This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
Fast Eddie: Ok, we're going back and forth on "geocentric" -vs- "ethnocentric". Ethnocentric means something different that what the entry is discussing. It is talking about nations, not racial/ethnic distinctions.
Andrew Leprich: According to Wikipedia, "ethnocentrism" is the tendency to view the world through one's own culture in an arbitrary manner- which is exactly what is going on here. Dictionary.com's definition further supports this. Also according to dictionary.com, geocentric means relating to, measured from, or with respect to the center of the earth. I don't see how this relates to this trope, so based on what I know I can't say I agree.
Fast Eddie: OK, I see the problem with "geocentric". I was going with the "location-specific" sense, which is an obscure use of the term. I just can't get to place where "nation" and "culture" are identical... I'll try another way.
Airbud: Wouldn't the Enterprise example count as an exception? The show is American-made, and most of the main characters are from the U.S..
Seven Seals: Not to mention that in the context of Trek, anything that would hit planet Earth would be "home" for the staff. It's still early in the timeline, but Earth should still be more or less united in the face of aliens. A Trek example would be a throwaway planet being hit by a disaster.
Grev...I guess it might be an exception, or a subversion since it actually hit close to home...but I added it since we never actually see the aftermath of the strike...
Seven Seals: Well, it seems to me like the core of the trope is that someone "unimportant" is hit badly, with the implication being that this could happen to the heroes' beloved homes, too, if they don't get their gears in action. There's still time to "avoid the worst of it" (never mind those countless people who just died, think about your family!) The Xindi don't just hit Earth but kill a relative of a cast member (OK, not close to the viewer, but still).
That you don't ever get to see the aftermath is just to reinforce that the victims were really not important and the heroes should focus on saving their own. The Enterprise crew aren't doing that, since they're relatively safe inside their Cool Ship.
I think it's not good enough to be either an example or an exception (it's not far removed from the heroes, but its not exactly close either, Trip's suddenly invented sister notwithstanding).
Grev: Yeah, I guess...it's sort of halfway in between this and It's Personal, really...
Ununnilium: Dangit, Looney Toons, what do you have against bold. u.u
Looney Toons: It's too often misused — almost every instance of boldface I've seen embedded in a paragraph here should be italics instead, by standard typography conventions. Yes, yes, we make our own rules here. This one's mine. <grin>
Ununnilium: Well, in that case, I'd been using italics to emphasize but went one step further by using italics and bold.
Seth: I overuse italics so i tend to bold anything i really want to emphasise. Its like shouting and emphasising a point at the same time.
i wonder what would happen if i had Mr. Exposition run ito the hero's room and say "the villain (insert despicible act here) and (insert even more despicible act here) and (insert despicible act that is even more despicible than the last one)! oh yeah, he also destroyed (whatever country the film is released in) and killed all it's inhabitents
Seth: Not the most relavant thing in the world but relevant enough for a mention. Enter The Monkeysphere
- it sort of explains why someone would care more about their mate being killed than an entire other nation.
UncolaMan: If I had the full background for this, I'd add it to the regular Throwaway Country page: I know the MU's version of Atlantis has been COMPLETELY DESTROYED at least twice... that I know of. Once during Atlantis Attacks and again just recently. Neither event seemed to have major repercussions, despite that nation's apparent importance. Has it only (only!?) been destroyed twice? Anyone here know?
Griff: I think I remember that in Enders Game, the first two bugger invasions nuked China. Haven't got a copy handy, so I can't confirm it.
zylon: Seems as if there should be a reference to Pluto Is Expendable worked in here somewhere, as it's arguably a special case of this article.
Linas: The first quote on death and statistics is often misatributed to Stalin while actually is E. M. Remarque's (or maybe from one of his works, dont recall right now).
