Kirk's "Let's get the Hell out of here"

Discussion in 'Star Trek - The Original & Animated Series' started by Emperor Norton, Jun 8, 2014.

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  1. Ssosmcin

    Ssosmcin Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    According to director Joe Pevney, the network did have a problem with the line and the use of the word. He said Roddenberry fought for it to remain as no other word would "convey the emotion of the moment." He also said Shatner fought to keep it, that everyone wanted it to remain. The network finally relented. (These Are the Voyages: TOS Season 1 - Marc Cushman, etc. 2nd edition page 586).

    I couldn't find any audience reaction.
     
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  2. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    "Hell" itself was hardly verboten back then, depending on the context. Hell, they even used it in Disney movies and TV shows, years before Kirk did.

    Just off the top of my head, Malificent threatens the Prince with "all the fires of Hell!" in the original Sleeping Beauty (1959). while The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh "rode from the gates of Hell" on The Wonderful World of Disney, at least three years before Star Trek debuted.
     
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2014
  3. golddragon71

    golddragon71 Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    It wasn't a parody....well it wasn't intended as a Parody anyway

    In the 2001 Planet of the Apes reboot attempt directed by Tim Burton Charlton Heston himself played Zaius the Chimpanzee who was the father of Thade the chief Military officer.

    As he's laying on his deathbed Heston as Zaius paraphrases his classic line from the original apes Film by saying "God damn them all to Hell"

    Back to the topic at hand I think McCoy has the brunt of the swearing in the series down with all his "Dammits"
     
  4. Green Shirt

    Green Shirt Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I'm hard pressed to think of any time where McCoy used the word "dammit" during the three years of the show. Now the movies are a different matter.
     
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  5. GSchnitzer

    GSchnitzer Co-Executive Producer In Memoriam

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    In order:

    "hell:"

    Kirk: "It is better to rule in hell than serve in heaven."
    Lazarus: "I'll chase you to the very fires of hell!"
    Kirk: "Let's get the hell out of here."
    Decker: "Right out of hell, I saw it."
    McCoy: "Hell for leather, right out of history."

    "damn:"

    Kirk: "I can't damn him for his loyalty, for doing his duty, but I'm not going to let him commit patricide."
    McCoy: "Don't give me any damnable logic about him being the only man for the job."
     
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  6. Emperor Norton

    Emperor Norton Captain Captain

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    Except for arguably the last, that's not swearing. The word is not the same as the swear of the word. It's a world apart, for example, between talking about a female dog and the swear "bitch".
     
  7. GSchnitzer

    GSchnitzer Co-Executive Producer In Memoriam

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    Oh, I concur.

    But "COTEOF is the first time "hell" was used" is wide of the mark--even for Star Trek. It needs to be qualified with the "...but not in the context of the place of eternal torment from folklore, mythology, and religion" exception.

    All the "damn it, Jim"s from McCoy would also seem to be an exaggeration. McCoy appears not have said that--at least not until the movies. I think it was generally something more PC like "What in the devil...?"
     
  8. JT Perfecthair

    JT Perfecthair Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Scotty was certainly swearing at the shorting-out jefferies tube in Doomsday Machine even though you cant make out the words.
     
  9. Relayer1

    Relayer1 Admiral Admiral

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    I'd never have even considered 'hell' as swearing, whatever the context of its use.
     
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  10. Armored Saint

    Armored Saint Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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  11. martok2112

    martok2112 Commodore Commodore

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    Here's a bit of interest: even the animated series used the word "hellish" in an episode. I'd have to go back through and see which ep it was, but it was there. Even though it was not used in an expletive sense, the very use of the word indicatess that this was not some kiddie show.

    Yes, TAS had its flaws, but I enjoyed the animated series, and still revisit it to this day, thanks to its dvd release. Before that, the only way you could watch it was if you had one of the rare vhs releases....and before that, airings on Nickelodeon.
     
  12. GSchnitzer

    GSchnitzer Co-Executive Producer In Memoriam

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    From "The Magicks of Megas-Tu:"

    "We massed together, outside the town, immersed ourselves in Megan lore, revived ourselves enough to unite our minds and reach into our own universe, tap enough of its power to return from your hellish Earth to Megas-Tu."
     
  13. Joel_Kirk

    Joel_Kirk Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    The animation is clunky by today's standards, but I thought TAS was clever...and enjoyable...and 'cute.';)
     
  14. ToddPence

    ToddPence Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    The word "hell" was used in at least ten episode TITLES before CEF.

    BOURBON STREET BEAT - "Green Hell" (1960)
    THRILLER - "Pigeons From Hell" (1961)
    HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL - "Justice in Hell" (1962)
    ROUTE 66 - "Hell is Empty, All the Devils are Here" (1962)
    DUPONT SHOW OF THE WEEK - "The Hell Walkers" (1964)
    THE FUGITIVE - "Corner of Hell" (1965)
    COMBAT - "Hell Machine" (1965)
    BOB HOPE PRESENTS THE CHRYSLER THEATER - "When Hell Froze" (1966)
    WILD WILD WEST - "Night of the Bars of Hell" (1966)
    MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - "Snowball in Hell" (1967)
     
  15. Metryq

    Metryq Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Voldemort!
    Voldemort!
    Voldemort!


    As Emperor Norton already noted on the first page of this thread, Hell is a place name and not necessarily an expletive. Damn also has meaning outside of being a swear—it all depends on context.

    Of course, writers can always invent their own gorram swears.
     
  16. TOSalltheway

    TOSalltheway Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    I agree totally with Red Omega. Kirks', now innocent sounding, "let's get the hell out of here" being stated in Shatners excellent hurt and angry delivery was far more powerful than any over the top swearing you would find on today's cable shows.
     
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  17. Forbin

    Forbin Admiral Admiral

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    I said out, dammit!
    Doohan says those are made-up Scottish-sounding nonsense words.
    Kinda like Yosemite Sam swearing. :)
     
  18. martok2112

    martok2112 Commodore Commodore

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    "You must be very brave...or very foolish...to speak the dark lord's name aloud." -Lucius Malfoy

    :)

    No frakkin' kiddin'!

    :)
     
  19. martok2112

    martok2112 Commodore Commodore

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    Well spotted. Thank you. :)
     
  20. scotpens

    scotpens Professional Geek Premium Member

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    I believe Scotty's made-up expletive was "Borgus frat!"
     
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