Kirk and the King Archetype: A Star Trek Character Analysis
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I tend to agree, sadly. If it was, say, a paper, I'd be inclined to dig into it when I had some time.
It seems pretty clear that this forum is not the right audience for video essays regarding classic Star Trek. Which is rather ironic being that Star Trek is itself in video format, and as I've actually watched this video myself, I can report that it is manly comprised of clips from classic Star Trek. But since videos are clearly not of interest to the other members of this forum, I guess I'll stop trying to share them here.
It may be, or it may not be. Based on the evidence you have, you can say that for at least two people it probably isn't. Speaking personally, when I watch Star Trek, I'm seeking to be entertained. Literary analyses are frequently of interest to me, but because of their nature, versus, say, the nature of a video entertainment, I'm more likely to watch to be able to go back and forth within the text, and this is more easily accomplished with words on paper.
Kirk was a 60s TV drama heroic stereotype, with a few idiosyncrasies. His "character" was made up as they went along, by the accretion of hundreds of scenes and incidents.
No, I didn't need to watch ten minutes of a monotonous reading delivery contrasting 60s stereotypes of "mature men" with contemporary portrayals in entertainment. The writer is working backward from their biases to cherry pick examples to support their thesis.
No, I didn't need to watch ten minutes of a monotonous reading delivery contrasting 60s stereotypes of "mature men" with contemporary portrayals in entertainment. The writer is working backward from their biases to cherry pick examples to support their thesis.
I couldn’t disagree more. Kirk’s character wasn’t made up as they went along, it was there from the beginning, and was merely expressed through “hundreds of scenes and incidents.” But how about discussing the validity of the points brought up in the video, such as the bifurcation of Kirk in “The Enemy Within” as an example of the bi-polar shadow king described in the book the video is based on? Or Kirk’s interface with Sargon as an example of Kirk identifying with the “true king” archetype? Why glibly dismiss the video as being “biased” and “cherry picked?” If there’s another form of literary analysis that doesn’t involve presenting examples in support of the thesis I'd like to know what it is. Had the video been about Kirk’s propensity to defeat computers using logic, would it then be “cherry picking” to use “Return of the Archons,” “The Changeling,” or “The Ultimate Computer” as examples? Or would the topic be better served using “City on the Edge of Forever” or “Metamorphosis” as talking points instead?
I guess it’s understandable that some Trek fans would rather view Kirk as just a stereotypical TV hero of the 60s. Some prefer, even relish in mediocrity. Might as well wear it as a badge of honor.
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“Relish in mediocrity”?
Give me a break.
Apparently people aren’t interested in your video (you said so yourself). I doubt very much insulting their intelligence and smug condescension are going to motivate anyone to change their minds.
“Relish in mediocrity”?
Give me a break.
Oh, that was just a reference to his moniker "Mediocre Old White Man." It would seem fair to say that anyone who wears their mediocrity as a badge must relish in it.
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I see…still a little personal, especially what followed.
While I feel he set the tone of the exchange, and I don't usually respond to negative posts, there was something about his glibness that I felt needed to be addressed. You are right, though, the ending was unnecessary, and so I will remove the offending part.
A lot gets by you, doesn't it?
If I relished mediocrity I might have found that video less tedious.
So that was a thing that happened.
In any case, I watched the video and enjoyed it. It was well edited and the thesis was interesting. I do think that there are other "Kirk command dilemma" episodes that might have been included, such as Balance of Terror and Operation: Annihilate! Perhaps a nod to City on the Edge of Forever might have been useful too. But assuming that the concept from the book mentioned was accurately conveyed (I'm not familiar with it), I can see its application.
One bizarre editing choice - among many strong and clever editing choices - unfortunately stood out. In the portion of the video dealing with Mirror, Mirror, the scene of Mirror Spock shockingly torturing Mirror Kyle in the transporter room is followed by a shot from them same episode of "our" Kirk smiling, as if he approved. That smiling Kirk shot did occur in the transporter room and was shot from roughly the same angle, but comes, I believe, from the end of the episode when Kirk is pleased to see that Mirror Spock is considering his "save this universe" summation. Kirk certainly did not smile at Mirror Kyle being tortured (in fact, Shatner's acting in that scene superbly conveys tightly suppressed horror), and I found that inaccurate and unnecessary juxtaposition jarring.
But that's a small criticism. On the whole, I liked the video.
In any case, I watched the video and enjoyed it. It was well edited and the thesis was interesting. I do think that there are other "Kirk command dilemma" episodes that might have been included, such as Balance of Terror and Operation: Annihilate! Perhaps a nod to City on the Edge of Forever might have been useful too. But assuming that the concept from the book mentioned was accurately conveyed (I'm not familiar with it), I can see its application.
One bizarre editing choice - among many strong and clever editing choices - unfortunately stood out. In the portion of the video dealing with Mirror, Mirror, the scene of Mirror Spock shockingly torturing Mirror Kyle in the transporter room is followed by a shot from them same episode of "our" Kirk smiling, as if he approved. That smiling Kirk shot did occur in the transporter room and was shot from roughly the same angle, but comes, I believe, from the end of the episode when Kirk is pleased to see that Mirror Spock is considering his "save this universe" summation. Kirk certainly did not smile at Mirror Kyle being tortured (in fact, Shatner's acting in that scene superbly conveys tightly suppressed horror), and I found that inaccurate and unnecessary juxtaposition jarring.
But that's a small criticism. On the whole, I liked the video.
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