What I want to know is why they didn't simply change the character's nationality to English. Why was it so important that the captain be French even with an English actor?
Why British actor for French-descened captain?
- Thread starter plynch
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Why does a dog lick his balls? 
No particular reason to change it, no particular reason not to change it. Picard was created as French. Patrick Stewart is English. I don't see the conflict here.
Why they didn't change the place of birth of Riker from Alaska to Frakes's Pennsylvania? Why is Kirk from Iowa while Shatner is Canadian? And so on.
The only reason people focus on Picard is the silly notion that all French people should talk like in English like Marcel Marceau.
If it doesn't matter if an actor's accent doesn't match the character's nationality, then it would've been fine if James Doohan had used his normal Canadian accent playing Scotty. That difference, and the one between English and French accents, is a lot bigger than the difference between generic American/Canadian accents.No particular reason to change it, no particular reason not to change it. Picard was created as French. Patrick Stewart is English. I don't see the conflict here.
Why they didn't change the place of birth of Riker from Alaska to Frakes's Pennsylvania? Why is Kirk from Iowa while Shatner is Canadian? And so on.
The only reason people focus on Picard is the silly notion that all French people should talk like in English like Marcel Marceau.
My point is that I think that, even if one accepted the idea that Picard learned English with an English accent, making the character English instead of French would've made the character's backstory more natural. Would Trip Tucker's Southern background have been as natural for the character if Connor Trinneer had used his normal voice?
I can see your point, but the difference is that, while Scottish and Canadian are both accents of the English language, French is not. There is a Scottish English, a Canadian English, a British English (actually, it's Received Pronunciation, but you know what I mean), but there is no French English. The only way for Picard to speak English with a French accent, would be for him to speak bad English, mispronouncing words and using different sounds. And that would sound silly. Picard speaking British English gives you a strong sense that he is European, Picard saying "Ah hem capitain Picard ov de stawship Henterprise" would be improper (funny, but improper
) I don't see the need, but I know some people agree with you, so I think it's just a matter of personal preference.
Now you are using the opposite argument. Given that you wanted to make Picard an Englishman due to his accent, now you should ask: "Why didn't they change Trip's place of birth given that Connor Trinneer is not from Florida?"
I don't think that Picard's French accent would have to be broad or cartoony in order to be effective. The original casting call said that about Picard(then called "Julien"): "Born in Paris, his Gallic accent appears when deep emotions are triggered.The only way for Picard to speak English with a French accent, would be for him to speak bad English, mispronouncing words and using different sounds. And that would sound silly. Picard speaking British English gives you a strong sense that he is European, Picard saying "Ah hem capitain Picard ov de stawship Henterprise" would be improper (funny, but improper
I think you've misunderstood. That question would work if Trinneer had used his normal accent, but since he used a Southern accent for the part there wasn't any incongruity regarding Trip's place of origin. There wouldn't have been any incongruity if Stewart had used a French accent; the fact that he didn't is why I said they should've made him English.
Who knows the events between today and the 24th century?
Let's just be thankful that the French had actually figured out how to create competent military commanders by then, at least.
Let's just be thankful that the French had actually figured out how to create competent military commanders by then, at least.
Except for all the people who did that when there was no England and the "English" were freezing their butts off in isolated corner of Continetal Northern Europe.
Who knows the events between today and the 24th century?
Let's just be thankful that the French had actually figured out how to create competent military commanders by then, at least.
Well, he did say "Merde!" in a couple of occasion, didn't he?
I know, Carrie, chérie. Be patient.Who knows the events between today and the 24th century?
Let's just be thankful that the French had actually figured out how to create competent military commanders by then, at least.
What do you mean? France has had lots of competent military commanders: Napoleon, Louis XIV, Jeanne D'arc, Vercingetorix, whoever was in charge in WWI, etc.Who knows the events between today and the 24th century?
Let's just be thankful that the French had actually figured out how to create competent military commanders by then, at least.
What do you mean? France has had lots of competent military commanders: Napoleon, Louis XIV, Jeanne D'arc, Vercingetorix, whoever was in charge in WWI, etc.Who knows the events between today and the 24th century?
Let's just be thankful that the French had actually figured out how to create competent military commanders by then, at least.
Within 15 minutes of the TNG pilot, the French Captain orders surrender...
What stereotype?
That the French are, in the words of Groundskeeper Willie, "cheese-eating surrender monkeys."
Where did people get that idea? I can see where people get the idea that we Dutch are greedy, Germans militaristic, and Americans fat (Even though neither of these is accurate), but this?
As Wikipedia puts it:
The "surrender" element of the phrase refers to the stereotype that the French are quick to surrender in military confrontations, and is related to the situation of France during the Second World War... This was again referenced in the episode "The Blunder Years", when Lenny (while scared) said, "I'm shaking like a French soldier!" The "Cheese eating" element relates to the well known cheese production and eating in France.
And here's an interesting bit of trivia:
In the European French-language version of that Simpsons episode, Willie's line was dubbed as "singes mangeurs de fromage" (cheese-eating monkeys) without any mention of "surrender". The line does not translate easily because "surrender" forms part of an English compound noun. The rules of French syntax do not allow such ready formation of nouns by noun stem compounding.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese-eating_surrender_monkeys
That.
This kind of thing became very popular with the Iraq war. That was also very boring, lots of unimaginative jokes
