Today, Evil takes over this blog. And by Evil, I am, of course, referring to “Evil” Kenny Gibbs, our Stargate Atlantis Props Master. Kenny a.k.a. Evil a.k.a. Yellow has been with the show as long as I can remember and it’s a pleasure to have him drop by for a little meet ‘n greet. While you’re enjoying Kenny’s little show and tell, start thinking up questions for our next guest, Mika McKinnon who, as part of the props department, has been our physics consultant for the past two seasons.
So, start posting questions for Mika, enjoy Evil’s Q&A, and scroll down to the bottom of the Kellerific mailbag to check out The Weird Food Purchase of the Day: Durian!
Airelle writes: ““Evil” Kenny Gibbs— what is the evil in your name referring to?
A-‘evil’ was a nick name given to me by my nemesis…Martin Wood ( Martin and I are actually very good friends to tell the truth ). It was my first season on the show and everything was really great until we started shooting “Upgrades”. The main prop was an alien (Tok’ra I think ) arm bracelet device that would ‘upgrade’ a person’s abilities when worn. The prop was very tempermental ( I’m being nice…). Near the end of the episode, Martin called for a remote control version of the arm bracelet to be brought to set. Since he was sure the bracelet wouldn’t work he called it evil…then he called me evil. I brought in the prop, positioned it and activated it for a test. It didn’t work. I looked up, walked over to Martin and said “whatever” and walked away. Everyone laughed, including Martin. The name has stuck ever since.
How do you make those amazing props>? I know its not all smoke and mirrors, but a little magic? Have you had to fashion any prop that you scratched your head and said, #$%^&*$…?
A-Those amazing props are conceived and created by an amazing group of people. Our Production Designer ( James Robbins ) starts the process, and our model shop brings the drawings to life. The shop is lead by Gordon Bellamy, who has been with the show for years ( btw, he had very little to do with that arm bracelet ). The talented group that he supervises is a mixture of engineers, sculptors, machinists and inventive builders. They are the true magicians that make my job fun and rewarding.
How does the stargate turn)(if thats your dept)?
A-The mechanics behind the gate’s practical function is handled by our SPFX department lead by Wray Douglas. Another great team and amazing professionals.
Whats your favorite power tool to use?”
A-Power tool huh? Being the ‘office guy’ now, I don’t handle tools or weapons as often as before. I guess I would have to say my 24v cordless Bosh circ saw or drill. They always get the job done ( did that sound like a commercial ? ).
Antisocialbutteflie writes: “1) How much do you have to creatively recycle the same props over again?
A-Once an episode has aired, we’re free to reuse and modify existing props. It happens quite often.
2) Did you always like building things? What did you want to do when you were a kid?”
A-I’ve always been the kid of kid who wanted to know how things worked and loved adventures. Building forts and gizmos was how I kept myself entertained as a kid.
I always loved watching action and adventure movies growing up, so I actually thought I’d grow up to be a cop.
KaziWren writes: “Oh, great and evil one,
I humbly put forth the following questions for your prop-masterness:
1). What are your favorite materials to work with when creating props?
A-Hmmm, that’s a tough one. All of our props vary in the materials used to create them. I guess I would have to say aircraft aluminum. We’ve built a few sword over the years and what we’ve been able to create with aircraft grade aluminum has been fantastic.
2). How challenging is it to develop props for science fiction?
A-I think I’d describe it as an adventure in problem solving. Today’s technology makes almost anything possible. Building practical props that would survive an episode ten years ago was challenging. Working with people that are as talented as the group we have is just plain fun!
3). Are there any props that regularly “grow legs and walk away”? I can only imagine actors may become attached to a cool prop and … well … you know.
Thank you for everything you’ve done to make all us fans go “OMFG! Did you see that gun/blaster/book/picture/etc!”
A-Props that ‘grow legs’ are as common as surfing the internet! Implementing precautions to prevent them from walking is the hard part. We grow attached to our own props as much as the actors that use them. It all comes down to the value of the prop when it comes to giving parting gifts to actors…usually it doesn’t happen. We do our best to wow you guys and our producers….you’re welcome.
Jess writes: “1) Are all the show’s prop’s made from scratch or do parts of old or brought thing’s get worked into them???
A-Most of our props are made from scratch. Trying to re-create an existing prop into something else in usually more time consuming and costly. We still recycle whatever we can but in most cases we build from scratch.
2) What is the weirdest thing you have made a prop from??”
A-Weirdest thing I can think of is not really that weird. In SG-1, we made the Ori warrior staff weapons from pool cues! After studying the concept drawings, the model shop realized it was the best material to use…so we did : )
Laura writes: “In some of the behind the scenes features of the props department you have what appears to be a monkey teddy, (I can’t exactly remember as its been awhile since I saw it) what is the story of why you have him attached to you?”
A-Boy, nothing gets by you guys. The monkey. Do I really want to tell you about Baba-lou….okay. Back in the SG-1 days we did an episode called ‘Absolute Power’ ( I hope I’m right about the episode ). Michael Shanks’ character dreamt he was taking total control of earth or something like that. He had a scene where he was in the SGC infirmary and my prop master thought it would be a funny joke to put a stuffed toy in the bed to keep him company. When Michael found Baba-lou, he immediately embraced the joke and he wanted B around for the rest of the episode as the set mascot. It became my responsibility to make sure B was there so I wore him everywhere. The cast and crew became attached to B and I ended up wearing him for the rest of the season. Baba-lou had his own fans too. Corin Nemic’s daughter liked B so much she made her dad buy B clothes when they were on vacation one summer hiatus! Where’s B now? He’s retired from set life and is presently….hanging beside my desk.
Chelle deBeor writes: “Why “Evil” ?? How did that name come about?
A-Yeah, again thanks to Martin Wood.
What’s the “evilest” thing you have done on set and to whom?”
A-I’m a bit of a prankster I’ll admit. I usually try to keep things light at work. When I was on set I think the worst prank I pulled was on our AD department. I tricked our 3rd AD into running from a location base camp to set by imitating his boss ( 1st AD ) on the walkie. The poor guy was exhausted by the time we broke for lunch!!
Sulien writes: “Questions for Evil Kenny Was there a specific TV series or movie that inspired you to go into the Business as a props maker? If so, which one?
A-I’ve always had a passion for sci-fi and action ever since I can remember watching movies. It was tv shows like ‘Batman’ ( with Adam West ) and the original ‘Star Trek’ did it for me. I was also a comic book kid. My favs, ‘Luke Cage-Power Man’ and the ‘Fantastic 4’.
What has been your personal favorite prop that you had a hand in making (Stargate related or otherwise)?
A-My favorite Stargate prop would have to be a toss up between the ‘replicator disruptor’ used by RDA in SG-1 or the hero swords used in Blade 3. Guns and swords. Love em!
What is your favorite prop from a series/movie that you haven’t worked on?
A-The only prop that gave me ‘prop envy’ was the cool props that the ‘007’s always have! The Bond props rock!!
Which prop was the hardest to make?
A-I don’t think I can remember what was the hardest thing for the boys at the model have built. I can only say that the more the props have to do (lights, special actions thru remote control, etc… ) , the harder they are to perfect without failing on camera.
Lastly, thank you for all of the beautiful work you and your crew have done for Stargate!”
A-Thank-you so much.
Norriski writes: “On the commentaries we often here that you are responsible for the food that the actors eat on the show; so what’s the strangest thing you’ve made an actor eat?
A-We once made a mixture of rice stick noodles, sweet bean paste and vermicelli. I don’t think they actually swallowed much but we tried making it tasty…if that’s possible.
Also did you enjoy your time in Antarctica for Continuum and when you agreed to go did you know you were going to become part of the cast?”
A-We were actually in the Arctic. Antarctica would have been much more comfortable temperature wise : ) The trip and the filming was a great life experience. Martin did mention that he’d have to dress me up, but I didn’t think that I’d be that close to RDA or the camera.
Eugene from Aus writes: “1] Will there ever be released specs of some of the props used, such as Ronon’s Gun or perhaps a Wraith Stunner? (and will there be reproductions of them to be sold on the MGM online store?) By specs, I mean like “build-it-yourself” instructions, possibly from scratch or a bought set.
A-To tell you the truth…I don’t know. Those kinds of decisions are made by MGM. We just make sure whatever we produce looks and works great on camera. The rest is out of our hands.
1-2] Also on the topic of Ronon’s gun, how many duplicates of his gun have you made, that is, the guns with the Wraith Hair on the handle/hilt(unsure of the proper terminology)
A-There are a few version of the Ronon guns kept on hand. We have stunt foam/rubbers and hero aluminum versions. I think the count is at 8 right now.
2] Ah, another thing, (not sure if i’m asking the right person), but are you responsible for the heat-resistant gel(featured on many of Bartok’s specials, I believe some on the AoT and some mentions on your host’s blog) , and if so, can you share with us how to make it, or possibly if it’s already commercially released, where to buy it?
A-The gel is used by our stunt coordinator James Bamford, and our SPFX department for serious fire gags. I highly doubt the ingredients of the gel is published.
3](unsure if already asked) Favourite material to use for any prop?
A-Air craft grade aluminum.
4] Favourite prop in general?
A-I would say the Telchak device or a Goa’uld stun grenade ( I have one of each on my desk )
5] Where does the line stand when it’s either a Prop, or part of the background/Set Deco?(I think this may be answered in SG1, where someone was using a cap as an example)
A-If an actor handles or carries something, it becomes a prop.
6] Are propane cannons part of your territory, if so, then are the ones used for Stargate the standard design or are they completely different from the ones used in other commercial productions?”
A-I wish we could handle propane cannons!! Those bad boys are under the strict jurisdiction of SPFX…
SusantheTartanTurtle writes: “What do your family call you – Evil or Kenny?”
A-I usually get ‘hey you’!! Kidding! They call me Kenny : )
MellowYellow writes: “Question for Evil Kenny
Is Jason’s wig considered a prop? (Just joking)
A-Good one.
OK, here is my question for Evil Kenny.
How do you go about deciding on the final prop that is use? Do the writers/directors give you an idea or do you get your own idea based on how you interpret something or is it a combination of the two?
A-Most of the decisions I make are straightforward. Once a concept drawing has been approved, I sit down with Gordon to see if we can make it work. Sometimes we ask guys like Paco Don and Darren Wright ( model shop engineers ) to join the discussion right from the get go. It’s a group effort really. Most of the time the decisions are obvious and I just let the model shop do their thang. If the build is difficult or complex, my main concern is deciding ‘will it work on set’. That’s when I get really involved.
Looking back, are there any episodes where something was or wasn’t used and now you think it should or shouldn’t have been used? Can you give examples?”
A-Those kind of things don’t bother me cause it happens all the time. The final call on set belongs to the director and the producers. As long as we deliver the props and they work, I’m a happy camper.
DasNdanger writes: “@ “Evil” Kenny Gibbs – Not sure if this is your department, or wardrobe, or make-up – but I’ll give you a try. Questions about Wraith finger armor:
What is the finger armor actually made of (metal, plastic, other)?
A-The finger armor isn’t my department but I think it’s made from a urethane compound…plastic.
What is it supposed to be – a manufactured item, or the remnants of iratus bug exoskeleton?
A-That’s a question for Joe : )
What purpose is it supposed to serve – is it just for adornment, or is it a sort of weapon, or tool, or has this not been determined?
A-Joe….help me out here!
Strivaria writes: “- As someone whose longtime dream jobs were either astronaut or Star Wars model/prop builder, how does one go about getting into the prop making business anyway? How did you get started?
A-Well, I started building props on a feature called ‘The 13th Warrior’ as a laborer. I was new to Vancouver and met the right people who gave me a chance. From there it was a matter of dedicating myself to working hard and listening to people that wanted to share their expertise in the biz.
I think I saw someone else ask this same question but I’ll repeat anyway: any chance of getting schematic/specs for things like the turtle brooch and ZedPM? I mean, I think I’ve got those two figured out, but it would be nice to have confirmation.”
A-Yeah, that’s totally not my call. It may happen one day but only if MGM goes in that direction.
DasNDanger writes: “Evil Kenny – Another question – What is the most harmless everyday item that’s been used to create the grossest/creepiest/most disgusting prop?”
