Wedge-programing can't compete with the mainstream, and therefor, not as profitable.

Whatever... media conglomerates are awesome!

Might as well throw away your satellite dish and pull out your cable line. Practically anything worth watching on TV is available on the Internet at your leisure anyways.

For the time being.

Broadcasting companies are starting to pull the same shit as the music industry and are keeping a deathgrip on their "property".