Everything about TOS oozes 1960s fashion, which dates it, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Things that date Trek
- Thread starter WraithDukat
- Start date
As far as being dated, everything is a product of the time it was created and can be limited by what the writers can think up.
In the 60s nobody could have really imagined what kind of technology would exist in the near future. Who ever thought then that something like a smart phone would actually be a thing.
In the 60s nobody could have really imagined what kind of technology would exist in the near future. Who ever thought then that something like a smart phone would actually be a thing.
No, but I would like to subtract "miniskirts" in my strongest protest-voice. They will never seem dated to me until sexy legs go out of style ... which is never because men will always like to see them and women will always like to show them off. Waiting for the "mini" to come back in fashion is a little like waiting for Jupiter to circle round the sun; but, it always happens with regularity. Looking three hundred years in the future, we should expect many reappearances of miniskirts as fashionable.
LOL, it’s more because they seemed to be compulsory uniform for women rather than an option. Number one wire trousers in Tge Cage so it was probably at the insistence of the networks.
The idea that whatever is current year 2018 will exist from that point forward is ... interesting.
Social customs come and go, the blatant sexism of TOS gives it a different feel, read some of the science fiction from more than twenty years ago (or less than that). That Humanity could have been going through such a cultural construct is perfectly believeable. The 24th century tones it down, but there are still more males than female in senior positions.
Discovery tilts the other way, with somewhat more women than men in senior positions.
The same with Picard having a mental health professional within arms reach, it's a silly idea that could have been standard operating procedure during Picard's time period.
mil-spec palm pilotWell, a lot of people think the gadgets in Star Trek suggest smartphones and tablets. Might be a bit of wishful thinking, I guess.
Exactly. And that applies to science fiction in general.
By coincidence, I watched AELITA, QUEEN OF MARS, an old 1924 sci-fi movie, just last night. Is it dated by 2018 standards? Of course, but in time that can become a feature,not a bug. The SF of bygone days eventually picks up a nostalgic, time-capsule quality that can be enjoyable in its own right.
It was funny, actually, to see how many elements of AELITA survived into the TOS era, from the beautiful alien temptress who is fascinated by this strange Earthly custom of pressing lips against lips, to the hero leading a worker's revolution against the oppressive Martian government. (Did I mention that this was a Soviet-era Russian film?)
There's even a "patriotic" sequence, complete with a sickle and anvil, that's basically the Soviet equivalent of Kirk reciting the Declaration of Independence in "The Omega Glory."
The more things change . . ..
Very true. However, many TV shows 'suffer' from the hair styles, fashions, and lingo from the era in which they were created. I'm not sure how to get around that. Doesn't really bother me though.
Agreed. Go look at some shots of the cast of Space 1999. You telling me that they will be wearing shoes and clothes like that in the future?
That show is as much a snapshot of the 70s as TOS is of the 60s. And I would bet there are people who would argue as passionately as any TOS fan that Space: 1999 still looks futuristic.Agreed. Go look at some shots of the cast of Space 1999. You telling me that they will be wearing shoes and clothes like that in the future?
To be fair, the damn things didn't have sights on them anyway.
Yeah, when I was a kid in the 70s watching Star Trek it looked futuristic. By the time of Next Gen, less so and even less and less now. However, I never cared for engaging in retconning my thinking based on how it doesn't look so futuristic through my 2018 eyes as compared to my 1975 eyes. What's the point? I can still enjoy it as much now as I did then. I do understand that a much younger person watching TOS (or even TNG) now for the first time would have a very different experience.
You know what part of TOS has really dated? The speed with which McCoy gives up on redshirts. In a world in which the doctors and EMTs will struggle valiantly to revive "dead" patients, sometimes for ten minutes or longer, it's funny to see McCoy just shrug and say "He's dead, Jim" the minute a redshirt keels over.
"Good Lord, Bones, you could at least try applying CPR . . . ."
"Good Lord, Bones, you could at least try applying CPR . . . ."
I think there's a meaningful difference between things that seem "dated" in the sense of being genuine anachronisms that couldn't plausibly exist in the future, and things that seem "dated" simply in terms of reminding us when a given show was made. (Although, of course, there is overlap.)
Lots and lots of things cycle in and out of fashion, and probably will in the future, from hairstyles to clothing styles even to things like paper photographs and attitudes about gender. And some things are explainable in other ways; e.g., holding a phaser one-handed doesn't seem like such a big deal when it doesn't need to be aimed as carefully as a projectile weapon, since it's a beam weapon.
On the other hand, things like CRT monitors seem unlikely ever to become practical again, much less popular, and do stick out a bit. The same goes for quasi-diegetic or non-diegetic aspects of the storytelling, like the jokey episode "tags" in TOS or the mood music or the FX technology. Ultimately, though, I don't think any of these interfere with the watchability of something that's otherwise quality programming.
Lots and lots of things cycle in and out of fashion, and probably will in the future, from hairstyles to clothing styles even to things like paper photographs and attitudes about gender. And some things are explainable in other ways; e.g., holding a phaser one-handed doesn't seem like such a big deal when it doesn't need to be aimed as carefully as a projectile weapon, since it's a beam weapon.
On the other hand, things like CRT monitors seem unlikely ever to become practical again, much less popular, and do stick out a bit. The same goes for quasi-diegetic or non-diegetic aspects of the storytelling, like the jokey episode "tags" in TOS or the mood music or the FX technology. Ultimately, though, I don't think any of these interfere with the watchability of something that's otherwise quality programming.
So in a nutshell, you're saying most of the good Trek looks dated, but most of the mediocre Trek since then still looks contemporary?
So in a nutshell, you're saying most of the good Trek looks dated, but most of the mediocre Trek since then still looks contemporary?
You know me too well. That's exactly what I'm saying.
Doesn't really matter to me because I'll be dead. Unless they can "ira graves" me to Alpha Centauri.
Similar threads
