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Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(135,697 posts)
Sun May 15, 2022, 12:11 PM May 2022

Fox News Calls Star Trek Woke, DS9 Writer Calls Them "Morons"

Star Trek literally quoted Marx in the 1990s, but some commentators are only just cottoning on to the fact that it's kinda woke. Following the release of the latest series, Strange New Worlds, Fox News decided to run an opinion piece titled "Star Trek writers take Starship Enterprise where it's never gone before—woke politics".

Unfortunately for Fox, this was spotted by Robert Hewitt Wolfe, a writer from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - which according to the piece, wasn't woke. Wolfe's response is short and sweet, letting it be known what older Trek writers think of this new wave of criticism: "You’re a moron".

Emphasising his point, Wolfe also responded with a GIF from the legendary DS9 episode, Bar Association. "Workers of the world unite", says Rom, as he unionizes the crew of Quark's Bar. "You have nothing to lose but your chains". Wolfe also shares that while he's a social democrat, he just had to "quote Marx to eff with the bootlickers."




In case Fox News needed a reminder, Star Trek fans have also pitched in, sharing other moments from the series that could be interpreted as political. This includes O'Brien's support of unions, and even an episode back from its original 1960s run that tackled racism. Fans also highlight the 1968 kiss between Kirk and Uhura, which the actors had to fight for due to attempts to censor it.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/fox-news-calls-star-trek-woke-ds9-writer-calls-them-morons/ar-AAXipfb
48 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Fox News Calls Star Trek Woke, DS9 Writer Calls Them "Morons" (Original Post) Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin May 2022 OP
the war between the white/black versus the black/white lapfog_1 May 2022 #1
Yes, Frank Gorshin played both parts Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin May 2022 #2
No, Lou Antonio was the other alien misanthrope May 2022 #12
They can't get it through their heads. Star Trek is popular because liberal ideals are popular Walleye May 2022 #3
There was also "A Private Little War" misanthrope May 2022 #4
IT LITERALLY WAS THE VERY FIRST WOKE SHOW ON TV Hugh_Lebowski May 2022 #5
+1,000,000 highplainsdem May 2022 #6
Spot on! Auggie May 2022 #9
Concur on all points misanthrope May 2022 #10
It's not like I'm against people making films/shows in this way Hugh_Lebowski May 2022 #15
I loved "Don't Look Up", robbob May 2022 #45
Yeah, those were spot on parodies misanthrope May 2022 #47
I liked it, didn't think it was crap ... but at the end was like ... Hugh_Lebowski May 2022 #48
A Prime Example from Season 1 of TOS Best_man23 May 2022 #25
Perfect! That was a more blatant moment, but the underlying thread to damn near every show Hugh_Lebowski May 2022 #26
+1, uponit7771 May 2022 #44
I've argued this with conservatives before. It's amazing how they can filter out ST's progressivism. Gidney N Cloyd May 2022 #7
In the new Star Trek: Strange New Worlds series ymetca May 2022 #8
Beg to differ on Jan. 6 footage misanthrope May 2022 #11
Well, yeah it was a very brief montage ymetca May 2022 #18
This message was self-deleted by its author AllaN01Bear May 2022 #13
Could be Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin May 2022 #14
hehe. AllaN01Bear May 2022 #16
And the children shall lead Norbert May 2022 #17
i thought mash was ,, AllaN01Bear May 2022 #19
Was ... what? (nt) Hugh_Lebowski May 2022 #28
M*A*S*H was years after Star Trek. 1972 - 1983. highplainsdem May 2022 #30
Or as twitter says... mainer May 2022 #20
That's rich, considering that Fox considers themselves to be entertainment. cloudbase May 2022 #21
love calvin and hobbs. AllaN01Bear May 2022 #35
Fake (opps, Fox) News goes where no one else goes, and comes up w/ the most asinine conclusion SWBTATTReg May 2022 #22
The ReTHUDs and Their other RW Allie's have to seize all institutions including the cultural ones malaise May 2022 #23
Not in Ep. 1 anyway. It's pretty good. gulliver May 2022 #24
Reminds me of a shared Tweet I read several years ago. Aristus May 2022 #27
ST:SNW. Rightwingers flooding the reviews with "Woke" for 2 primary reasons: Female ratio on bridge Demovictory9 May 2022 #29
The cognitive dissonance in these comments, misanthrope May 2022 #34
every new TV show/movie ...significant ratio of reviews are based on hetero white male ratio Demovictory9 May 2022 #37
After catching up on the Star Trek Discovery series ymetca May 2022 #38
i was just telling a DUer yesterday to watch Bar Association LOL Takket May 2022 #31
Hey, Fox guy? Remember in 90's when they made an entire (beloved) movie where the hunting of whales Hugh_Lebowski May 2022 #32
Star Trek has always been woke Leith May 2022 #33
This message was self-deleted by its author AllaN01Bear May 2022 #36
To put Fox News even in the same sentence as Star Trek hamsterjill May 2022 #39
Just to play Devil's advocate misanthrope May 2022 #42
Whatever... hamsterjill May 2022 #43
Thank you! Hope you're having a great Sunday as well! misanthrope May 2022 #46
Fox News: The reason why we can't have nice things. Initech May 2022 #40
i removed one of my earlier posts as i didnt understand and had to re re read the post. AllaN01Bear May 2022 #41

