Why I Hate Star Trek

The Kernal ^ | September 25, 2012 | Milo Yiannopoulos

[C19fan]

I recently watched Starship Troopers for the first time. It’s brilliant, isn’t it? I can’t believe I’d never seen it before. If you can set aside the laboured subtext about militarism and the whole America policing the world thing, it’s a brilliant epic about love and the indomitability of the human spirit. And they’re all pretty hot, which helps. But I had another train of thought watching this movie. It reminded me of a guilty secret, and of a violent change in attitude I’ve had toward science fiction in the past few years, and toward Star Trek in particular.

[SJSAMPLE]

Isn’t that what the SST movie did?

Heinleins vision of earning the “franchise” is turned upside down.

The military (and much of the society) is turned into a quasi-fascist state where franchise appears to be granted only to a priveleged few with political ambition and guile.

I can overlook the combat-related stuff because the CGI didn’t exist to properly show the powered armor, but the merging of characters, both key and ancillary, into unrecognizeable amalgums is unforgiveable.

The book was just too important to ignore. IIRC, it’s required reading at some or all of the service academies. If so, for good reason.

[WileyC]

The movie might as well have been based on some other work, because almost every important tenant of the novel was overlooked, marginalized or - even worse - mocked.

The 'director' hates Heinlein... a lot. And has stated so in several interviews. I won't even mention his name but somehow he keeps getting these big paying gigs for science fiction movies which are uniformly crappy.

[SJSAMPLE]

Yeah, but he gave us “RoboCop”.

Thank God he’s not married to Gena Davis any more, or we’d be seeing more of her mug.

[longtermmemmory]

recite the “E plebnista” when you say that.

or

remember the “sun” worship in Bread and Circuses?

Roddenberry was there to make money period. The egalitarian BS was just a cover to cash in on the stinky hippies.

The hippie episode pretty much put the hippie paradise concept to rest.

As for replicators, they never do as good a job as real cooking. Think frozen food vs fresh meal. Also remember the replicators on TNG were programed for “good for you” formulations. No real chocholate.

The empasth was a complete waste. She was the protocol officer given to newbie captains. In this case she was the USSR political officer or rather the PC police officer. The should have knocked her off with weasely crusher.

[katana]

Actually, if I recall correctly, that was one of the few things the film did get right. "Citizenship" (and the franchise) had to be earned through Federal (global Federation) service and the implication was that such service had to be military in nature. Political ambition, guile and privilege for a few formed no part of the movie's plot. I'd suggest you watch it again but as it could make you ill please don't.

But again, the book and the film, other than the title, the character names, the nature of the exoskeleton enemy, and that notion of what citizenship and franchise should require don't have much in common.

"Would you like to know more?"

[Buckeye McFrog]

To be honest with you, when Troi was on-screen I didn't pay too much attention to the dialog.

You were paying too much attention to the....ummm, err.....anatomical revelations made possible by all that Spandex (I thought that was an urban legend until I finally saw TNG in HD)

[Buckeye McFrog]

Ok. I’ll give Dr. Crusher a pass.

I always thought she looked strangely familiar everytime I watched that show. Then I noticed in her bio that she taught drama in Pittsburgh three decades ago. I am virtually certain I used to run into her in a coffee shop or a library someplace.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Patrick Stewart at Picard was about as French as
William Shakespeare.

[Buckeye McFrog]

I certainly did miss the miniskirt she wore for the pilot episode that vanished afterwards... =)

She said it made her feel like "an intergalactic cheerleader"

[SJSAMPLE]

Yes, but the director intentionally gave it a fascist slant, complete with Nazi-style uniforms.

The only character that seemed to retain any semblance of Heinlein’s vision is Sergeant Zim.

THIS is a movie that could use a remake. Or, really, the book just needs to be made into a movie (finally).

[SJSAMPLE]

Even the men had to wear girdles with those gay-ass uniforms. Kirk always had the option of going shirtless (usually towards the end of the season when he was in shape).

[Political Junkie Too]

...in a society with technology like replicators, that could “magically” produce just about anything, anyone needs out of thin air, and with very cheap energy sources...

Except that in Voyager, they had to ration that energy and resort to actual food cooked by Neelix in an actual kitchen.

-PJ

[Political Junkie Too]

And if replicators fixed the problem of scarcity, why is it that there is only one Enterprise?

There was a fleet of 12 starships, ands lots of smaller ships.

-PJ

[Vince Ferrer]

There was a fleet of 12 starships, ands lots of smaller ships.

Why not millions?

[Dr. Sivana]

I always thought she looked strangely familiar everytime I watched that show. Then I noticed in her bio that she taught drama in Pittsburgh three decades ago. I am virtually certain I used to run into her in a coffee shop or a library someplace.

Amazing that the name "Beverly" survived into the 23rd century. I guess names like Madison, Mackenzie, Britney and Ashley are just a fad.

[Political Junkie Too]

Wouldn't you have to build a replicator big enough to fit a starship inside it before it could replicate one? It's one thing to replicate soup and sandwiches... If you're just replicating the raw materials or finished parts,you'll still need thousands of people to build millions of ships.

-PJ

[Buckeye McFrog]

Even the men had to wear girdles with those gay-ass uniforms.

At least they wore some form of underwear (which was apparently not the case with the good Counselor on some episodes)

[Tijeras_Slim]

And if replicators fixed the problem of scarcity, why is it that there is only one Enterprise?

Unions.

[SJSAMPLE]

Not a “camel toe”, nor a “moose knuckle”.
No, in the future, it’s known as a “Ferenghi Forehead”.

[Smokin' Joe]

You can replicate anything...but I think someone has to come up with the prototype.