I get on twitter today and see someone saying something about the Sci-Fi channel changing… its image?
Its name?
So I hop on the news and see this headline: Sci Fi Channel Aims to Shed Geeky Image With New Name. I read that the new name is Syfy.
And my blood pressure skyrockets.
Look, I know the term “science fiction” has always had some people up in arms. Many feel it’s too limiting, and in the 60s and 70s people in the genre started calling it sf instead. I had a former hippie professor who pounded the term sf into me.
But that’s not why network heads are changing the name; they just don’t want to be considered uncool. In the linked article, Tim Brooks, one of the guys who helped launch the channel more than 15 years ago, says some of the most damning things about sf culture that I’ve read in awhile.
“The name Sci Fi has been associated with geeks and dysfunctional, antisocial boys in their basements with video games and stuff like that, as opposed to the general public and the female audience in particular,” he says.
Et tu, brute? With this kind of support, no wonder the Sci-Fi channel took over a decade to come into its own.
How can something succeed when the people behind it don’t embrace it?
Brooks adds some additional insight into how they viewed the channel all these years:
“We spent a lot of time in the ’90s trying to distance the network from science fiction, which is largely why it’s called Sci Fi,” Mr. Brooks said. “It’s somewhat cooler and better than the name ‘Science Fiction.’ But even the name Sci Fi is limiting.”
Right. It still didn’t stop them from putting wrestling on the channel, even though the link between it and sf is tenuous at best. Time and again, they’ve shown that the people making the programming decisions are have only the most vague notion of what sf fans want.
Now, in the last few years, the network had gotten considerably better. They have Doctor Who and Sarah Jane. Their little surreal station IDs have been adorable. And, perhaps most importantly, they’ve had Battlestar: Galactica, probably the grittiest show that’s not on a movie channel.
And it’s paid off – apparently they’ve just had their best year. Naturally, then, it’s time to re-assess, and destroy every bit of progress they’ve made. Evidently the success of the show has not been due to network heads that loved and nurtured their product; they just lucked out with a couple of good writers and artists.
The Sci-Fi network wants to get into that cash cow, the teen demographic. Hence the change to Syfy, which, they’ve determined, “is how you’d text it.” If you’re ten. Only, they aren’t saying they’re aiming at teens. What Dave Howe, president of the Sci-Fi Channel, is saying is even worse:
“We’ll get the heritage and the track record of success, and we’ll build off of that to build a broader, more open and accessible and relatable and human-friendly brand.”
Human-friendly. Because apparently the success that those geeks in basements have wrought is no longer good enough. Being a top-10 network is great and all, but imagine how well we’d do with real people! Bring on the text-speak! And this from the president of the channel.
And it’s probably doomed to failure. Because it’s clear, from the trendy Syfy name and the way they’re talking about it, that they know as little about the young demographic as they do about the geeks. Young adults can sense when they’re being condescended to, and they don’t like it.
They could have talked to a geek or two and determined that sf would be a far more sensible and catchy change. Instead they’re listening to some marketing professional, and making a switch that sounds like the Sci-Fi Channel mixed with Nick Jr.
Let me know how that self-hating works out for you, Syfy.
About j
Honestly, I can’t believe that this is even real. Just another reason for me to hate the USA Network which owns them.
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So, having grown up among Science Fiction authors and Science Fiction fandom, I remember the outcry of using the term “SciFi” in the first place, many in those circles seeing it as somewhat derogatory.
Me, I foresee this being one of the ways that they are desperately reaching out to try and remain relevant. They’re losing BSG (and I doubt spinoff will be as appealing), have a totally redone Stargate show… and then what? Back to crappy creature flicks and Ghost Hunters? I think they’ll need more than a nonsensical name change to do what they’re going for.
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I’ve been fuming about this all morning on twitter, on tor.com, and on my blog. It just boggles my mind that anyone could possibly think treating your audience this way is a good idea. They could have had us along for the ride, but instead they chose to run screaming from one of the largest, most rabidly devoted groups around. Between the rating slumps they’ll get from this and from BSG ending, I wonder if we’ll see them around with any name in a few years.
