Picard and Enterprise famous on Earth?

[greggpow]

I always wondered if the citizens of Earth were aware of Picard and the crew of the Enterprise? Was he revered as a hero or did they not even realize who was saving Earth over and over?

I really wanted to see an episode from the general populations perspective relating to Picard. Maybe showing him honored by a crowd of thousands..... thoughts?

 

[C.E. Evans]

I would think that Picard would be as well known as MacArthur and Patton were in their time.

Everybody would know about the Enterprise even if only because it had a historic name.

 

[Timo]

...However, we have very little idea about the adventures and adjoining fame of other Starfleet captains and crews. Possibly Picard and Kirk are rather average performers, there perhaps being captains who get to save Earth thrice a season and the universe more than twice per series. That would somewhat undermine the celebrity status of the heroes we follow.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[blueziggy]

i think all we have to look at is the episode after BoBW. didnt it mention Picard getting the keys to the city or something along those lines? sure maybe thats just his home town, but come on. the amount of information we can get just on the internet now has got to be 1/100000000th of the information people of that century could get over their networks. imagine history and current event textbooks in school that can change the instant something happens 15 light years away.

 

[dave_R_treker]

I would think that the people of earth would know OF him, and of the Enterprise. I'm sure somethings Picard and the Enterprise did warrented to be front page news. People did watch, listen and read the news on a daily basis.

 

[Finn]

The mayor of LaBarre, France wanted to give a parade in honor of Picard in TNG's Family. So I would think yes.

I'd imagine there are people who tell people in their lives they went to school or lived next door to them. One exception, all those people who went to grade school with Wesley would deny it naturally.

 

[Red Ranger]

A thought: He might be a controversial figure, kind of like Col. Oliver North or G. Gordon Liddy, because of his forced participation in the Borg invasion and massacre at Wolf 359. We see in The Drumhead and in the DSN premiere, Emissary, that at least two people don't hold too high an opinion of Picard's involvement with the Borg. Of course, I'm speaking of Admiral Nora Satie and then-Commander Benjamin Sisko.

I'm sure there are others who share this opinion of Picard -- certainly, at least some in Starfleet Command, since they try to keep him away from the Borg in First Contact, perhaps fearing he could be more easily assimilated than another starship captain who wasn't.

So he might be a more complicated persona to the general public than we think. It's too bad they never did a TNG ep with a journalist doing a story about a day in the life of Starfleet's flagship. After all, we know there's a Federation News Service from Jake Sisko's status as a correspondent. That would've been interesting.

Red Ranger

 

[greggpow]

Red-

I think the idea of having an episode from a journalists perspective would have been great idea. I don't follow the world of Star Trek that closely anymore... but if new TNG books are still being published, I think this would be perfect.

A thought: He might be a controversial figure, kind of like Col. Oliver North or G. Gordon Liddy, because of his forced participation in the Borg invasion and massacre at Wolf 359. We see in The Drumhead and in the DSN premiere, Emissary, that at least two people don't hold too high an opinion of Picard's involvement with the Borg. Of course, I'm speaking of Admiral Nora Satie and then-Commander Benjamin Sisko.

I'm sure there are others who share this opinion of Picard -- certainly, at least some in Starfleet Command, since they try to keep him away from the Borg in First Contact, perhaps fearing he could be more easily assimilated than another starship captain who wasn't.

So he might be a more complicated persona to the general public than we think. It's too bad they never did a TNG ep with a journalist doing a story about a day in the life of Starfleet's flagship. After all, we know there's a Federation News Service from Jake Sisko's status as a correspondent. That would've been interesting.

Red Ranger

 

[dave_R_treker]

A thought: He might be a controversial figure, kind of like Col. Oliver North or G. Gordon Liddy, because of his forced participation in the Borg invasion and massacre at Wolf 359. We see in The Drumhead and in the DSN premiere, Emissary, that at least two people don't hold too high an opinion of Picard's involvement with the Borg. Of course, I'm speaking of Admiral Nora Satie and then-Commander Benjamin Sisko.

