Meal Teasing Trope...

[Farscape One]

This is actually something I never really noticed in all my rewatches over the years, but my wife has said this and actually finds it annoying. (Annoying for the crew, anyway.)

In TNG, VGR, and ENT, no one seems to be able to eat their meals. In most cases, barely start it. They are always interrupted by an anomaly, an attack, a distress call, etc.

One would think this has to be annoying for the crew, because humans can get very cranky when hungry. (Otherwise known as 'hangry'.) Plus, it's not keeping them well nourished to help keep them at their optimal efficiency.

Has anyone else noticed this ongoing trope throughout the shows? Whether it's in the Mess Hall or in more intimate dinners in their quarters. As soon as they are served or take their first bite, a crisis begins and the whole meal goes to waste.

 

[Oddish]

It's probably because they shoot multiple takes on these scenes. If you ate even a quarter of your steak over 15 takes, you'd end up consuming almost four steaks.

 

[F. King Daniel]

That's why they're all so trim.

 

[Farscape One]

Oh, I know about the real world reasons for not eating much, and I said the same thing to my wife.

I think the point my wife was making is why not have them just done with the meal, or nearly done? With a mostly empty plate, I would think it's easier to reset said plates if you need more shot takes. With a brand new one just started, you basically need a completely new plate to replace the old, which would seem wasteful and time consuming.

In universe, I guess that would be a good reason why they are mostly slim. Slim doesn't mean you are healthy or nourished, though.

 

[KennyB]

Oh, I know about the real world reasons for not eating much, and I said the same thing to my wife.

I think the point my wife was making is why not have them just done with the meal, or nearly done? With a mostly empty plate, I would think it's easier to reset said plates if you need more shot takes. With a brand new one just started, you basically need a completely new plate to replace the old, which would seem wasteful and time consuming.

In universe, I guess that would be a good reason why they are mostly slim. Slim doesn't mean you are healthy or nourished, though.

This is correct.....I once worked a set where it was in the script that the characters were eating ribs. It was a nightmare for everyone. Props, hair and makeup, actors, set dressers.....They prepped 30 racks of ribs. Every actor had a spit bucket so they did not have to EAT all the food. All for a 6 minute scene. 12 plus hours.....plus the side dishes had to be replaced about once an hour.....potato salad under lights goes bad quick.....

 

[Locutus of Bored]

 

[The Wormhole]

I think the point my wife was making is why not have them just done with the meal, or nearly done? With a mostly empty plate, I would think it's easier to reset said plates if you need more shot takes. With a brand new one just started, you basically need a completely new plate to replace the old, which would seem wasteful and time consuming.

I've seen this addressed lots of times by directors and producers. Basically, it's considered more "visually interesting" to have a prepared meal sitting on the table than it would be to have empty plates. So, it's basically just a decoration more than anything else.

 

[fireproof78]

This is actually something I never really noticed in all my rewatches over the years, but my wife has said this and actually finds it annoying. (Annoying for the crew, anyway.)

In TNG, VGR, and ENT, no one seems to be able to eat their meals. In most cases, barely start it. They are always interrupted by an anomaly, an attack, a distress call, etc.

One would think this has to be annoying for the crew, because humans can get very cranky when hungry. (Otherwise known as 'hangry'.) Plus, it's not keeping them well nourished to help keep them at their optimal efficiency.

Has anyone else noticed this ongoing trope throughout the shows? Whether it's in the Mess Hall or in more intimate dinners in their quarters. As soon as they are served or take their first bite, a crisis begins and the whole meal goes to waste.

It's a trope in almost every show I watch.

 

[mithril]

it is also worth noting that where ever possible they use fake food which replicates the visual of a full plate, while not having to be edible. thus they only need to replace the bits the actors are expected to eat, not the whole tablefull.

 

[nedski]

I always wondered how are those replicators functioning ?
Is there a kitchen somewhere on the spacecraft / space station and they teleport the food from the kitchen into the replicator instantly ?
Or perhaps they replicate the meal's composition from various chemical substances into something which has a similar shape and form ?
I mean you can always see chief O'Brien fixing the replicators, but I never saw him adding food supplies .... he uses only a screwdriver and some kind of electronic device which reads where's the issue located....

 

[Nerys Myk]

More like the latter. There is no kitchen.

 

[The Wormhole]

As explained on Disco, replicated food is reconstituted shit.

 

[Oddish]

So is grown food. Or did you forget what fertilizer actually is?

 

[Nerys Myk]

So is grown food. Or did you forget what fertilizer actually is?

Not quite in the same way.

 

[nedski]

So eating from the replicator must be the same as eating from fast food.
Here on Epsilon IX, I have this Andorian cook who makes all sort of delicacies....
The only problem is that eating his food makes you turn blue every once in a while...must be some sort of photosynthesis process ..
This is the only side effect, otherwise you can't stop eating his meals ...

 

[nedski]

It happens mainly if you get into the sunlight ...

 

[Greg Cox]

Crises and emergencies are supposed to be stressful, and the crew under pressure. Why should the writers and directors go easy on them?

"Okay, it's a red-alert, the situation is dire, our shields are failing, and the odds are against us, but at least I got to finish my lunch first."

Kinda undercuts the drama.

 

[Farscape One]

As a food lover, she found it annoying.

As a food lover, I agreed. It was just something I never really noticed over the years. At least, not consciously.

 

[fireproof78]

Crises and emergencies are supposed to be stressful, and the crew under pressure. Why should the writers and directors go easy on them?

"Okay, it's a red-alert, the situation is dire, our shields are failing, and the odds are against us, but at least I got to finish my lunch first."

Kinda undercuts the drama.

Indeed.

Also , I can recall this trope as far back as MASH.

 

[at Quark's]

"Red alert! Number one to the Bridge!"
"My apologies Sir, I think I shouldn't have taken that last slice... I'll join you in a few minutes.... I hope"

So, better to have the red alert at the beginning of the meal