Spoo (food): Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
→Current usage: it |
|||
| (136 intermediate revisions by 52 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
<!--ALL IMAGES FAIR USE: The subject of the article is a fictional foodstuff. All images can not be replaced by copyleft alternatives because such alternatives cannot exist.-->'''Spoo''' is a fictional food product that served as a [[running joke]] within the ''[[Babylon 5]]'' [[space opera|science fiction]] television series. In the series' [[fictional universe]], spoo is made from [[Extraterrestrial life|alien]] [[worm|worm-like]] creatures of the same name, and is considered to be the most delicious food in the [[Milky Way|galaxy]], regardless of which species is asked. Although it is a universally loved foodstuff and an actively traded [[commodity]], the creature itself is regarded with contempt by the races that consume it. |
|||
Spoo became part of the series' [[Expanded Universe|extended mythology]], and was embraced by fans of the series, spawning "spoo"-based recipes and [[fan fiction]] related to the creatures. "Spoo" is also used variously outside the ''Babylon 5'' universe and fan community as a nonsense word. |
|||
[[Image:Gallery Spoo lite 2.jpg|thumb| |
[[Image:Gallery Spoo lite 2.jpg|thumb|300px|Maintenance workers Bo and Mack discuss the taste of Mack's spoo sandwich in the ''[[Babylon 5]]'' episode "[[A View from the Gallery]]".]]<!--Fair use rationale: Image clearly "identifies [...] program and its contents," where the focal point of the scene is the subject of the article --> |
||
==Origins in ''Babylon 5''== |
==Origins in ''Babylon 5''== |
||
Spoo |
Spoo appeared in the first episode of the [[science fiction]] [[television series]] ''Babylon 5'', when it was briefly mentioned by the [[Narn]] [[Ambassador (diplomacy)|Ambassador]], [[G'Kar]].<ref name=Midnight>Mentioned in the episode "[[Midnight on the Firing Line]]," by Straczynski.</ref> [[J. Michael Straczynski]], the show's creator, executive producer, and writer of the episode in question, was asked about spoo by fans on various internet message boards on which he frequently [[Internet marketing and fan influence on Babylon 5|participated]].<ref>Straczynski's use of Usenet and other internet forums is well known. See, for instance: |
||
<br />• {{cite web |url=http://web.media.mit.edu/~wex/FMS/Top.html |title=An Auteur in the Age of the Internet: JMS, Babylon 5, and the Net |date=1996 |accessdate=2008-06-24 |format=DRAFT |work=The Media Lab|publisher=[[MIT]]}} |
|||
<br />• {{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/j.-michael-straczynski/person/19536/biography.html |title= J. Michael Straczynski Biography|work=[[tv.com]]|publisher=[[CNET Networks]] |accessdate=2008-06-24}}</ref> At first, Straczynski's responses were intentionally vague and terse: "Spoo is."<ref name=SpooIs>From a USENET post made [[January 27]] [[1994]]. Archived at [http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-13771 jmsnews.com.] Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> He eventually noted that the taste of spoo was that of "Meat [[Gelatin dessert|Jello]]. Served chilled."<ref name=MeatJello>From a CompuServe post from [[December 18]] [[1996]], archived at [http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-6932 jmsnews.com.] Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> After several years of speculation from ''Babylon 5'' [[fandom]], Straczynski finally offered an extensive, humorous explanation of the origins and nature of spoo.<ref name="JMSspoopost">The CompuServe post from the first week of January 1995 is archived in various places: See [http://www.frostjedi.com/vex/html/spoo.html frostjedi.com], and [http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/guide/001.html#JS midwinter.com] for two examples. All retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref><!-- Not an easily referenceable statement, but one needs to only see the numerous, numerous re-printings of the post to see the general reverence held for it, in part because it was intended specifically for fans on the 'net before the 'net was popular --> The question of what spoo is made it into the major Babylon 5 [[FAQ]].<ref> [http://homepages.ge.ucl.ac.uk/~jmorley/B5-FAQ/FAQ_970727.txt UK.Media.TV.SF.Babylon5 hierarchy, Frequently asked questions and other information.] Jeremy Morley's Inner Workings. Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> |
