Is it just me, or are Vulcans a bunch of jerks?

[xortex]

Nah, alien means from someplace you're not.

Remember Number One was originally the cold logical one. She was a human. Spock got that when the character was axed.

Why do you say that, when alien can mean completely different, even to the point of feigning emotions.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Nah, alien means from someplace you're not.

Remember Number One was originally the cold logical one. She was a human. Spock got that when the character was axed.

Why do you say that, when alien can mean completely different, even to the point of feigning emotions.

It means not like you.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Where did TOS ever present the idea that "Vulcans aspired to rationality in principle but frequently fell short of that ideal" as a race? You're making that up. Name a single TOS full-Vulcan for whom that is true?

Well, there was Sarek who didn't speak to his son for eighteen years because he disapproved of his career choice. And who concealed a serious heart condition from his wife.

And T'Pau, who insisted, for the sake of tradition, that Kirk fight Spock to death--even when it was very obvious that Kirk had no idea what he was getting into. (I mean, would it have killed her to make sure Kirk knew he was risking his life before he agreed to an obscure Vulcan ritual?)

And T'Pring and Stonn, who . . . well, we remember.

Basically, every full Vulcan who appeared on TOS, with the possible of exception of Surak in "The Savage Curtain."

And Surak is an interesting case. He's definitely portrayed in a very positive manner, but he does end up getting himself killed, leaving Kirk to win the conflict between good and evil. (Or so I recall; I haven't seen that episode in years.)

If the message of Star Trek was that we should be more like the Vulcans, then Surak would have shown Kirk and Yarnek the wisdom of his ways at the end of the story.

Also Spock's school bullies in TAS: "Yesteryear" (written by D.C. Fontana), in a scene recreated in Star Trek XI.

 

[Greg Cox]

Where did TOS ever present the idea that "Vulcans aspired to rationality in principle but frequently fell short of that ideal" as a race? You're making that up. Name a single TOS full-Vulcan for whom that is true?

Well, there was Sarek who didn't speak to his son for eighteen years because he disapproved of his career choice. And who concealed a serious heart condition from his wife.

And T'Pau, who insisted, for the sake of tradition, that Kirk fight Spock to death--even when it was very obvious that Kirk had no idea what he was getting into. (I mean, would it have killed her to make sure Kirk knew he was risking his life before he agreed to an obscure Vulcan ritual?)

And T'Pring and Stonn, who . . . well, we remember.

Basically, every full Vulcan who appeared on TOS, with the possible of exception of Surak in "The Savage Curtain."

And Surak is an interesting case. He's definitely portrayed in a very positive manner, but he does end up getting himself killed, leaving Kirk to win the conflict between good and evil. (Or so I recall; I haven't seen that episode in years.)

If the message of Star Trek was that we should be more like the Vulcans, then Surak would have shown Kirk and Yarnek the wisdom of his ways at the end of the story.

Also Spock's school bullies in TAS: "Yesteryear" (written by D.C. Fontana), in a scene recreated in Star Trek XI.

And didn't Amanda first mention the bullies in "Journey to Babel"? "When the other children tormented you for not being fully Vulcan" or words to that effect . . . .

 

[horatio83]

If the message of Star Trek was that we should be more like the Vulcans, then Surak would have shown Kirk and Yarnek the wisdom of his ways at the end of the story.

Sure, Surak was not meant to be some Ghandi-esque larger-than-life figure in "Savage Curtain". But Kirk was neither meant to be the uber-hero who saves the day. And neither were the Excalbians meant to have discovered some deep truth. That's why I like this episode so much, it simply shows different perspectives of different folks without promoting that one is right.

Vulcans are aliens, they do things differently than we do. Of course there is 'cross-pollination', humans admire some things about Vulcans and vice versa, but neither is the benchmark for the other.
Take genetics, humans will never be able to deal with it in a relaxed fashion just like Vulcans will never be able to deal in a relaxed fashion with their emotions.