A-Bean paste, vermicelli and food coloring…I take my hat off to Rachel Luttrell…sorry Rach
Wraithfodder writes: “* What has been the oddest prop you’ve ever had to create?
A-Oddest prop would have to be the time we made an alien communication device made from painting a racket ball…
* Once you’re handed a script, how long does it normally take the set folk to dress up a set?
A-Usually my guys don’t dress the sets, that’s Set Decorating.
* Lots of props folk like to insert a favorite item into each episode; have you guys done the same with SGA?
A-I used to sneak my monkey Baba-lou into shots….no really!!
* How did you get into doing props for TV?
A-A keen interest in film, a desire to help create things that you can’t buy at the mall and a strong work ethic…and lots of luck!
* Hmm, and lastly, why are you “Evil”? “
A-You know if Martin Wood didn’t give me that name nearly ten years ago I might be called Kenny the Saint….yeah right!!!
The Mailbag:
Jen writes: “The producers never felt that any of the other actors on SGA deserved to be nominated for anything, in a five year period !!!”
Answer: If you found that upsetting, then you’re not going to want to hear the rest of the story. But I’ll tell it anyway. You see, initially, we had plenty of money in the budget to submit all of our actors for consideration. But then we started shooting Brain Storm, an episode in which the Keller character attends a fancy party, and while our costume department has done terrific work all year, the producers felt it was imperative that we take matters into our own hands to ensure that Keller (who happens to be our very favorite) look her best. Having done an apprenticeship under Bill Blass and Karl Lagerfeld, I designed Keller’s outfit while Carl, who worked as a seamstress in the lean years prior to landing his gig on Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, put it all together. We only used the very best of materials and so, when all was said and done, it turned out that we had exceeded the costume budget for the episode. In order to pay for the cost overruns, we decided to take the extra money out of the Gemini submission actor budget. There was just enough money left for one submission so, of course, that went to Jewel because, after all, Keller is our favorite. Anyway, once the other actors got wind of this, they contributed their own cash to replenish the Gemini submission budget, funds formerly earmarked as milk money for their children. The producers took that money and used it to purchase a pair of Jimmy Choo’s for the Keller character. Whatever money was leftover went, not to actor submissions for the Gemini, but toward an truly awesome wrap gift for Jewel that included an all-expenses-paid trip to Montreal, a nice fuel-economical car, and a puppy. The rest of the cast received t-shirts that read: “I WORKED ON STARGATE ATLANTIS FOR 5 YEARS AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT BECAUSE I WASN’T THE PRODUCERS’ FAVORITE”.
Shadow Step writes: “We only had enough money for only one submission ”
Ack, what do they cost?”
Answer: A dollar fifty. EACH!
B Angel writes: “But isn’t that kind of mean to the other actors?”
Answer: Parents always choose favorites. It’s a normal part of growing up.
Sachi writes: “Oh, and Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is a fantastic book. I hope you enjoy it.”
Answer: So far, very much so. I like it a lot. But nowhere near as much as I like Keller.
Happy Editor writes: “I’m going to be marvelously off-topic, but I just had a really good work review and got a 2.5 percent raise!”
Answer: Congratulations! Consider using the extra funds to purchase some Jennifer Keller memorabilia.
Marissa writes: “Wait until the movie comes out. Nobody’s going to want to buy it, because it’s going to be all Keller, Keller, Keller.”
Answer: Hey, how did you know? Did you talk to someone about our idea? By the way, you forget an extra two Keller, Kellers.
BeckettsPatient writes: “ In the rather unlikely event that I’ll ever get to vancouver and have the money for a fuel Dinner; would the cook be able to present me with a rich and satisfying vegetarian menu?”
Answer: Absolutely. The first time Mark Dacascos was in town, he was following a strict vegetarian diet as part of a training regimen for an upcoming mini-series. Chef Belcham and the gang fixed him up with a “vegetarian feast” (which I always assumed was an oxymoron). By the way, you know who else isn’t a vegetarian? Jewel Staite!
Nodaskip writes: “I thought there was? There where 2 mentions of it, both from Carter.
In the first one she told Sheppard his name was on the very short list for command. Then in the second after Carter has to deal with the IOA she tells Sheppard “I can see why you didn’t want command.”
Answer: That was an in-story consideration, the notion that the IOA considered giving Sheppard military command. The producers never considered going down that route. Although we did, of course, give some thought to making Keller the base commander.
AMZ writes: “I’m sure this question has probably already been asked and answered and I’ve missed it, but just in case… will there be special features (like commentaries) for the Season 5 dvds?”
Answer: Yep. There’ll be a bunch – each of which will focus on Keller’s contribution to a specific episode.
Shadow Step writes: “Do you *think* that the powers that be would like to include *one* (1) character from a previous Stargate series in the new series?”
Answer: From what I’ve heard, it will probably be an all new cast. But we producers are lobbying hard for the Keller character.
Shai writes: “Hope you’ll ‘do the Right Thing’ and nominate Joe F for season 5.”
Answer: Sorry. The Season 5 Gemini Actor Submission budget has already been allocated to the print and publicity campaign in support of Jewel’s 2008-2009 Gemini nomination.
Lisa writes: “Again I realise that Joe Flanigan cannot be nominated for a Canadian award but surely there are some American awards he could have been nominated for, but it’s not just about awards but a little recognition to all the cast members who have consistantly done a great job and I rarely if ever have seen Joe Flanigan get applauded for anything he has contritubed to Atlantis over the years.”
Answer: Unfortunately, the American awards submission budget is also being redirected toward funding Jewel’s publicity campaign.
Thank you Evil Kenny! Fun answers. Can Baba-lou have a guest spot on the blog? I want to hear about her experiences on set 😀 😉 😛
lol Congratulations to Jewel Straite!
So who is this Jewel Staite of whom you write? Do you have a picture of her that you can share? Can’t say as I remember seeing her on Stargate. Perhaps I have been blinded by the combined presence of Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett and Jason Mamoa. Does this mean I’m supposed to donate my bonus to the Jewel Staite so she can get some new stylish shoes?
I think perhaps you have come unglued what with all the stress of these last few weeks. I still can’t believe SGA was cancelled. Have Brad Wright and the other guy (sorry, my melted brain cannot remember his name) not yet decided on their producers for SGU?
Tell “Evil” thanks for his time in answering our questions 🙂
But seriously, what is the timeframe for next year’s Geminis? In other words, which episodes will be up next year (I’m sure some will, right?)
Oh my God! You all have no shame…again Atlantis is going to copy, scene for scene, an SG-1 episode? I let out a gasp when I saw the “alien autopsy” pics from First Contact/Lost Tribe. When you guys watch the dailies for stuff like that, don’t you all think “I’ve seen this one, it hits Paris?”
Joe – I officially bow down to you for not just trying durian, but actually carting home an entire fruit. I’ll try just about anything food-wise, but even I had to draw the line when my father summed up durian with the sentence, “It tastes good, but it smells like s**t!” And we’re Pilipino, so there aren’t many foods that gross us out.
So, will we see you trying balut or (on a possibly more pleasant note) kaong or halo-halo in the future?
Joe-
Being very Pro Jewel and Pro Keller, I loved the mailbag. Thanks for the laugh. 🙂
-Krissie
Hi Joe, first thanks to Kenny for stopping by, I have a couple of comments but I will lis them below.
Second, thanks for a very funny mailbag today. I have a small exam (40 minutes long) for business statisitics today (in about 20 minutes actually), and reading your mailbag has helped me relax.
Kenny said: A-Weirdest thing I can think of is not really that weird. In SG-1, we made the Ori warrior staff weapons from pool cues! After studying the concept drawings, the model shop realized it was the best material to use…so we did : )
I had the pleasure to meet someone from the props dept of LOTR a couple of years ago (he came to deliver a lecture during the LOTR Fantasy Literature paper I was taking at the time). He told us that in FOTR, during the filming of scenes for the action and fight on Weathertop, all the spare and backup swords broke, so the actors who were portraying the Ringwraith standing in the background of the scene had to hold flax leaves that were spray painted with silver paint.
A-Props that ‘grow legs’ are as common as surfing the internet!
I have a face guard for a Rohan horse hanging in my computer room at home. The name of the horse is written inside, but I think it is the name of the real horse – not a character. It is made of a black rubber compound, with real horse’s hair decoration and, honest to God, the darn thing has been repaired – several times – with staples and black electrical tape. It was discovered by a friend at auction – in a ‘miscellaneous’ box
Hey Joe!
Jimmy Choos???! That is MONEY WELL SPENT! Especially for Keller!
I also think that the new movie should be all about Keller marrying McKay (who would change his name to Keller, of course!) and seeing them have five baby girls all named Jennifer Keller! 😀
As for Allie… I tried to get her to ask questions for the author. I really did! Maybe we’ll have better luck with the next book. Thanks for encouraging her, Joe. I feel it’s so important for her to try this out.
@das: your canoe story?
*shudder*
*shudder*
*shudder*
and
*shudder*
I DID take a canoe trip down the Hillsborough River in Tampa and lemme tell ya, there ARE massive spiders out there. Now I have the heebie jeebies. *shudder*
And my stomach did a back flip when I read about your real spider bracelet. 😯
@Narelle: Thanks for the welcome back! I hope you can get to a con. They are certainly CONtastic. 😉 And thanks for encouraging Allie! She is going to join the BOTMC for sure next month. Or is it this month? Whenever City of Saints and Madmen is supposed to be discussed. Hopefully I will have more free time and can join up again in the future as well.
@Anne Teldy: Both Allie and I are eagerly waiting the epi *Whispers* I’m so happy for you that you have a character named after you! SQUEE!!!! 😆 Just know that Allie, my mom, my sister, and myself will be very worried about Anne Teldy on this epi!
Trish
You’re too funny! And you forgot to include the “I’m Jewel Staite and I approve this message” on all those answers!
It’s also nice to see that the producers put the money donated by the other actors (at least they got a t-shirt out of the deal) to good use and purchased Jewel a nice pair of shoes so that she won’t have to wear a pair of beat-up runners when she accepts the Gemini. 😉
Wow, Joe. You are certainly being naughty today. LOL.
Favor to ask. At the ‘wrap party’ for S5 and the show’s end could you please take lots of pictures for us? And at risk of being injured could you sneak in a few of JF? Take them while he’s not looking. Maybe he would be okay with a team pic. I’ll take responibility for any injuries you might happen to receive.
re the Kellerific mailbag, you are giving Kenny a run for the money in claiming the title of Evil… LOL
Loved the Keller-o-riffic mail bag!
At your (unwitting) instigation, I finally tried a chocolate and bacon candy bar – ridiculously tasty. You should be proud and afraid that your adventurous food tastes are inspiring others…
Joe, I’ve been reading your blog regularly for several months now–and enjoying it immensely. I’ve spent the last 20+ years working in Human Resources and have to tell you that I appreciate your sense of humor in light of all the flack you get. If you can’t please all of the people all of the time, you might as well tick some of them off all of the time, right? After a while, all you can do is laugh. Because the bump on your forehead from pounding your head on the desk hurts too much to keep doing *that*.
Thank you (to you and the other writers, producers, cast and crew members) for 4 great years and a 5th that has been outstanding so far!
Oh Joe,
Today’s blog on Keller was HILARIOUS!! I started reading and then I starting laughing, and then I started laughing so hard I started crying! I SO needed this today! I had a really bad day today at work and to come home and read this, just made me lose all my built up hostility and enjoy the rest of the evening. Thanks! And the weird food of the day, a perfect ending to today’s blog.
-Elisa
Awesome mailbag today. However, you didn’t mention if Keller would be in the next SG-1 movie. Please let that be true! 😉
Steph2
hey Joe!
being Pro-Keller, i loved the mailbag, and many congrats to Jewel on her nomination!!!
I saw a pug this past weekend and of course thought of you and the pooches. Even though I’ve seen plenty of your pictures I did not realize that pugs were so small. He was about the size of my cat. The dog was a fawn pug just like Jelly and Bubba but seemed to be contrary just like Maximus. A man was taking the dog down the street for a walk when the dog just laid down and would not budge until the man started to walk in the opposite direction. I wonder if contrariness is a common trait in pugs.
I hope you have a Kellerific evening!