|||
The ''Babylon 5'' episodes in which spoo appears or is mentioned are "[[Midnight on the Firing Line]]," "[[The Geometry of Shadows]]," "[[Point of No Return (Babylon 5)|Point of No Return]]", "[[And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place]]," "[[A View from the Gallery]]," "[[A Tragedy of Telepaths]]," and "[[Meditations on the Abyss]]." Spoo also appears in the "Over There" segment of the ''[[Babylon 5: The Lost Tales|Lost Tales]]'' episode "[[Babylon_5:_The_Lost_Tales#Voices_in_the_Dark|Voices in the Dark]]." |
|||
===Creature=== |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
===Explanation of Spoo=== |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | [[Image:Midnight Spoo copy lite.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[G'Kar]] offering [[Londo Mollari|Londo]] a plate of fresh spoo from the ''[[Babylon 5]]'' episode "[[Midnight on the Firing Line]]".]]<!--Fair use rationale: Image clearly "identifies [...] program and its contents," where the focal point of the scene is the subject of the article --> |
||
After several years of cryptic answers, Straczynski finally made a post explaining what Spoo was. His answer stated that spoo were tiny, pasty, [[mealworm]]-like creatures that were |
|||
| ⚫ | The creatures are raised on |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | The process of raising spoo was described by Straczynski in comical detail. The creatures are raised on ranches on planets with moist and chilly [[climate]]s, not because the creatures thrive in such environs, but because it produces the best level of paleness in the creatures' skin. Starting a spoo ranch is relatively easy: the only requirement is to place 200 spoo in the middle of the ranch and wait. Within a short period of time, they have reproduced in sufficient numbers and harvesting can commence, with the preferred method being a simple whack with a stick. Little physical effort is required to cull the herds—spoo are incapable of moving more than six inches (15 cm) in a year, tend to stay propped up against one another "ostensibly for mutual protection," with attempts at movement usually ending up in the creatures toppling over. The primary difficulty in spoo ranching is in the only sound the creatures make: loud, continuous sighing. The only protection against the sighing is the use of earmuffs, which eventually cannot block the sheer volume of sighs as the harvest progresses—when whacked, a spoo simply sighs more loudly. The sighing often triggers bouts of [[Major depressive disorder|major depression]], with some ranchers even going [[insanity|mad]] from the incessant sighs.<ref name="JMSspoopost"/> |
||
===Taste and uses=== |
|||
[[Image:Spoo Close Up 3 lite.jpg|thumb|right|202px|Spoo close-up.]] |
|||
===Spoo in the series=== |
|||
As a food product, spoo is very versatile. It can be made into everything from soups to sandwiches, served cooked or cold. Most often it is prepared in cubes so that it resembles as little as possible the animal from which the food came. Straczynski once jokingly described the taste as "Meat [[Gelatin dessert|Jello]]. Served chilled."<ref name=MeatJello>From a CompuServe post from [[December 18]] [[1996]], archived at http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-6932.</ref> The taste of spoo is apparently hard to put into words ("spoo-ish" is an acceptable adjective), although different races have their own views on this, and have their own preferences on how it is prepared. As an example, the Narn like their spoo fresh, while the [[Centauri]] prefer it aged. Centauri consider being offered fresh spoo an insult, and the presence of it on their home world was a pivotal element in one episode of ''Babylon 5''.<ref name=Tragedy>[[Centauri]] versus Narn temperaments towards spoo provides a vital plot point in the episode "[[A Tragedy of Telepaths]]," written by Straczynski. See its [[Lurker's Guide]] page at http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/098.html.</ref> As another example, the [[Pak'ma'ra]] like the flavor, but will not openly admit to this, partly because of their religious beliefs, which dictate that they only eat [[carrion]]. |
