They didn't wear their undershirts.
What are your controversial Star Trek opinions?
- Thread starter Amasov
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More true when it comes to ships that the show is named after, as opposed to other ships.
Just name a there-and-gone ship after the thing you don't want to explain (that is, one ship in a fleet with a name on the side that fans will recognize or speculate on, but which casual viewers can ignore or may not be able to read).
Except the vast majority of Starfleet (and Federation) ships depicted have human-centric names.
Yes, we have the USS Gorkon but only after that name had been so well established that fans recognized the name instantly.
Until this century it was common practice for southern military bases to be named after Confederate solders while northern bases were named after Union soldiers. So in real life we have a united multi-group polity that does, indeed, have a history of restricting names based on culture.
And this is just the same species. Imagine what aliens would be like. A ship's name like Eagle would be less impactful on beings who have never seen an eagle.
I think this supports my point. When a new, non human ship name is depicted on screen we get a brief mention of what the ship is named after. Unless, as noted above, the fans already recognize the name like the USS Surak.
If I'm wrong then please point out to me an episode where a Starfleet or Federation ship named after anything alien to Earth is mentioned in dialog and the name is not explained to the audience.
I guess my point boils down to the (tired?) argument that Starfleet is to Earth/Human-centric. Which, in the real world, is because Star Trek is entertainment and commentary about the human condition and is made by humans for humans.
I never said otherwise. That's the production issue - ie, it's easier for them to do that. But that's a completely separate issue from what 'should' be the case theoretically.
If we're conflating the production issues with the ideal vision of the Federation, we could just as easily point out that Star Trek aliens barely qualify as 'aliens' in the first place. Most of the time there is no more difference between two species on Star Trek than there is between two human cultures in the real world.
Having said that, one example of restricting names hardly proves any point, especially since the highly antagonistic situation of the reconstruction/jim crow era USA is a particularly poor analogy for the entirely peaceful and voluntary UFP.
I honestly don't remember a single time this actually did happen. Do you have any examples of the top of your head?
Sure, but that's the production issue. It's easier for them. But that hardly means an ideal version of the Federation *shouldn't* have *any* ship names specific to human (or vulcan, andorian, etc) culture.
A TV show that's supposed to be set in a huge, multicultural, egalitarian Federation. 95% of the human race isn't American.
Dr. Who assumes (correctly) that its audience is primarily British.
They have expanded recently (Neil Patrick Harris and Jinkx Monsoon)
None of that matters. It is a property produced by Americans, primarily for Americans. Star Trek has always been a very American view of the future.
For me, part of the charm of watching something like Doctor Who or Space Battleship Yamato, is seeing their way of doing sci-fi and maybe learning a little bit about the culture of the society doing it.
There have been on-and-off talks over the years about an Americanized Space Battleship Yamato, with the USS Arizona in place of the Yamato.
So much for infinite diversity in infinite combinations.
There have been on-and-off talks over the years about an Americanized Space Battleship Yamato, with the USS Arizona in place of the Yamato.
Name it something other than Arizona.
The Arizona is a mass grave. Too many people died there.
USS Arizona - Wikipedia
That diversity comes from other science fiction programs. Like Yamato and Doctor Who. Trek is made in North America, it is going to have an American vibe. Live with it, or don't.
Name it something other than Arizona.
The Arizona is a mass grave. Too many people died there.
USS Arizona - Wikipedia
en.m.wikipedia.org
I don't need it Americanized. Loved the originals (from when I was a child), loved the new 2199 and 2202, loved the live-action feature film.
The sinking of the Yamato killed 3,055 crew, over two and a half times the fatalities of the Arizona.Name it something other than Arizona.
The Arizona is a mass grave. Too many people died there.
USS Arizona - Wikipedia
I assure you, , my MP has been notified.
That something from with in the show. It's "diversity" is still mostly American.
That diversity comes from other science fiction programs. Like Yamato and Doctor Who. Trek is made in North America, it is going to have an American vibe. Live with it, or don't.
The Expanse certainly didn't have a Canadian vibe.
Will Riker is Canadian.
An American show based on novels by two American writers, produced by Americans.
Possibly because the author was born and lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
EDIT: Ninja'd by @Nerys Myk!
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