TAS-Magicks of Megas-Tu

[Nerdius Maximus]

I was watching this episode earlier today and it occurred to me that if something like this were to air today on a kids cartoon, there would be all kinds of hell raised about it. I mean, they meet Lucifer, and find out he was just misunderstood and not such a bad guy after all ...Can you imagine the uproar this would cause today? People would be trying to get the show taken off the air. There'd be all kinds of religious groups boycotting the sponsors.

 

[BDJ]

Even when I watched that episode as a kid I thought, "Wha..Wha..Whaaaaa??"

You think that's bad....try thinking of making Blazing Saddles today too!! It would not be happening!! There would be rioting, wailing and gnashing of teeth, dogs and cats living together!! Real "Wrath of God" type stuff!!

 

[Alienesse]

Oooh, they meet Lucifer? Now I really wanna see TAS!

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

Even when I watched that episode as a kid I thought, "Wha..Wha..Whaaaaa??"

You think that's bad....try thinking of making Blazing Saddles today too!! It would not be happening!! There would be rioting, wailing and gnashing of teeth, dogs and cats living together!! Real "Wrath of God" type stuff!!

Yeah, people would call it racist and not understand that it is, in fact, making fun of racists. Well, actually, it wouldn't cause any kind of controversy because it wouldn't be released. All you'd see is some clips on the internet and some headlines about "Studio refuses to release racist Mel Brooks film."

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

Oooh, they meet Lucifer? Now I really wanna see TAS!

Turns out he was just some playful alien who loved humans but was driven away by mankind's superstitions. It's a pretty interesting episode.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I love how, when the crewmembers were all put in the stocks, they had to make sure Mr Arex had three wrist holes in his section!

 

[Tan Ru]

Since this episode is depicting a "deity" of sorts, (Pan or Lucifer or whatever...) I was surprised that the anti-theists didn't go all jihad on it and demand it be pulled and suppressed. Supernatural subjects scare them somethin' fierce...

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

Since this episode is depicting a "deity" of sorts, (Pan or Lucifer or whatever...) I was surprised that the anti-theists didn't go all jihad on it and demand it be pulled and suppressed. Supernatural subjects scare them somethin' fierce...

Well, since it explained the existence of such a being as something alien and not supernatural, I would think they'd approve.

 

[Shatnertage]

Star Trek folks seem to have a real pre-occupation with god-like beings.

Funky episode, too.

 

[F. King Daniel]

"Megas Tu" is probably the weirdest Trek of them all. I realized this about the time the Enterprise split neatly in two...

It makes the old Gold Key comics look sane. I love it.

STV should have had some veiled reference to impossibly weird shit at the centre of the galaxy instead of the "No probe has ever returned" line.

 

[plynch]

"Megas Tu" is probably the weirdest Trek of them all. I realized this about the time the Enterprise split neatly in two...

There's the TAS where the ENT herself plays practical "jokes" on the crew. That's pretty out there too.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Since this episode is depicting a "deity" of sorts, (Pan or Lucifer or whatever...) I was surprised that the anti-theists didn't go all jihad on it and demand it be pulled and suppressed. Supernatural subjects scare them somethin' fierce...

The episode was indeed unaired by WANX-46 in Atlanta back in the 80's because of the similarities between Lucien and Lucifer:

In an interview conducted in January 1984 with a spokesperson (who refused to identify herself) with Atlanta’s WANX-TV 46, at that time a CBN affiliate, it was conveyed that the episode was not shown because of its supernatural content. "We try to keep good family programming in its proper perspective," said the spokesperson who bridled at the word "censored." In the same phone call, the person also stated that the Star Trek animateds were "a pretty good series, and did just as well as any other cartoon series" ratings-wise, but apparently was not the phenomenon in the ratings as the live action had been when first syndicated. This episode was also edited by the broadcasters, NBC-TV, for one run in 1974. Some lines were omitted which identified the alien, Lucien, as being definitely Lucifer (a.k.a. Satan). These are indeed very questionable subjects (Lucien = Lucifer; Salem Witch Trials; usage of supernatural techniques) for a Saturday morning cartoon. While possibly being unoffensive to mature audiences, NBC-TV’s and CBN’s point-of-view can be appreciated since the show was designed for the viewing consumption of children.

 

[Noname On A Naughty List]

I was watching this episode earlier today and it occurred to me that if something like this were to air today on a kids cartoon, there would be all kinds of hell raised about it. I mean, they meet Lucifer, and find out he was just misunderstood and not such a bad guy after all ...Can you imagine the uproar this would cause today? People would be trying to get the show taken off the air. There'd be all kinds of religious groups boycotting the sponsors.

