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Browncoat




Browncoat is a term from the Science Fiction Western TV series '' Firefly '' (and its big-screen "sequel", '' Serenity ''). It has two connotations, one within the original show, and one among the show's fans.


FICTIONAL MEANING


In the ''Firefly'' universe, Browncoats were soldiers who fought for the Independents , who lost to the Alliance in the Unification War . They were named after the simple, brown leather trench coats they wore as uniforms. They also wore red scarves around their necks. The simplicity of their gear was greatly due to the fact that technology and resources were scarce on the Outer Planets. Conversely, the Alliance's soldiers were called "Purple Bellies", because of the purple tinted body armor they wore on their chests. In both the series and the film, Captain Malcolm Reynolds and Zoë Alleyne wear the signature brown coat.


FAN TERM


"Browncoat" also describes an especially devoted fan of the fictional ''Firefly'' series. Bootleg Blue Sun t-shirts and caps or character costumes make them instantly recognizable at conventions. Unexpectedly strong sales of the ''Firefly'' DVD s have been largely attributed to Word Of Mouth among Browncoats; Universal Studios had numerous early screenings of ''Serenity'' to existing fans of the series in an attempt to foster high ticket sales.

Many comparisons have been made between Browncoats and , Browncoats have Mandarin Chinese mixed with a future form of English, new words and ones recalling the Old West. One example is "gorram", which is a modified form of "god-damn".

Browncoats are also sometimes known as " Flans ."


QUOTATIONS


  • "''Firefly'' went on the air a few years ago and was instantly hailed by critics as one of the most cancelled shows of the year. It was ignored and abandoned, and the story should end there. But it doesn’t, because the people who made the show and the people who saw the show—which is roughly the same number of people—fell in love with it a little bit too much to let it go, too much to lay down arms when the battle looked pretty much lost. In Hollywood, people like that are called unrealistic, quixotic, obsessive. In my world, they’re called Browncoats." — Joss Whedon , "Joss Whedon Introduction", ''Serenity'' DVD  {Link without Title}



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