lapfog_1

(31,904 posts)
1. the war between the white/black versus the black/white
Sun May 15, 2022, 12:14 PM
May 2022

pointed out the futility and absolute nonsense of racism. And how far gone racists really are.

This in the original series.

misanthrope

(9,495 posts)
4. There was also "A Private Little War"
Sun May 15, 2022, 12:18 PM
May 2022

which was a cloaked critique of the Vietnam War. Not to mention its general side-eye at capitalism.

 

Hugh_Lebowski

(33,643 posts)
5. IT LITERALLY WAS THE VERY FIRST WOKE SHOW ON TV
Sun May 15, 2022, 12:22 PM
May 2022

Which occurred in 1966.

It's ALWAYS been WOKE, since Day 1, and everyone with at least 1/2 a brain knows this, you fucking moron.

As an aside, I think watching every episode (syndicated) as a 8-10 year old is a not inconsiderable aspect of why I'm a liberal adult.

This being said, TOS handles its wokeness in fairly subtle and brilliant ways, whereas I often don't like when shows are too heavy-handed with the subject. Like the movie Avatar bugged me because it's just a bit too on-the-nose for my personal tastes.

So while it might a legit criticism of the new series (don't know haven't seen it) that its too heavy-handed, to suggest that ST as a franchise has not always been woke ... is a joke.

misanthrope

(9,495 posts)
10. Concur on all points
Sun May 15, 2022, 12:34 PM
May 2022

The heavy-handedness was why I thought the adulation for "Don't Look Up" was over-the-top.

 

Hugh_Lebowski

(33,643 posts)
15. It's not like I'm against people making films/shows in this way
Sun May 15, 2022, 12:49 PM
May 2022

And I think it serves a useful purpose overall, but ... from a style point of view, I appreciate it most when the ideas dear to my heart are presented in fairly subtle and creative ways.

The sorts of ways that a viewer has to be thoughtful to 'figure out' I suppose one might say.

Off the top of my head, the show Downton Abbey was a really good example of this general principle in action.

Agree on Don't Look Up, btw

robbob

(3,750 posts)
45. I loved "Don't Look Up",
Sun May 15, 2022, 07:01 PM
May 2022

But it is satire, and satire can often be a bit heavy handed. Like the “infotainment” show hosts who laugh and joke their way through the segment about a meteorite on a collision path to destroy the earth. It’s actually a reason I’m not a fan of pure satire, but I found DLU to be entertaining and pretty on the money with the targets they satirized.

misanthrope

(9,495 posts)
47. Yeah, those were spot on parodies
Sun May 15, 2022, 07:07 PM
May 2022

Showed why I've never had the stomach for that kind of "infotainment" dreck the networks use to hypnotize the masses. My wife watches that stuff. I prefer not to waste the winnowing seconds of my life on it.

 

Hugh_Lebowski

(33,643 posts)
48. I liked it, didn't think it was crap ... but at the end was like ...
Mon May 16, 2022, 03:57 PM
May 2022

That really could've been great ... but it wasn't.

The overly-obvious nature of the allegory(?) was a big part of that.

 

Hugh_Lebowski

(33,643 posts)
26. Perfect! That was a more blatant moment, but the underlying thread to damn near every show
Sun May 15, 2022, 03:45 PM
May 2022

was some form or another of 'wokeness', albeit on a more subtle basis.

Of course, if a MAGAt liked the show, they almost surely thought the Prime Directive was an analogy for State's Rights, so ... can't really count on them to figure shit out on their own

Gidney N Cloyd

(19,847 posts)
7. I've argued this with conservatives before. It's amazing how they can filter out ST's progressivism.
Sun May 15, 2022, 12:28 PM
May 2022

The can never back up their position and the goal posts start moving all over the stadium.

ymetca

(1,182 posts)
8. In the new Star Trek: Strange New Worlds series
Sun May 15, 2022, 12:31 PM
May 2022

1st episode, Captain Pike convinces a warring planet to back the eff off from the brink of total destruction by showing video clips of how Planet Earth citizens almost destroyed themselves, and in the video is a brief clip showing the Jan. 6 insurrection, implying that's when the downfall started.

