Why the assumption that Star Trek has to be "funny"?

[Dayton3]

It seems to me that everytime we hear about a new Trek project like the current movie project that someone talks about it needing to be "funny" or have an "humor".

Why?

The only reason that would justify it would be The Voyage Home movie which had alot of humor. But this was mainly a one shot kind of deal.

I'm starting to believe that the people who produce Trek simply can't believe than any group of fans might take it seriously so everything has to be humorous and tongue in cheek.

 

[Therin of Andor]

The only reason that would justify it would be The Voyage Home movie which had alot of humor. But this was mainly a one shot kind of deal.

Huh?

TMP had numerous lines that caused hilarity, or at least knowing grins, amongst movie audiences in 1979. When the film was reviewed, most critics complained it didn't have enough light moments.

In the following years, I had opportunities to see all of TOS on the big screen, at monthly Star Trek Marathons here in Sydney. Every episode has laugh out loud moments, especially in a large audience. You don't always notice how much humour there is if you only see the episodes on your own and on the small screen.

ST II and III also have lots of light moments.

 

[Michael]

I think a good movie can be serious AND humorous at the same time. You know, just like in real life. Even some of the darkest movies have humor in it. That's just part of being a human.

 

[Kegek]

I think a good movie can be serious AND humorous at the same time. You know, just like in real life.

More importantly, great art has it, like Shakespearean plays and Greek tragedies.

Anyway, I'm fine with more or less the whole spectrum of light and dark in Trek, so long as I'm satisfied with the results.

 

[Michael]

I think a good movie can be serious AND humorous at the same time. You know, just like in real life.

More importantly, great art has it, like Shakespearean plays and Greek tragedies.

Anyway, I'm fine with more or less the whole spectrum of light and dark in Trek, so long as I'm satisfied with the results.

Well put.

I also want to add that humor may be one of the most important things in ALL art forms.

 

[Sector 7]

The only reason that would justify it would be The Voyage Home movie which had alot of humor. But this was mainly a one shot kind of deal.

Huh?

TMP had numerous lines that caused hilarity, or at least knowing grins, amongst movie audiences in 1979. When the film was reviewed, most critics complained it didn't have enough light moments.

In the following years, I had opportunities to see all of TOS on the big screen, at monthly Star Trek Marathons here in Sydney. Every episode has laugh out loud moments, especially in a large audience. You don't always notice how much humour there is if you only see the episodes on your own and on the small screen.

ST II and III also have lots of light moments.

WOW!! I am sooo jealous. Makes me wanna live in Sydney!
TOS has always had humor. Dayton3, perhaps ST:TVH had more humor and therefore you noticed it more?

 

[hokstein]

I just hope it has no romance.

I think a good movie can be serious AND humorous at the same time. You know, just like in real life.

More importantly, great art has it, like Shakespearean plays and Greek tragedies.

I was under the impression that greek tragedies, at least from the classic period, were supposed not to have humour. But I haven't read that many tragedies, so I may be wrong. Can you point some humour in any tragedies? (Genuine question, I'm not daring you or anything )

 

[Dayton3]

Every episode has laugh out loud moments, .

REALLYYYYYYYYYY?!?!

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "The Doomsday Machine"?

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "Arena"?

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "Obsession"?

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "The Deadly Years"?

That is 5% of the episodes just off the top of my head with no "laughable" moments.

 

[Therin of Andor]

WOW!! I am sooo jealous. Makes me wanna live in Sydney!

I only found ST fandom in January 1980, but the marathons ran in both Sydney and Melbourne from about 1976 till the early 90s. Originally six episodes (with two intermissions) on one Saturday every month, dropping to five episodes per month (plus a TAS episode) from about 1982. They drew about 80-150 people every time, and were a great source for recruiting new club members, and meeting new fan friends at intermission.

Many of us, having finally caught up on all the episodes, used to hand around in the huge foyer area instead of going in.

The guy who ran the Aussie marathons owned his own 16mm copies, many of them came from distributors in South Africa, where public television wasn't introduced until 1976!

Legally, he shouldn't have shown any Season Three or TAS (there was a contract loophole in the international royalties due for Seasons One and Two which occurred during the switch from Desilu to Paramount).

 

[Therin of Andor]

REALLYYYYYYYYYY?!?!

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "Arena"?