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I’m about to walk into a meeting with tears in my eyes. I’m drawn to the Keller character more after all of the abuse she has been receiving. Jewel Staite must be a real trooper. And I’ve noticed her hairstyles seem to have a lot more time put into them – a few more curls, a bit more body. Another redirection of production funds?
I always think of questions after the guests have been on!
I was wanting to know if the object in the centre of the Genii flag is based off a conference call speaker that sits in the middle of the table.
Look forward to seeing the Durian video when I can watch it without raising any eyebrows around me. They are a favourite in Thailand. And wow do they smell bad.
Oh Mr. M!
You NEVER show enough Jewel Staite a.k.a. Dr. Jennifer Keller on your blog, what gives? One would think she was no longer the producer’s favorite SGA actor or something, gee whiz. And I hear she’s been nominated for a Gemini award too!
I-E-E-E-E!! Kellerific OVERLOAD!
Snicker-snicker… okay — “WE GET IT, you are so-o-o tired of fencing comments about Staite/Keller.
What is husband Matt trying to do? Squeeze the wine bottle, or grim mace? That’s what I call an odd, caught-in-the-moment expression. Jewel seems nonchalant about it though.
“Evil” Kenny’s exploits throughout the Stargate reality are much appreciated.
And I do hope YOUR abilities and creativity continue to be utilized on all SG projects for a long time to come Joe.
Carol Z in NJ
A fan, from the beginning, way back when…
Nice guest blog, props are always fantastic 🙂
As for the rest of it, heeheeheehee
Wow Joe. I remember when visiting your blog used to be a high point of my day. Food pictures, behind the scenes peaks at the cast, hints at script titles, spam emails, you name it. After reading this post those days seem a long time ago.
So some people don’t like Keller. That certainly doesn’t mean that they dislike Jewel whom I met at a recent con and found to be a very sweet person. So what if some people don’t like this character? I’m sure there’s a large contingent of unheard from fans who read your blog and don’t like McKay, Sheppard, Ronon or Teyla. Why does the negative Keller criticism bother you so much?
I started out being indifferent to Keller but then changed my mind when McKeller kicked into gear. I’ve been against this ship from day one, because basically I dislike any ship on the show in general. And although there were amazing performances in The Shrine, Hewlett(s), Flanigan, Picardo, and Staite, I personally thought the “I’ve loved you for a very long time” comment by McKay to Keller came out of thin air. (If you have to TELL your audience one character loves another it’s probably because you have nothing to SHOW the audience about their relationship to begin with, never a very good sign)
Still, Atlantis is leaving after this year and I’ll miss it a heck of a lot more than is probably normal. I may not have liked every episode, character or plot development, but I’ve loved the show and the team enough to criticize it, discuss it, lurk online and read about it voraciously. Thanks for five great seasons.
I loved the Kellerific mail-bag!
KELLER, FOR THE WIN!! 😀 😛
😉
Joe – I just wanted to know if there is a phone number or website that I can use to contribute to the fund to support Keller in her bid?
And to “Evil” Kenny – Thanks!
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
You have made my day with your Keller blog!
Love the pictures—-Jewel is a great sport.
Thanks to Evil Kenny!
the keller loaded mailbag was a hoot IMHO. that must be torture for all the keller haters out there. maybe your nickname should be evil. 😉
So, when are you guys going to push for a Keller series? What about recutting SGA episodes with only Keller scenes?
We need more Keller! More! More!
Oh, this is just plain sick… ;-D
Wow, Joseph, it is official, you have lost it. I totally understand why you “GUY” producers like/love Keller. We get it already.
Another wacky food choice. You are gonna get sick again.
Mr. M, I once read someone compare eating durian to eating “vanilla custard in a latrine”. Close?
das wrote:
I didn’t think that was possible. I actually posted it to inform another commenter who was meant by “gaunt, pallid flowing-locked one”. I was just going to say “he means Todd” but I decided to look the words up in an attempt to understand how the original commenter had come to the conclusion that “gaunt, pallid flowing-locked one” was Elizabeth Weir who was none of the three.
Narelle from Aus wrote:
You can see the preview at the official site here. It’s different than the one the SciFi Channel runs.
Lisa wrote:
Whoa! The producers may enter people for an award but the Academy picks the nomination.
Lisa also wrote:
Uhm.. If I have correctly interpreted the Gemini Rules and Regulations for 2008 (found here), the show must be considered a Canadian Production, not the entrants. Nowhere does it say any individual nominee has to be Canadian. As long as the performance was during the qualifying period, an actor or actress can be entered.
This year’s entry qualifying period was for shows aired between May 1st, 2007 and April 30, 2008. I think that means Ms Staite couldn’t have been entered as a supporting actress (by Gemini definition) as not enough of the season had been aired. Perhaps that’s why the producers entered her as a lead?
Anne Teldy
Hi Joe,
Thank you for having Kenny on you blog 🙂 Who do you have coming up next? I forgot.
Give my congrats to Jewel on the nomination and the Jimmy Choos 🙂
THANK YOU!!! for answering all the Anti-Keller post! I was going to post on yesterday’s blog, but decided not to, if someone already has their mind made up whats the point.
I love all the characters of SGA and look forward to being taken to another galaxy every time I watch. I don’t know why others can’t just sit back, relax and enjoy the story??
It’s mailbags like this that make me glad I read the blog daily.
How hilarious! Your Keller stuff here is fantastically funny!
Thanks for supporting the Keller character, and Jewel Staite who portrays her, who has been nominated…..
😀
-is rolling around on the floor laughing at the ‘Great Debate’ regarding the chewing of the shoes- You guys are hilarious! And, Joe? That’s disgusting. Crispy pig brain? Oh, well, if I ever manage to get to Fuel, I’ll probably try it.
By the way, what’s your favourite beer? My friend just turned 21 yesterday, and we’re going pubbing soon, so I need some options. Already know I hate Natural Ice, I think Corona and Coors Light are alright, and I like Fat Tire.
And I LOVE Mike’s Hard Lemonade. -licks lips-
Also, I’m dying of laughter as well regarding the Kellerific mailbag…I’m stealing that word, by the way…so are my fellow Jennifer fans on the Pro-Keller boards over at Gateworld.
Joe,
You crack me up with mailbags like today.
Question- Do you still have standing sets in 2 Vancouver locations (can’t remember what the 2nd one was called) or is everything at Bridge Studios now?
Hey Joe,
You are the Master of Snark – brilliant. BTW, did you know this about snark: The irony mark or irony point (؟) (also called a snark or zing) is a proposed punctuation mark that was suggested to be used to indicate that a sentence should be understood at a second level.
Here is what Wikipedia had to say about the durian:
Widely known and revered in Southeast Asia as the “King of Fruits”, the fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk.
The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Regarded by some as fragrant, others as overpowering and offensive, the smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust. The odour has led to the fruit’s banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in Southeast Asia.
The durian, native to Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, has been known to the western world for about 600 years. The British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace famously described its flesh as “a rich custard highly flavoured with almonds” in the 19th century.
Not “sweet, creamy, gasoliney”?? Wonder what evolutionary advantage an odor like that could have for a fruit, which after all, is supposed to facilitate propagation of the species through seed dispersal (after being consumed).
A final note (question really). I read somewhere (I think) that Todd the Wraith was a nod to Todd Masters, so is the Wraith Ken (presumably soon to be appearing – I’m sure I’ve read this somewhere but can’t find the reference to it at the moment) a nod to Evil Kenny? Please thank Mr. Gibbs for his guest blog appearance.
Jean
Sorry Joe,
Don’t mean to double post. Why are so many, especially Anti-Keller so upset about McKay’s ramblings to Keller when he was infected with a parasite? The line is obviously intended to show just how out of it McKay was, and yes it was probably to keep us in suspense about this “dumb” love triangle, but it was not something to be taken seriously. Since we are all (hopefully) in our right frame of mind and were so thrown off by this love declaration, why would Keller be any different? Another thing, why beat up on Keller? She didn’t encourage? We still don’t know what her reaction to it was or will be so let us not jump to conclusions. Plus, I think a lot of people are just taking the “love triangle” too far, it isn’t going to turn into SG-90210, or Melrose Place, or Gossip Girl.
I’m a Ronon/Keller shipper, and after I got over the initial WTF? shock of hearing those 3 words from McKay, I realize McKay was just crazy, in that moment. The point is, I got over it and I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the season and the movies.
I bought a durian fruit last year because I was curious. It almost took an axe to get the thing open, and when I did, it was like opening a garbage bin full of rotting fruit. However, the custard-like interior wasn’t bad to the taste, sort of like lumpless tapioca. Very bland reward for six bucks and a lot of work, don’t feel compelled ever to have another one. There’s way too much for one person to eat, anyway.
You go Joe!!!!!!
Uber-nasty Filipino fruit and a shot at the Keller haters; you’ve totally made my night.
Thanks to Evil Kenny for his time and energy.
I’ll start thinking up some good questions for Mika McKinnon, one scientist to another.
Have a great night Joe, you deserve it.
So, um, Joe, are you feeling a little stressed? Today’s mailbag is the blog equivalent of a plate with ketchup and mustard, with RDA going WACKO 🙂
Maybe YOU are the one chewing on your shoes — bwa ha ha
Great wind-up, Joe M. LOL!
Remind me never to swing by this blog ever again.
So, remind me, already.
I totally want to puke my guts up.
Go, Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett!
Go, Rachel Lutrell and Jason Momoa!
Go, David Nykl and Kavan Smith!
Go, Robert Picardo and Mitch Pileggi!
Insipid wusses only have a place as BACKGROUND characters. What on ‘earth’ did you lot learn at producer school…
Sheesh…
No wonder SGA is swimmin’ with the fishes…
Could sooo do a better job myself.
Bring it!
; – D
You are an evil, evil man! Clearly Martin Wood was confused when he gave that name to Saintly Kenny! Thanks for lightening up what has been an incredibly frustrating day.
When GeekBoy heard that SGA had been canceled, he stood in silent dismay for a few moments and then said, “Oh, poor Jewell–not again!”
G’day Joe
What a hoot.
Love the Keller-ific mailbag. WTG Joe.
Jennifer Keller
loves
Ronon Dex
loves
Jennifer Keller.
Janet.
@Evil Joe and Evil Kenny – 😆 Thank you, thank you, thank you! 😆 And you heard Kenny – help him out, Joe! I wanna know what the finger armor thingys are for!!!! I’m sure there’s someone you could ask…somewhere…somehow….
…pretty please?
@ Trish – But my canoe story ‘spiders’ weren’t really spiders…they were just tree stumps…that only looked like spiders…really big ones…that could crawl out of the water and into my canoe… 😯 ACK!! *flails arms and runs in circles*
Yeah, I think I’ll skip my ‘bracelet therapy’ for a while. 😛
das
OMG I LOVED the Keller-iffic mailbag! You sir, are a genius among Keller-lovers! And Jewel’s acceptance photos are awesome!
I am a total believer that a pair of Jimmy Choo’s are worth ALL the beans in the bag and you are so considerate for thinking of her poor weary toes and all those hours spent in those running shoes. Jimmy Choo’s would definitely make it all better. I’m sure everyone loved their t-shirts. People love SWAG – especially things they can wear to family BBQ’s and beer league softball games. A baseball hat may have been equally appropriate.
I hope you bought her the Tesla Roadster. It will do 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and base prices at a mere $109,000. Very appropriate for such a wonderful gal, and really quite affordable when you add up the cost of all those other entries.
And I’m a huge fan of Carl’s work on Dr. Quinn. He did such amazing things with Joe Lando’s buckskin jacket. Absolute perfection.
– Nika
Oh, ye gods. I’ve still got tears streaking down my face, and my sides are hurting. Keller isn’t my favorite character, but I’ve long since gotten tired at the vitriol aimed at the character, and at times at the actress. I do love imagining the expressions of those folks at today’s blog entry. The more so since too many will miss the satire involved. Thank you Mr. Mallozzi; this may be your greatest blog posting in at least the year and change I’ve been reading your blog.
To Evil Kenny, thank you for your participation in this forum. I’m sorry I never got around to submitting questions, but as usual others here have covered most of the points I have had questions on. Thank you for your work on our favorite shows; your work has played a not-insignificant role in the success of the show.
Now, to head out and find a computer that will let me watch weird food of the day, as the cap to a perfect blog post.
Hey, must of touched a nerve there….
