Court Martial - Did the Doctored Video Show Kirk Giving Finney the Finger?

[Maurice]

LINK

Many Western cultures, particularly the US and Canada, gesture toward someone or something with their index finger, but this is considered impolite in several European, Latin American and African nations. It is particularly rude in China, Japan, and Indonesia.

In some European and Middle Eastern countries, it is customary to point with your middle finger. However, this gesture is very offensive in most Western nations and considered impolite in many other countries, especially when taken out of context.​

 

[The Old Mixer]

Easy Rider (1969):

 

[There Be Whales Here]

If anyone knows how to rebel against the man, look no further than the family pet.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

The chair arm labels have a little history we can trace.

Early October 1966:
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x20hd/courtmartialhd341.jpg

Late October 1967, the labels are still there but they're peeling and ugly:
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/2x16hd/thegamestersoftriskelionhd0351.jpg

Three weeks later, they've been pressed down but still want to peel:
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/2x17hd/apieceoftheactionhd0012.jpg

At some point (long before this image), those labels got removed and they cleaned off the adhesive:
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/3x11hd/winkofaneyehd0386.jpg

 

[Vger23]

My avatar approves of this thread.

 

[ThrorII]

I'll be honest, I'm following this just for the history of the middle finger salute....

 

[NCC-73515]

https://tng.trekcore.com/hd/albums/season-7/7x19/genesis-hd-220.jpg

https://ds9.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/6x18/inquizition030.jpg

 

[Forbin]

Pretty sure I saw a pilot flip the bird in a closeup in the movie Wings, which was made in 1927.

 

[GNDN18]

Even the Doctor thinks you’re number one.

 

[Phaser Two]

The chair arm labels have a little history we can trace.

Early October 1966:
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x20hd/courtmartialhd341.jpg

Late October 1967, the labels are still there but they're peeling and ugly:
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/2x16hd/thegamestersoftriskelionhd0351.jpg

Three weeks later, they've been pressed down but still want to peel:
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/2x17hd/apieceoftheactionhd0012.jpg

At some point (long before this image), those labels got removed and they cleaned off the adhesive:
https://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/3x11hd/winkofaneyehd0386.jpg

Nice job. I had never noticed the small ridge on the right arm, which appears to be a rest for data cards. Also, it appears it was painted after S1 (when it was red perhaps?) to be bright green.

 

[GNDN18]

Nice job. I had never noticed the small ridge on the right arm, which appears to be a rest for data cards. Also, it appears it was painted after S1 (when it was red perhaps?) to be bright green.

I always assumed it was the slot for the tape/data card, but the beveled edged wouldn’t make sense.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Nice job. I had never noticed the small ridge on the right arm, which appears to be a rest for data cards. Also, it appears it was painted after S1 (when it was red perhaps?) to be bright green.

I always assumed it was the slot for the tape/data card, but the beveled edged wouldn’t make sense.

It is a slot for the faux tape cartridges. I think you guys are looking at the color of the tape that's inserted, and its angled edge sticking out of the slot.

 

[PCz911]

"And the lights are up there on the ceiling, boys and girls..."

Oooooo! My childhood is ruined. ;-)

 

[There Be Whales Here]

Don't know if it's just the set lighting (much like the uniform color controversy), but shouldn't the "Yellow Alert" light actually be yellow rather than orange? Or at the least the buttons should have been labeled the different levels rather than both saying "Alert". The "Jettison Pod" green light should've been reserved for "Condition Green" as there is no switch to step down a Yellow or Red Alert and return the ship's status to normal.

It seems the only way the court proved what the alert status was is by the order of the alert labels; yellow being closer to the chair's edge. Seems like a legal technically the defense could have employed. "Your honor, the ship was not at Yellow Alert when Captain Kirk jettisoned the pod, but actually at Orange Alert, which being a secondary color of red, proves that the ship was at Red Alert when Captain Kirk jettisoned the pod."

He could have beat the rap.

 

[cgervasi]

I legit don't know why this thread exists. We must be bored...

The actual reason is my kids like the shows and watch the shows. This week they watched Court Martial. I am so glad they like Trek because their watching it reminds me of being a kid, and sometimes they see something I didn't see. I had my parents by me books with reviews, before the Internet and before message boards on BBSs. So most commentary about the original 79 episodes I've already heard before.

My kids noticed the finger, and I was very happy to see something new in TOS. I'm really scraping the bottom of the barrel of things to notice about TOS episodes.

 

[Neopeius]

The Grateful Dead send their greetings, from 55 years ago:

 

[scotpens]

I think a more serious question should be why is that button even there? I mean, how many times does a captain need to jettison an ion pod?

For that matter, why an "ion pod" in the first place? Given the established capability of the Enterprise's sensors, why would a man have to climb into a pod attached to the outside of the ship to take sensor readings? (Yes, I know the question has been flogged to death.)

Were people using the middle finger as a sign of disrespect in the '60's?

Are you joking? The middle-finger gesture dates back to antiquity. Wiki article: "The Finger"

No he wasn't. Have you ever noticed that people before a certain generation tend to use their middle finger to point to stuff, push buttons, dial phones, etc.

No, I have never noticed that. At least in Western culture, I've always seen people using their index finger to point, push buttons, and dial the phone (back when phones had dials).

 

[fireproof78]

I use the middle finger like other fingers. So, yes, I use it to push buttons.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Every time I type an E or an I, I'm trying to tell you guys something.

 

[Forbin]

I type everything with the middle fingers.
Maybe I need to see a psychologist.