popular culture?
- Thread starter JoeZhang
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The Starfleet crews themselves are occasionally what we might think of as 'celebs' today. News crews with cameras buzzing around the bridge of the Enterprise-B in "Generations" hanging off every word Kirk says, and so on.
There don't seem to be 'actors' or that kind of thing though. Doctor Crusher did start an amateur rep company on the Enterprise, but that's not quite the same thing either...
There don't seem to be 'actors' or that kind of thing though. Doctor Crusher did start an amateur rep company on the Enterprise, but that's not quite the same thing either...
Geordi La Forge and Jake Sisko too... at least in two separate future timelines.
But it's true, there doesn't seem to be a popular culture as such. Instead, 24th century "culture" seems to be largely based around privately created holo-programs who are traded among circles of friends (like Bashir and his unseen "friend" Felix).
The problem, from a dramatic standpoint, is that to have a future celebrity you have to have to first invent some sort of future art or sport, which runs the risk of looking silly if you do it wrong. "Ohmigod, it's Swarara Ginsu, the worlds-famous bio-holo rap artist! I love her neo-retro-steampunk laser operas!"
Easier, especially in an hour-long episode, just to have a string quartet or a Shakespearean acting troupe.
Wait! I just remembered. Didn't B'Elanna like to read Klingon romance novels? Like Woman Warriors at the River of Blood?
Easier, especially in an hour-long episode, just to have a string quartet or a Shakespearean acting troupe.
Wait! I just remembered. Didn't B'Elanna like to read Klingon romance novels? Like Woman Warriors at the River of Blood?
There was also the Klingon music the Doctor's holo son was into (if I remember this correctly). But it's true that references to pop culture are very rare. I don't think we've ever seen a celebrity but maybe the celebrity culture we have today went out of style at some point.
I remember thinking when watching DS9 that all those Bajoran rebel leaders tended to be treated (and in some cases, look) like rock stars. Prob the nearest thing.
Oh wait....there was that seminal Bajoran instrumentalist Kira was really into. Can't remember episode.
Oh wait....there was that seminal Bajoran instrumentalist Kira was really into. Can't remember episode.
You don't remember Joe Piscapo's appearance as one of the greatest comedians of all time?!
There's still children's entertainment. There's Flotter, a holodeck program Naomi Wildman played that many on the Voyager crew have fond memories of from their own childhood. There's also been references to "Toby the Targ."
Also the "Vulcan Love Slave" holosuite programs on DS9. Which, given what we would later see on ENT ("Acquisition"), were probably based on T'Pol. 
Also the "Vulcan Love Slave" holosuite programs on DS9. Which, given what we would later see on ENT ("Acquisition"), were probably based on T'Pol.
Haha, I never thought of that, but you could be right!
You think in 50 years real actors won't be replaced by 100% realistic CGI?
If you ask TNG, humans outgrew the need for petty things like TV, and celebrities.
If you ask any other Trek series, there probably are still celebrities but they're not actors and singers, they're writers of holonovels, composers of music. The actual creators.
Actual popular entertainment is probably faceless. No names attached, just characters. Kind of like how entertainment companies wish they could make it now, but can't because there isn't 100% realistic CGI yet.
If you ask TNG, humans outgrew the need for petty things like TV, and celebrities.
If you ask any other Trek series, there probably are still celebrities but they're not actors and singers, they're writers of holonovels, composers of music. The actual creators.
Actual popular entertainment is probably faceless. No names attached, just characters. Kind of like how entertainment companies wish they could make it now, but can't because there isn't 100% realistic CGI yet.
This just reminded me, although they call Baseball a relic which is seldom remembered, it does still seem to carry some currency in the 24th century. Buck Bokai (sp?) is recognised very much as a celebrity.
Also the "Vulcan Love Slave" holosuite programs on DS9. Which, given what we would later see on ENT ("Acquisition"), were probably based on T'Pol.
In fact the novels suggest just that. I think according to a DS9 novel, the author of the original Vulcan Love Slave was the Ferengi played by Jeffrey Combs in Acquisistion.
Not 24th century, but we heard about a WWIII movie sweeping the awards in ENT: "Home" in 2254, and Carter Winston from TAS: "The Survivor" was a famous rich philanthropist, who amassed a dozen fortunes and used them to help planets and colonies in need, which had made him quite a celebrity.
...By all of two people in the Federation, it seems - Stubbs and Sisko.
Even today, obscurity can carry the appearance of popularity, as a "personal cult" can be effectively constructed by a single person - the fan, not the target of idolatry. However, it doesn't appear as if either Stubbs or Sisko would have actively marketed the virtues of their hero or his obscure field of proficiency to the rest of the world(s). They just found these personally intriguing. I don't think this quite meets the criteria of "popular", as the population involved is so insignificant. (Well, insignificantly small, at any rate.)
Timo Saloniemi
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