Early 1980s (or earlier) Star Trek pop cultural references
- Thread starter alensatemybuick1
- Start date
I first saw/heard this song on the amazing Urgh! A Music War concert video, from 1981. At the time, the band was called Athletico Spizz 80. Spizz changed the name of the band nearly every year (they've had something like 16 different names).
Oh wow! I even had the (double LP) soundtrack record, but I never put it together till now.
Still wish I could have seen the Alley Cats...
"Doctor Detroit" (1983) was on today; caught the last 20 minutes of it (like a bad train wreck, I could not look away). This was my reward at the very end:
Kate Murtagh, who played the villian, Mom, was also on the cover of Supertramp's "Breakfast in America" album. Apparently she died just last year at the age of 96, living just long enough to live down making this stinker.
Kate Murtagh, who played the villian, Mom, was also on the cover of Supertramp's "Breakfast in America" album. Apparently she died just last year at the age of 96, living just long enough to live down making this stinker.
Not certain if this counts but there's a series of commercials that William Shatner starred in for the VIC-20 personal computer where he "beams in". All his VIC-20 commercials seem to have the same effect and clearly were inspired by his association with Star Trek.
There are the "Pigs in Space" sketches in The Muppet Show from November 11, 1977 to November 1, 1980.
http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Pigs_in_Space
http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Pigs_in_Space
in the TV movie Dreams Don't Die (21 May 1982) NYC teens Danny Baker and Teresa (Ike Eisenmann and Trini Alvarado) have a big problem, teenage drug dealer Kirk. Teenage drug dealer Kirk is known as "Captain" Kirk.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083854/?ref_=nv_sr_1
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083854/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Yes, I remember that one, and pretty sure (without even checking the IMDB link) that Paul Winfield was also in it. Just not sure the drug dealer's name was a Trek reference?
It seems unlikely to be a coincidence. Star Trek had been airing constantly in syndication for more than a decade at that point, and Captain Kirk was a pretty well-known character by then.
It's a particularly interesting reference given that it was released just a month before an actual Star Trek movie that also featured Paul Winfield and Ike Eisenmann -- and that it was a TV movie on ABC, the same network that would air the "Special Longer Version" of ST:TMP 9 months later.
Not TOS so certainly not early, but this was the first semi mainstream TNG reference in a song I noticed as a teen in the mid 90s.
Banditos
This song is by The Refreshments and appears on the album Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy (1996).
So, just how far down do you want to go?
Or we could talk it out over a cup of joe
And you could look deep into my eyes
Like I was a super-model
Uh-huh
Well, it's you and me baby, no one else we can trust
We'll say nothin' to no one, no how or we bust
And never crack a smile
Or flinch or cry for nobody
Uh-uh
Well, give your ID card to the border guard
Yeah, your alias says you're Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Of the United Federation Of Planets
'Cause he won't speak English anyway
And everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
So meet me at the mission at midnight
We'll divvy up there
And everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
Well, I got the pistols, so I'll keep the Pesos
Yeah, and that seems fair
So, put the sugar in the tank of the sheriff's car
And slash the deputy's tires and they won't get very far
When they finally get the word
That there's been a hold-up
Uh-huh
Well, give your ID card to the border guard
Now your alias says you're Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Of the United Federation Of Planets
'Cause he won't speak English anyway
And everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
So meet me at the mission at midnight
We'll divvy up there
And everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
Well, I got the pistols, so I'll keep the Pesos
Yeah, and that seems fair
Well, that seems fair
And that seems fair
Well, that seems fair
Well, give your ID card to the border guard
Now your alias says you're Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Of the United Federation Of Planets
'Cause he won't speak English anyway
And everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
So meet me at the mission at midnight
We'll divvy up there
Well, everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
Well, I got the pistols, so I'll keep the Pesos
Yeah, and that seems fair
And that seems fair
And that seems fair
Well, that seems fair
Banditos
This song is by The Refreshments and appears on the album Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy (1996).
So, just how far down do you want to go?
Or we could talk it out over a cup of joe
And you could look deep into my eyes
Like I was a super-model
Uh-huh
Well, it's you and me baby, no one else we can trust
We'll say nothin' to no one, no how or we bust
And never crack a smile
Or flinch or cry for nobody
Uh-uh
Well, give your ID card to the border guard
Yeah, your alias says you're Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Of the United Federation Of Planets
'Cause he won't speak English anyway
And everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
So meet me at the mission at midnight
We'll divvy up there
And everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
Well, I got the pistols, so I'll keep the Pesos
Yeah, and that seems fair
So, put the sugar in the tank of the sheriff's car
And slash the deputy's tires and they won't get very far
When they finally get the word
That there's been a hold-up
Uh-huh
Well, give your ID card to the border guard
Now your alias says you're Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Of the United Federation Of Planets
'Cause he won't speak English anyway
And everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
So meet me at the mission at midnight
We'll divvy up there
And everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
Well, I got the pistols, so I'll keep the Pesos
Yeah, and that seems fair
Well, that seems fair
And that seems fair
Well, that seems fair
Well, give your ID card to the border guard
Now your alias says you're Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Of the United Federation Of Planets
'Cause he won't speak English anyway
And everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
So meet me at the mission at midnight
We'll divvy up there
Well, everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
Well, I got the pistols, so I'll keep the Pesos
Yeah, and that seems fair
And that seems fair
And that seems fair
Well, that seems fair
I think I remember that the teen drug dealer Kirk joked about "beam me up, Scotty". If so, that would indicate the source of his nickname.
In Airplane II (1980), William Shatner's character is complaining about there being constantly "flashing blinking lights!"
IIRC there was an episode of Welcome Back Kotter where someone told John Travolta's character she was reading Dr. Spock and he replied "Yeah, I'm a big Star Trek fan too!"