Why do they call her "Mister" Saavik?
- Thread starter Da'an
- Start date
Military 'style' hold over maybe?
Naval tradition.
I was wondering about that, too.
How was this handled in TNG, DS9, VOY? They called everyone Mr. Riker, Mr. Data, Mr. LaForge, but I can't remember them calling the women Ms. Crusher, Ms. Troi...
How was this handled in TNG, DS9, VOY? They called everyone Mr. Riker, Mr. Data, Mr. LaForge, but I can't remember them calling the women Ms. Crusher, Ms. Troi...
"You have the bridge... Mr. Troi." 
The original character was Dr Savik, a young male Vulcan scientist. So he'd have been referred to as "Doctor", not "Mister". In any case, he was only a character in a script treatment, not a full script.
The only other reference to addressing female officers to date had been Spock once calling Uhura "Miss" in TOS.
Saavik is called "Mister" to catch our attention, to make us wonder why a Vulcan female trainee officer would be called "Mister", is it something unique to her character, or is this was some new (or old) naval parlance being used. Sometimes directors do things to make us think. Definitive answers aren't offered or necessary.
Yeah, but I thought that was always done out of mockery (possibly affectionate, maybe not). Like I can recall at least one occasion on TNG where Picard said, "yes, sir!" to a higher ranked female officer to either sheepishly convey that he didn't actually agree with her but would go along just because he had to, or because he was simply being playful.
That's why every time I hear someone in Star Trek call a woman "Mr.", I assume it's like an inside joke, but since Saavik was generally played as a serious character that the crew respected and wouldn't be likely to kid, I was never sure about if her being called "Mr." was a joke or not.
Winner!
In Caretaker, Janeway even mentioned that it is protocal to call female officers "sir."
Okay, I wouldn't know about that because I hardly watched Voyager, but that reminds me of something I wanted to ask that somewhat relates to this thread's question: Did anyone ever call Janeway m'am?
Not possible, since that's not even part of Naval tradition.
Female Junior Officers are referred to as "Miss <Insert Surname Here>" or "Ma'am".
Kim was allowed to but only during crunch time. She didn't like it but with so much shit hitting the fan, Harry accidentally calling her "Mum" would be a low priority.
Starfleet tradition. The role, not the gender.
This is more like it, IMHO. I think it also has something to do with gender equality.
Not quite. Unless by NCOs and sailors or informally (i.e. conversations, inside an office, etc...)
In the US Navy the rank of an officer determines how they may be addressed in certain situations - Ensigns, Lieutenants (and JG Lts) may be addressed as "Mister -----", regardless of gender. Recognition of the rank earned, the role and not the gender.
Lt. Commanders and Commanders may be addressed as Commander, or if they are in command of a vessel, as Captain (not as rank but as role on the ship - some submarines are 'Captained' by individuals with the rank of 'Commander').
Captains are Captains, unless they are Commodores (in charge of a task force of ships). Although that is mostly done by one star rear admirals today as the US Navy has eliminated the rank of Commodore creating one star and two star rear admirals. For instance an aircraft carrier group will have a Captain of the aircraft carrier but the carrier group is typically run by a rear admiral (one star)
All admirals, regardless of the number of stars, are typically addressed conversationally as 'Admiral'.
At least that is the way it was when I left the Navy in 1992.
That's news to me. That certainly was NOT the accepted practice from 1993 to 1999, when I was in the Navy.
EM1, USS Nimitz, Reactor/RE Div.
Stag said:
I'm sure the others who weren't in the Navy are happy to have this as review.
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