|||
[[Image:Spoo Close Up 3 lite.jpg|thumb|right|202px|Spoo close-up.]]<!--Fair use rationale: Image clearly "identifies [...] program and its contents," where the focal point of the scene is the subject of the article --> |
|||
Although mostly relegated to a background role, spoo was once involved in a significant way in a plot. In the season 5 episode "[[A Tragedy of Telepaths]]", the fact that Narn prefer fresh spoo while the [[Centauri]] prefer it aged was the reason that [[G'Kar]] was able to figure out that there was another Narn in the Centauri Royal Palace.<ref name=Tragedy>"[[A Tragedy of Telepaths]]," written by Straczynski. See its [[Lurker's Guide]] page at [http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/098.html midwinter.com.] Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> |
|||
===As a commodity=== |
|||
| ⚫ | As a widely consumed food product, like coffee or beef, spoo is a traded |
||
As befitting a fan-favorite reference, Spoo made a number of appearances in the series, most recently in the DVD release ''[[Babylon 5: The Lost Tales]]'', where [[John Sheridan (Babylon 5)|President Sheridan]] at one point jokes that the product is "Spoo: The other gray meat."<ref name=OverThere> From the ''[[Babylon 5: The Lost Tales|Lost Tales]]'' episode "[[Babylon_5:_The_Lost_Tales#Voices_in_the_Dark|Voices in the Dark]]" by Straczynski.</ref> |
|||
===Commodity=== |
|||
| ⚫ | As a widely consumed food product, like coffee or beef, spoo is a traded commodity, where the price of the product at the consumer level is dictated by the price on common [[stock exchange|exchanges]]. During one episode the price of a spoo sandwich is stated as ten [[Fictional currency|credits]] an ounce; at the end of the same episode it is stated as fifteen credits.<ref name=Gallery>Spoo is a conversation piece in the episode "[[A View from the Gallery]]," written by Straczynski from a story by [[Harlan Ellison]] and Straczynski. See its [[Lurker's Guide]] page at [http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/092.html midwinter.com.] Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> While this could be a simple mistake by Straczynski, a bit of [[Fanon (fiction)|fanon]] assumes that it is an intentional reference to spoo's exorbitant volatility in the market.<ref name=LurkersNote>This view is expressed in the "Notes" section of the [[Lurker's Guide]] page for the episode at [http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/092.html#NO midwinter.com.] Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> |
||
Unlike other products, not only is spoo a tradable commodity, but spoo ranches themselves, like large corporations, sell shares.<ref name=Geometry>In the episode "[[The Geometry of Shadows]]," a [[Technomage]] infected [[Londo Mollari|Londo's]] personal computers with a [[Computer virus|virus]] that converted all his personal finances into a purchase of 200,000 [[share (finance)|shares]] in a spoo ranch.</ref> It is not known if this is facilitated by spoo's immense popularity or because the ranches' value is exacerbated by their rarity (due to the difficulty of, and disproportionately high suicide rate in, spoo ranching). |
Unlike other products, not only is spoo a tradable commodity, but spoo ranches themselves, like large corporations, sell shares.<ref name=Geometry>In the episode "[[The Geometry of Shadows]]," a [[Technomage]] infected [[Londo Mollari|Londo's]] personal computers with a [[Computer virus|virus]] that converted all his personal finances into a purchase of 200,000 [[share (finance)|shares]] in a spoo ranch.</ref> It is not known if this is facilitated by spoo's immense popularity or because the ranches' value is exacerbated by their rarity (due to the difficulty of, and disproportionately high suicide rate in, spoo ranching). |
||
==Real-world spoo== |
==Real-world spoo== |
||
In 1998, |
