Johnny Cash: the implications just hit me.

[icarus]

I really need a Sheppard icon. Of course, then I realize, oh well, I'm so lazy about icons I'd probably never use it.

I watched Walk The Line this week, but the implications of Sheppard having a Johnny Cash poster on his wall just hit me. Johnny Cash was in the Air Force. He also hated the Air Force, comparing it to doing time in Folsom Prison.

And Sheppard has a Cash poster on his wall. Brought it with him to Atlantis.

Wow. There's a statement.

John Sheppard was just marking time in Antarctica, waiting to get out of the military. No wonder he didn't want to go to the Pegasus Galaxy. It meant an indefinite stay in the Air Force.

Wow.

Comments

[wicked-socks.livejournal.com]

huh, that is really fascinating. I haven't seen Walk the Line, nor do I know anything about Cash, but I really really love this line of thought. It just *fits* so well. I mean, damn.

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

Wow. *Good* catch. Have you seen the Sheppard vid to Cash's "The Mercy Seat"? It's probably by lim . . .

[01100100.livejournal.com]

It's more interesting because I read JF is a Cash fan and the poster was his idea. I'd love to find out what his reasoning was, knowing what he must know as a Cash fan. Very cool implication though.

[teaphile.livejournal.com]

That certainly meshes with my reading of his character. Interesting.

[millefiori.livejournal.com]

I really need to see that movie!

I have a (possibly crazy) theory that JF has created a very detailed background/history/set of motivations for John Sheppard that may or may not be a deliberate subversion of what TPTB were attempting to create with the character. (I think they were going for someone more straight-up heroic and JF decided that would be boring beyond belief, to play if not to watch.)

[enname.livejournal.com]

Must see that movie. Must see all the movies I haven't seen in the last... million years. Must stop looking up kanji. Must also stop looking at caps of J. Sheppard and going 'oo.. I could draw that'. Must go and do my thesis. Must also stop using the word must and bugging you.

Interesting though, even if it was unintentional. *ponders*

[hack-benjamin22.livejournal.com]

Totally jumping in here, but I completely agree with you. GenericAmericanHero!John is a little dull, but WhackedOut!John is infinitely more fun. :)

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I'm totally on board with this theory, and there's lots of evidence for it. In the commentary to "Rising" the producer (or director? I don't recall) mentions that he wasn't getting what Flanigan was doing with Sheppard until they added a sequence where he said "that sounds like it's all about me." He's definitely screwing with the cookie-cutter "hero" they tried to portray in "The Storm" and "The Eye," and that episode with the Wraith in season three.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

No wonder he was still flipping coins. *Still goggle-eyed*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Ooo! I have to check that out.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

It's more interesting because I read JF is a Cash fan and the poster was his idea.

Oh, wow, this lends a lot of credibility to millefiori theory that Joe's working with his own internal backstory. He is a writer, no doubt he can't resist.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Somebody has to write a fanfic including this.

Icarus

[01100100.livejournal.com]

I think JF's story is that John joined the Air Force for his father, whom he ended up disappointing anyway. Maybe flying is like the only we he can escape without running, so he loves it and yes, hates the Air Force, because it's just like dad.

Okay, that's how I see John, but I could be right *g*

For all we know, under his wristband it says 'I h8 dad' ;-)

*cracks whip*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Stop looking up Kanji. Stop looking at screencaps. Work, now work! *crack!*

Interesting though, even if it was unintentional. *ponders*

Apparently the poster was Joe's idea, and he'd know how much Cash hated the Air Force. The plot thickens...

Icarus

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

The actual title is I Am/Lamb (http://sublim.imeem.com/video/lJgJhwlK/i_amlamb/).

[auburnnothenna.livejournal.com]

Makes me think of the old saw where the young guy gets in trouble and the judge offers him the choice of jail or joining the military...if something like that happened to John, it would sure explain a lot of his attitude. Fanon has him joining so he could fly, but I'd love to read something where he was forced to join and has resented it ever since. Just because he found out he loved to fly after he was in, doesn't mean he ever wanted to be Air Force. Maybe he chose the Air Force because it is the least gungho of the services. Maybe he has a sealed juvie record and that's why he never talks about his past - because he was a bad, bad boy. *blinks* I have too many things on my plate already, someone else write it, please?

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Ah, but he wouldn't be able to get into the service, even if the juvie record was sealed. The military has access to those, as do the police. I have a friend who back in the 80s tried to join and his record came back to bite him in the ass. Now you probably could, but it was tougher in the 80s. No war.

Icarus

Hmm.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Perhaps he grew to hate the military once he was there. A lot of kids don't know what they're getting into. He tries to leave multiple times, but there's always some reason to stay just a little longer. But Antarctica was going to be it, damn it.

Icarus

[auburnnothenna.livejournal.com]

Another plot bunny bites the dust. Good. ::kicks it:: Stay dead! (Terribly things, plot bunnies. They can come back from the dead.)

Still interesting to contemplate a John who didn't want to join the service. There are probably many reason why he might have anyway. Money? Guilt? Pissing the old man off? I really need to stop thinking about this. I really need to be crawling into Ronon's head and that is hard, let me tell you. Even Teyla was easier.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Aha! You're writing Ronon's story for Seven Walls. *points excitedly, if somewhat rudely* I'm now doubly glad I killed that one, then. I'll shoot it again for you.

Icarus

[auburnnothenna.livejournal.com]

Make sure you empty the entire clip into it, they're worse than the Wraith.

And really if Ronon's story wasn't critical to the end of the whole damn thing, he and it could take a flying...Don't get excited, because right now all I've got is one line and Teyla's eyes. Stupid, because it should be straightforward and easy, I took a look at the outline and it's basically a Western with other planets instead of towns. But I have no Ronon voice and inspiration at all.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I'm watching it tonight. *g*

Re: *cracks whip*

[enname.livejournal.com]

Owwwwwwww the work hurtses. More than the whip I fear.

The plot is kinda like a meatloaf currently. Although I am beginning to wonder how many anti heroes you can stick in one room. Must be getting crowded.

:)

Re: Hmm.

[enname.livejournal.com]

Yeah. My ex joined the navy without thinking too hard about it at all - then got stuck for ten years doing something he kinda liked, but whilst having to deal with the entirety of something he hated more than anything else under the sun. He even developed seasickness. I've never seen anyone stiffen up so bad as when a stranger would come up to talk about his service. Or be so damn passive aggressive about it all. Plus the enticements to stay in service were just getting bigger and bigger - had to keep reminding him that no amount of re enlistment bonus would cover the anger/depression of staying enlisted.

Still, it would kinda have to be predicated on him not being a military brat. Unless he just joined to follow down that road on auto and then only realised that whoa, so not for him.

[enname.livejournal.com]

Money, cheap education (often forget that you do have to see service after that part), chances to see the world (no, really, people do fall for it), guilt, automatic pilot, boredom, pissing off the old man ...

Go, be Ronon!

:P