The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

Discussion in 'TV & Media' started by The Old Mixer, Jan 11, 2016.

  1. Amasov

    Amasov Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2001
    "From New York, a city that has opened its heart to little Jason from that Friday the 13th movie...it's Late Night with David Letterman!" -- spoken long before Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan was even made!
     
  2. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Location:
    The Old Mixer, Somewhere in Connecticut
    I caught that in syndication eventually as well, but a few years after my initial viewing of the live action show.
     
  3. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2003
    Location:
    RJDiogenes of Boston
    Now we're getting somewhere. :rommie:

    I wonder if the Tarzan yell can summon elephant seals for help.

    I don't remember that at all, but I was pretty much away from Top 40 in 1981.

    Yeah, it's not exactly catchy, but the lyrics are murder.

    I also liked him waving off the special effect smoke. :rommie:

    Look at that set. :rommie:

    Reminds me of Gary Owens' Laugh-In intros.

    How about triple entendre? :D

    I always found that uncomfortable and jarring on Star Trek. There was a similar moment in "Who Mourns For Adonais?" when Kirk says that mankind has no need of gods-- and then adds that one is sufficient. But whereas the latter felt like something forced on them by the network, the "Bread and Circuses" punchline seemed like it was intended to be part of the story.
     
  4. TREK_GOD_1

    TREK_GOD_1 Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 24, 2006
    Location:
    Escaped from Delta Vega
    How about "THE END" should have been replaced by "THE BEGINNING", because for Dozier, it was the beginning of his syndication cash grab!

    I think the reference in both shows were intended, and I've not read any evidence of the network forcing that on TOS. One thing that has been established is that Kirk, McCoy and Uhura are people of faith, with Kirk having a long history of cutting down what he sees as false gods (challenging Gary Mitchell, and the entity in The Final Frontier), so, his statement to Apollo was in line with a belief in God, but rejecting fantasy deities.
     
  5. dahj

    dahj Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2003
    Only if the text is placed over her womb. :p
     
    TREK_GOD_1 likes this.
  6. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Location:
    The Old Mixer, Somewhere in Connecticut
    Giving it a listen...I actually recognize the song from whatever radio station my parents were listening to at the time. They were calling themselves the Rovers at that point and their style was quite different...more country/rockabilly. While the members originated from Ireland, they were actually Canadians when they formed the band.

    "Wasn't That a Party"

    (Charted Feb. 21, 1981; #37 US; #46 AC)

    Bringing it all back home, it could have made this post.
     
  7. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2003
    Location:
    RJDiogenes of Boston
    I don't recall any of the TOS characters being established as religious. Are there specific lines or incidents that you're thinking of?

    It does sound vaguely familiar, but it's not dredging up any associational memories.
     
  8. TREK_GOD_1

    TREK_GOD_1 Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 24, 2006
    Location:
    Escaped from Delta Vega
    Before I list the characters, we should remember that there's some belief among some ST fans (not based on anything stated in the episodes) that the 23rd century universe of TOS is secular and/or atheistic. For argument's sake, if that's true at all, then we can conclude that for humans, they were born in an era where religion was no longer a major system of faith/belief as it is on 21st century earth. In other words, the average 23rd century child grows up in an environment rarely--if ever speaking or hearing of it. That said, if any TOS characters speak of God/faith in the manner seen in TOS episodes, one would also conclude that they are not making casual references about something that has become mere expression, or loose references that lost all original meaning, but what would be called testimony.

    Start with Kirk's "We find the one quite sufficient" to Apollo in "Who Mourns for Adonais". There's no other way to read that than his belief in God. If he was an atheist, he could have used any number of responses to a creature claiming to be a god of some sort, including the easiest, "we don't believe in gods" but he did not, instead making a firm statement about his species' beliefs.

    Uhura's satisfied tone in describing how Christ and the religion based on his movement could not be torn down by imperial propaganda in "Bread and Circuses" would strongly suggest belief.

    McCoy has quoted scripture on several occasions, and one must assume that his familiarity and various "what in Heaven's name" kind of remarks means he's a believer, and not just making watered-down expressions.
     
