Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Entertainment › TV Programming › Sci-Fi becomes Syfy
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

post #1 of 44
3/16/09 at 1:13pm
Thread Starter 
Because only DORKS like Sci-Fi!
Reply
post #2 of 44
3/16/09 at 1:23pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Lame award for lamest ever...
Reply
post #3 of 44
3/16/09 at 1:25pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

SyFy stands for NOTHING. What a bunch of idiots. SciFi at least told you exactly what kind of programming you were getting. What kind of morons are these? And to blast their own core audience with this:

Quote:
“The name Sci Fi has been associated with geeks and dysfunctional, antisocial boys in their basements with video games and stuff like that, as opposed to the general public and the female audience in particular,” said TV historian Tim Brooks, who helped launch Sci Fi Channel when he worked at USA Network.


Idiots.
Reply
post #4 of 44
3/16/09 at 1:54pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Quote:
SyFy stands for NOTHING.

Which is precisely what makes the change attractive to the network. "Sci-Fi" is a generic term generally disliked even by fans of the genre itself. "SyFy" is a unique term, easy to copyright and trademark and to turn into a specific "brand". Why do you think cars have stupid names like "Altima", which also mean nothing. Because they avoid the twin problems of overlapping with existing trademarks and copyrights and because they aren't so generic that it become easy to confuse them with offerings from other car makers.

Regards,

Joe
Reply
post #5 of 44
3/16/09 at 2:10pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

They think the name is the problem? How about all the lame made-for-TV garbage they crank out like "Alien Vs. Hunter" or the sure-to-be-in-production "CHIMP!".
Reply
post #6 of 44
3/16/09 at 2:43pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

This means even more wrastling. Why is Sci-Fi turning into Spike?
Reply
post #7 of 44
3/16/09 at 3:33pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Talk about pissing on Forrest Ackerman's grave...

Turns out that "syfy" actually does mean something not very nice in Polish!
Reply
post #8 of 44
3/16/09 at 3:56pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverWook
Talk about pissing on Forrest Ackerman's grave...

I thought using "Sci-Fi" for what they show pretty much already did that.

Quote:
Turns out that "syfy" actually does mean something not very nice in Polish!

From what I've read it is a sort of all-purpose cuss word, the plural of a word originally derived from the Polish for "syphillis" and which can mean - depending on context - anything from "pimple" to "scum" to "crap". So the new name could be considered a form of truth in advertising.

Regards,

Joe
Reply
post #9 of 44
3/16/09 at 3:58pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Quote:
“The name Sci Fi has been associated with geeks and dysfunctional, antisocial boys in their basements with video games and stuff like that, as opposed to the general public and the female audience in particular,” said TV historian Tim Brooks, who helped launch Sci Fi Channel when he worked at USA Network.
I can understand why they want to get from the sci-fi nerd stereotype but they just changed it from Sci-Fi to SyFy. That's like if my name was Chris and I changed it to Khris- what's the point of the name change when it's still said the same way and in the case of the channel, it still brings up the same stereotype that they want to get away from?
Reply
post #10 of 44
3/16/09 at 4:11pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

This makes me so angry, that I now need to go watch an episode of my favorite sci-fi series, Star Track. Yeah!
Reply
post #11 of 44
3/16/09 at 4:13pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Worst marketing decision I've ever seen by network.

Time to start calling it "Siffy".
Reply
post #12 of 44
3/16/09 at 4:29pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

What? They didn't like Skiffy?
Reply
post #13 of 44
3/16/09 at 4:35pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

"Imagine Greater".... what? It's not even a sentence. :S

If they wanted a channel without science fiction, why not make a new one instead of turning the existing science fiction channel into something else? Executives make no sense to me.
Reply
post #14 of 44
3/16/09 at 6:52pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

After Galactica is done, i wont have a reason to watch, at all.
They also stopped being Sci-Fi when you could watch the movie Always on USA, and Sci-Fi...at the same time! Cause as you know Always, is pure Sci-Fi...rrrriigghht.
Reply
post #15 of 44
3/16/09 at 7:17pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Quote:
Originally Posted by RickER
After Galactica is done, i wont have a reason to watch, at all.
I thought the same thing but then I remembered Caprica.
Reply
post #16 of 44
3/17/09 at 12:17am

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph DeMartino
From what I've read it is a sort of all-purpose cuss word, the plural of a word originally derived from the Polish for "syphillis" and which can mean - depending on context - anything from "pimple" to "scum" to "crap". So the new name could be considered a form of truth in advertising.

Regards,

Joe

Hehe, that's right up there with trying to market the Chevy Nova in spanish speaking countries.

For those that don't know any spanish "no va" pretty much translates to "no go", which doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence in potential car-buying customers.

And now we have the Pimple Network starting in July. And here I thought they were trying to get away from the pimply geek image.
Reply
post #17 of 44
3/17/09 at 5:31am

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Dumbest. Move. Ever.