I’m Anti-Keller (mainly anti-McKeller), but I thought the Kellerific mailbag was funny!
We anti-folk have funny bones too.
Thanks for all the good fun today in your blog. I see we have all had fun reading it.
By the way how is he trial going. You think they just might get off with that fancy lawyer of theirs. The lawyer sounds like they know what they are doing. I would watch my back if i where you. Pugs can be tricky if you know what i mean.
Thank you for getting a close up of the fruit. I was wondering what the insides looked like.
My be you should have jewel try some lol….. she is your all’s favorite after all. lol
what is a Gemini award ??
Have a great day and keep your shoes up!!
Can we expect to see all the main characters in the season finale?
Brilliant Joe! Too bad SGA was canceled, you could have made Keller in charge for season six. Maybe she should run for president instead. Go Keller!
Honestly, I’ve never understood why everyone has gone so overboard with the anti/pro-Keller stuff. Characters develop and mature over the seasons and are never quite what they started out to be. It seemed like most people never wanted to give Keller a chance to develop.
Anyways, very amusing blog today. Thanks to Evil Kenny for dropping by. And congratulations to Jewel Staite on her nomination.
Sorry for the double post, but I forgot to ask something about the Geminis. Since Ms. Staite is being nominated for a season 4 episode, does this mean that we might hope to see another SGA cast member be submitted as a nominee next year? And if it’s an issue of money, might it be possible for the fans to raise money to pay the costs of one or mor nominations? Assuming the worst, it would provide us one last opportunity to demonstrate our thanks for their years of providing us quality entertainment. For that matter, we’re open to suggestions on how to show our thanks to the crew.
I don’t know where to email you Mr. Mallozi so here’s my question.
Any chance you can “suggest” in an upcoming producers meeting to have Corin Nemec reprise his role as Jonas Quinn for the upcoming Stargate Universe series as a regular?
Also, to set it up right, we would need a Stargate: Jonas Quinn straight to DVD movie to catch us up on what’s been going on with him for the past 4 or 5 years.
🙂
Any chance I can get an invite to the 100th/wrap party?
@ anneteldy – What can I say, I’ve always had a thing for skinny guys. And that description of ‘gaunt’ just reminded me of poor Todd, spending all those years in that Genii prison…starving…so hungry…so weak…*sniffle*
Yeah. I’m a sucker for the sucker. 😉
das
Oh! and if you ever have the time, I would love to have you guest blog on StaragateComplex.com on the post
“Top 10 Atlantis Episodes according to Jospeh Mallozzi”
🙂
When you can. When you’re bored. When you’re on a plane doing nothing.
Loved Kenny’s intereview! Thank you Kenny, for taking the time to answer those questions. 🙂 I really enjoyed it.
AND JOE! I laughed my ass off. I love your sense of humour.
Hi Joe,
I guess you showed us. I love it. Rock on Joe!
XOXO
Lalu
*snicker snort* nice report…”evil’ Kenny rocks!
Durian? after hearing it smells like ca-ca, I’ve avoided it. Even that someone described the taste as ‘creamy chocolatey’ isn’t gonna convince me.
As for Jewell’s nomination, good for her! I met her at the Supernova con here in Perth in June, and she had everyone laughing – she’s so laid back and funny. It’s a shame that people are really down on her character (guess they wanted “Kaylee” back????) but I guess Carson’s shoes are hard to fill…
Still peeved that Hewlett wasn’t nominated…would have been a fitting recognition for five years’ of ‘being McKay’…(even tho Joe Flanigan is my fave, I’d still give the award to DH as he does such a fantastic job as such an irritating character!) LOL
Gotta agree with lcshepp – sneak pics of JF at the wrap party – or better still, sneak ME in & I’LL risk the injuires to take pics!!!
Thanks Evil Kenny!
And loved the mailbag, muhahaha. Grats to Jewel!
Joe–
What the hell? Why were you such an ass in the comments section? Is it because you’re basically throwing back in the faces of those viewers who hated Keller that the ‘people who really matter’ think that she’s good enough for a Gemini nomination. Or is it because you realize that the the rest of the amazing cast got crap stories in season four with the exception of your precious Keller?
And for the record, I am a Keller fan and I took to her because of her charm, but even I’m kinda disgusted that she was the ONLY actor to get nominated. Torri Higgenson should have been nominated for her work and you can’t it’s because she was in a handful of episodes…people have been nominated for being in one episode before. Joe Flannigan should have been nominated for his portrayal of emotion in Adrift, Lifeline or This Mortal Coil and David Hewlett should have been nominated for Millers Crossing or Be All My Sins Remembered where he created FRAN… good moments from excellent actors and you should at least respect them enough to pay them tribute even though Jewel was the only one to get a nomination…
…and you wonder why the show got cancelled. If you only put your effort and attention into one character it’s no wonder.
Best mailbag ever.
Have you thought of holding a Kellerthon (telethon) to raise funds for the KellerGate: Universe campaign? Perhaps you could convince Messrs Hewlett, Picardo, Mamoa & Flanigan and Ms Luttrell to man the phones now that they’re not so busy with filming and all.
Sad to see the lack of a sense of humour in some quarters – though really not surprising.
Why stop there? I hear Harper is gunning for another election in the fall.
I say, take all the money earned for the Jewel Staite 2009 Gemini Nomination campaign and put it towards the Jewel Staite for Liberal Party Federal Leadership Campaign.
Or for whatever party. If she leans NDP or Green, I’m sure neither Jack Layton nor Elizabeth May would mind shoving on over to make room for the Great Jewel Staite, Gemini-nominated-soon-to-be-Gemini-award-winning actress. After all Dion, Layton, and May all love her to bits as well, of course. Harper may habe his doubts now, but one word out of her mind on the podium at a debate and all his fears will be quelled. Canada will be in good hands.
And once she’s Prime Minister of Canada it’s only a matter of time before she achieves World Peace and then World Domination.
On a more serious note, I wonder if you’ve read anything by Martha Wells. She’s written a couple SGA novels and an SG-1 short story (which you already knew *smacks head*). I’ll admit I haven’t read those, but I have read the Nebula nominated “Death of the Necromancer” and thought it was fantastic.
She’s written several novels that take place in the same world as the Necromancer, many of them also interesting reads.
I’d be eager to see at least the Necromancer as a book of the month, but what I was really wondering is whether it’d be possible to have her in as a guest blogger. She’s written for the Stargate franchise so I’d think it’d be an interesting Q and A session all in all.
I guess this blog entry is what happens when you get tired from all the whining and finally snap.
Snap more often please, it’s entertaining. I laughed quite a bit at this post. Plus more pics of Jewell is never a bad thing. 🙂
BYE
The keller q and a made me laugh so hard i was in tears. Thanks I needed that.
The Fruit!!! The horror!!! My nose!!!Oh my goodness, Joe. I’m asian myself, and I can’t stand the smell of it, everytime I go into an Asian supermarket! That said, I’ve never tried it. And did you say gasoline-y at the end?
Oh, after reading Old Man’s War, I’ve picked up Ghost Brigades from my library. Did you find it more enterataining or less? I’m only a couple chapters in, but to me, so far it isn’t interesting me as much as Old Man’s War did. So I was just wondering your opinion.
And it was fun reading the mailbag today – you should send it to Jewel Staite!
~rich
I give you major kudos points for eating durian. I find the smell and taste equally repulsive. I hope you didn’t eat a lot in one sitting because some of my family members have and they said they could feel their hearts pumping really hard later on.
hahaha about the Kellerific mailbag and the “Gemini-nominated actress Jewel Staite” captions.
Hi Hi. That’s really funny with the Keller mailbag today. The only thing funnier is getting Jewel to do a guest blog. Hmm, don’t know if a lousy pair of Jimmy Choo’s will entice Jewel to go thru the anti-Keller posts. Maybe several pairs.
Seriously Mr M. Can you get each SGA lead to each do a guest blog before they get too busy? Don’t think the JF fanatics will have much luck. But they can get lucky.
Hey Joe!
Like the new touch to the mailbag. Wish Jewel Staite congratulations for her Gemini nomination, she’s doing a great job. 🙂
Question for Mika:
Hello Mika! Have there ever been times where you told our favorite writers to rewrite part of an episode script due to a physics-related error, or are you consulted before anything related to physics are written down overall?
Thanks as always, and the Q&A session was a great read!
– Enzo Aquarius
Joe,
Nice snark. Now, go write some Sheppard/McKay dialog, while you are in the proper frame of mind.
I am laughing so hard right now, I’m actually CRYING!!!!
Jewel is such a fun person (assuming she was in on it =)!!!! The “Keller-ific” mailbag not only made my day, but also my week, my month, and quite possibly my year!!!
Thanks so much for the hilarious (and gorgeous!) pictures!!!
The one of “Gemini-nominated actress Jewel Staite” is now my desktop picture (replacing one of David Hewlett and Michael Shanks), and every time I turn my computer on, I’m going to think of this blog entry and laugh hysterically!!!
Okay, the Keller mailbag? It slays me. Too funny.
Mailbag Question: I seem to remember you saying once that if Jason Momoa was okay with Ronon losing the dreds, you’d write it into the show, and if he wasn’t they’d keep the wig. I’ve also heard rumors floating around the net that it was a studio decision to have the character keep the hair. I’m just curious what the status is on that?
It’s not like I despise the wig (actually, I never even notice it’s fakeness when watching), but the curiosity is Keller…er…killer.
Hey Joe,
You rock. You have basically stuck it to all the Anti-folks, and you rock for that. Keller is not my favorite character, but I still like her alot and cannot wait to see what is in store for her the rest of the season. 🙂
Best,
Squall78
P.S. So when is Keller getting nominated for an Emmy? :p
“Sweet, creamy, gasoline!!!”
“It probably won’t kill you, but if it does… it does, what can I say?”
OMG I’m still hysterical from the amazing Kellerificness of the mailbag, and I see you eating a fruit outdoors because it smells so bad!!! And the amazing quotable quotes!!!
Joe, you’re amazing!!!
dasNdanger wrote:
das, if it isn’t a prop, it must be part of the costume. And didn’t Mr. M say a Costume Department person is going to answer questions here? Perhaps she(?) can explain the reason for and creation of the piece?
Anne Teldy
Hey Joe,
I came here to whine and complain. And ask a question.
First the whiney, complainey part. My dog, Annabelle (half golden half great pyrenees) is having some *issues*.
Normally, Annabelle is a well behaved dog. She’s three and has been trained by the best. Meaning Jeremy, Allie, and I have taught her to sit, lay down, stay, and do her jobs outside.
After Sebastian passed away Annabelle seemed fine. I think the day we put him down she came into my room right before bed and looked for him. Sebastian always slept on the floor next to me. Annabelle looked around, didn’t see him, then decided to sleep on the floor next to me. That was the one and only time she did that.
Other than that she behaved like usual until a week or so ago. Now I have to be extra careful with what I leave out or Annabelle might eat/chew it. And Annabelle’s had some accidents in the house. I know she’s house broken so the accidents are bizarre. She’s had about four accidents spaced days apart. I don’t think she’s sick since she can be fine for days and then have an accident.
Then there is the trash can raiding. She’s NEVER done that before this month. It’s really weird. And annoying. And I’m worried. All of this behavior happens while we are not home. Which is another weird thing because we usually ARE home. This morning I was gone for maybe three hours and Annabelle found the bathroom trash can was not secured. I came home to cotton balls, q-tips, and kleenex strewn about. It was lovely. 🙄
Now for the question part:
Do you think Annabelle misses Sebastian? Have you ever experienced a pet acting out after another pet passed away? If this is the case, what do I do? Is it OK to just wait and see if the behavior stops? Obviously I have to change some habits so Annabelle doesn’t have access to any trash. I get that. It’s just that if I can do something else to help her, I will.
Sorry to make such a long post!
Trish
LOL. As a Pro-Keller, this post made my day. Thanks Joe!
HAHAHAHAHA!!
Freaking. Hilarious.
Thanks to Kenny Gibbs, who is not evil…for answering questions. Really neat insight to the props and the many magical things used.
OMG! Thot I was gonna die, reading your portion of the blog, today. She sure is cute, tho, and well worth all of your vastly expensive efforts to get the nomination.