In 1998, Boxtree UK published a ''Babylon 5'' cookbook, officially licensed from Warner Bros.<ref name=cookbook>{{cite book| title=Dining on ''Babylon 5'': Human Edition - The Ultimate Collection of Space Station Cuisine| first=Emerson| last=Briggs-Wallace| coauthors=Smith, Steve| id=ISBN 0-7522-1143-9| location=UK| year=June 1998}}</ref> Presented as if written around the year 2260, the time when most of the ''Babylon 5'' series takes place, the book contains many recipes for the various foods mentioned and seen throughout the series. Included were recipes for Narn-style spoo and Centauri-style spoo, both using currently available ingredients, with sea [[scallops]] taking the place of spoo. |
||
Fans have come up with "spoo" recipes on their own, using various versatile, pale foods such as [[tofu]], [[yogurt]], or [[rice]] as a substitute for the fictional substance.<ref>[http://www.landofrohan.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2220&page=3 ''Babylon 5'' thread, LandofRohan.com] Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]]</ref><ref>[http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sable/thegroup/spoo.html#recipes ''Temple of Spoo'' - Recipes] Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]]</ref> On one occasion, Straczynski was eating at a restaurant when a fan sent over a plate of food, christened "spoo."<ref name=SpooPlate>This anecdote was mentioned as an aside in a GEnie post from [[September 4]] [[1996]]. Archived at [http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-7751 jmsnews.com.] Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> |
|||
==Real-world etymology of the word== |
==Real-world etymology of the word== |
||
[[Image:3-04.jpg|thumb|left|A promotional [[advertisement]] from the ''Babylon Park: Spoohunter'' parody.]] |
[[Image:3-04.jpg|thumb|left|A promotional [[advertisement]] from the ''[[Babylon Park|Babylon Park: Spoohunter]]'' parody.]]<!--Image is unrepeatable (see above); Promotional image where the focal point of the image is a parody of the subject of the article--> |
||
| ⚫ | Straczynski was not the first person to use the word spoo - uses can be found in [[popular culture]] since the 1970s, sometimes as a replacement for ''stuff'', as was the case with its first recorded use on USENET in 1989,<ref name=spoofirst>The first USENET occurrence was [[July 28]], [[1989]] - See the post archived via [[Google]] at [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/sci.physics/msg/7379a1827e328633?dmode=source&hl=en sci.physics.] Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> and later as a misspelling of ''spew''. The earliest known print usage was as an exclamation in a 1971 [[Beetle Bailey]] comic strip, as a play on the reverse spelling of "oops."<ref name=BeetleSpoo>''[[Beetle Bailey]]'', [[April 18]] [[1971]], as reproduced in [[Mort Walker]], ''I'll Throw the Book at You, Beetle Bailey'' (New York: Tempo/[[Grosset & Dunlap]], 1973, ISBN 0-448-05582-1).</ref> In 1979 [[Barnes & Barnes]] recorded the song "Three Drunk Newts" which begins with what has been interpreted as the two of them yelling "Spoo!". According to ''Slang and Euphemism'', ''spoo'' is a slang term for [[ejaculate]], etymologically derived from ''spew'', and cited by linguist [[Pamela Munro]] in a paper on 1980s collegiate slang at [[UCLA]].<ref name=UCLA>From "UCLA slang: a dictionary of slang words and expressions used at UCLA," (Volume 1 of the UCLA Slang series), ''UCLA Occasional Papers in Linguistics'' No. 8 (1989), by F. Aranovich, P. Munro. For more on the ''Occasional Papers'' see [http://www.linguistics.ucla.edu/faciliti/opl.htm UCLA.com]. Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> [[Frank Zappa]] used the word as a euphemism for semen in the song "What Kind of Girl?", which appears on the 1988 live album ''[[Broadway the Hard Way]]''. He claimed in ''The Real Frank Zappa Book'' to have learned the word from guitarist Ike Willis, and also used ''spoo'' to mean self-indulgent "musical [[masturbation]]," in which musicians play an extended solo primarily for their own enjoyment rather than to enhance the musical experience of the audience.<ref name=Zappa>{{cite book| title=The Real Frank Zappa Book| first=Frank| last=Zappa| coauthors=Occhiogrosso, Peter| id=ISBN 0-318-41476-7| year=June 1989| publisher=Poseidon Press}}<!--If anyone has the page number for this specific cite, please add it here.--></ref> |
||