Why didn't they do the intelligent thing and rename it something like ImagineTV or the Imagine Network? It still covers all the points that they want the name change to make, it's spelled correctly AND it doesn't look ridiculous.
Reply
post #18 of 44
3/17/09 at 6:06am

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger_R
"Imagine Greater".... what? It's not even a sentence.
It sounds like something badly translated from the original Japanese.

And, um, "Syfy" is seen as less geeky than Sci-Fi? Er, um, okaaaayyyyy....

(Well, it is less geeky in that most geeks I know -- and I'm including myself here -- can spell.)
Reply
post #19 of 44
3/17/09 at 7:33am

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph DeMartino
. Why do you think cars have stupid names like "Altima", which also mean nothing. Because they avoid the twin problems of overlapping with existing trademarks and copyrights and because they aren't so generic that it become easy to confuse them with offerings from other car makers.

Regards,

Joe

I'd trade in my Altima for an Ultima
Reply
post #20 of 44
3/17/09 at 7:37am

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/Universe producer Joseph Mallozzi (doesn't) comment on the name change in his blog.
Reply
post #21 of 44
3/17/09 at 7:41am

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Quote:
Hehe, that's right up there with trying to market the Chevy Nova in spanish speaking countries.

For those that don't know any spanish "no va" pretty much translates to "no go", which doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence in potential car-buying customers.

Sorry, particularly idiotic urban legend. The phrase "no va" and the word "nova" aren't even pronounced the same way. (And Spanish speakers recognize "nova" as a Latin word meaning "new" - Spanish "nuevo" - and as an astronomical term just as easily as English speakers do. Probably one reason why the Mexican state oil company markets gasoline under the "Nova" name.)

Nor is "no va" how a native speaker would refer to a car that woudn't go, anymore than an English speaker would point to a car and say, in Tarzan-English, "No go!". "No marcha", "No funciona" or "No camina" would be much more likely.

Quote:
Assuming that Spanish-speakers would naturally see the word "nova" as equivalent to the phrase "no va" and think, "this car doesn't go" is akin to assuming that English speakers would spurn a dinette set sold under the name "Notable" because nobody wants a dinette set that doesn't include a table. - The Urban Legend Reference Page



Regards,

Joe
Reply
post #22 of 44
3/17/09 at 8:09am

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

I sent an email to SciFi expressing my displeasure at this. feedback@scifi.com
Reply
post #23 of 44
3/17/09 at 10:16am

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

It seems like Sci-Fi Channel is going down the same road MTV did. One day we're all going to sit around and say," Hey, remember when Sci-Fi played sci-fi movies and tv shows"? As far as the name change being related to being less geeky, well, that's bullshit of the highest order. They just want the freedom to show informercials and sports/non-related programing....Oh wait, they already do that. What a bunch of jackholes who thought this up.
Reply
post #24 of 44
3/17/09 at 10:57am

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

I hardly ever watch the channel any more. This just further diminishes my desire to watch it.
Reply
post #25 of 44
3/17/09 at 11:45am

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

I use to enjoy the sci-fi channel, but the past few years the programming has been awful. The one good thing that came out of its many reruns of certain shows was my love of Roswell. If it weren't for sci-fi I never would have discovered it.

I agree that calling it something like Imagine network or Imagine TV is a far better idea. SyFy is just stoooooooooopid!
Reply
post #26 of 44
3/17/09 at 12:15pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

I'm not sure I really care what they call themselves. They have given us 4 incredible years of Battlestar Galactica, a great show in Eureka, the US showing of Dr. Who and weekends full of the worst kind of B-Movie schlock imaginable - I love it. That and Star Trek: TNG reruns and some genuine attempts at other original programming - I think they are learning and growing still.
Reply
post #27 of 44
3/17/09 at 1:39pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Dumbest move since Spike.
Reply
post #28 of 44
3/17/09 at 1:43pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Did somebody say Tropicana debacle?

Reply
post #29 of 44
3/17/09 at 2:15pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

I have two words for this: New Coke
Reply
post #30 of 44
3/17/09 at 2:34pm

Re: Sci-Fi becomes Syfy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph DeMartino
Sorry, particularly idiotic urban legend. The phrase "no va" and the word "nova" aren't even pronounced the same way. (And Spanish speakers recognize "nova" as a Latin word meaning "new" - Spanish "nuevo" - and as an astronomical term just as easily as English speakers do. Probably one reason why the Mexican state oil company markets gasoline under the "Nova" name.)

Nor is "no va" how a native speaker would refer to a car that woudn't go, anymore than an English speaker would point to a car and say, in Tarzan-English, "No go!". "No marcha", "No funciona" or "No camina" would be much more likely.

I'm well aware of the difference in pronunciation, having taken several years of spanish language courses from native Latin American spanish speakers (Mexican, Cuban, Columbian and one other which I can't remember), all of whom loved to discuss this unfortunate pun in their classes.


And let's remember that while you compare spoken English to "Tarzan-speak", every language has colloquial speak and regional dialects.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: TV Programming
Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Entertainment › TV Programming › Sci-Fi becomes Syfy