On another note ~ re the BotM choices for the coming session. Finished KEEPING IT REAL; excellent mix of D&D and cyberpunk. Am now hunting up the rest of the Quantum Gravity / Lila Black books.
And BLACK COMPANY… is that just one story or the whole Chronicles? The book I got from the library is MASSIVE!
Oh, lastly… D’you think Jewel would object to my using her as my Write-In for President in November?
Joe,
You are absolutely brilliant in your blog today.
Loved the Kellerific mailbag; laughing so hard I was near tears. Loved the many photos of Jewel too!
The mailbag made me forget I had a sports injury which was really hurting. Put some ice on it and started to read the blog and totally forgot about it until I finally stopped laughing. You are way too cool!
As the Doctor would say – it is Fantastic!
And one WFPoD question, is the Durian also known as Sour Sop? Hard to tell texture from the pictures. Were there some smallish black seeds in it?
A million years ago, we used to eat this in Hawaii, but I do not remember the smell. Anyway, love the return of the WFPoD. Many thanks.
Hi Joe!
Loved the Q&A w/ Evil Kenny! 🙂 He didn’t really seem very evil – didn’t even “Bwahahahaha!” or rub his hands in a Mr. Burnsian manner. Still, if Martin Wood says Kenny is “evil,” who am I to question?!
*pauses to let dogs out to chase toads and cicadas*
Absolutely loved the pics and declarations of love, admiration, and total devotion in the Kellerific mailbag! It wasn’t just Kellerific, it was also Jewelicious and Staitely! 😀
I love the work the other actors have done this season (and last), but I do not begrudge Jewel her Gemini nomination. Just because one person was submitted doesn’t mean TPTB hate the other actors or have something against them. And I liked her work in Missing. Doesn’t mean I hate JF, DH, JMm, or RL. I’d love for every single actor on this show to get lots of great roles and money for the rest of their careers! OK, doesn’t mean I can’t be happy for JS to get a nomination. Good for her!
Sheesh, it’s Jewel Staite, FCOL!! I hear she’s a Gemini-nominated actress!
*ends to let dogs back in – their missions accomplished – spreading the word about Jewel Staite, Gemini-nominated actress*
eddy
HAHAHAHAHA OKAY THAT WAS HILARIOUS. *THUMBS UP*
Joe,
I’m sure you’ll be relieved to know that I have finally recovered from my deep depression over the cancellation of Atlantis and am ready, willing and able to enjoy Friday’s episode of Whispers.
In fact, I’m not going to let anything (no ship, no plot, no asshat corporate executives) get in the way of my sucking up the remaining episodes of MY show with the same enthusiasm that accompanies my consumption of a Strawberries and Cream frappuccino (no whipped cream).
*pants*
Maybe I’m not completely recovered yet.
Serenity Now,
Rose
ROTFLMAO! Pout much?!
Hey Joe, in case you need help writing a plot for the Kellercentric SGA movie, here’s an idea for
STARGATE: ATLANTIS: KELLER IN THE CELLAR
Keller is captured by Todd.
The Team is very sad because they miss Keller so much.
Woolsey sends the Team to rescue Keller from Todd.
Keller convinces Todd to let her go cuz she’s so cute and sweet and not at all delicious in a Wraithesque manner.
The Team tries to rescue Keller, only to find she’s been previously released.
Todd, who no longer has Keller captive, captures the Team.
Keller rescues the Team.
The Team and Keller return to Atlantis, much to the relief of Woolsey, because he was missing Keller very much.
Chucknician bops McKay on the head and proposes to Keller.
Ronon throws Chucknician over the balcony because he is so upset Chucknician proposed to Keller.
Keller is concerned cuz Chucknician was thrown over the balcony, til she discovers he landed on Zelenka, breaking his fall.
Keller patches up Chucknician, Zelenka, and McKay.
Keller then gives Ronon a stern talking-to.
Ronon apologizes to Keller and Chucknician.
Chucknician apologizes to Rodney, but Rodney is OK because he understands what it is like to love Keller.
Everyone, including Keller, go to the cafeteria for ice cream.
The End…but not for Keller.
—
eddy
Please send your checks and money orders for the KELLER IN THE CELLAR DVD to the Demonic Otter Toe.
I for one love the Kellerific mailbag. Jewel is just the cutest thing ever. And congrats to her for the nomination.
Thanks to Kenny for stopping by, too!
LOL! Funny stuff tonight. Thank you for the much needed laughs. 😀 (Must remember — Gemini not Genie…)
The durian looks like a pineapple crossed with a porcupine. Very attractive. 😉
Thank you for providing a forum for yet another fun and informative guest blogger.
A nomination or win of any award is wonderful for an actor to have on their resume. Best of luck to Jewel.
And counting down the days to Major Anne Teldy strategically taking her command behind Colonel John Sheppard, getting a great view of his…the situation. Good luck to you too Major!
Joe,
You are great! Thank you for the many fabulous pics of the lovely and talented Jewel Staite! The more the better. This was a naquada bomb to the heart of the anti-Keller camp. Hopefully they will be in disarray for some time to come.
Hello. I enjoyed the mailbag immensely. Thanks. Loved all the photos of Jewel hamming it up, and it was cool to see the Q&A with the propmaster as well.
And, as another commenter said, it would be awesome if Jewel did a guest blog. She’s hilarious on her myspace blog.
Thanks for the great Q&A, Evil Kenny. And a belated thanks to Sharon Taylor for answering my question in the last guest blog. I didn’t get to read it until today.
And thanks, Joe, for all of the Jewel Stait pictures. Due to my crazy con schedule, I didn’t get to meet her or see her in a panel this past weekend. The pictures nearly make up for that.
The one panel I did get to see featured Cliff Simon, David Nykl, Torri Higginson, Beau Bridges, and the incredibly insane Rainbow Sun Francks. And the one autograph I got was Robert Picardo’s. I need a thesaurus to fully express how great he was when I spoke with him. What do I have to do to get him as a producer favorite? 😛
As much as I love the con, I’m glad to be home. I so missed your blog. 🙂
Yay, you ate durian! It was always on my “must try” list (and yeah, Anthony Bourdain didn’t seem to have any problem with it) but the Andrew Zimmern said it tasted like “sweet, rotten onions” so I said forget it. Very cool that you can get a whole fruit like that, too — according to one durian-loving friend, the ones for sale in NYC’s Chinatown apparently aren’t as fresh tasting… like that would make a difference?!
Now please, PLEASE, find some balut and try that! Or stinky tofu. I wonder why the hardcore weird foods are from Asia?
Also, much love from me to you for your pro-Keller posts. I always liked her but now I think Jewel is unbelievably cool to put up with some of these assholes who actually call themselves “fans” of the show. I mean, you don’t have to like a character (I was glad Weir left, although I liked Weir 2.0), but the amount of vitriol I’ve seen here, against not only the character but the actress, is disgusting.
Hey Joe,
When we arrived at our hotel in Phuket, which incidentally we checked out of 5 minutes later to find somewhere else, it had a big sign at the front “Please no Durian fruit to be brought into the hotel”. Yep, stinkier in the heat.
As with all interesting items that are edible, you wonder what made someone pick it up, smell it and then decide, “You know what, I’m going to eat this”. If it was probable that “I dare ya” was part of the vocabulary a thousand years ago then I’d be placing my bets on that, but otherwise I have no idea.
Reading a few more anti-Keller comments today and they all seem to fit a pattern. There is always the “I used to like her until…” and now I say out loud “Wait for it, here it comes, almost.. “and what you did to Torri, no wonder Atlantis got cancelled”.. and there it is.” No anti-Keller comment is complete without bringing up Weir.
Trish – it’s most likely she is fretting. Sometimes a soft toy if they used to sleep close to each other or a blanket that smells of Sebastian may help, but it will most likely just be time. I’ve asked the vet the same question before. I went for the lots of hugs and keep them busy approach as well.
Best. blog entry. ever.
Ohhhhh…so we SHOULDN’T ask stupid questions or make idiotic comments that will piss you off lest we incur the wrath of a snarky blog response. 🙂 Good to know!
If only Jewel were American, then we could vote for her for President. With the producers of “Atlantis” by her side getting all that money going her way, she’d win for sure!
LOL
That was a great mailbag!!
Joe,
You crack me up! Loved todays post and I would like to donate to the Jewel Staite fund myself. Where can I send that millions dollars I inherited from some women telling me this sad story about a man who just died and I was his last heir? It was a surprise to me since the previous week I also won the london lottery. I figured I could donate this money because I don’t know what to spend my millions on and I know Jewel is the Producers favorite so I think it’s just right to donate to her fund… How does that sound? Let me know… 🙂
Just wanted to let you know that my crazy and hectic schedule has finally allowed me to finish The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden and I loved it. I cannot wait to buy and read volume 2. I put my review on my blog and on Goodreads and I can now pass the book onto my mom who is anxious to read it after hearing me talk about it for a month.
Because we share the same love for reading I thought I’d share my new adventure with you. Did you know that it is not the easiest thing to find out when a book was published if it is not printed in the book itself that does not contain a complete title page? I was given The Complete Works of William Shakespeare when I had to read Othello my senior year in high school and the only date in the book was handwritten by my great-great grandmother when she gave it to my great grandmother for Christmas in 1952. I contacted the publishers (The Penguin Group USA bought the Grosset & Dunlap publishers in 1982) and they thought I was asking to have to book appraised and that they couldn’t look up the book without an ISBN number. ISBN numbers weren’t around in the ’50’s. Every person I have talked to about this book has never heard of a book not having the publishing date OR the copyright date printed in it. I should hear back from the Library of Congress in the next few days. I’m hopeful that the largest library in America can help me. Dear God I hope so. I just thought I’d share.
I loved the Kellerific mailbag today. I’m heading over to Myspace next to wish her a congrats on the Gemini. I have been a fan of Jewel Staite since Flash Forward… wow I think that dates me. Oh well, I shouldn’t really care since Jewel and I were both born in 1982. I love Keller and I’m glad that Jewel got the nomination. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that she, and everyone else on Atlantis who were nominated, wins. Were all of those pics taken in one day? Did you just follow her around and snap pics like the paparazzi? I know she’s very photogenic since she posts quite a few on her myspace page.
@78 A Honshuu
The Black Company book in the original mass market paperback format from Tor Books is 319 pages long. The book you pick up at the Library might be the SFBC omnibus hardcover edition with 759 pages that include the first 3 book of the Black Company Chronicles.
One amusing thing, the last Black Company book (#10) titled Soldier Lives! is a bloated 556 pages tome of fine print.
To Narelle,
I have never ONCE brought up Weir as a reason for disliking Keller, as I wasn’t particularly fond of her either.
Now if you had said Beckett, I could see your point, as many people feel Keller took his “rightful” place as CMO.
My main reason for not liking Keller is that the romance angle turns me off big-time, and she seems to be the center of that particular setup. If she would stick to being a supporting doctor character, like previous SG docs, I’d be fine with her.
Also, since I do like the Team concept being Teyla, Ronon, Shep and McKay, her having more time this season cuts away from time that could have been spent on the dynamics between them. The supporting characters that I have come to love over the years, such as Lorne, Zelenka, Chuck, etc., were never too obtrusive, but had wonderful little parts. Keller could have been like that.
My other reason for being anti the Keller character is that I felt las if I was being manipulated by her presence on the show.
To me it seems like the bigwigs came to the show and said, you’re ratings aren’t as good as we’d like, so fix it.
The fix was to steer the show towards something that looks suspiciously like what the premise of SGU has turned out to be – younger, angstier, relationship-minded characters and situations. Thus the introduction of Keller, a known genre favorite, in addition to the female team, Vega and the new gate-tech girl.
I certainly don’t blame Jewel for any of this, and wish her well. I would be thrilled if Keller had been written differently, or placed in a different role in the show. But she wasn’t so that’s where I stand. It is about the character, not the actress.
I can’t and won’t pretend to like something I don’t, even to make other people feel good. (don’t ask me to tell you my opinion of your new outfit either, if you don’t want a real answer)
Best Blog Ever
LMAO I loved this entry!! You always crack me up, Joe ^.^
P.S. Evil Kenny rules!
-Peace, Margaret
I’ve gotten some great advice from the lady at our local Oriental food store. She suggests you buy ONLY the small round durians.
