Star Trek Picard is not Star Trek

[Alexander Corrino]

It's 2020 Star Trek, not a Kevin Smith comedy. They've been used just a few times and more or less in context. It's not like Picard is walking around his chateau screaming: "Where my Romulan mo-fos at? Can a f---er get a damn croissant up in this bitch?"

To be honest tho I would LOVE to hear Sir Patrick say those lines.

 

[Campe]

I’m also going to note that neither Picard nor Seven, the only former Trek regulars we’ve seen to date have said fuck at this point. That says something as well.

Now if one of the Rikers call the Tal Shiar a bunch of pointy-eared motherfuckers, Ill eat my words.

 

[fireproof78]

This is the problem you want to address? There's nothing in the story structure or narrative?

No, that isn't how Star Trek is criticized. It is based purely on an emotional judgement of what Star Trek is, and what it isn't, and what it should or should not do.

Never mind that Star Trek has increased its swearing as much as censorship would allow, and art adapts with the times.

Star Trek must remain stagnant!

 

[cooleddie74]

The first use of the word was by a female Starfleet cadet who lived nearly a century and a half before the current events on PIC. This series didn't even start the obscenity controversy in Star Trek. For that "double dumbass on you" might suffice and then we'd need a Klingon Bird-of-Prey to slingshot around the Sun and go back to 1986 to stop that from happening.

 

[Thomas Elliot]

This is the problem you want to address? There's nothing in the story structure or narrative?

There’s lots of things I like and dislike about this show. Cursing got brought up by others so I’m discussing it with them.
If you don’t want to discuss it you don’t have to.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

dumbass

Once upon a time, "ass" was streichlich verboten on American television.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Danj talking to her boyfriend in EP 1 sounds like characters on a regular tv show set in present day. Younger people in TNG like Wesley and his friends didn’t sound that way in TNG. I’m assuming it was an effort not to date it. Doesn’t Raffi’s son say something like “it totally sucked being your son.” Yet, no one used that slang expression on TNG that I can remember despite the word being just as common in the early 90s.

Because Wes would never use idiomatic language

WESLEY: Sure, Mom, sure. Your wish is my command.
WESLEY [on viewscreen]: Tractor beams are my specialty, Skipper! I'll contact you when that's done. Wesley out!

 

[cooleddie74]

And so was getting "the hell" out of someplace, but TOS changed that in 1967.

 

[SJGardner]

In TNG, not only as suggested before it being on terrestrial TV, we were following the crew were senior officers on the flagship of the Federation. There was a certain amount of decorum shown. That’s not to suggest I wouldn’t have seen Riker or Geordi dropping an occasional F-bomb. But likely in moments we (obviously) didn’t see.

As for it being common, I don’t know about that. The usage has been fairly fleeting. This isn’t a Quentin Tarantino movie (but we did almost have that...)

Exactly, it's the first time we've been following civilians for the majority of a storyline. Of course we won't hear officers on duty swear like sailors (and they still use naval ranks, oh the irony), especially when they're following diplomats around or reporting to their superiors. I know that the Tilly f-bomb is not a really beloved example for the majority of viewers, but there is a reason why Burnham and Stamets were caught totally off-guard by her sudden outburst. It's not because people don't swear in the future, it's because they were on duty. And the scene even implied that she only got off cheaply because Stamets, the highest-ranked officer present, was cool with it. If it were Saru, she would've been reprimanded and ordered to go scrub the GNDN pipes for the rest of the day.

 

[fireproof78]

Once upon a time, "ass" was streichlich verboten on American television.

Indeed. What seems to be failed to recognize in these discussions about Picard and DSC is how art and culture have changed. Star Trek is art and will change with culture. That is the nature of things.

Viewing PIC through a 90s lens is a recipe for disappointment.

 

[Campe]

Let’s also check out the quote from TVH talking about the use of bad language:

Spock: Your use of language has altered since our arrival. It is currently laced with, shall we say, more colorful metaphors, “double dumb-ass on you” and so forth.
Kirk: Oh, you mean the profanity?
Spock: Yes.
Kirk: Well that’s simply the way they talk here. Nobody pays any attention to you unless you swear every other word.

It doesn’t suggest that Kirk never swore. Just that he’s swearing more than normal so people will pay attention to him.

 

[Aragorn]

Maybe the next Star Trek series can stream on Pure Flix. No more swearing or gore... or plot... or ambiguity.

 

[fireproof78]

Maybe the next Star Trek series can stream on Pure Flix. No more swearing or gore... or plot... or ambiguity.

I mean, I would get behind this, but I actually have little issue with Pure Flix so I am biased.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I don't know if I have heard ass on Star Trek, but I have definitely seen some.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Really?
If you’re trying to show precedence for the use of “fuck” in TNG it’s probably best to quote a character actually saying “fuck.”

No one is trying to do that. It's about using curse words in Trek. From damn and hell in TOS to Merde and shit in TNG to fuck in DISCO and PIC. As censorship relaxes more words become available.

 

[Campe]

We’ve heard hell, ass, damn and bitch throughout TOS and the movies. Generations added shit (even though TNG had Picard dropping a “merde.”) And Disco added fuck to the equation. I don’t see a problem with any of it.

 

[cooleddie74]

[Silent Bob wags finger]

Jay: "Nootch."

 

[Campe]

Snoogins.

 

[Lord Garth]

"They used fuck!" You'd think this was 1970.

 

[fireproof78]

We’ve heard hell, ass, damn and bitch throughout TOS and the movies. Generations added shit (even though TNG had Picard dropping a “merde.”) And Disco added fuck to the equation. I don’t see a problem with any of it.

I'm trying to see the problem with it but its escaping me.