[[Image:Skeletor-spoo.jpg|thumb|right|[[Skeletor]] is offered Spoo by Spritina from ''[[She-Ra|She-Ra Princess of Power]]'' episode "Gateway To Trouble."]] <!--Fair use rationale: Image clearly "identifies [...] program and its contents," where the focal point of the scene is the subject of the article --> |
|||
| ⚫ | ' |
||
| ⚫ | Straczynski's own usage of the word predates ''Babylon 5''. Straczynski was a writer in the 1985 cartoon series ''[[She-Ra|She-Ra Princess of Power]]''. After a fan recalled a possible spoo reference from that show, Straczynski replied, "[Yes], I slipped some spoo in there once. A couple of real cute—as in wanna-drop-a-truck-on-them cute—elf-types offer [[Skeletor]] a bowl of Spoo."<ref name=HeMan>From a GEnie post made by J. Michael Straczynski, [[July 7]] [[1994]]. Archived at [http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-8932 JMSNews]. Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> Skeletor declines, saying he dislikes this food, and then adds he does not know what it is.<ref>"[http://www.tv.com/she-ra-princess-of-power/gateway-to-trouble/episode/156574/summary.html Gateway to Trouble]," episode of ''She-Ra: Princess of Power'', aired [[October 24]], [[1985]]. TV.com. Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> One of Straczynski's earliest responses to the ''spoo'' question also revealed how he created the word: "Spoo is Oops spelled backward."<ref name=spoops>From a USENET post made by J. Michael Straczynski, [[August 1]] [[1994]]. Archived at [http://www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-14526 JMSNews.com.] Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> |
||
As a humorous [[nonsense|nonsense word]] separate from its fictional meaning, the term "spoo" has been creeping into [[popular culture]] since the 1970s, sometimes as a replacement for ''stuff'', as was the case with its first recorded use on USENET in 1989<ref name=spoofirst>The first USENET occurrence was [[September 28]] [[1989]] - See the post archived via [[google]] at http://groups-beta.google.com/group/sci.physics/msg/7379a1827e328633?dmode=source&hl=en.</ref>, |
|||
| ⚫ | and later as a misspelling of ''spew''. The earliest known print usage was as an exclamation in a 1971 [[Beetle Bailey]] |
||
[[Stock market|Stock]] and [[Bond (finance)|bond]] day traders have begun to use ''spoo'' in reference to [[S&P 500]] futures.<ref name=SandP>See the [[about.com]] entry at http://daytrading.about.com/library/jargon/bl_spoo.htm</ref><ref name=SandP2>More on Spoo and the S&P 500 can be found at http://www.programtrading.com/spoos.htm.</ref> |
|||
===Current usage=== |
===Current usage=== |
||
Since its advent and popularization in ''Babylon 5'', |
Since its advent and popularization in ''Babylon 5'', a segment of the [[science fiction fandom|science fiction community]] has used the term "spoo space" on online message boards (especially on [[Usenet]]) instead of [[spoiler (media)|spoiler space]].<ref name=SpooSpace> Internet example at [http://boards.theforce.net/eu_community/b10194/7432408/p3 Jedi Council Forums], and numerous USENET examples can be attained via a Google search, (linked at [http://groups-beta.google.com/groups?q=%22spoo%20space%22&hl=en&lr=&sa=N&tab=wg Google groups]). Both retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> Spoo is [[parody|spoofed]] in the first ''[[Babylon Park]]'' parody [[short film|short]], ''Spoohunter''.<ref name=BabylonPark>The short can be accessed at [http://www.babylonpark.com/ Babylon Park.] Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> |
||
In 2008, [[rap]]-[[filk]] artist [[Luke Ski]] recorded and released a parody of the [[Beastie Boys]] song "[[No Sleep till Brooklyn]]" called "No Sleep Till Babylon."<ref> The song was released to and can be heard at the [http://www.thefump.com/fump.php?id=1061 Funny Music Project]. Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref><ref>[http://www.thegreatlukeski.com/2008/06/18/no-sleep-til-babylon/ Announcement] of the release of "No Sleep Till Babylon" from the official website of Luke Ski. Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> The song features lyrics about the ''Babylon 5'' story; as the song fades out, in a leitmotif similar to the Beastie Boys song "[[Licensed to Ill|Girls]]," a voice mimicking that of the character [[Londo Mollari]] pontificates on his love of Spoo.<ref>The lyrics, provided by Ski, can be found at the [http://www.thefump.com/lyrics.php?id=1061 Funny Music Project]. Retrieved on [[2008-06-24]].</ref> |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