They’re slightly different depending on what country they came from, but the one I had hardly had any smell (they get them in frozen), and the fruit was really sweet and creamy. I took all the flesh out and froze it. It’s lovely frozen…
So what’s next??? boiled chicken livers?
Many thanks for the wonderful mailbag!
It made my day. I’ve sprayed toast crumbs all over my monitor I laughed so much.
Hej Joe!
The money is optimally invested for Jewel Staite 🙂
The funniest blog entry in the last weeks (the t-shirt 🙂
Vi ses…
Mornin’, Joe
Soo.. you think you’ve had it bad with the cold blooded murder of your shoes. I awoke this morning to the sound of gunshots going off outside my bedroom window. By the time i’d finally come around enough to realise it was my next door neighbour (a middle-aged farmer, with a hankering for anti-tank weapons) taking pot-shots at the field behind his house, he was already storming off down the lane and bellowing a long list of profanities at the local wildlife.
It would seem that a Ferret took up residence in his BMW last night and on a whim, did some mechanical re-workings on the engine. Around here, the little furry things like to curl up somewhere warm for the night and a vehicle’s engine provides just the right kind of shelter. Unfortunately, they also like the taste of warm rubber (Ferret fetish?) and often will sink their teeth into anything they can find.
Apparently, BMW refuse to take culpability for the whole affair and insist they don’t design their cars with mechanically-gifted Ferrets in mind. Which has left my next door neighbour with a fairly hefty insurance bill to pay and a very happy little Ferret curled up somewhere, with a belly full of warm rubber.
Ironically, I got an email from Greenpeace an hour or so later, forwarning of ‘activities’ in my area within the next few days.
Glad I wasn’t drinking my coffee when reading the blog this morning, though I do think you should have made Jewel pose for a piccie with ‘the ruffly dress’. There’s just not enough shiny on those Atlantis uniforms. I’m also still waiting for her to call Jason, ‘Cap’n Tight Pants’.
I can laugh as loud as I want to this morning because the rest of the household woke me up by moving around quite loudly and laughing anyway, so…
Bwahahaha!
First, love the photos of Jewel (and her hubby). Congratulations to her =]
Second, “it’s not as bad as it smells”. I’m sure that compliment made it feel extra special. My eyes nearly fell out of my head when I saw the size of it and what it looked like.
Finally, “sweet, creamy, gasoliny”. So it tastes like a petrol station smells. Nice. Something for my sister to try I think.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *Gasp* HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Brilliant post, Joe! Made my night after coming home from a crappy evening of work! So thanks!
“…Chances are that, what you’re smelling is not, in fact, the decomposed corpse of some wino who died choking on his own vomit; but this: the Durian fruit.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Oh, this was brilliant, just brilliant; honestly one of the most hilarious entires ever. Thank you to Evil Kenny for that awesome Q&A (Wooooo Baba-lou!!), and thanks to (as das said) Evil Joe for that ridiculously pwnsome Kellerific mailbag (and DAMN, Jewel Staite is absolutely gorgeous in any and all photos of her. Dude.). And those videos! My parents adore Durian so I’m forced to endure the odor every once in a while; I’ve since forced them to eat that sorry excuse for an (apparently) edible substance on our balcony. Don’t worry Joe, it’s not up too high. 😉
Now, to get serious for a moment…WTF?! The fandom has sunk to new lows with this accusation that you guys somehow don’t care about the rest of the cast. What a load of bullshit. Joe specifically said that only one member of the cast could’ve been nominated due to budgetary issues, and they chose Keller. What’s wrong with that?
No, seriously, please use your heads. If they had chosen Joe F., would you complain that TPTB didn’t care for any of the rest of the cast? If they had chosen David H, would you complain that TPTB didn’t care for any of the rest of the cast? Etc. etc. Oh, but of course, some would stop complaining, as now their favorite actors on the show are nominated; but some others would start complaining because “oh TPTB are just relying on Shep and McKay again! Why don’t they ever care about Teyla and Ronon?!” IT’S THE SAME EFFING THING! The fact that they chose to at least give one of the cast members a moment in the sun instead of unanimous un-recognization of all of the cast meant that all but 1 will be left unnominated. It didn’t matter who was nominated. TPTB CAN’T WIN.
And to those who are bitching about how they should’ve nominated Joe F. or David H. or whoever else and are getting their panties in a twist, please realize that TPTB, along with everyone else, have the right to disagree with you on who was more deserving of nomination; after all, it’s all subjective. TPTB choosing Keller over the others doesn’t mean they don’t care about the others, but rather they thought collectively that Jewel Staite’s performance in Missing was the best thing for the nomination. You disgree? Fine, great. But, it doesn’t make you right and them wrong. Simple as that.
Missing made sense as a nomination as the episode offered a near-complete and “isolated” character arc for Keller; she went from unprepared scardy cat to someone who eventually toughened up a bit and shot someone in the leg in one single episode with no need for significant backstory; there was character evolution, and that, I think is something to look for. I praise all the actors endlessly for their moments of awesome acting (just read my ridiculously long reviews), but in general the good bits are not so well encapsulated in one episode. Remember, while Joe F.’s teary eyes in Adrift was AWESOME, it really needed the previous 3 years of Shep-Weir relationship to really strike home. The true meaning of that scene would’ve only benefited us fans, not the impartial judges who’d probably only see some pretty boy getting teary eyed, if you know what I mean. After all, they’d only watch that one episode.
Same thing with many of the other major acting moments in the show. The Shrine? Would’ve been vastly less powerful had we not been treated to 4+ years of Sheppard-McKay friendship. Torri in Lifeline? Again, her sacrifice would mean so much less if we haven’t had her character revealed to us bit by bit over the previous 3 years, and then having her ultimate sacrifice hammering it home. And so on, and so on.
What a surprise! She’s not vegetarian O.o
Only kidding 😉
Awesome. So if I’ll ever be in Vancouver, I’ll make sure I’ll have the money for Fuel’s :o)
You are my hero! Best mailbag ever!
Congratulations on trying the durian! During the Olympics, the cast of the Today show were offered some and none of them were brave enough to try it.
And many thanks to “Evil” Kenny – who, by the way, is not to be confused with the Gemini-nominated actress Jewel Staite – For his very interesting answers.
LOL! I knew almost immediately once you started the Weird Food Purchase of the Day that you were going to do durian. My hat off to you — I’ve never been able to do it myself and you’ve got to be given props for trying it. Now that you’ve had the King of Fruits, are you going to try the Queen (mangosteen) as well? I’ve heard they’re absolutely delicious and probably much better than durian.
I like Keller as a character, she’s very likable and intelligent, but I have noticed that nobody else had so much ship attachments as her and that I find weird. It just feels like her character is all about ships. I mean, some other characters have been on the show for a long time and had zilch romance. She has been there for two years and every other ep she’s pondering a relationship with someone. Oh, do I want Ronon? Do I want McKay? It’s just… ugh. If this was Melrose Place, why not? But romancing on a sci-fi show usually turns fans off.
And what you said about writing more and more about Keller to make people like her, doesn’t really help either. Now I fear that the upcoming movie will be something along these lines: McKay and Keller are getting married, the whole team is there, the Wraith crash the ceremony, the team has to rescue a kidnapped Keller but Rodney and Jennifer, the star-crossed lovers, do manage to say their “I do”s in the end.
As I said, I like Keller and I like Jewel Staite who is very, very nice and I hope that she wins the Gemini award but you are simply pushing her too much. Sometimes, subtlety is better than brute force.
Oh, you go get them, boy! Stupid Anti-Keller people!
Hilarious entry, thanks for the laugh!
Spikey
Sigh. If you honestly think that Jewels Staite has been the only performance deserving of a nomination over the past 5 years then I guess there is nothing else to say to you. Its totally obvious you put her forward to try and boost this poorly received character but so be it. If you think Keller is the best thing now about SGA and her performance outweights any other actor on the show then I feel sad for you because you are totally out of touch with the fandom.
Jewel may be the sweetest girl around but the character of Keller is one of the most badly written characters on the show. But you obviously intend to keep shoving her into the front and ignore the other talented actors and actresses that made SGA great. How about putting some effort into the rest of the cast instead of gloating and being proud of having favourites.
Hmmm… I’m not sure, But I think Jewel Staite is nominated for some type of award by the name of “Gemini”?
Weird, I don’t know where I got this from, But I felt it when I was reading this blog update.
I probably have ESPN or something 😛
Congrats to Jewel!
Sounds like Annabelle’s mourning Sebastien, Trish. My younger dog did the same thing when our older one died recently, she had been there all his life, and her death was really sudden. Afterwards, he wouldn’t play at all, he’d just lay there where her bed was, and we’d have to force him to eat or drink anything. Narelle’s suggestion is a very good one, I say do that, and just give her a little time.
-stares at some of the comments- I can’t believe some of you guys are taking this entry so seriously, it was *a joke*, as in Joe’s sick of your whining so much about a character, as are some of your fellow readers.
I’ve tried Durian (sp?) before. Nasty does not even begin to describe it! I have no idea how you actually managed to transport one of those suckers. Did you tie it to the roof of your car?
Hilarious answers about Jewel’s Gemini nomination. She is, after all, your favorite.
Gotta say that I laughed til I cried on this one….great entry!
Can I also put my vote in for some JF pics at the Wrap party – am very happy to start an injury fund for you if needed 🙂
….also a vote for all the SGA team to guest blog…we know JF is a gadget man – I am sure you can find a way to bribe him somehow 😉
Again, great blog – thoroughly good entertainment – and a Hi Five to Jewel for the great pics too.
Thanks Kenny, Joe & Fans for the great Q&A
You should’ve said that Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, vol. 1 by Susanna Clarke is Keller’s favorite book.
Thx for the op, ha, already started it.
DD
Your mailbag made my morning. I haven’t laughed so hard since I found out they were remaking Knight Rider. You have a wicked sense of humor.
I had the pleasure of meeting Jewel Staite at Shore Leave and she was adorable, sweet and very entertaining. Can I contribute to her fund?
Hey thanks to Evil Kenny for dropping by, it was great to hear from a props person on the show.
As for your latest mailbag, all I can say is I wish I’d read it before I went out to dinner (a lovely Turkish restaurant in case you’re interested). I ate a little too much and all the laughing didn’t help.
Hey, what was Jewel Staite nominated for? I don’t think you mentioned it Joe…
Coucou Joseph!! Me revoilà!! Je suis toujours en vie lol!!
J’ai découvert ma classe et mon emplois du temps..tout me semble me convenir mise a pars les 4 heure de comptabilité a la suite le Mardi après midi et les 10 semaine de stage. Mais dans l’assemble sa va.
Demain je ne serais pas là jusqu’à Dimanche car je vois mon chéri.
Merci beaucoup pour toute ces photo et cette vidéo très funny…mais je n’arrive toujours pas a savoir se que vous goutez?
Question:
1)Avez vous déjà manger des truffes? aimez vous sa ?
2) Dans stargate sg1 et sga quel est votre couple favori
Voila =) Gros bisou, bonne fin de semaine et bon week end!
Oh Joe, You just kill me!!!! : )
I am glad I am alone in the office today so I could laugh out loud without having to explain myself.
Thanks to Evil Kenny for stopping by. He really sounds like a sweet guy.
Heee. You did make me laugh today. Your mailbag reponses kinda reminded me of that scene in Being John Malkovich where John Malkovich went through the secret door on floor 13½ and everyone was wearing his face and everything they said came out, “Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich, Malkovich Malkovich…” 😀
Joe,
Thanks for having “Evil” Kenny. Interesting and great read.
I was actually pleasantly surprised to hear that the Ori staff was made from a pool cue. I’ve been planning to make a Jaffa staff weapon prop from scratch (since those available for sale are prohibitively expensive) and the base I chose was: an unfinished pool cue. Available from any internet pool supply site for around $12.00.
The Kellerific mailbag had me rofl-ing! Absolutely brilliant! Good stuff man. Good stuff.
Is there a gemini award for the best performance in mailbag answering? Cause I sure as hell will pay to endorse your nomination!
Oooooh! If a whole bunch of people post really mean nasty comments about how they hate Joe Flanigan, will you spend an entire mailbag talking about how you love him and posting wonderful pictures of him? Whee! *rushes to LJ to organize JF hate-a-thon*
Hm. I’m sensing a pattern here. One question, though. Do you think that Gemini-nominated actress and producer favorite Jewel Staite is aware that doctors on Stargate might as well be wearing a target on their backs and that writers are supposed to kill off their darlings?