Umm, the Gorn?

That is 5% of the episodes just off the top of my head with no "laughable" moments.

Seen with a huge audience of fellow Aussies, we found some moments, I assure you. But even when the moments weren't slapstick funny, there was some great gentle humour between the characters, just as in ST IV.

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "The Deadly Years"?

The sequence between Sulu and Chekov where Chekov is complaining about being poked and prodded by McCoy is pretty funny.

 

[Epsilon IX]

Whilst I do like do have some humour alongside the action in Trek on occassions, I think it should be be only occassionally, otherwise you end up in the realms of Jar-Jar Binkseque humour being prevalent!

 

[erastus25]

I think the point isn't that Star Trek shouldn't have humor but that it shouldn't rely on cheap humor. For instance, subtle jokes are one thing but the "OMG DATA is swearing" or boob jokes are a little too obvious for an intelligently written drama. I am a little worried though because Transformers did seem to have a lot of that type of thing.

 

[Dayton Ward]

REALLYYYYYYYYYY?!?!

While I disagree with the notion that everything funny translates to "Laught out loud," it's worth pointing out that humor is subjective. Anyway:

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "The Doomsday Machine"?

There's some banter between Kirk and Scotty that always gets a smile out of me. "Scotty...you've just earned your pay for the week."

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "Arena"?

The dialogue between Spock and McCoy at the beginning of the episode is humorous.

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "Obsession"?

There's dialogue where Spock essentially says that he left a bad taste in the cloud creature's mouth. Bwah hah, and all that.

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "The Deadly Years"?

The previously mentioned scenes with Chekov and Sulu.

Not even sure what the point of this debate is. Humor has always played a part in Trek, from the very opening moments of the very first episode. Including humor in the storyline is not saying that everything has to be "funny" or have "laugh out loud moments," and not all of the humor's going to work for everyone who's watching. YMMV, etc.

 

[Dayton3]

I think the point isn't that Star Trek shouldn't have humor but that it shouldn't rely on cheap humor. For instance, subtle jokes are one thing but the "OMG DATA is swearing" or boob jokes are a little too obvious for an intelligently written drama. I am a little worried though because Transformers did seem to have a lot of that type of thing.

That is kind of what I'm getting at.

Kirk giving Spock a "why us" look during their efforts to capture Kor in "Errand of Mercy" is one thing.

A good thing.

Alot of the horrendous "played for laughs stuff" in most of the recent movies and alot of the recent series episodes is not a good thing.

 

[Kegek]

^
Nobody likes humour they don't consider funny, ever, Dayton3. However, the reverse is usually true as well.

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "The Deadly Years"?

The previously mentioned scenes with Chekov and Sulu.

Hell, that's easily the best scene in the episode.

(If he's Dayton3 and there's also Dayton Ward, where's the other one?)

 

[drasche]

REALLYYYYYYYYYY?!?!

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "The Doomsday Machine"?

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "Arena"?

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "Obsession"?

Where are the "laugh out loud moments" in "The Deadly Years"?

That is 5% of the episodes just off the top of my head with no "laughable" moments.

I wrote down those bits because there were short:

Spock: "Doctor, you are a sensualist."
McCoy: "You bet your pointed ears I am." (Arena)

Spock: "I need your advice."
McCoy: "Then I need a drink." (Obsession)

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I think a good movie can be serious AND humorous at the same time. You know, just like in real life.

More importantly, great art has it, like Shakespearean plays and Greek tragedies.

Anyway, I'm fine with more or less the whole spectrum of light and dark in Trek, so long as I'm satisfied with the results.

Well put.

I also want to add that humor may be one of the most important things in ALL art forms.

Humor is also difficult to pull off and it's a good test of writing & directing talent.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Humor has always played a part in Trek, from the very opening moments of the very first episode. Including humor in the storyline is not saying that everything has to be "funny" or have "laugh out loud moments," and not all of the humor's going to work for everyone who's watching.

Thanks.

As I said, I saw most of ST on the big screen in the early 80s, five episodes at a time, with paying audiences of 150 or so diehard fans who came to be entertained every month.

Plenty of LOL moments.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Spock: "Doctor, you are a sensualist."
McCoy: "You bet your pointed ears I am." (Arena)

Spock: "I need your advice."
McCoy: "Then I need a drink." (Obsession)

Golden.