<div class="references-small"> |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
<references/> |
|||
</div> |
|||
==Additional references== |
|||
The ''Babylon 5'' episodes in which spoo appears or is mentioned: |
|||
*"[[Midnight on the Firing Line]]" |
|||
*"[[The Geometry of Shadows]]" |
|||
*"[[Point of No Return (Babylon 5)|Point of No Return]]" |
|||
*"[[A View from the Gallery]]" |
|||
*"[[A Tragedy of Telepaths]]" |
|||
*"[[Meditations on the Abyss]]" |
|||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
*[[List of Babylon 5 articles|List of ''Babylon 5'' articles]] |
*[[List of Babylon 5 articles|List of ''Babylon 5'' articles]] |
||
*[[Shmoo]], a fictional edible species from the comic strip ''[[Li'l Abner]]''. |
|||
*Created by [[Al Capp]] in 1948, [[Shmoo]] has some similarities to spoo. |
|||
*[[Slurm]] |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
{{reflist|2}} |
|||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-Spoo.ogg|2008-05-02}} |
|||
*[http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sable/thegroup/spoo.html The Temple of Spoo]: Spoo resources, recipes, humor, and [[fan fiction]]. |
*[http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sable/thegroup/spoo.html The Temple of Spoo]: Spoo resources, recipes, humor, and [[fan fiction]]. |
||
*[http://spoo.mminternet.com/whats_spoo.html |
*[http://spoo.mminternet.com/whats_spoo.html Concise archive of JMS "Spoo" posts] |
||
*[[The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5]]: [http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/lurker.html The definitive ''Babylon 5'' resource.] |
*[[The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5]]: [http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/lurker.html The definitive ''Babylon 5'' resource.] |
||
*[http://www.jmsnews.com/ JMSNews]: The J. Michael Straczynski message archive. |
*[http://www.jmsnews.com/ JMSNews]: The J. Michael Straczynski message archive. |
||
Revision as of 20:29, 8 August 2008
Spoo is a fictional food product that served as a running joke within the Babylon 5 science fiction television series. In the series' fictional universe, spoo is made from alien worm-like creatures of the same name, and is considered to be the most delicious food in the galaxy, regardless of which species is asked. Although it is a universally loved foodstuff and an actively traded commodity, the creature itself is regarded with contempt by the races that consume it.
Spoo became part of the series' extended mythology, and was embraced by fans of the series, spawning "spoo"-based recipes and fan fiction related to the creatures. "Spoo" is also used variously outside the Babylon 5 universe and fan community as a nonsense word.
Origins in Babylon 5
Spoo appeared in the first episode of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, when it was briefly mentioned by the Narn Ambassador, G'Kar.[1] J. Michael Straczynski, the show's creator, executive producer, and writer of the episode in question, was asked about spoo by fans on various internet message boards on which he frequently participated.[2] At first, Straczynski's responses were intentionally vague and terse: "Spoo is."[3] He eventually noted that the taste of spoo was that of "Meat Jello. Served chilled."[4] After several years of speculation from Babylon 5 fandom, Straczynski finally offered an extensive, humorous explanation of the origins and nature of spoo.[5] The question of what spoo is made it into the major Babylon 5 FAQ.[6]
The Babylon 5 episodes in which spoo appears or is mentioned are "Midnight on the Firing Line," "The Geometry of Shadows," "Point of No Return", "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place," "A View from the Gallery," "A Tragedy of Telepaths," and "Meditations on the Abyss." Spoo also appears in the "Over There" segment of the Lost Tales episode "Voices in the Dark."