Also, a suggestion for your on-going investigation. The timing of the announcement that actress and producer favorite Jewel Staite is Gemini-nominated as it relates to the Infamous Shoe Chewing Incident seems a bit suspicious to me. If I were you, Joe, I’d check the dogs’ off-shore bank accounts and see which one of them recently received a large deposit that might be traced to a jealous actor (who is obviously not Gemini-nominated actress and producer favorite Jewel Staite). I’m just sayin’…
“Answer: A dollar fifty. EACH!”
Those budgetary restraints must be hell.
Now i wish i hadn’t grumbled each time a new planet looked like the copse outside Bridge studios.
Btw, speaking of food testing – before this is all over, remember to get a recording of Keller eating a strawberry!
@Mellow Yellow
“I’m a Ronon/Keller shipper, and after I got over the initial WTF? shock of hearing those 3 words from McKay, I realize McKay was just crazy, in that moment. The point is, I got over it and I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the season and the movies.”
You are sure the point wasn’t that Keller kept replying that bit over and over 😉
Ha! It’s funny ‘cos it’s true. 😀
When I first heard the news of the nom. I thought it was a practical joke. ‘Cos it was just so random (that was for Narelle). Anyhoo does it mean that there won’t be any Atlantis noms. next year because the show has finished and you’ll be lining up for unemployment benefits?
So, have you planned a special project to undertake while Fondy is away? Ever considered writing some short stories yourself, perhaps with a horror theme?
Cheers, Chev
Nice Idea that Kellerific mailbag, ‘love her, my favorite actress !
Go the Gemini nominated and producer favorite Jewel Staite promoting campaign 2008-09 !!!
Thanks for being so mature Joe. You’ve made it clear that Jewels performance was deemed outstanding by all of you and none of the other actors obviously stood out at all over the last five years. Such is life. No need to get so petty. I think the general message yesterday was that Jewels performance didn’t seem any More deserving than Rachels, and it would have been nice to see some recognition sent her way. But a supporting character on the show a mere few months caught your eye over all the other performances for prevous seasons.
We have heard on numerous occasions and in interviews how everyone loves to write for David and now Jewel and I guess what most fans were saying yesterday was that a little recognition for some other cast members wouldnt go amiss. But you choose to redicule fans instead of maybe just saying that you think highly of all of them and Jewels performance just kinda stood out for you. It didnt for me unfortunatley but I don’t expect everyone to see things the way I do. Its a shame that this has turned into a sniping match now and because some fans dared to voice their opinions that a lot of focus seemed to be going to a new addition of the cast then automatically we are deemed haters.
Sometimes a character is not well received and there is nothing you can do about it, but continually trying to force said character on fans tends to have the opposite effect. I never hated or loved Keller, found her ok but I can’t pretend to be happy that she is receiving so much attention and being shipped in a love triangle, when other characters are still in desparate need of development.
*SNORT* That was fantastic! I love Jewel hamming it up for the camera. 😀
Also, how hungry those first person/people to try durian fruit must have been. Smells like death? Check. Incredibly spikey, hard exterior? Check. Gasoliney taste? Check.
Okay, dig in gang!
Joe, awesome mailbag. You’ve convinced me, I’m going to change all my kids names to Jewel Staite Gemini Nominated Actress. The boy won’t like it so I’ll call him Dr. Keller. Thanks for your time
I neither love nor hate Keller; however, the character leaves me somewhat cold. Having read a number of spoilers for the remaining S5 episodes, I just wish that TPTB had been as supportive of the other SGA characters (especially Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon) as they so obviously have been of Keller.
OK, so most Stargate fans would like recognition for their favourite Stargate actor/actress/puppet, well here’s your chance. I hereby call it The Golden Chevron.
Feel free to nominate in these comments those actors/actresses/puppets who have put in stellar performances. Make sure to mention the episode, it can be from any Season of Stargate SG1 or Atlantis. They don’t have to be Canadian. It also helps to tell us a bit about why they deserve The Golden Chevron.
Let’s have some fun.
Cheers, Chev
So, um, I was watching Continuum, and had a couple of (probably stupid) questions. Yes, I know you didn’t write the script for the film, but, um, you’re much more well-versed in Stargate physics than me, so I’m asking anyway. 🙂
Am I right in thinking that, in Stargate physics, when someone travels in time, they essentially travel to an alternate reality/parallel universe? And that, in any given reality, only one ‘copy’ of a person can exist? (Any more than one, and the duplicate from elsewhere/elsewhen begins to suffer from entropic cascade failure, something which ultimately proves fatal).
If so, then does this mean that in Continuum, the original Cam dies in the new-and-improved anti-Ba’al’s-evil-plan timeline?
I hate time travel. It makes my head hurt! 🙂
I think that Annabelle feels lonely, Trish. Sebastian was always there – her whole life. And now he’s gone and she is alone. I’m sure she misses Sebastian – especially when no one is around. Do you remember when you were a child? How boring and scary it was when you are alone in you house without someone else? Everything is quiet and empty, and you try everything to get away that boredom – even the silliest things. And exactly that is what Annabelle is feeling now, when everyone is gone: loneliness and boredom. I think with that nonsense she’s doing now, she wants to say: Please! Don’t leave me alone. I hate being alone!
What can you do? Well, I don’t know how you are living and whether you could take Annabelle with you, when you leave your house or not. If not, you could try to leave a totally sweaty shirt (an old one!) at her place, so that she can always smell you scent. Maybe than she feels less lonely. What more? Try to make her understand that you are coming back soon and that she will get a treat when she has been a nice dog. Oh! And don’t forget to close the doors, when you are leaving! But even then she will find something stupid to do, I fear. 😉
And be patient, Trish. Very patient! Sooner or later it will be getting better. And don’t be too angry with her. She won’t understand it. Not fully.
Good luck – and strong nerves.
Joe,
First I want to say that I laughed my arse off with all the Keller stuff…please center the whole movie around her…my sister and I love Jewel and love Keller!
Second, I am pretty bummed about this being the last season. I am really hating on SCIFI…first Farscape, then SG1, then BSG, and now SGA. I can’t wait to see how long they keep Sanctuary on! They would rather spend money on those stupid movies that they play!
Thirdly, my cat Gus has been on the treatment given to us by the cardiologist who according to my sister was very happy to see the turn around in just over a month. He did not come right out and say “cured” but my sister said he was tremendously happy…but to prove a theory he wants us to bring in our other two cats (yoda and Shanks) today for free to test his theory…he thinks it might be related to the vet special food I have been paying out the behind for. So again to all those who wished Gus well and shared their stories—it meant a lot—still does!
And I hope to be in Vancouver in Feb for my birthday—hopefully you might be filming the movie and I can catch you on location of something…would love to meat David, Jewel, and you.
High-larious. What’s really funny is people still believe your first statement that you could only afford to put one actor into the nomination process. Obviously you were kidding. Weren’t you? 🙂
In fact, I seem to remember Stargate was boycotting the Geminis due to BC anti-scifi snobbery or politics or whatnot, no? The great thing about Missing is that a judge wouldn’t have to understand the whole show to appreciate the performances. That can’t be said of every episode, certainly.
For the record, I don’t understand all the Jewel Staite/Keller hating. I think she’s awesome. I also seem to be one of the few people who consider Missing one of the best episodes of Season 4, both for Jewel and Rachel’s performances and for the writing/direction/production as a whole. Good choice guys!
I too love Keller, loved the mailbag, will Keller be featuring in the SGA movie?
Is there anymore Keller/McKay this season?
Joe, have you tried contacting The Hudson Bay Company to try to have them change the name of the Zellers department store chain to Kellers.
I cracked a joke along these lines earlier, but actually…I was wondering, since SGA as a weekly episodic show is coming to an end, would you possibly think about dedicating one post per each of the actors — Joe F, Hewlett, Rachel, Jason, even Paul M and Torri (since there are plenty of fans out there who still love them)? Possibly even Kavan Smith, David Nykl, some of the other secondary characters that I see so much love for in various corners of fandom? Not to mention Chris Heyerdahl, without whom we wouldn’t have a couple of truly memorable characters.
I know you probably have your preferences and there are actors you find it easiest to talk to and about and get to stand still for pictures, but…it’s kind of a special occasion, isn’t it? Especially since most of the actors above don’t have much of an internet presence, and since you’re the most fan-interactive Power-That-Is relative to SGA, I think it would be really cool to be able to read a post about each of the actors who’ve made this show so special to me, and hear from you what you like about them, as people and as actors, what you think they’ve brought to the characters, and see some (or more, as the case may be) behind-the-scenes pics of them.
Obviously, I can’t speak for any other fans, but I can’t imagine too many would say *no* to a whole post full of love about someone they’re fannish about…
Please? *smiles really big and bats eyelashes, in case it will help*
MGM site´s current poll asks “Are you excited about Stargate Universe?”
http://stargate.mgm.com/
At present, the results are (you can see them here: http://stargate.mgm.com/poll_archive.php):
YES! – 12% – 761
No. – 86% – 5360
What’s Stargate Universe? – 2% – 132
OMG!!! Your Kellerific mailbag has got to be your funniest blog entry EVER!!!!!!! I’ve not laughed that hard in a long time. Loved it!!!
Thanks to Kenny for a great guest blog. Everytime I watch the episode “Absolute Power” now, I’m going to be thinking about Baba-lou snuggled up in bed with Michael in the infirmary scene. Too cute!!!
Just saw a lot more pictures that were released for the mid-season 2-parter. Lots of Daniel/Mckay goodness, and an awesome picture of Daniel with something standing behind him…….did you hear that squeeing sound, Joe? If so…it was probably me. *g*
dff
You know, Joe…
Considering Jewel’s recent nomination for a Gemini award, the least you could have done was mention her in the wierd food purchase of the day videos…It’s like you were ignoring her!
LOL! Fantastic, absolutley fantastic.
As neither pro- nor anti-Keller, I think all the fuss is ridiculous. Why must fans make things so political? Is it so black and white? How does one believe that because you nominated Jewel you must, of course, not appreciate the talent and performances of all the other actors? Maybe it’s just me, but that’s probably the most ignorant thing I’ve heard all day.
Can we start a “diversity training” seminar for Stargate fans?
BTW, AV Eddy, BRILLIANT! Smells like a comic book to me…
To Narelle and Noir: Thanks for the advice. The only time I scolded Annabelle is when she miraculously got a lamb chop out of the trash without knocking the whole can over. It’s stainless still with a lid and we still can’t figure that one out. That time we caught her eating something she shouldn’t. And it was dangerous. So we told her *no* and took away what was left.
The rest of the time I can’t scold her when it could have happened two seconds after I left and she no longer remembers doing it. I only scold when I catch her in the act.
I do worry a lot about her and want to help her.
Now I hate the thought of leaving her. Unfortunately she’s over 100 pounds and can’t come with me anywhere. Most places frowns upon bringing in massive animals. I now remember to shut the doors in the house. And we empty the trash or move it to the garage if it has something tempting in it like lamb or steak bones or bacon grease.
I love the idea of giving her a treat each time I come home. I think she’d love that.
Poor thing. She has a mommy that doesn’t speak dog very well. It frustrates me when I can’t figure out a solution. I really blame myself, not her. She’s just being a dog. I do get that. And I suppose it makes sense she’s fretting and trying to work the nerves out of her.
Thanks for helping me out. I feel better knowing what to do now. I’ll even try the sweaty shirt thing. It couldn’t hurt. And maybe leaving the radio on? Mostly I will give her time. I’m glad to know it’s normal. She has been much more affectionate lately and I do give her lots of hugs and spend a lot more time petting her. Pyrs are pretty independent so they don’t *usually* need lots of hands on attention. But goldens seem to. I think the golden half of her is taking over.
And also we’ve all decided that Annabelle could also benefit from having a puppy. I brought my sister’s puppy over and Annabelle did really well with her. I think she’d love to have a buddy again.
