Daily Pilots Post

[dramaturgca.livejournal.com]

Two questions today:

1. What's your personal fanon for how Starbuck and Apollo got their callsigns? There's no official reason given in the show (I'm told Kara's is explained in one of the comics, which I have but haven't read yet, but having read most of the comics, I'm rather loathe to count them as any kind of canon) but there has to be a reason she came out Starbuck and he Apollo. (Because there were characters with those names in the original is NOT a valid reason)

2. What advice would you give to a person for whom BSG was her/his first "real" fandom? How would you explain fandom to a newbie?

Comments

[thrace-adama.livejournal.com]

1. I think Apollo definitely had to come from Lee's relation to Adama like Zarek implied. Starbuck...I'm not sure! I wouldn't be surprised if it were given to her by a professor who thought she bucked the rules everywhere but especially in the sky or somtehing. Idk!

2. I have tried to explain fandom to a couple friends and it's so HARD. How DO you sum it up (especially without sounding completely crazy)? I'd love to hear others' thoughts on it.

[acsgrlie.livejournal.com]

1. There is definitely some relation to Apollo and Adama's rank but he really became his callsign in Season 4 when he took off his wings and became Baltar's lawyer. I imagine his speech in the court room when I think of Apollo the god being associated with truth and prophecy.
I'm not so sure with Starbuck. A quick google shows Starbuck as the first mate to Captain Ahab but I think that version of the callsign relates more to Dirk Benedict's Starbuck than Katee's.

2. It's definitely hard to explain. Not many of my friends watch the shows I watch or are obsessive like I am about any particular fandom or ship. It's hard to explain fandom to a person who doesn't really understand your love for that show/characters/ship, etc. When you have no one to really talk to about it, it's nice to stumble onto a community and see that you're not the only one who thinks these things lol.

[kag523.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure that Apollo is a reference to Zeus (Adama) and Lee's reaction to the callsign would probably back that.

As for Starbuck, I'm going to cheap out and post a link to a chapter that explains it:
http://kag523.livejournal.com/17270.html

Sorry ladies, but I'm writing fic like a fiend, and can't summarize right now. *shuffles papers*

[skieswideopen]

1. Funny...I never thought about Lee's callsign as having been assigned because of his father. (In the original series, yes, definitely, but not in the new version.) If that was the general practice, I would have expected the son or daughter of an admiral to have been given that particular callsign--not the son of the aging commander of a nearly obsolete Battlestar.

I tend to interpret it as reflecting Lee's status as a golden boy at Flight School...top War College graduate, talented pilot, general good guy, et cetera--a name intended to both honour and gently mock his accomplishments. Possibly with a specific incident or two to prompt the idea.

[rachelindeed.livejournal.com]

Ha ha! I was cross-posting with you, but I agree with your take on Lee's callsign very much. Jinx! :)

[skieswideopen]

Ha! Yes, we do seem to be on the same page.

And although I didn't mention this part:

Plus, come on, look at the man. You can't tell me his appearance had nothing to do with it.

I agree with you there too. ;)

[rachelindeed.livejournal.com]

The callsign question is an interesting one. I think the Zarek interpretation that "Apollo" is related to the god-like status of his father only really makes sense in the post-apocalyptic scenario. At that point Adama is in charge of the fleet and the last guardian of humanity, so it makes sense to equate him with Zeus. But would people have made that connection back when Lee was in the Academy and Adama was one near-retirement Commander among many? Adama had spent ten years washed out of the fleet, he got back into it due to his wife's connections, and he says that he had long ago given up any hope of rising to the rank of Admiral. He was a respected veteran, but nowhere near the top of any command structure. Why would people equate him with Zeus? His callsign was Husker ~ I would think that if fellow pilots wanted to give his son a nickname in homage to Adama, they would have tied Lee's callsign to 'Husker,' not 'Zeus.'

In short, I think whatever prompted 'Apollo' had more to do with Lee than with his father. I think it had to do with his attitude in school; I think he looked like a bit of a golden boy, but not really because of his family connection. He was strong in academics - BattleWiki says he graduated third in his class - and presumably textbook perfect in much of his professional demeanor. The association of Lee with 'by-the-book' accomplishments is more fanon than canon, but I think canon gives us a fair amount of support on this: Kara criticizes Lee's initial plan in 'Hand of God' as being textbook perfect, for example. In any case, he certainly rose to the rank of Captain very quickly, in part I think because he was a lot better at playing the rules game than Kara ever cared to be. He was the type of student that instructors wanted to hold up as an example for his peers. I think Lee still would have been uncomfortable with being put on a pedestal like that, even if it didn't have much to do with Adama.

Plus, come on, look at the man. You can't tell me his appearance had nothing to do with it.

For Kara, it's hard to say. As I recall, the character of Starbuck in 'Moby Dick' was the only one with the courage to stand up to a madman and try to convince him to renounce vengeance and focus on keeping his crew alive. Starbuck was willing to stand up to his superior officer and denounce Ahab's plans as crazy, and he fought to bring everyone under his command home safe. He failed and died in this effort, never going so far as to commit mutiny; never abandoning his post. He mixed loyalty with insubordination, reason with faith, courageous defiance with an ultimate resignation to destiny. I think overall the name has a lot of connotations for Kara. But I bet she got it in the Academy because she wasn't afraid to stand up to superior officers with her trademark "Your plan sucks" honesty.

[workerbee73.livejournal.com]

#1
Hmmm...I was thought that Apollo came about b/c someone stole his towl while he was in the shower and erm, quite a few of his classmates got a lovely eyeful while he was running around searching for another.