  9. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Location:
    The Old Mixer, Somewhere in Connecticut
    There's another line in "Bread and Circuses" that more firmly establishes that religion is alive and well in 23rd century humanity...
     
  10. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Location:
    The Old Mixer, Somewhere in Connecticut
    Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for 55 years ago this week:
    Meanwhile, across the pond:

    _______

    12 O'Clock High
    "The Outsider"
    Originally aired January 31, 1966
    Screencap here.

    Lee returns as Capt. Phyllis Vincent, the same character that she played in "The Idolator". MacArthur plays an overeager odd man out in the 918th's P-51 escort wing (yes, they suddenly have fighter cover when the story calls for it). He gets a fleeting taste of what it's like to be a hero when one of his stunts involves rescuing Gallagher, who had to bail from another P-51 on a recon mission. While there were 2-seat variants, the P-51 was primarily a single-seat fighter, so cramming Gallagher into the back of the cockpit on top of successfully landing and taking off again in a field seems altogether a bit too implausible.

    Danno ultimately gets the recognition that he craved the hard way. There's a poignant scene at the end in which a pub gal (not played by Judy Carne) whom he'd been trying to strike up a conversation with in an earlier scene doesn't even remember having met him.

    _______
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2018
  11. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2003
    Location:
    RJDiogenes of Boston
    That was certainly always my impression, which is why the handful of religious references are so awkward and jarring.

    That's the one that sounds tacked on. Kirk says, "Mankind has no need for gods," which sounds very much like a Star Trek statement. "We find the one quite sufficient," sounds more like NBC S&P saying, "Holy crap, we can't have atheism and interracial kissing on TV!"

    That's the other one I mentioned. This one definitely sounds like it was part of the story structure from the start, and it surprises me that it was ever approved.

    The other thing that always felt incongruous to me was the chapel in "Balance of Terror." But I always wrote that off as a first-season, getting-the-hang-of-it thing, like the mention of a Thanksgiving turkey.

    That's not so awkward, since he says, "worship of sorts." But it could certainly be read to mean that religion is not entirely extinct.

    Judy Carne would have remembered him. :(
     
  12. TREK_GOD_1

    TREK_GOD_1 Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 24, 2006
    Location:
    Escaped from Delta Vega
    They should not be awkward or jarring, since TOS never established the universe as atheistic at all. That was Gene Roddenberry's 1970s self-propagandizing which ended up coloring many of the spin-off series, but that position is not to be found in TOS.
    Again, NBC did not demand TOS add religion or characters of faith. That was a part of the series in one way or another all along--like the Enterprise having a chapel.

    See the first reply--there was no approval process, since it was natural to the characters / series.
     
  13. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2003
    Location:
    RJDiogenes of Boston
    Well, it wouldn't be established openly on a network TV show in the 60s. It's like sex with Elaan of Troius-- you can only show Kirk putting his boots on. :rommie:
     
  14. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2001
    That was Deela, Queen of Scalos.
     
  15. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Location:
    The Old Mixer, Somewhere in Connecticut
    That sounds like something she may want to see a doctor about.
     
  16. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2001
    Well, yeah, being Scalosian was kind of a terminal condition.
     
  17. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Location:
    The Old Mixer, Somewhere in Connecticut
  18. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Location:
    The Old Mixer, Somewhere in Connecticut
    OTOH...so is being human.

     
  19. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2003
    Location:
    RJDiogenes of Boston
    ^^ Now there's a classic.
     
  20. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Location:
    The Old Mixer, Somewhere in Connecticut
    It's one I hadn't been familiar with until I was building my singles collection, despite years of oldies radio listening (though Sirius plays it a lot). It took on a particular poignancy for me when it came to my attention that it was in the Top 10 the week I was born.

    So...anyone have an opinion about Barbarella? I've got it set to record in a couple weeks, though it won't be coming up for 50th anniversary viewing until the Fall.

    Well I'll be a son of a bitch...This, one of the channels I've been keeping an eye on for period movies, is picking up The Rat Patrol in April...and in a daily slot...though they'll be starting over from Season 1, so it'll be a while before they get to the Season 2 episodes that I haven't watched. Looks like they'll also be airing The Saint.
     
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2018