Internet Defense League

Translate

Saturday 16 March 2013

Star Trek

What started out as a low budget TV show, blossomed into a franchise in America that is so big that it nearly rivals Doctor Who.  Star Trek had 5 shows, 1 cartoon, 11 films and 1 upcoming movie. As well as a dozen games and comics. However what makes Star Trek really grand is it's impact on the world from politics to science and technology. It may very well be one of the very first defictionalizations in the world.  To be honest I didn't want to analyze it.  Don't get me wrong I love Star Trek and I am well aware of tons of info on defictionalizing it. However, what can I say that generation upon generation of Trekkies and Non-Trekkies alike didn't beat me to? Since it's my 50th post I figured, what the hell.

In case those who read my blog are wondering. My favorite series is the first one.  My favorite Captain is Kirk based on the fact that despite the being born in Iowa BS, he is played by a Canadian. Sure Pike was American, but the majority of Old Series Star Trek Fans focus more on Kirk, so in all essence the first Star Trek Captain is Canadian and that hits me right at home. My personal favorite episode is "The Naked Time" based soley on the scene where Spock cried.  Anyway on with the story.

The basic premise is the United Federation of Planets sends out ships to explore strange new worlds.  To seek out new life forms and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before. In this case the show follows the adventures of the United States Starship Enterprise NCC1701 and her crew.  Captain James Tiberius Kirk, who doesn't believe in no win scenarios.  First Officer Spock, who is half Vulcan and Half Human, he doubles as a Science Officer.  Lieutenant Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy, a stubborn man who goes all out to protect his crew and patients.  Together the trio form a hive mind of sorts with Spock focusing on the logical approach, McCoy focusing on the emotional common sense, and Kirk mixing both in as being the head authority of his ship it requires both using logic and gut instinct.  The rest of the crew as follows: Montgomery "Scottie" Scott, the engineer who treats the enterprise like it was his own girlfriend. Hikaru Sulu The Helmsman who Pilots the ship.  Nyota Uhura, the communications expert of the ship. Lastly Pavel Chekov, an ensign promoted to ships navigator. There was contraversy around most of them but I'll get to that later.  Many of there adventures often involve them getting into some kind of danger that they have to work together to get out.

This question may seem redundant since it's Star Trek, but Could It Exist In Real Life?

For this one I have to split it into various topics. In this case the topics are, Politics, Science/Technology and Alien Race.

First is politics.  Now as said before there was some controversy surrounding many of the characters in Star Trek. The most famous being Uhura and Chekov.  With Uhura it wasn't as bad but still pretty major.  This was because, while Star Trek took place in the future, it was made in 1966 just two years before the end of the African American Civil Rights Movement. At the time the idea of a black person being on equal terms with a white person in terms of getting jobs was considered bad by those opposed of the Civil Rights movements. This applied to not only regular jobs, but also portrayals of African Americans in anything other than stereotypical things such as slaves and servants.  As if that wasn't controversial enough this series had the balls to put one of the world's first interracial kisses on TV when Kirk and Uhura made out in the episode "Plato's Stepchildren."  However this controversy was not without it's positives.  It inspired Whoopi Goldberg into acting and what she asked for in return after becoming a big star was to be on an episode of Next Generation.  She was even willing to take a cut in pay. Thus Guinan was born.  However as big of a controversial mess it was, Pavel Chekov's was much bigger.  See Chekov was a Russian ensign working on a mostly American controlled ship, on a show that took place in the early decades of the Cold War.  That's right folks, Star Trek pretty much help predict Civil Rights and The End of The Cold War. Rocky IV eat your heart out.  Just wow.  Rodenberry must be psychic or something.   But the big picture of it all was the United Federation's formation.  This Federation is pretty much the entire world finally getting along with one and other and not just Earth.  They manage to get along with other planets as well.  Makes us hope for the future doesn't it?

Second is Science and Technology.  Now before I say my piece on the matter let's get the obvious out of the way. The Following are subjects I have already covered as well as subjects other Trekkies have covered. That I know of:

Transporter: Explained in Power Rangers and Tron.
Phaser: Explained in Power Rangers on why I won't talk about it.
Communicator: Cell Phone
Borg: See Robocop on Prosthetics.
Data: Covered in Tron and Atop The Fourth Wall

Ok now that it's out of the way let me tell you my takes on one of the most debated topics in Star Trek history: the concept of Warp Speed. Many Trekkies have had theories over how either possible or impossible they are.  Most of which involve whether or not ships can travel faster than the speed of light.  Here's my take on this and I am not sure if many missed it but look.


One thing I noticed on the ship this orange thing just directly under the disc shaped hull. I at first thought it was merely a decoration for the model until I looked at the back. The Nacelles of the ship are the exact shape and color of the orange thing in front.  So I came up with a theory that the Enterprise has a third larger Nacelle.  To get to warp all three would be running at the same time and then the third would be cut off giving it a slingshot effect that would cause the ship to faster than intended speed.

Last but not least is alien race and their abilities.  I am gonna focus on the recurring races as there are billions in the entire franchise.

The first is Vulcans.  A race of humanoid aliens that suppress their emotions and rely on logic as a religious way of life.  They can exist.  See the Vulcans biologically are like us in every way imaginable aside from a few shifts in organs.  However the major difference between us and them is blood.  We bleed red, and they bleed green.  The reason being is because the major mineral that dominates their blood is copper, while ours is iron.  As for their way of life that too exists.  Most specifically the Kolinahr.  A ritual in which a Vulcan, full or half must purge themselves of all emotion.  This also exists in many forms, mostly meditations designed to suppress any emotion. As proven comically in The Big Bang Theory.  The other two aspects of Vulcan life is their natural telepathic abilities (Read my Stephen King Article for that explaination.) and the ever debated Vulcan Nerve Pinch. Many people have attributed it to their telepathic abilities or to their strength and/or knowing the right pressure points. However I have a different theory.  It's not quite similar but there is a known Mixed Marital Arts move known as the blood choke. This move temporarily cuts oxygen off the brain through both the airway and blood passages which renders the victim unconscious. Do not try that at home or anywhere,

Much of the Romulan race is the same as Vulcans, however they use their emotions. So no need to go down that road.

Last but not least is Klingons are a proud Warrior Race that once was the main enemies of the Federation, but now are part of it.  They not only can exist but have in one way or another.  The Klingon Race and their way of life was based off of Genghis Kahn (KAHHHHHN!!!!)  who nearly conquered half of the Earth in his lifetime.  The other way was through two guys, Marc Okrand and James Doohan who you know as Scotty.  This language was first used in the first Star Trek Movie.  Okrand took it a step further and took every English word in the book and converted it into Klingon.  This caused such a large impact that it has now become an official language.  As for me though I don't speak Klingon. I am still trying to learn Hylian though.  Last but not least are their methods of fighting.  Specifically their main combat weapon: The Bat'leth.  A sword like weapon used in many battles. Not only does this weapon exist in real life, but its one of the first defictionalized weapons to be registered as a deadly weapon after a group of men robbed a store with one.  Only avid Star Trek fans and weapons collectors are allowed to keep a weapon such as that.

As usual debate argue and let me know what I missed.  Stay tuned for more. Live Long and Prosper.

No comments:

Post a Comment