"I grabbed a tribble and some chewing gum ... "

January 31, 2021 9:51 PM

"And I said, 'Bounce a graviton particle beam / off the main deflector dish / that's the way we do things, lad / we're making shit up as we wish / the Klingons and Romulans / they're both no threat to us / because if we find / we're in a bind / we just make some shit up.'" (SLYT) (lyrics analysis)
posted by metabaroque (10 comments total)

Oh, I-DIC-I-DIC-I-DIC-I-DIC-I-DIC-I-DIC-I!
posted by BiggerJ at 12:06 AM on February 1, 2021

It's Trek, Jim, and just as we know it
posted by flabdablet at 1:05 AM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Aww there goes my iron-clad trust that Trek physics make sense... Seriously though, I always thought that, especially in the Next Generation, they make a pretty good effort to keep the nonsense internally consistent. Naturally, the tachion beam in question can be rerouted! If you drive that system too hard, the crystal thingy will always first crack before it explodes killing everyone. And if you cracked it because you're just too dashing and reckless, you'll need a new one, which only exists somewhere interesting... etc. etc. I'm usually among the first to get annoyed with bullshit plot-driven physics, but for some reason, I have very few problems suspending disbelief in this case. I wonder what the internal documents look like that defined the extent of permissible ridiculousness for the writers...
posted by kleinsteradikaleminderheit at 2:10 AM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Love this. kleinsteradikaleminderheit, having watched Star Trek since I was a kid in the 70's running around in my underwear and OMG technical manuals and OMG ex Physics major and there's a story about Wesley Crusher in a Topeka Kansas Dennys at 3 am in there somewhere.... I think I so agree with the relatively admirable attempts at some sort of internal consistency... If you can hold some semblance of imaginary universe physics in your mind.
posted by zengargoyle at 2:27 AM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

That was absolutely delightful.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 3:31 AM on February 1, 2021

When Filkers Go Pro
posted by Halloween Jack at 4:34 AM on February 1, 2021

I am very impressed by the production, though I have many friendly complaints about the details.

Among the things I've learned from Disco (a show I love), one is that that making up technobable is far better than using real science words without giving a damn about what they mean. TNG's technobable made me giggle. Disco's pick-a-science-word lottery makes me feel a bit embarrassed as a viewer.

Also, Seven was a great character played by a talented actor. It's a shame the producers, writers, and fans treated her like shit. I can't actually tell whether this is calling that out as satire or buying into it. I'll assume the former.

Does anyone with better facial recognition skills then me understand if the cover art is a reference to characters we should know?
posted by eotvos at 5:04 AM on February 1, 2021

I was there for the first half or so, but then it just started talking about the female characters' relative hotness and praising the JJ Abrams nonsense that so fundamentally failed to grasp the point of Trek and I really lost my enthusiasm.

It's a pity the chorus is so catchy and apt.
posted by Scattercat at 5:05 AM on February 1, 2021 [2 favorites]

Good Lord, I remember downloading this from Voltaire's page on mp3.com back when that was a thing.
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 3:42 PM on February 1, 2021

I'm with Scattercat, loved the first half, and was preparing to share it widely while halfway through. But when they started talking about the Borg's boobs I felt excluded. It's like finding a spoonful of shit in my ice-cream. (sarcasm)Apparently Trek fandom is ONLY by and for poorly socialised males!(/sarcasm) Don't take this personally, metabaroque. It's not you, it's them.
posted by Coaticass at 3:43 PM on February 1, 2021 [2 favorites]