Questions about Mystery Science Theater: 3000

Q--Just what the heck is Mystery Science Theater:3000 anyway?
A--Mystery Science Theater: 3000 (or MST:3k as it's also known) is a television show here in the States. It got its start back in 1988, and was picked up by Comedy Central. Comedy Central dropped it in 1997, and it was picked up by The Sci-Fi Network, who dropped it in 1999. It is the considered opinion of the author that the geniuses for both networks responsible for dropping the
show should all be locked into a room, forced to listen to NSync, Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears while being made to view Manos: The Hands of Fate and reading Stephen Ratliff stories.

But I digress...

Q--Yes, but what is the show ABOUT?
A--MST:3k is a show about a man named Joel Robinson
(played by Joel Hodges. Hodges later decided he was too big for his britches and thought he could move on to better things in 1996. He has hardly been heard from since. That'll teach him! =:)) Joel is the hapless victim of a psychological experiment performed by the evil Dr. Clayton Forrester (played by Trace Beaulieu, also the voice of Crow T. Robot) and his assistant, T.V.'s Frank (Frank Coniff)

Dr. Forrester has a plot to take over the world. To this end, he has trapped Joel in a satellite orbiting the earth, called the Satellite of Love (or SoL). He and Frank subject Joel to the worst movies ever made.

But Joel is clever, and he creates robot
companions out of pieces of junk left over from the creation of the SoL. His friends are Gypsy (she's big, purple, and very smart, but 90% of her intellect goes to running the SoL.) Cambot (the viewers see the goings-on through him), Tom Servo (he looks like he was made from a gumball machine. Tom is witty, has a great singing voice, and in my MST:3k universe, loves The Cure, especially the older stuff.), and Crow T. Robot (Crow is gold, has a big beak, and a dirty mind. He too, in this universe, loves The Cure, but prefers the newer stuff. Especially the naughtier songs on Wild Mood Swings).
Joel, Tom, and Crow sit in the movie theater. The viewer watches with them as they toss out a barrage of one-liners, dialogue insertions, and obscure references. Later, Joel escapes the SoL with Gypsy's help, and is replaced by Mike (Mike Nelson).

Q--Yeah, okay. So how is this done on the internet?

A--Fans of the show do their own episodes, usually in script form, though some short stories exist. In these, Joel (or Mike) and the 'bots are forced to read USEnet postings, bad fan fiction, spam, TV and movie scripts, you name it.

Q--One thing still bugs me...how does that SoL escape detection? How does Mike or Joel eat? Breathe? I'm a skeptic; I want logic! It makes no sense--I'm scaaaaared! Mommy! MOMMY!

A--Repeat to yourself--it's just a show...it's just a show...




Questions about The Cure

Q--I've been under a rock these past twenty years. Who the heck are The Cure?
A--The Cure are (currently) Robert Smith (guitars and vocals) Simon Gallup (bass) Jason Cooper(drums), Roger O'Donnell (keyboards) and Perry Bamonte (guitars). They're British, and they've (or at least
Robert has) been around, more or less, since 1977. They just recently completed what looks like it might be their last tour, ever.

Don't expect cutesy-poo, Madness/A-ha!/Wham! style pop here. Most of the lyrics have a grim romanticism, though they have had their share of high-spirited pop songs.

For more information try visiting the following sites--

The Cure's Official Website--Be sure and read the bio.

Deep Green Sea--This place is wonderful...so many gorgeous pictures of the boys!
It is this one's humble opinion that Robert and Simon should have a pagan religion dedicated to them :)

Stiff As Toys And Tall As Men--More Cure info than you can shake a stick at! And a message board, too!


Mystery Science Cure Theater: 3000 Questions

Q--Why?!?!
A--Why not?! Next.
Seriously, I thought it was a cute and fun way to combine my two favourite obsessions.

Q--What are those little sayings at the bottom of each MiSTing?
A--I pulled those from the TV show, and the MST:3k movie. They're quotes or
catch-phrases used by the characters.

Q--And what's with having a line from the story at the very end, after the credits?
A--That's called a 'stinger' (No, don't ask. I don't know why it's called that) In the show, after the credits, they would show a ten second clip of the movie that was shown. We MiSTers have continued the tradition.

Q--What the heck is 'Minnewegian?'
A--If you've seen Fargo, then you know...it's the accent particular to people in Minnesota. If you've not seen Fargo, do so. It's a great movie.

Q--What's with all the slash stories? That offends me/I'm not old enough to read it.
A--Slash is fun to read, write, and MiST. I am sorry if you are offended. And if you're too young- -well, you'll get older. Why don't you send me things and ideas for MiSTings that aren't slash, or better yet, do one of your own? I love submissions.

Q--Egad! What if The Cure see this?
A--I hope they will! I think they'd be amused, personally.

More to come.