Random Thoughts XII - Floccinaucinihilipilification

[Valka D'Ur]

Many shows make boasts that they use various consultants for their shows - medical consultants, legal consultants, science consultants, research firms (the original Star Trek used a research company, and Isaac Asimov was a consultant for The Motion Picture, for instance), and so on.

But just because they hire consultants, it doesn't mean they're obligated to listen to them, if it's cheaper/more "dramatic" story if they don't. And sometimes the consultant is a fake, which is why the character of Chakotay turned out to be a boring mishmash of native American stereotypes that made no sense to people among the viewing audience who know this stuff, that not all native people have the same traditions and worldviews. Turns out the "expert" the Star Trek Voyager showrunner hired was a fake who was scamming them. He wasn't even native, as he'd claimed.

 

[Takhisis]

^Wow. I never guessed that Chakotay was supposed to be a Native American™, even if a Hollywood-style one.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

^Wow. I never guessed that Chakotay was supposed to be a Native American™, even if a Hollywood-style one.

You're being sarcastic, I hope.

 

[Takhisis]

Actually, no. There are stereotypes of how non-native speakers of English use the language which simply do not apply when it's dubbed for overseas syndication because there is no such equivalent in the target language.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Actually, no. There are stereotypes of how non-native speakers of English use the language which simply do not apply when it's dubbed for overseas syndication because there is no such equivalent in the target language.

Really? So you didn't get any sense of the "A-koo-chi-moy-a... we are far from the bones of our ancestors... " sort of thing that crops up every time Chakotay wants to speak to his spirit guide being a Native American thing? Especially with the episode that spells it out with the Rubber Tree People and Chakotay's tattoo? Not to mention the dream catcher?

The show could never decide if Chakotay was Navajo/Hopi, Great Plains, Mesoamerican, or from somewhere in South America. They dropped in bits and pieces from nearly all of it. About the only stereotypes they didn't do were blood sacrifices, igloos, powwow dancing, and potlatches.

 

[Sarin]

Really? So you didn't get any sense of the "A-koo-chi-moy-a... we are far from the bones of our ancestors... " sort of thing that crops up every time Chakotay wants to speak to his spirit guide being a Native American thing? Especially with the episode that spells it out with the Rubber Tree People and Chakotay's tattoo? Not to mention the dream catcher?

The show could never decide if Chakotay was Navajo/Hopi, Great Plains, Mesoamerican, or from somewhere in South America. They dropped in bits and pieces from nearly all of it. About the only stereotypes they didn't do were blood sacrifices, igloos, powwow dancing, and potlatches.

I guess I missed the episode where he scalped someone then...

 

[Takhisis]

Really? So you didn't get any sense of the "A-koo-chi-moy-a... we are far from the bones of our ancestors... " sort of thing that crops up every time Chakotay wants to speak to his spirit guide being a Native American thing? Especially with the episode that spells it out with the Rubber Tree People and Chakotay's tattoo? Not to mention the dream catcher?

The show could never decide if Chakotay was Navajo/Hopi, Great Plains, Mesoamerican, or from somewhere in South America. They dropped in bits and pieces from nearly all of it. About the only stereotypes they didn't do were blood sacrifices, igloos, powwow dancing, and potlatches.

As I said, it's a stereotype that doesn't exist in the target language or culture.

That's one of the things with Star Trek, namely, that it's USA worldview IN SPACE! and for us notAmericans there's a lot of ‘what?’ moments.

Take, for example, Get Smart, which had half of its gags reinvented, which actually meant the series stayed funny. The original Max never had an aunt in Acapulco.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I guess I missed the episode where he scalped someone then...

Sorry for not thinking of that. I suppose you could stretch "blood sacrifices" to include it, as blood was involved and most of the incidents of it happening left the victim dead.

As I said, it's a stereotype that doesn't exist in the target language or culture.

That's one of the things with Star Trek, namely, that it's USA worldview IN SPACE! and for us notAmericans there's a lot of ‘what?’ moments.

Take, for example, Get Smart, which had half of its gags reinvented, which actually meant the series stayed funny. The original Max never had an aunt in Acapulco.

There are a lot of "WTH" moments for Canadians, too, when it comes to American TV shows.

Heh, I remember that one of the games some of us played during recess at school was Get Smart. Of course I had to play 99... which was okay as I wasn't the one who had to take their shoe off to pretend to use it as a phone.

I have no idea why it would be funny to have an aunt in Acapulco.

 

[Takhisis]

There are a lot of "WTH" moments for Canadians, too, when it comes to American TV shows.

Probably there are, but still they'll be an order of magnitude less obvious, including visual puns, names, etc.

Heh, I remember that one of the games some of us played during recess at school was Get Smart. Of course I had to play 99... which was okay as I wasn't the one who had to take their shoe off to pretend to use it as a phone.

I have no idea why it would be funny to have an aunt in Acapulco.

You'd have to go through the entire script to find out why.

 

[Kyriakos]

I need to live for 1000 years. Or at least look 18 forever.
Otherwise, there is no time to do anything in this pitiful planet.

 

[Arakhor]

Taking up smoking is a great way to look older than you are.

 

[Kyriakos]

Taking up smoking is a great way to look older than you are.

Eh, smoking doesn't help with anything, and I'd love to quit.
That said, looking younger is primarily about genetics; people can never smoke and still look older than they are.

 

[EvaDK]

Why do we dream?

It's likely a consequence of having a brain, a (sub-) consciousness and cognitive capabilities, but that tells me how at best, not why.

 

[Kyriakos]

Why do we dream?

It's likely a consequence of having a brain, a (sub-) consciousness and cognitive capabilities, but that tells me how at best, not why.

Even the deepest ocean can't hold fish permanently away from the surface

 

[Takhisis]

Even the deepest ocean can't hold fish permanently away from the surface

What is this even supposed to mean?

Truly 'tis a randoum thought.

 

[Sarin]

Even the deepest ocean can't hold fish permanently away from the surface

Have you seen what happens to the deep ocean fish when you take them to the surface? It's not a pretty sight....

 

[danjuno]

What is toast? As in, what is toast really?

 

[Takhisis]

What is toast? As in, what is toast really?

It's what happens when you toast something.

 

[bernie14]

Why do we dream?

It's likely a consequence of having a brain, a (sub-) consciousness and cognitive capabilities, but that tells me how at best, not why.

Defragging, so the theory goes

 

[Takhisis]

Random thought: how did my father manage to make spoon-proof bread pudding? So far we have been unable to replicate the procedure or its results, and I am not sure whether that's a rant or a rave so it's a thought.