Dumb People in Hollywood: Film at eleven

[thebitterguy]

In the spirit of Victor Von Doom, BSc,I bring you another Big Hole Poked in Fantasy!

Okay, this time it's Star Trek. The REAL Trek (shame that really cool trailer's gone, I would have linked to it), the Original Series. Specifically, Space Seed.

Anyway, Kirk and Crew have found the Botany Bay, and are defrosting the worst group of terrorists and dictators know to history. Good idea, Jimmy.

Anyway, at one point, Lt. McGivers ganders at the swiftly warming Khan Noonien Singh and exclaims in a voice tinged with lust and historical curiosity "He's a Sikh! They're terrific warriors!"

Now, that's all and good. Unless you posses more knowledge of world religions than, oh, the average fetus. In which case, you might be somewhat familiar with some of the basic principles of Sikhism. Such as the unshorn hair. Or the turban.

Or the fact that he looks NOTHING, in fact, like an actual Sikh would look like. Apparently, Ships Historian in the federation is a political appointment. Either that, or she just read his name plate and saw the name "Singh", which is also one of the guidelines. But if she saw his name, why wouldn't she, the Ship's Historian, recognize KNS as, you know, a Eugenic Superbeing with balls of iron?

So, in summation: Ship's Historians are stupid, and Hollywood writers are also stupid. Put them together, and you have a perfect singularity of dumbness.

Comments

[anidada.livejournal.com]

I always wondered about that, myself...

[etherlad.livejournal.com]

I agree on the stupidity of the premise.

The Khan novel trilogy by Greg Cox retcons this nicely, though. Khan starts off with a full beard and unshorn hair, up until his late teens. Then he decides that as a genetically-enhanced superbeing, the rules don't apply to him. So he shaves everything off, lets his hair flow free, and so on. I thought it was a good excuse.

[thebitterguy]

Sure, for Khan. Still doesn't put McGIvers off the hook.

[skaiser.livejournal.com]

Maybe he had a futuristic turban that you just could not percieve with your 20th century eyes! As well, naturally, as a futuristic beard. Just like the one Kirk has.

[gurudata.livejournal.com]

Hiho,

So she didn't say "He's very chic!"?

Cu,
Andrew

[madmanofprague.livejournal.com]

You see, there were two applicants for that position on the Enterprise. One was a large burly Andorian named Zoombar the Ugly, who had an acute understanding of the history of Andor, Earth, Vulcan, Etc etc etc. The other was a blonde.

What Would Kirk Do?

[thebitterguy]

You sure you don't mean WHO would Kirk do?

[madmanofprague.livejournal.com]

...yes ¬_¬

[rfmcdpei.livejournal.com]

Gack. Maybe the Sikhs dropped the turban and unshorn hair early in the 21st century?

[maliszew.livejournal.com]

Makes sense. Every other human religion seems to have disappeared or otherwise joined the great Hollywood ecumenical movement in Star Trek. Why should the Sikhs hold out?

[rfmcdpei.livejournal.com]

The Sikhs don't seem to be as many (or only) a religious group as an ethnic group.

[maliszew.livejournal.com]

You lost me there. Did you mean that a lot people don't see Sikhs as a religion but as an ethnicity and that might explain why Trek did what it did?

[rfmcdpei.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the lack of clarity. What I should have said is that ethnic groups generally have traits apart from religion. It's possible to imagine secular Jews, for instance, but secular Baptists (say) works only in the most rarified sense.

[maliszew.livejournal.com]

Ah, gotcha. Makes sense now.

[thebitterguy]

Well, then, why would she think he was a Sikh? "Oh, he's south Asian, although he's played by a hispanic actor! They make GREAT curry burritos!"

Curry Burritos??

[terminal-pariah.livejournal.com]

Taco Bell made a serious omission in their value menu! We'll start a letter writing campaign!

Re: Curry Burritos??

[thebitterguy]

Well, technically they'd be Roti, but yeah, taco bell should get on it.

[eyebeams.livejournal.com]

Well, to be fair, there are non-Khalsa Sikhs (though Khalsa Sikhs generally believe that all Sikhs ought to become members of the Khalsa) out there. However, you wouldn't talk about the warrior ethos of non-Khalsas in the first place, so it's still wacky. Plus, I feel bad for all those skinny, geeky Khalsa kids I went to school with who are expected to be the badass posthuman superbeings of the future!

[thebitterguy]

Remember, the Eugenics wars took place during the 1990s. They're the ones who are gonna ahve to pick up the pieces afterwards.