OK… this is already too long! THANK YOU!!! 😀
Trish
Sure, that was a funny post, and the pics of JS are good because she’s a sweet and good-looking woman. But I still can’t believe that someone who’s been on the show for barely a year as a regular cast member gets this nomination while others, who are on this show for years and have delivered some incredibly good performances get ignored like that. I wished other characters would have been supported over the past years like JS now. She’s a decent actress, but this wasn’t her role, her performance never blew me away, least of all in “Missing”. There are most certainly several other actors on SGA who deserved such a nomination or that much attention.
Personally, and just in my opinion, David Hewlett would have deserved more recognition of his fantastic work on SGA in the past years. But he was able to pull off the character of McKay just like that and made it work on his own, while Jewel imho didn’t manage to convince the fans completely as Keller, and so TPTB decided to support her more. That makes me a bit sad as it doesn’t seem fair to me. The show is unfortunately coming to an end soon, and especially because of that it would have been nice to see the “old cast” getting some praise and credit and maybe even public recognition with an award or nomination, instead of the newbie.
All imho of course.
Ok that just looked to nasty to eat. You sir are a brave man! lol
*waves*
B Angel writes: “But isn’t that kind of mean to the other actors?”
Mr M writes: Parents always choose favorites. It’s a normal part of growing up.
Thanks for this. I snorted coffee up my nose and it ended up all over my work shirt. Any chance I can get one of those lousy T-shirts, ya know as compensation. 😉 😛 😀
Although not a Keller fan per se [read: is NOT a Keller/Jewel hater]. I really enjoyed Missing, the action, the angst, the Bolai kai were my fave though, loved them… Rachel did a great job in that. But you know what I noticed in your blog today? That derian food looks remarkably like the crap you made Rachel and Jewel eat during the episode Missing. Given today’s subject matter, was this a coincidence? I think not. 😉
Darn, I miss all the fun!! I’m hoping for more Keller stuff tomorrow, so that I can at least put my two cents in. 😉
Anyway would say loved the vids, but it made me want to puke all that slimy stuff. *shivers*
Hello Joe, Evil Kenny is cute! You can tell him that. Also, which producer likes Teyla the most? I would like to ask them a couple of questions since I cannot get you to answer them…haha.
Crap the cat sat on my laptop and it went through… anyway thanks for the Evil Kenny mailbag, much appreciated.
*hugs*
Montrealer wrote:
Which brings up the question: Mr. M, which are we reading and discussing? Just the first novel (The Black Company) or the omnibus of three (The Black Company, Shadows Linger, and The White Rose)? Of course, if it turns out you have the omnibus and choose to review all three novels, people can discuss which ever they have.
Trish (aka whovian) I’m not a dog owner, but it occurred to me that Annabelle might benefit from the occasional visit to your local doggie daycare where she can romp with other dogs now she has to spend so much time alone.
Anne Teldy
Ah, Joe’s Jewel-Jubiliations are side-splitting. And as an SGA fan I’ve decided to tithe twenty percent of my salary to the Jewel Staite Awards Ceremony Budget. I know my funds will be used to buy perrier to wash the limo that will take Jewel to the Gemini awards and I’m excited and pleased to be able to contribute in some small way, even if it means missing a house payment or two.
*groans* Sorry, i’m having forgetful issues today. Anyway moving swiftly on, what I meant to say was, I did enjoy Jewel’s performance in Missing as much as I enjoyed Rachel’s. I promise, last post on the subject…. going now.
Hey Joe.
Thanks Evil Kenny for answering our questions! And that was funny with the mailbag Joe. Don’t get me wrong, I like the Keller character and all, and Jewel is a great actress, however, why not give the nomination to someone who has been on the show from the start?
On the movie front, I was wondering: Is there a chance that, down the road a bit, there will be a Stargate movie which incorporates both the SG1 and SGA cast?
Thanks Joe.
Hey Joe,
Well I’ve returned from Vancouver. Fantastic city. Fantastic convention. Fantastic people. But I didn’t get to meet you 🙁
Sorry to hear about SGA. I’m going to miss it.
Still loving your weird food purchases… 😀 Glad we don’t have smell-o-vision for today’s.
Hey Mr.M
Just wanted to give a shout-out to the others, along with Jewel Staite of course, who were nominated for Gemini’s from Stargate Atlantis:
Allen McCullough : Best Writing in a Dramatic Series category for his episode “Tabula Rasa,” in which the Atlantis team suffers from city-wide amnesia.
Visual effects supervisor Mark Savela and his team were nominated for the fourth season premiere, “Adrift,” in the Best Visual Effects category.
Todd Masters and the MastersFX team were nominated in the Best Achievement in Make-Up category for the aged Rodney McKay in the season finale, “The Last Man.”
Although we all know you and the other PTB only entered Jewel (’cause she’s your favorite! and the budget thing) and therefore none of the other nominations really happened…;)
You’re such a crack! I haven’t laughed so hard in ages!
I’ve finally caught up with the stage tours – thank you and Carl for hosting them. It’ll be a sad day when those sets have to be torn down, especially the Atlantis one. Hopefully that won’t be for many, many, many years to come! Also, thank you for hosting the guest bloggers too. It’s been insightful to read about those who work in the industry.
Question…the village or “outdoor” set, is that also at the Bridge Studios? Will you and Carl give a tour of that as well? Can we also get a tour of the catering, makeup and shops (props, costumes, etc.) departments and actors trailers?
Durian – I’ve known about it but haven’t tried it yet. Brave of you to actually bring one to the house/backyard.
Am looking forward to Whispers this Friday!
Question!
Um, I know that when I spend a considerable amount of time on a writting peice, I dream about it. Do you?
And do you sometimes take ideas from your dreams and insert them into your writting?
@Anne Teldy: Thanks for the great idea. I’m actually at home most of the day. Annabelle is only left alone for a couple of hours here and there. And sometimes not at all the entire day.
I just ran over to my parents for less than ten minutes and Annabelle got into the trash again. *sigh* My sister is getting married and my parents went to pick up my OTHER sister from the airport and discovered their car battery is dead. 🙄 They live down the street and I dropped off my car. I was in a rush and left my bathroom door wide open. Annabelle went right for the trash. Obviously she’s nervous about being alone. I just need to remember all of this while making my sister’s wedding cake, chocolate favors for each guest, finishing the touches on Erin’s flower girl dress, AND making sure Allie’s piano composition she wrote just for the wedding makes it to the aquarium on the CD it was recorded on. Allie would play it but she’s a bridesmaid like me. Oh yeah… and Jeremy is going to be the photographer. If Annabelle was a flower girl too, then EVERY person in my house would be involved in this event. I’m starting to think Vegas is a great place to get married.
I have a lot on my mind right now and I just need to mentally thump myself on the head and remember Annabelle.
But I might look into doggy daycare for a day or so. Then I will know she’s having fun and won’t care if I’m home or not. Oooh! Jess is bringing her french mastiff, Linus. I think they like each other. Maybe I should borrow him!
Thanks for listening. It does mean a lot to me. Joe isn’t the only cool person on this blog. 😀
Is it Monday yet?
Trish
Joe,
Great entry by Evil Kenny – thanks to you both!
Trish –
It sounds to me as though Annabelle is missing Sebastian but that this is really surfacing when the rest of the pack isn’t there to provide her with company. I’m presuming that when you were out they were usually together, so she isn’t used to being alone.
One of the dogs my parents had suffered from separation anxiety. One of the ways they tackled this was to leave him toys to play with when they were gone that challenged him mentally – eg a Kong stuffed with treats that were difficult for him to get out, or a puzzle ball that if he rolled it in the right way would disgorge a piece of kibble. It kept him from getting bored/anxious and destructive (because yes, waste bins were emptied, fridges were opened, seats were torn up, and accidents were had).
I don’t know if it’s anxiety with Annabelle but thought I’d mention anyway the other advice they were given, which seemed to work well also. This was never to make a fuss about leaving the house, just quietly go out with as few signals beforehand as possible that that was what was going to happen – no reassuring petting or talk about being back soon, just to leave without informing the dog in any way that this was happening, and to come back in as quietly, without making it a big thing. Their leaving and returning to the home was just a normal part of life. They did give him the toys to play with at other times as well so that he didn’t immediately associate their presence with my parents’ absence.
I hope this is of some help, and good luck!
And sorry Joe for taking over your blog like this…
During the rest of the season, are there any particularly significant gut-wrenching heart-breaking moments?
Joe,
Just wondering why Jewel Staite never gets a mention in your blog or no pictures? She is a wonderful actress and if it was up to me I’d love to see her get nominated for a prestigous non-US, North American award…..
To any Sheppard/Ronon shippers here: Have you seen the banner at Sci Fi Channel with Woolsey front and center? Behind him, near the gate, it looks like Sheppard and Ronon are holding hands. If you follow <a href = “http://www.scifi.com/atlantis/”this link, you’ll see it. If it isn’t the Woolsey one, try re-loading. They have different banners, one featuring each character, so you may have to go through a few.
Trish (aka whovian)
You’re welcome. With all the wedding preparations, you might benefit from Annabelle being at doggie daycare! You’d have peace and quiet while finishing projects and no fear of a door left ajar letting in a tornado to wreak havoc on cakes, dresses or favors while you take a potty break.
Anne Teldy
Let me try that link again: click here
Anne Teldy, brain dead fool
It’s out one year wedding anniversary today. Yay! \o/
I know it isn’t really any cause for celebration, but when life has been playing dodge ball with the two of you since you got married we’re pretty excited!
I learnt last night to not watch an episode of Atlantis that mentions a Wraith infested planet just before going to sleep. **shudder**
Hachi – I was not directing my comment directly at you. The anti-Keller comments seem to be generally negative all around towards Atlantis. I understand people’s passion for something and expressing it, but I don’t understand those that continually say how bad they think the show is and still hang around.
I didn’t enjoy Buffy after Season 6, so I stopped watching every week. But I wasn’t going to go and tell Joss Whedon I thought he was doing a lousy job. It was his show. And it was just my opinion. A few years later I am watching those episodes and liking them. People, thoughts, opinions, life – they change.
Keller was change, Carter was change, Woolsey was change, but it would get rather boring without it.
PS: I wouldn’t ask for an opinion on an outfit. I shouldn’t be wearing it if I didn’t like it. In Asian culture it is said that it’s not what you wear, but how you wear it.
Thanks to Evil Kenny for the guest starring role on the blog. Is he a fellow Canuck so we can nominate him for a Gemini? I’d be happy to kick in a loonie!
LOVE your “Keller mailbag”! Can’t stop laughing! Congarats to JS, it is about time Stargate got a little respect from the Geminis ( is that the plural of Gemini? :))
Way to stick to the anti-Kellers Joe!
I for one love Kellers character and will admit to being quite a militant supporter of the Ronon/Keller pairing -just to let you know, there are a lot of us out there!
Since John/Teyla looks to be out the proverbial window I gotta rest my hopes on something!
This totally made me lol, I think Jewel in a fantastic actress, Ive been a fan since I saw her in Wonderfalls and Im so glad shes been nominated for this!
Im really looking forward to the Keller-centric episodes you got coming up, she needs more character development!
Also OT-any chance of there being Jack/Sam in the movie! Ive been a fan of this pairing since I was old enough to watch SG1, please, please, PLEASE??
Congrats to JS and thanks for making me laugh like a lunatic at 2 in the morning!
I’ve been behind on the blog for a few days, and seem to have missed all the Keller!hate going on out there. I must say, you crack me up, and anyone out there doing any hatin’ obviously watches not only this show, but quite possibly others, for the wrong reasons. I think Jewel did an incredible job in “Missing” along with other eps. I, personally, think she was a great addition to the show and a surprise of a character. In a good way. Keep strong through the hatin’, all of you.
Aaaahhh! I just realized I’ve had Durian!
We have a Chinese friend – she’s always making us (well, my mom, mostly) eat weird stuff. She gave us a bag of hard Durian candy – I like it a lot…lol. BUT I’ve heard the hard candy doesn’t taste like the real fruit. I’m trying to remember if I’ve had the fruit – if so, it’s been a while. My mom said she’s tried it, and doesn’t mind the flavor at all. Of course, my mom eats weirder crap than you, Joe – including jellyfish, iguana, armadillo, little bird legs in some kind of Chinese soup…frog legs and escargot, of course. She’d give you a run for your money, I’m tellin’ ya.
das
I ♥ Jewel/Keller!!! shes THE best!!! ♥ ♥