The Class Nearly Every Cadet Fails

[Greg Smith]

Originally posted by Space_Cadet
I tend to notice they avoid 20th century pop culture references beyone the 50s.

They would have to pay for the rights.

[REG]

Originally posted by Tricky

By the way; wouldn't music from the 17-1900's be considered 'ancient' to Trek people? It would be almost 800 years old; how many 800 year old songs do you know?

As you said before, it may be considered ancient but also timeless ... assuming you're talking about classical music.

A few would probably remember local folklore music. (Anybody want to give me a date in which O'Brien's favorite, "The Minstrel Boy" was first sung?)

[strict31]

I'm of two minds on the subject. On the one hand, if you fill the show with cultural/historical references appropriate or unique to the futuristic setting, the setting seems more vivid and alive. On the other hand, it fills the audience's head with a lot of information with which they're not likely to be familiar, or recall five minutes later.

We get barraged quite a bit with 24th century stuff in the show. Fans digest it rather easily and often, quite completely. But the majority of the audience isn't likely to care about the significance of, say, Darmok and Jelad at Tanagra. If it doesn't happen on screen within a few minutes of being mentioned, the majority of the audience is likely to disregard it. I find myself doing that with a lot of the cultural references and future "historical" quotes used on Andromeda. They just go in one ear and out the other, either literally, or figuratively.

I think these references are meant to be a bridge for the audience, not a plot device for the character or story. Maybe they do get a bit tired after a bit, much in the same way that the temporal/spatial anomaly of the week does too.

To each his own preference, of course. But the suspension of disbelief is strained in other places too. What is a strain for some will not be a strain for others, I guess.


Strictly Speaking

[Phantom]

Originally posted by Don Mappin
No, they can't. That's exactly what I'm saying. Ya think?

Uhm. OK. Why not? How do you create a background for a character (for a story, RPG, TV show, movie) without them? And still make them interesting?

[Antonsb214]

I think the characters had other hobbies besides the 20th century stuff, Riker liked several sports that aren't even invented yet and I still can't figure out 3-D chess. I think the reasons they have hobbies and tend to have knowledge of many details is normal, Paris knowing the ins and outs of an old truck isn't too much different from me knowing the ins and outs of ships from the 1400s to 1800s. I can tell you what type of sail certain types of ships had and what type of guns they mounted. And can tell you what lots of fictional starships have on them, it's a hobby but I still have a lot of knowledge about it, and yes it does annoy people sometimes....
Besides if a character says this reminds him of the Battle of Jargan's Rift, it means nothing, but if he says Custer's Last Stand or the Battle of the Bulge, then we have a better idea of the situation.

[strict31]

Originally posted by Phantom
Uhm. OK. Why not? How do you create a background for a character (for a story, RPG, TV show, movie) without them? And still make them interesting?

I think the man was merely being sarcastic, y'know?


Strictly Speaking

[Phantom]

Originally posted by strict31
I think the man was merely being sarcastic, y'know?

Sometimes it's hard to tell.