aliens ruined by TREK

[misskim86]

I feel most races got ruined sooner or later because of their one dimension, first off all races (and I'm sure there's one or two exceptions) all speak the same language, while we on earth have several languages.

And they all have the same culture(while we on Earth have several cultures)

This lack of difference with the aliens imo ruined them. All klingons are buffoons who care about honor.. great. So that's it? Is Trek trying to tell me that all around Quo'nos every klingon has the exact same language and culture?

Same with Vulcans, same language and logic. Bajorans? Same language and religion(culture). Ferengi? Same language and culture.

It's like the more we see of a race the less diversity it has. When it should really have been the other way around.


I think one of the few races Trek actually succeeded somewhat with are the Cardassians, during DS9's run we got to see several different nuances from their society, there was a very militaristic side but also a civilian. They cared about their children etc.

 

[Cyclopean]

Blueicus said:
I have to admit, I never thought the Ferengi were written well, and their transition into purely profiteering cowards didn't help.

Personally I always thought the Ferengi were made to resemble the Chinese... for various reasons

a) They use chopsticks to eat
b) They emphasize "lobes" to denote potential for fortune and ability at business
c) They're profiteering (okay, most cultures produce profiteering but there are some that are stereotyped to be even more so)

Good points. Anime occasionally show "stupid, greedy" Chinese characters that are similar to the Western 'Jew' stereotype.

But the major Ferengi characters were played almost exclusively by Jewish actors, so it's not as easy to see them as something other.

I think a Tuvok-like casting would have improved the portrayal of the 'race' tremendously.

 

[Anwar]

misskim86 said:
I feel most races got ruined sooner or later because of their one dimension, first off all races (and I'm sure there's one or two exceptions) all speak the same language, while we on earth have several languages.

And they all have the same culture(while we on Earth have several cultures)

This lack of difference with the aliens imo ruined them. All klingons are buffoons who care about honor.. great. So that's it? Is Trek trying to tell me that all around Quo'nos every klingon has the exact same language and culture?

Same with Vulcans, same language and logic. Bajorans? Same language and religion(culture). Ferengi? Same language and culture.

It's like the more we see of a race the less diversity it has. When it should really have been the other way around.


I think one of the few races Trek actually succeeded somewhat with are the Cardassians, during DS9's run we got to see several different nuances from their society, there was a very militaristic side but also a civilian. They cared about their children etc.

Thing is, why would the writer bother putting that amount of depth into a race they thought wouldn't be around more than one episode? They couldn't give them that kind of depth in one episode anyways.

With the Cardies the writing staff had a solid idea that they'd be around the entire series and worked with that to expand them as a race. With TNG they had no idea they'd be using the Klingons/Romulans/Cardassians that much (although they did attempt to give the Cardies more depth, and the Romulans more characterization as time went on). TNG was also more mobile than DS9 was so it wouldn't make sense to see those races every episode anyways.

 

[misskim86]

Well true but surely the Trek writers knew that Klingons would be a main stay in the Trek universe so some depth in their characters wouldn't have hurt. I especially wonder why the DS9 crew couldn't have evolved the Klingons some.

I mean it's not that I'm complaining that Voyager alien of the week with some playdough on his fore head didn't have his whole culture established but main species like Vulcans or Klingons

 

[Cyclopean]

misskim86 said:
Same with Vulcans, same language and logic.

I think ENT brought some diversity to Vulcans, no doubt.

As for differing dialects and languages among alien races, how would the casual viewer know, given the universal translator?

Only ENT mentions different dialects of alien tongues, as far as I remember, but it plays no role on screen.

 

[trash80]

Well you did see some expansion of the Klingons beyond just warriors in DS9, the lawyer klingon for example (forgot episode name even though i only saw it last night!) and the chef! Some of their culture and religion was also explored.

The thing that amuses me is how every alien race in the future seems to have 1 haircut.

 

[misskim86]

Shrug I'm no storywriter but for example a crew on a klingon ship in DS9 could have dressed bit different, maybe mainly leather and spoken with some dialect and been sorta quiet not all loud like the average Klingon, and Worf could have made some passing comment to Sisko like: "Klingons from the continent Crapblabla, they are ...different"

That small thing would have given the Klingons a lot of depth

 

[Anwar]

I think it was explained that there's only one supercontinent on Qo'nos and Vulcan, which meant only one culture/language/religion arose since there weren't separate cultures to mingle with.

 

[trash80]

Hmm well continents on Earth don't have a single culture/language/religion..

 

[Cyclopean]

trash80 said:The thing that amuses me is how every alien race in the future seems to have 1 haircut.

Hahahaha. Awesome observation.

Styles: "He's clearly a Vulcan, sir."
Kirk: "How do you... know, Navigator?"
Styles: "Same bowl-cut, Captain."

 

[Anwar]

trash80 said:
Hmm well continents on Earth don't have a single culture/language/religion..

I mean there was only one country for that supercontinent, only one place life emerged, and it grew from there. There weren't other countries on that continent, just one area where it all grew from (and no breakaway groups or anything).

 

[misskim86]

Even in small countries minor cultures or dialects develop, if a planet just has one mega continent I can't imagine everything would be the same.

Still it just shows how one dimensional even these big species were.

 

[trash80]

Even in the same province or even city dialects and cultural differences exist.

 

[Anwar]

I'm guessing all that got quashed sometime in those worlds' histories that made adopt only one language/culture/religion.

 

[trash80]

That was before the great haircut wars or after?

 

[misskim86]

Well all in all they could have developed Klingons, Vulcans and other bigger species so much better and it wouldn't have taken a lot to do it

 

[Forbin]

A New Yorker can tell what borough you're from within the city (it has 5) by your accent!

 

[Cyclopean]

TRS80, I'm currently working on a fanfic about T'Pol seeking the katra of the last hairdresser in Vulcan history--- a rather festive Vulcan man who lived before the Romulan schism.

Only T'Pol can prevent the spread of lousy coiffure in the future.

And of course she fails.

 

[trash80]

I think thats really why the Romulans split from the Vulcans, they wanted that funky pointy fringe.

 

[Cyclopean]

^^Actually, Season Five of ENT was to have featured an episode called "Widow's Peak" all about the haircut insurgency on Romulus.