Starbuck... I dunno. Much ahrder name to come up with.

#2
Well, I guess it's my first fandom, so I'm not sure what to say. I guess if it feels like an addictiona dn you can't stop being obsessed then you're probably well on your way to being a fanperson. : )

[baciami2.livejournal.com]

#1
Mm, Apollo from 'ole Zeus his father. Starbuck from Star Buccaneer aka Star Pirate. She's like Johnny Depp in Deep Space.

#2 BSG is my first (and last) fandom. It only got elevated from "great show" to "all consuming passion/fanfic? what's fanfic?/ squeeeeeeeeeeee" because of Kara & Lee. After all the pain and disappointment, I couldn't do it again. Just....can't....trust....those frakin showrunner no mo'.

[helikedmyshoes.livejournal.com]

Lee clearly was in a band at the Academy. He played the drums. Instant callsign.

[coffeesuperhero.livejournal.com]

Well, Apollo is the god of light and music, yeah? And when I see Lee, well, I see lights and hear music. XD

I mean, just check out this space hottie:





Is it bright in here? Beethoven's 9th, anyone?

ETA: I have no fanon for Kara's callsign. I appreciated baciami2's thoughts about star pirates-- I can see Kara being so fantastically good that they said she was stealing stars.

Also, BSG is the first fandom that I've actually participated in. I've written fic for other fandoms that will never see the light of day, but BSG was the first that got me actively involved with a community of fans.

[rdave1.livejournal.com]

I hear that music too.:D

[coffeesuperhero.livejournal.com]

Isn't it beautiful? *happy sigh*

[baciami2.livejournal.com]

...I can see Kara being so fantastically good that they said she was stealing stars.


OMGs, thissssssssssssssssssssssssss!

Plus, I never cease to be amazed how incredibly Phallic this pic is of Lee - long cigar, about to be lit by a big flame, that bottle, where he's holding it against his body, how he's holding it, the Size *wiggles eyebrows*. No wonder James McAvoy got all tongue-tied when he got an award from "The CAG."

[sparklegirl79.livejournal.com]

I have to say that I'm in the camp of people that don't think Apollo's callsign has anything whatsoever to do with his father. Yes, by the time his callsign was assigned, the elder Adama was in command of something, and certainly he had been a war hero, but there were dozens of other people with those qualifications, and it wasn't like Adama was an admiral or anything that would associate him with Zeus in anyone's mind. Also, I find it hard to believe that Lee was the only person in the fleet who had followed in his father's footsteps. The Fleet was a much, much, much larger place before the attacks.

As for how he actually did get his callsign, I think it does probably have more to do with being a so-called 'golden boy' in classes, but maybe we should petition RDM to give us some answers. Is he going to be at any of the cons this summer?

[rdave1.livejournal.com]

#1

I have to agree with the majority here. I believe Lee's callsign probably had more to do with his father being Adama then anything else. Although, I can see how him being the golden boy of the fleet could get him that name as well.

As for Kara, I have no clue. I always figured it came from a professor who hated her antics in the sims but loved her bravado secretly. Bucking the stars, seems to be the way how most people think Kara got her call sign.

#2

BSG is my first full blown fandom and last as well. Never got into fanfics, vid, and discussions until BSG and pilots. But after the ending, I will not invest myself in another show like that this ever again. RDM ruined it!

[kag523.livejournal.com]

I hear you in your response to #2. *sigh* That ending was just... hard.

[(Anonymous)]

I agreed on response #2...first and last fandom for multiple reasons

[(Anonymous)]

This is from Koolaidmom. If his flight instructor was a female, I'm sure Lee fit all the criteria of a god. Starbuck: I think because she just shines brighter than everyone else.

As to the fandom. My family just watched BSG this past winter in approximately two months. It became addictive and after the ending, we all reacted differently. My son was disgusted and wouldn't even discuss it; my husband got over it; my daughter just remembered what she wanted but me: I started reading as much fiction as possible to rewrite the entire ending in my head. I never even heard of fandom or fan fiction but the more I got into it, the more I found. It's sort of like Alice going through the looking glass. It's definitely an addiction and I'm still trying to figure out how healthy that actually is..

Having said that, it seems like a world of friendships based on some pretty interesting common denominators. I'm just lurking on the outside although I have begun commenting. No live journal though so I can't always post.

[cosetteferaud.livejournal.com]

2. Fandom? It’s really difficult to explain it to someone who doesn’t know anything about this phenomenon and doesn’t fall in love with fictional characters like I (we) do. I’d say it is an… addiction (and I am with anon above, I am still not sure how healthy it is… it’s important to find a balance, I think). The thing I love the most about it (especially my fandom, the K/L shipper ghetto) is that brings together so many incredibly intelligent, well-educated and awesome people who understand life in a similar way.

Also, BSG is my first –and probably my last fandom. It’s been wonderful, it's so comforting to know that you are not crazy and that some people just get your feelings for these characters... but I am not sure if I want to become so emotionally invested in another show again… It’s been an emotionally draining experience.

[thegreenkitty.livejournal.com]

I'm late (as usual), but wanted to echo what everyone said above re: fandom. BSG (b/c of K/L) is my first and likely my last. (Although I was kinda a RENThead, it wasn't the same...I didn't do the whole o/l comm or anything.) However, I will say that "I love K/L and I don't care who frakking knows!"

And agreed w/ anon above, after the finale, my friends that I watched with (who were actually the ones that introduced me to bsg) got over it. I was devastated by Kara's ending (or lack thereof) and found K/L shipper fandom, which is filled with wonderful people and make it worth sticking around.