What I don't like about Star Trek and other similar sci-fi

[billyskank]

All of these shows, so many of the episodes are all alike: we turn up at some random planet and meet the people who live there. The people have some custom or element of their culture which is totally stupid or immoral, or at least it seems so to us. In the course of an hour (allowing time for adverts), we persuade them that their culture is totally stupid and/or immoral, and get them to turn their entire civilisation on its head. Then we bugger off home in time for the end credits.

Oh, and goodnight. :hi:

[unpossibles]

1. good point, but....

....doesn't that also describe human history? Oh wait - they don't take over/enslave/kill the natives on Star Trek. My bad.

:D

EDIT:
I can't type.

[billyskank]

4. Nah, I think human history is bigger on the slaughter/enslavement

than the moralisation. Life is not like Star Trek. :hi:

[supernova]

2. And everybody speaks the Queen's English

Funny, that.

Goodnight, Billiyskank! :hug:

[billyskank]

7. Whereas everybody knows only bad guys speak with english accents.

:hug:

[Anarcho-Socialist]

3. although in Star Trek TOS

It was Starfleet regulation that Kirk had to mate with the random planet's leading most attractive female.

[billyskank]

6. TOS not so much. This tradition really kicked off with TNG

I think TOS had some moralising maybe, but it was TNG that really started it in earnest.

[SoxFan]

16. Which makes me wonder...

With all of James Tiberius Kirk's romantic exploits, do you ever suspect that a corner of the galaxy is filled with weird little hybrid kids who can't act worth a damn?

[redqueen]

5. But... I thought they were only there to learn... and not to interfere

you know, unless it was to save lives or something.

:shrug:

I must not have been paying close enough attention, obviously. :P

[billyskank]

9. Yeah, but considering they weren't supposed to interfere

they seemed to do an awful lot of interfering anyway. ;)

[Critters2]

15. Just practicin' up for Iraq!! nt

[billyskank]

24. I loved it when Bush said outsiders should stop meddling in Iraq's internal affairs.

I was lost for words. :D

[Critters2]

8. Any culture that calls commercials "adverts"

is totally stupid and/or immoral. And should be turned on its head.

Good night. :hi:

[billyskank]

10. Advert makes sense. It's short for advertisement.

Commercial is an adjective, not a noun. Sorry.

[redqueen]

11. God that is so fucking HOT!

*drools*

[Critters2]

12. Says you.

I'll bet Captain Kirk called 'em "commercials". And white guys from Iowa captaining space ships are always right. :)

[billyskank]

17. Kirk is always right.

Even when he's wrong, he's right. That I will agree.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. No. It's short for "advertise"

That's a verp.

Stupid Irish telling up how to talk American. Go back to Scotland, Welshy!

[Critters2]

21. Damn right! America! Love it or

stay where you are! :)

[billyskank]

25. An advertisement is what you make when you advertise.

Come on, this stuff isn't hard. :P

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/advertisement

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

27. No, you get a commercial, dipshit.

Jesus, what is it with you Asians?

[bigwillq]

13. Good night!

:hi:

[billyskank]

22. Goodnight, will!

:hi:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. Actually, that's what I like about it.

OK, I didn't like how you put it...

But Star Trek was originally based upon Forbidden Planet (which was based on Shakespeare's Tempest, but that's neither here nor there).

A gubmint spaceship travels through deep space to a lost planet to see what's going on. That's what's good about Star Trek, go some new planet every episode and see something interesting, be it a moral conflict or otherwise, about that planet and its people. But it's got to be a new, interesting planet every episode.

Not Counselor Troi's mother ending up getting trapped in the holodeck because of a transporter malfunction and the only way to help her is to reverse the polarity. That's just terrible.

[billyskank]

20. I certainly agree holodeck episodes are the worst

I much prefer it when two sets of bad motherfuckers start shooting at each other in big ships armed to the teeth. ;)

[Deja Q]

19. Dammit! You stay right here!

We need to work as a team! :rofl:

BTW: Note how many American programmes, sci-fi or otherwise, were rather influenced by British ones... :evilgrin:

[billyskank]

23. Hold the fort, Hypno

:hi:

[Writer]

26. It's probably because most of these shows are actually morality tales.

It's really not about the aliens at all. It's about the humans visiting.

[billyskank]

28. Yeah, I know

It's all about 'us.' But I can't help but see things from 'their' perspective. I can't get my brain around the fact that 'we' just turn up somewhere unannounced and completely uproot 'their' civilisation overnight, and never even wonder about whether 'they' will thank us for it or not.

[Writer]

29. Do you also notice that virtually all of the humans they encounter are humanoid?

[billyskank]

30. I think that keeps costs down.

;)

[Writer]

31. LOL... probably. But that's the political-economist read of the program.

The critical/cultural read would probably say that the creators of these programs are "alienists" that hold a pro-human bias.

Edit to add the goofy smiley: :P

[Parche]

32. Star Trek

Not the original series....that was the best :hi:


I heard Sulu was from the Planet Uranus....:rofl: :rofl:

[Redstone]

33. And there's always some kind of attack and they all fall out of their seats because:

it's so far in the future that they've apparently forgotten the concept of seat belts!

Happened in just about EVERY Star Trek episode, didn't it?

Redstone

[Fire Walk With Me]

36. "We're under attack! Prepare for exploding console!"

:rofl:

[judaspriestess]

34. you may be right but I'm still going to the Star Trek convention

in two weeks :)

[rug]

35. What I don't like is they're always running into people.

Although I am partial to Horta, the silicon mother.