Explanation of Spoo
After several years of cryptic answers, Straczynski finally made a post explaining what Spoo was. His answer stated that spoo were tiny, pasty, mealworm-like creatures that were regarded with contempt by most of the sentient species that have encountered it. According to Straczynski, spoo "are the only creatures of which the Interstellar Animal Rights Protection League says, simply, 'Kill 'em.'"[5]
The process of raising spoo was described by Straczynski in comical detail. The creatures are raised on ranches on planets with moist and chilly climates, not because the creatures thrive in such environs, but because it produces the best level of paleness in the creatures' skin. Starting a spoo ranch is relatively easy: the only requirement is to place 200 spoo in the middle of the ranch and wait. Within a short period of time, they have reproduced in sufficient numbers and harvesting can commence, with the preferred method being a simple whack with a stick. Little physical effort is required to cull the herds—spoo are incapable of moving more than six inches (15 cm) in a year, tend to stay propped up against one another "ostensibly for mutual protection," with attempts at movement usually ending up in the creatures toppling over. The primary difficulty in spoo ranching is in the only sound the creatures make: loud, continuous sighing. The only protection against the sighing is the use of earmuffs, which eventually cannot block the sheer volume of sighs as the harvest progresses—when whacked, a spoo simply sighs more loudly. The sighing often triggers bouts of major depression, with some ranchers even going mad from the incessant sighs.[5]
Spoo in the series
Although mostly relegated to a background role, spoo was once involved in a significant way in a plot. In the season 5 episode "A Tragedy of Telepaths", the fact that Narn prefer fresh spoo while the Centauri prefer it aged was the reason that G'Kar was able to figure out that there was another Narn in the Centauri Royal Palace.[7]
As befitting a fan-favorite reference, Spoo made a number of appearances in the series, most recently in the DVD release Babylon 5: The Lost Tales, where President Sheridan at one point jokes that the product is "Spoo: The other gray meat."[8]
Commodity
As a widely consumed food product, like coffee or beef, spoo is a traded commodity, where the price of the product at the consumer level is dictated by the price on common exchanges. During one episode the price of a spoo sandwich is stated as ten credits an ounce; at the end of the same episode it is stated as fifteen credits.[9] While this could be a simple mistake by Straczynski, a bit of fanon assumes that it is an intentional reference to spoo's exorbitant volatility in the market.[10]
Unlike other products, not only is spoo a tradable commodity, but spoo ranches themselves, like large corporations, sell shares.[11] It is not known if this is facilitated by spoo's immense popularity or because the ranches' value is exacerbated by their rarity (due to the difficulty of, and disproportionately high suicide rate in, spoo ranching).
Real-world spoo
In 1998, Boxtree UK published a Babylon 5 cookbook, officially licensed from Warner Bros.[12] Presented as if written around the year 2260, the time when most of the Babylon 5 series takes place, the book contains many recipes for the various foods mentioned and seen throughout the series. Included were recipes for Narn-style spoo and Centauri-style spoo, both using currently available ingredients, with sea scallops taking the place of spoo.
Fans have come up with "spoo" recipes on their own, using various versatile, pale foods such as tofu, yogurt, or rice as a substitute for the fictional substance.[13][14] On one occasion, Straczynski was eating at a restaurant when a fan sent over a plate of food, christened "spoo."[15]
Real-world etymology of the word
Straczynski was not the first person to use the word spoo - uses can be found in popular culture since the 1970s, sometimes as a replacement for stuff, as was the case with its first recorded use on USENET in 1989,[16] and later as a misspelling of spew. The earliest known print usage was as an exclamation in a 1971 Beetle Bailey comic strip, as a play on the reverse spelling of "oops."[17] In 1979 Barnes & Barnes recorded the song "Three Drunk Newts" which begins with what has been interpreted as the two of them yelling "Spoo!". According to Slang and Euphemism, spoo is a slang term for ejaculate, etymologically derived from spew, and cited by linguist Pamela Munro in a paper on 1980s collegiate slang at UCLA.[18] Frank Zappa used the word as a euphemism for semen in the song "What Kind of Girl?", which appears on the 1988 live album Broadway the Hard Way. He claimed in The Real Frank Zappa Book to have learned the word from guitarist Ike Willis, and also used spoo to mean self-indulgent "musical masturbation," in which musicians play an extended solo primarily for their own enjoyment rather than to enhance the musical experience of the audience.[19]
Straczynski's own usage of the word predates Babylon 5. Straczynski was a writer in the 1985 cartoon series She-Ra Princess of Power. After a fan recalled a possible spoo reference from that show, Straczynski replied, "[Yes], I slipped some spoo in there once. A couple of real cute—as in wanna-drop-a-truck-on-them cute—elf-types offer Skeletor a bowl of Spoo."[20] Skeletor declines, saying he dislikes this food, and then adds he does not know what it is.[21] One of Straczynski's earliest responses to the spoo question also revealed how he created the word: "Spoo is Oops spelled backward."[22]
Current usage
Since its advent and popularization in Babylon 5, a segment of the science fiction community has used the term "spoo space" on online message boards (especially on Usenet) instead of spoiler space.[23] Spoo is spoofed in the first Babylon Park parody short, Spoohunter.[24]
In 2008, rap-filk artist Luke Ski recorded and released a parody of the Beastie Boys song "No Sleep till Brooklyn" called "No Sleep Till Babylon."[25][26] The song features lyrics about the Babylon 5 story; as the song fades out, in a leitmotif similar to the Beastie Boys song "Girls," a voice mimicking that of the character Londo Mollari pontificates on his love of Spoo.[27]
See also
- List of Babylon 5 articles
- Shmoo, a fictional edible species from the comic strip Li'l Abner.
