I saw this while perusing several news sites this morning, and all I can say is…WOW! Have the people at the Sci-Fi lost their minds or what? First we are brought nothing but ‘B’ grade sci-fi movies and a plethora of mediocre sci-fi series with only a couple of great series to even have an audience, and now the “geniuses” in charge of the channel have decided to announce they are changing the name of the channel to SyFy.
“By changing the name to Syfy, which remains phonetically identical, the new brand broadens perceptions and embraces a wider range of current and future imagination-based entertainment beyond just the traditional sci-fi genre, including fantasy, supernatural, paranormal, reality, mystery, action and adventure. It also positions the brand for future growth by creating an ownable trademark that can travel easily with consumers across new media and nonlinear digital platforms, new international channels and extend into new business ventures.”
Umm…it was my understanding that “Sci-Fi” was an abbreviation for “Science Fiction.” If that is the case, what exactly does SyFy stand for? The last time I checked, it wasn’t spelled “Syence Fyction.” Besides, at its heart, science fiction all ready encompasses the other sub-genres under its defined umbrella.
By making such a change, do they not understand that they will alienate their standard audience in an effort to attract a group of people that will probably not even be interested in the typical fare that the channel currently offers? A question now arises: will they next broaden the number of cheesy reality show (Who Wants to be a Superhero, anyone) to cater to the sub-group they apparently wish to attract?
Instead of making this stupidly conceived change, the station needs to remove the mediocre people at the top and bring in a group that understands the importance of Sci-Fi and Fantasy programming. That…and actually improve the typical quality of the shows on their line-up. Maybe then their viewership would actually improve.
All of this reminds me of the movie, Idiocracy. Just another example of the further dumbing-down of society.
In other news:
1. I’m an old gamer from way back, and have been know to play an old fashioned pen & paper RPG from time to time, but I never knew there were so many different dice out there.
2. For those who love zombie wear, I present the Zombie Brains Hoodie.
3. A little late, but still important. I knew it was only a matter of time, but Mike Nelson and the boys at Rifftrax have tackled The Dark Knight. Another great Rifftrax to add to your collection.
That's all for now.
Sincerely,
Joe :-)
