popular culture?

[JoeZhang]

I am trying to think - did we ever see much evidence of 'modern' popular culture in Star Trek? Everyone seemed to be into popular culture from many centuries past, did we ever see a 24th century celeb?

[Greg Cox]

Not that I can think of, aside from the EMH becoming a bestselling author, that is.

[Lance]

The Starfleet crews themselves are occasionally what we might think of as 'celebs' today. News crews with cameras buzzing around the bridge of the Enterprise-B in "Generations" hanging off every word Kirk says, and so on.

There don't seem to be 'actors' or that kind of thing though. Doctor Crusher did start an amateur rep company on the Enterprise, but that's not quite the same thing either...

[Ensign_Redshirt]

Greg Cox wrote:

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Not that I can think of, aside from the EMH becoming a bestselling author, that is.

Geordi La Forge and Jake Sisko too... at least in two separate future timelines.

But it's true, there doesn't seem to be a popular culture as such. Instead, 24th century "culture" seems to be largely based around privately created holo-programs who are traded among circles of friends (like Bashir and his unseen "friend" Felix).

[Greg Cox]

The problem, from a dramatic standpoint, is that to have a future celebrity you have to have to first invent some sort of future art or sport, which runs the risk of looking silly if you do it wrong. "Ohmigod, it's Swarara Ginsu, the worlds-famous bio-holo rap artist! I love her neo-retro-steampunk laser operas!"

Easier, especially in an hour-long episode, just to have a string quartet or a Shakespearean acting troupe.

Wait! I just remembered. Didn't B'Elanna like to read Klingon romance novels? Like Woman Warriors at the River of Blood?

[Count Zero]

There was also the Klingon music the Doctor's holo son was into (if I remember this correctly). But it's true that references to pop culture are very rare. I don't think we've ever seen a celebrity but maybe the celebrity culture we have today went out of style at some point.

[lurok]

I remember thinking when watching DS9 that all those Bajoran rebel leaders tended to be treated (and in some cases, look) like rock stars. Prob the nearest thing.

Oh wait....there was that seminal Bajoran instrumentalist Kira was really into. Can't remember episode.

[R. Star]

JoeZhang wrote:

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I am trying to think - did we ever see much evidence of 'modern' popular culture in Star Trek? Everyone seemed to be into popular culture from many centuries past, did we ever see a 24th century celeb?

You don't remember Joe Piscapo's appearance as one of the greatest comedians of all time?!

[Melakon]

The Karidian Company of Players was a well known theatrical group in "The Conscience of the King".

[The Wormhole]

There's still children's entertainment. There's Flotter, a holodeck program Naomi Wildman played that many on the Voyager crew have fond memories of from their own childhood. There's also been references to "Toby the Targ."

[T'Girl]

Lwaxana Troi surely wore only the latest fashions.

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Also the "Vulcan Love Slave" holosuite programs on DS9. Which, given what we would later see on ENT ("Acquisition"), were probably based on T'Pol.

[R. Star]

Mr. Laser Beam wrote:

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Also the "Vulcan Love Slave" holosuite programs on DS9. Which, given what we would later see on ENT ("Acquisition"), were probably based on T'Pol.

Haha, I never thought of that, but you could be right!

[JirinPanthosa]

You think in 50 years real actors won't be replaced by 100% realistic CGI?

If you ask TNG, humans outgrew the need for petty things like TV, and celebrities.
If you ask any other Trek series, there probably are still celebrities but they're not actors and singers, they're writers of holonovels, composers of music. The actual creators.

Actual popular entertainment is probably faceless. No names attached, just characters. Kind of like how entertainment companies wish they could make it now, but can't because there isn't 100% realistic CGI yet.

[Timo]

Why wouldn't the characters be celebrities?

It's not all that common for people today to be worshipped as actors, either: they are worshipped as the characters they play in public. Things oughtn't change much even if the actors are virtual...

Timo Saloniemi