References
- ^ Mentioned in the episode "Midnight on the Firing Line," by Straczynski.
- ^ Straczynski's use of Usenet and other internet forums is well known. See, for instance:
• "An Auteur in the Age of the Internet: JMS, Babylon 5, and the Net" (DRAFT). The Media Lab. MIT. 1996. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
• "J. Michael Straczynski Biography". tv.com. CNET Networks. Retrieved 2008-06-24. - ^ From a USENET post made January 27 1994. Archived at jmsnews.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ From a CompuServe post from December 18 1996, archived at jmsnews.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ a b c The CompuServe post from the first week of January 1995 is archived in various places: See frostjedi.com, and midwinter.com for two examples. All retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ UK.Media.TV.SF.Babylon5 hierarchy, Frequently asked questions and other information. Jeremy Morley's Inner Workings. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ "A Tragedy of Telepaths," written by Straczynski. See its Lurker's Guide page at midwinter.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ From the Lost Tales episode "Voices in the Dark" by Straczynski.
- ^ Spoo is a conversation piece in the episode "A View from the Gallery," written by Straczynski from a story by Harlan Ellison and Straczynski. See its Lurker's Guide page at midwinter.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ This view is expressed in the "Notes" section of the Lurker's Guide page for the episode at midwinter.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ In the episode "The Geometry of Shadows," a Technomage infected Londo's personal computers with a virus that converted all his personal finances into a purchase of 200,000 shares in a spoo ranch.
- ^ Briggs-Wallace, Emerson (June 1998). Dining on Babylon 5: Human Edition - The Ultimate Collection of Space Station Cuisine. UK. ISBN 0-7522-1143-9.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Babylon 5 thread, LandofRohan.com Retrieved on 2008-06-24
- ^ Temple of Spoo - Recipes Retrieved on 2008-06-24
- ^ This anecdote was mentioned as an aside in a GEnie post from September 4 1996. Archived at jmsnews.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ The first USENET occurrence was July 28, 1989 - See the post archived via Google at sci.physics. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ Beetle Bailey, April 18 1971, as reproduced in Mort Walker, I'll Throw the Book at You, Beetle Bailey (New York: Tempo/Grosset & Dunlap, 1973, ISBN 0-448-05582-1).
- ^ From "UCLA slang: a dictionary of slang words and expressions used at UCLA," (Volume 1 of the UCLA Slang series), UCLA Occasional Papers in Linguistics No. 8 (1989), by F. Aranovich, P. Munro. For more on the Occasional Papers see UCLA.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ Zappa, Frank (June 1989). The Real Frank Zappa Book. Poseidon Press. ISBN 0-318-41476-7.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ From a GEnie post made by J. Michael Straczynski, July 7 1994. Archived at JMSNews. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ "Gateway to Trouble," episode of She-Ra: Princess of Power, aired October 24, 1985. TV.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ From a USENET post made by J. Michael Straczynski, August 1 1994. Archived at JMSNews.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ Internet example at Jedi Council Forums, and numerous USENET examples can be attained via a Google search, (linked at Google groups). Both retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ The short can be accessed at Babylon Park. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ The song was released to and can be heard at the Funny Music Project. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ Announcement of the release of "No Sleep Till Babylon" from the official website of Luke Ski. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ The lyrics, provided by Ski, can be found at the Funny Music Project. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
External links
- The Temple of Spoo: Spoo resources, recipes, humor, and fan fiction.
- Concise archive of JMS "Spoo" posts
- The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5: The definitive Babylon 5 resource.
- JMSNews: The J. Michael Straczynski message archive.