The mystery of Jose's peppers...

[Forbin]

I usually find that those who complain the loudest about cancel culture just want to be able to make the same sexist, racist, homophobic "jokes" they used to, only without any consequences. They don't seem to realize that the 20th century is over (and when you see it in Star Trek fans, truly sad.)

Nope, not necessarily, and it figures someone would leap to playing the racist/homophobe/etc card to dismiss (cancel?) one side of the discussion.

 

[Ragitsu]

Star Trek portrays a generous vision of the galaxy, with Earth-like planets everywhere you look, whose atmosphere and soil chemistry is just right for us. But everything we know up to this point, with over 5000 exoplanets catalogued [and that still sounds like sci-fi to me ], suggests that planets we could colonize are very rare, if any are in our vicinity at all.

All right, what about terraforming (aside from that volatile Genesis Device)? Was that a common enough undertaking when the NCC-1701 still had its new starship smell?

 

[1001001]

Oh, 100% yes, yes, yes. Too many people want to change the way we talk and act just in case someone else gets offended, without necessarily checking to see if said people would, in fact, be offended.

Nope, not necessarily, and it figures someone would leap to playing the racist/homophobe/etc card to dismiss (cancel?) one side of the discussion.

What did I just say?

Seriously knock this off.

Go to Miscellaneous or TNZ to talk about this crap.

 

[Forbin]

What did I just say?

Seriously knock this off.

Go to Miscellaneous or TNZ to talk about this crap.

Sorry - I replied as I read, before I saw your post. Temporal distortion.

 

[M'Sharak]

All right, what about terraforming (aside from that volatile Genesis Device)? Was that a common enough undertaking when the NCC-1701 still had its new starship smell?

Where terraforming is required to render a planet suitable for habitation by large numbers of humans, it also tends to be very costly and time-consuming (and not likely to be achieved with any magical one-size-fits-all, just-push-the-button-and-poof! device such as Genesis.) There'd need to be some resource or asset present on the planet (or near its location) which is A) available in sufficient supply and B) not more easily obtainable elsewhere.

 

[BK613]

There's not even any such pepper species as a "Mexican red"; it's the name of someone's recipe for chili colorado, and nothing more.

Maybe, by the time Kirk is doing a chile run, 'new' has been dropped from the name?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico_chile

 

[Metryq]

B) not more easily obtainable elsewhere.

I imagine terraforming will be a lot more difficult than the 1950s notions, like "drop a few comets on it, and Bingo! Instant oceans!" With the speed of the engines depicted in Star Trek, finding a more suitable planet would probably be a lot easier than making one.

 

[M'Sharak]

I imagine terraforming will be a lot more difficult than the 1950s notions, like "drop a few comets on it, and Bingo! Instant oceans!" With the speed of the engines depicted in Star Trek, finding a more suitable planet would probably be a lot easier than making one.

Exactly. With concerns such as creating / ensuring desired soil composition, atmospheric composition, atmospheric pressure and others, terraforming a planet would be a colossal undertaking. There'd almost have to be something of crucial importance on or near that planet to justify the time / effort / expense of such a project -- some factor which makes it a "We have to be right here; nowhere else will suffice" kind of deal.

 

[blssdwlf]

"Mudd's Women" mentions an ocean or pelagic planet that has sea ranchers and an automated farm planet. I'd imagine TOS has these planets and others like them supplying food to the highly populated sections of the galaxy with a constant stream of freighters. Earth might also export excess foods and/or spices.

 

[TheAdmiralty]

Future Guy ate them.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

There were no peppers. Kirk was delivering something else in an official capacity. José was a personal friend of his and he was needling him with an ethnic stereotype in a playful manner. It was a sign of affection. Yes, men did these things to each other back then; and no, there was no hand-wringing about it. José, no doubt, got his own licks in at Kirk's expense from time to time as well.

If it was something classified and important....

This is the stuff that tie-in novels are made of...throwaway lines that can be re-purposed. Peppers are a code name for some secret/important cargo/passengers, in case anyone is listening.

 

[Tango]

I wonder if agricultural planets exist during Kirk's era; in TNG, there was - in effect - a "Planet Scotland". "Planet Chili Peppers", anyone? Maybe.

The Federation seemed to be pouring vast quantities of wheat into Sherman's Planet.

I think Omicron Ceti III was an intended agricultural colony.

Those are the two that come to mind at the moment.

 

[Ragitsu]

There were no peppers. Kirk was delivering something else in an official capacity. José was a personal friend of his and he was needling him with an ethnic stereotype in a playful manner.

When I'm shaving off possibilities, my go-to brand is "Occam's"; I always thought K was referring to actual peppers (the "hand-picked" part being sarcasm that bled through, of course).

Yes, men did these things to each other back then; and no, there was no hand-wringing about it.

Back then...in the twenty-third century?

I know it is hard to believe in this uptight and prissy era, but I <expletive> you not...

Ah, yes, the "They were better." implication. What a radical take.

 

[scotpens]

The Federation seemed to be pouring vast quantities of wheat into Sherman's Planet.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I always assumed that either the peppers comprised only a relatively minor portion of the shipment or there were no literal peppers at all and it was a euphemism. YMMV.

 

[Warped9]

Guys still rib each other today although perhaps in different ways. Women today also sometimes get in on the act.

And MGagen is right in that there is indeed a strain of prissiness and uptightness in today’s society.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

And MGagen is right in that there is indeed a strain of prissiness and uptightness in today’s society.

Well, "Herbert" meant something, and that was back in the 1960s.

 

[fireproof78]

And MGagen is right in that there is indeed a strain of prissiness and uptightness in today’s society.

Pretty sure it's not new. I saw uptight societal expectations my entire life.

 

[PCz911]

I feel like Jose… visited my buddy and gave me a jar of his home grown, hand picked hot peppers. To be honest, knowing how spicy he likes his food, I’m sort of afraid to try them

 

[Sir Rhosis]

Maybe @Sir Rhosis has some information concerning what earlier versions of the script contained, and at what point that line first made its appearance. It has the sound, though, of something thrown in without a great deal of thought.

Sorry it has taken me a while to respond. I just stumbled upon the thread. In the earliest draft I have, which is labeled a Second Draft (dated 6-13-66 and heavily hand-edited and marked up), entitled “Damsel With A Dulcimer” (which is crossed through and "The Man Trap" written in) the scene goes this way (I am not going to try to replicate script formatting):

INT. CORRIDOR – KIRK – SPOCK – MOVING SHOT

as they walk together down corridor.

SPOCK: We’re overdue on Corinth IV. I gave them an ETA of four hours. It’s a provisioning stop. They have plenty of food and medical supplies but they’re short on machine spares.

KIRK (weary): They’ll have to wait. McCoy hasn’t finished the girl’s physical.

“the girl’s” is crossed out and “Mrs. Crater’s” is hand-written in.

FWIW, in this early draft, the Communications Officer’s name is spelled AHURA, though there is a note at the beginning asking that it be changed to UHURA throughout.

Three days later, the 6-16-66 Final Draft has the chili pepper dialogue as filmed and aired.

Sir Rhosis