Jason Ramboz´s last blog post..To the “SyFy” Channel Executives
oh for flip-flappin’ heck’s sake!
even leaving aside the facts that I’d rather text sf than syfy, replacing random ‘i’ sounds with ‘y’ is pretty much done, and fans of the genre are basically the most fanatically loyal around (90210 convention? don’t think so) this is stupid. Networks that make big changes to target themselves at the ‘young’ demographic _routinely_ seem to completely miss the mark. Did they just get a new head by any chance?
I’ll bet you they want to try to attach themselves to the ‘Twilight’ golden goose….
Putting aside the fact that I dislike the term “sf” anyways (it just feels clunky to say, to me), I have to agree. WTF?
Well, at least our Canadian sci-fi channel is smarter. And has a better name, anyways. And logo. SPACE – The Imagination Station.
Not to mention that they were mocking it earlier today, as well.
To quote:
Awesome. Don’t you just love Canada?
.
EDIT:
And @DaveTGame -
SPACE is also doing a full-day farewell marathon to BSG, which they are calling “The Frakkin’ End”.
@Graham – Yes, sf IS clunky to say. I have been known to slip sci-fi in spoken conversation, no doubt to the chagrin of that old professor – but when I’m typing about it I basically always use sf. Especially since I’m usually using it to refer to the literary genre, and THEN it can stand for speculative fiction, and is more accurate. I just think visually sf would have been a better name than… well, you know.
just got sent this link – not sure if you’ve seen it: http://syndicated.livejournal.com/scalzifeed/1139344.html
but essentially: ‘syfy’ in Polish = ‘venereal disease’
good researching there guys!
@Sandrinnad If that is true, that is AWESOME. It also reminds me of last week’s 30 Rock episode, where they spent most of the show trying to think of a name for a product that wasn’t offensive in any language.
Wow…I just heard about this here, and I’m completely nonplussed. “Syfy”? Are you joking? Replacing “i” with “y” is not how anyone texts anything, to my knowledge.
I can understand wanting to broaden their appeal, but you can’t do that by alienating your existing fan-base. To say nothing of the fact that failed attempts to look cool only succeed in making you look like an idiot. “Syfy.” Ugh. That sounds like the Polish term indeed.
@J – oh dude I so hope it’s true
then again, if enough people say it is…. 
man, I’ve really got to start watching 30 Rock one of these days!
Is this real? It sounds like the kind of things people do as a joke, or to get fired. Or both.
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@Yax – sure is: http://www.syfy.com/
I hate the name change. What the hell is “SyFy” anyways? Also, all the people I know liked SciFi as it was (Basically) and most are definitely not geeks (though I am and proud of it)
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Not only is Syfy a Polish term, in the UK it’s slang for syphilis… you’d think someone would have thought to check for that.
I am really unhappy with the articles I’ve seen about this, and I think Dave Howe, the president of the channel, shouldn’t be allowed to talk to the press because he seems to shoot his company in the foot every other sentence.
That said, there is a reasonable reason for the change. They cannot trademark “Sci Fi”. It’s an existing term in common usage, and I can see how that makes it a horrible brand. It shouldn’t have been used in the first place, but given the current situation.
But if that was their real justification and they presented it that way (rather than as a small aside in only a few sentences) I’d be a lot less upset.
Well, that and if they picked a better choice than Syfy…
I know I a bit late on this conversation, but I just have to say that it has always driven me crazy that they have the WWE on Sci fi (I can’t understand the name change myself). My only logical thought was that by placing the WWE on the Sci Fi channel we could all agree that it was fake. (Sorry to any fans of the WWE, but I doubt you feel you belong on the Sci Fi channel as well).
I love Eurkea and am hooked on Warehouse 13, but I must admit that it is a love hate relationship. I love the shows but can’t stand the channel (even more so now that I know the story behind the name change).
Wow, I didn’t catch any of that (news wise). But then, I don’t watch much TV anymore. I go to the networks website, Hulu, or find an illict copy or DVD to watch.
I think this same phenomenon applies to the Legend of the Seeker show that just ended its first season too.
So if we’re not going to have Sci Fi pumping out Sci Fi anymore… Who will be making Science Fiction video and TV???