Though both those individuals lost loved ones at Wolf 359. Its understandable that they would feel that way. Even if they know that he wasn't really responsable, deep down they can't forget what was done.

 

[Cyke101]

...However, we have very little idea about the adventures and adjoining fame of other Starfleet captains and crews. Possibly Picard and Kirk are rather average performers, there perhaps being captains who get to save Earth thrice a season and the universe more than twice per series. That would somewhat undermine the celebrity status of the heroes we follow.

Timo Saloniemi

Which would have been a WONDERFUL story to pursue. I think back to the Jem Ha'Dar and how the writers intended Capt. Keogh and the Odyssey as analogues of Picard and the Enterprise. If the Odyssey had its own storyarc and if the writers built Keogh up more and more as a celebrity in his own right, it could have made the Odyssey's destruction that much more dramatic (then again, it was already one heck of a shock).

 

[bintak]

A thought: He might be a controversial figure, kind of like Col. Oliver North or G. Gordon Liddy, because of his forced participation in the Borg invasion and massacre at Wolf 359. We see in The Drumhead and in the DSN premiere, Emissary, that at least two people don't hold too high an opinion of Picard's involvement with the Borg. Of course, I'm speaking of Admiral Nora Satie and then-Commander Benjamin Sisko.

I'm sure there are others who share this opinion of Picard -- certainly, at least some in Starfleet Command, since they try to keep him away from the Borg in First Contact, perhaps fearing he could be more easily assimilated than another starship captain who wasn't.

So he might be a more complicated persona to the general public than we think. It's too bad they never did a TNG ep with a journalist doing a story about a day in the life of Starfleet's flagship. After all, we know there's a Federation News Service from Jake Sisko's status as a correspondent. That would've been interesting.

Red Ranger

Well said, RR, on all points. Didn't someone above just compare him to Douglas MacArthur (validly)?

Worst Federation captain ever.

 

[Whoa Nellie]

I always wondered if the citizens of Earth were aware of Picard and the crew of the Enterprise? Was he revered as a hero or did they not even realize who was saving Earth over and over?

I really wanted to see an episode from the general populations perspective relating to Picard. Maybe showing him honored by a crowd of thousands..... thoughts?

This is a very intriguing thread topic. Canon would seem to indicate that there is some sort of recognition that comes along with the center seat of the Enterprise.

In the movie 'Star Trek Generations' we see a swarm of journalists hurling questions at Kirk. The way Kirk diplomatically handles their questions as well as the way he tells them to "shut that damn thing off" when things go wrong would seem to indicate it's not the first time he's handled a news crew.

From early on in TNG, it is insinuated that Picard is a something of a prominent figure in Starfleet. In the first season episode 'The Battle' we are told that the Picard maneuver is required study at Starfleet Academy. As stated earlier in the thread, in the fourth season episode 'Family' the mayor of his home town wants to give him a parade and present him with a key to the city, which Picard refuses.

It would make sense that the captain of the Enterprise is known the same way a General Norman Schwarzkopf or General David Petraeus is known and former captains of the Enterprise might be well known to history buffs the way history buffs know American Civil War generals.

Warmest Wishes,
Whoa Nellie

 

[Red Ranger]

A thought: He might be a controversial figure, kind of like Col. Oliver North or G. Gordon Liddy, because of his forced participation in the Borg invasion and massacre at Wolf 359. We see in The Drumhead and in the DSN premiere, Emissary, that at least two people don't hold too high an opinion of Picard's involvement with the Borg. Of course, I'm speaking of Admiral Nora Satie and then-Commander Benjamin Sisko.

I'm sure there are others who share this opinion of Picard -- certainly, at least some in Starfleet Command, since they try to keep him away from the Borg in First Contact, perhaps fearing he could be more easily assimilated than another starship captain who wasn't.

So he might be a more complicated persona to the general public than we think. It's too bad they never did a TNG ep with a journalist doing a story about a day in the life of Starfleet's flagship. After all, we know there's a Federation News Service from Jake Sisko's status as a correspondent. That would've been interesting.

Red Ranger

Well said, RR, on all points. Didn't someone above just compare him to Douglas MacArthur (validly)?