Hey, in the mid to late 1970ies - marvel Comics had the mystical superhero "The Son of Satan" (and he was; and was rebelling against his father, and was a 'good guy' - with a red cape, Pitchfork, and a pentagram on his chest.)

My point? People were not kneejerk reactive to everything 35 or so years ago. That kind of crap started with Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority, which started objecting to stuff (and getting news coverage) in the 1980ies.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

I was watching this episode earlier today and it occurred to me that if something like this were to air today on a kids cartoon, there would be all kinds of hell raised about it. I mean, they meet Lucifer, and find out he was just misunderstood and not such a bad guy after all ...Can you imagine the uproar this would cause today? People would be trying to get the show taken off the air. There'd be all kinds of religious groups boycotting the sponsors.

Hey, in the mid to late 1970ies - marvel Comics had the mystical superhero "The Son of Satan" (and he was; and was rebelling against his father, and was a 'good guy' - with a red cape, Pitchfork, and a pentagram on his chest.)

My point? People were not kneejerk reactive to everything 35 or so years ago. That kind of crap started with Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority, which started objecting to stuff (and getting news coverage) in the 1980ies.

Wow, I'd never heard of that. I'm going to have to see if I can find those. Yeah, that wouldn't have flown at all in the '80s.

With that whole satanic panic thing going on in the '80s, there was all kinds of talk about cartoons like the Smurfs, He-Man being used as a "recruiting tool" to lure kids into devil worship. I went to a private school, and I knew kids who weren't allowed to watch stuff like that, or a little later on play games like the Legend of Zelda.

I remember seeing this book alot:

Looking at the cover, I'm reminded of another controversial cartoon, Rainbow Brite. People thought it was trying to recruit kids into the new age movement. Which, of course, was just SATAN in disguise! Same thing with the Care Bears. Geez, what was their beef with the Cabbage Patch Kids? Lol

 

[Warped9]

Don't be fooled. People throughout history have always been knee-jerk reactionaries about something or other. In the '50s people made the same judgement about comic books as they are presently making about video games: they're too violent and are adversely affecting our young. In the '60s when some started growing their hair longer like the musicians they wanted to emulate, many folks were convinced they were becoming degenerates.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

Don't be fooled. People throughout history have always been knee-jerk reactionaries about something or other. In the '50s people made the same judgement about comic books as they are presently making about video games: they're too violent and are adversely affecting our young. In the '60s when some started growing their hair longer like the musicians they wanted to emulate, many folks were convinced they were becoming degenerates.

That's true. But the whole "everything is satanic" movement really took flight again in the '80s. But you're right, somebody's always bitching about something. Creating panic and paranoia over entertainment.
I think that's a good thing, though. What fun would the world be without controversy? When you're a kid, and some album or movie comes out that everybody's warning parents about, the first thing you want to do is get your hands on it. The feeling that you're doing something you're not supposed to be doing has always been part of the fun.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Since this episode is depicting a "deity" of sorts, (Pan or Lucifer or whatever...) I was surprised that the anti-theists didn't go all jihad on it and demand it be pulled and suppressed. Supernatural subjects scare them somethin' fierce...

Actually, by definition, the only ones scared and concerned about the supernatural are theists...

 

[Captain Robert April]

This episode was also edited by the broadcasters, NBC-TV, for one run in 1974. Some lines were omitted which identified the alien, Lucien, as being definitely Lucifer (a.k.a. Satan). These are indeed very questionable subjects (Lucien = Lucifer; Salem Witch Trials; usage of supernatural techniques) for a Saturday morning cartoon. While possibly being unoffensive to mature audiences, NBC-TV’s and CBN’s point-of-view can be appreciated since the show was designed for the viewing consumption of children.

Odd. I specifically remember the "Lucifer" bit going out when I saw the episode on NBC back in the day.

 

[T'Girl]

Since this episode is depicting a "deity" of sorts, (Pan or Lucifer or whatever...) I was surprised that the anti-theists didn't go all jihad on it and demand it be pulled and suppressed. Supernatural subjects scare them somethin' fierce...

Actually, by definition, the only ones scared and concerned about the supernatural are theists...

Well theist already know about supernatural beings like Lucifer (who does scare us), now depicting him as a okay kind of guy? That's where the concern comes in.

Maybe in the next JJtrek movie, we can re-boot Magicks of Megas-Tu, except the main character of Lucien instead of being satan can be a werewolf, and Kirk can be a vampire.

(if you never saw the movie Underworld, never mind)

.

 

[Shatnertage]

^ Hey, wouldn't that make a great awful fan fic along the lines of "Immortal Beloved?" Kirk as a vampire?