Worst Federation captain ever.

Bintak: Having said all that, I still have a man-crush on Patrick Stewart/Picard. It's that accent and bald head! -- RR

 

[Tom]

Well Riker was really the hero of BOBW when you think about it, picards only contribution was breaking thriugh just enough to allow data to figure out that he could put the Borg to sleep.

 

[trekkerguy]

With all that he has been through/accomplished/saved/destroyed/discovered...

I'm sure he is as famous on Earth as he is around the quadrant.
He is even famed among the Klingons and Romulans much the way Kirk was.

Oh and... best Federation Captain ever.

And an episode from the perspective of a Journalist reporting an event to the public would be awesome.
I believe they had one of those on SG-1 didn't they?

 

[Red Ranger]

With all that he has been through/accomplished/saved/destroyed/discovered...

I'm sure he is as famous on Earth as he is around the quadrant.
He is even famed among the Klingons and Romulans much the way Kirk was.

Oh and... best Federation Captain ever.

Well, trekkerguy, I still love Kirk, but I love Picard, too! Two great Federation captains. There are reasons why they both are in charge of the most famed ships in Starfleet! -- RR

 

[bintak]

A thought: He might be a controversial figure, kind of like Col. Oliver North or G. Gordon Liddy, because of his forced participation in the Borg invasion and massacre at Wolf 359. We see in The Drumhead and in the DSN premiere, Emissary, that at least two people don't hold too high an opinion of Picard's involvement with the Borg. Of course, I'm speaking of Admiral Nora Satie and then-Commander Benjamin Sisko.

I'm sure there are others who share this opinion of Picard -- certainly, at least some in Starfleet Command, since they try to keep him away from the Borg in First Contact, perhaps fearing he could be more easily assimilated than another starship captain who wasn't.

So he might be a more complicated persona to the general public than we think. It's too bad they never did a TNG ep with a journalist doing a story about a day in the life of Starfleet's flagship. After all, we know there's a Federation News Service from Jake Sisko's status as a correspondent. That would've been interesting.

Red Ranger

Well said, RR, on all points. Didn't someone above just compare him to Douglas MacArthur (validly)?

Worst Federation captain ever.

Bintak: Having said all that, I still have a man-crush on Patrick Stewart/Picard. It's that accent and bald head! -- RR

Well........some people still have a love crush on:

 

[Red Ranger]

Well said, RR, on all points. Didn't someone above just compare him to Douglas MacArthur (validly)?

Worst Federation captain ever.

Bintak: Having said all that, I still have a man-crush on Patrick Stewart/Picard. It's that accent and bald head! -- RR

Well........some people still have a love crush on:

Beautiful! A friend of mine once said she thought Janeway played Domme with Neelix, slicking his hair back with gel, and whipping his butt with a riding crop! Woo-hoo! -- RR

 

[nx1701g]

In the movie 'Star Trek Generations' we see a swarm of journalists hurling questions at Kirk. The way Kirk diplomatically handles their questions as well as the way he tells them to "shut that damn thing off" when things go wrong would seem to indicate it's not the first time he's handled a news crew.

Yet, according to the Companion from a few years ago, when they wrote the script for The Naked Now they were trying to imply that the previous Enterprise's weren't very famous and that Will Riker had trouble recalling Jim Kirk.

Then again in Generations Picard had full knowledge of him.

 

[Cyke101]

In the movie 'Star Trek Generations' we see a swarm of journalists hurling questions at Kirk. The way Kirk diplomatically handles their questions as well as the way he tells them to "shut that damn thing off" when things go wrong would seem to indicate it's not the first time he's handled a news crew.

Yet, according to the Companion from a few years ago, when they wrote the script for The Naked Now they were trying to imply that the previous Enterprise's weren't very famous and that Will Riker had trouble recalling Jim Kirk.

Then again in Generations Picard had full knowledge of him.

And yet again, Picard has shown in TNG that he's a walking encyclopedia of historical figures and ancient traditions. Not that I'm blaming anything on writing or anything, it's just that Picard's the bookish type who'd know a few facts that most people wouldn't bother to check.