Immediately upon watching that episode I thought, "Oh, I bet Faux News will gnash teeth on that one!" Yep. Right on queue.

"Wokeness" as somehow evil is drippingly Orwellian. (What, we should all just go back to sleep?)

But the irony is lost over in Murdoch Land.

misanthrope

(9,495 posts)
11. Beg to differ on Jan. 6 footage
Sun May 15, 2022, 12:40 PM
May 2022

I didn't get the impression show runners implied the insurrection was a "starting point," but rather a symptom of the growing discontent and discord. In that context, I don't know how right-wingers could disagree that inflammatory emotions were at play.

Those who took issue with the insurrection footage being employed aren't viewing the scene and listening to the dialogue objectively.

ymetca

(1,182 posts)
18. Well, yeah it was a very brief montage
Sun May 15, 2022, 12:59 PM
May 2022

and kinda nebulous, just included in it. So "this is what started it all" is probably an over-interpretation on my part. Not that clear, now that you point it out. Probably by design.

But it stood out for me, since the "future history" mentioned a 2nd Civil War, a 3rd World War, and so on, which we'd certainly like to prevent.

Yeah, now that you mention it, you might pick something else out of that montage and find blame elsewhere. But you're right, the overall message was to hash out differences peacefully between the warring factions, else you make the mistakes we once did.

Still..

Response to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Norbert

(7,762 posts)
17. And the children shall lead
Sun May 15, 2022, 12:57 PM
May 2022

Where Melvin Belli played a very tRumpian Gorgan wanting the kids to 'destroy'.

cloudbase

(6,270 posts)
21. That's rich, considering that Fox considers themselves to be entertainment.
Sun May 15, 2022, 01:14 PM
May 2022

Not very self aware, are they?

SWBTATTReg

(26,257 posts)
22. Fake (opps, Fox) News goes where no one else goes, and comes up w/ the most asinine conclusion
Sun May 15, 2022, 01:23 PM
May 2022

(as usual). Stupid and ignorant as usual, Fox News.

At least when I want to get a laugh, I turn the tV onto Fox/Fake news (in truth, I really don't turn on Fox, they are a joke), they always have the most stupidest things that a human being (or anyone calling themselves human) on.

malaise

(296,081 posts)
23. The ReTHUDs and Their other RW Allie's have to seize all institutions including the cultural ones
Sun May 15, 2022, 01:31 PM
May 2022

If they are to achieve hegemony.
Dems and theirnallies need to take this shit way more seriously.

gulliver

(13,985 posts)
24. Not in Ep. 1 anyway. It's pretty good.
Sun May 15, 2022, 01:48 PM
May 2022

Humor. Check.
Screw General Order 1. Check. Rename it the Prime Directive for political reasons. Check.
Pike flirts in elevator with cute alien. Check.
Spock. Too routinely emotional. Spock's supposed to be completely unemotional and then gets emotional anyway.
Pike. Charismatic. Check.
Windmills. Why would there still be windmills when we've gone beyond fusion? Weird future aesthetic?
Including Jan. 6 insurrection scenes as evidence for the civil wars that lead to WW III. Unnecessarily provocative. Too soon.

Casting. Is this what bothered Fox News? They should explain what's woke. I saw a lot of healthy, young, beautiful people, so that's not exactly reflective of the general population. I think I've seen that in other entertainment too, though, occasionally.

Aristus

(72,178 posts)
27. Reminds me of a shared Tweet I read several years ago.
Sun May 15, 2022, 03:47 PM
May 2022

Some right-wing hose-head who complained about an adaptation he had seen of the novel "Frankenstein".

He was like "Them SJW's is tryinna make the monster out to be a misunderstood hero, and the doctor into the villain!"

Everyone on Twitter who can actually read replied: "THAT WAS THE ENTIRE POINT OF THE ORIGINAL STORY!"

Demovictory9

(37,113 posts)
29. ST:SNW. Rightwingers flooding the reviews with "Woke" for 2 primary reasons: Female ratio on bridge
Sun May 15, 2022, 04:00 PM
May 2022

scene where Captain Pike is lecturing newly tech world - scenes of J6 flash by, then WWIII... some take that as implying that J6 lead to WWIII.

More of the "woke" criticism is aimed at Bridge ratio... command staff/bridge staff is dominated by women/POC

Captain, Spock, science officer are white males. Uhura, both pilots, ships doctor and nurse, number 1 are POC and/or women. this is making their heads explode.

--------------------

sample reviews (anti women reviews, there are lots of pro diversity reviews you can read at the site)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B09TGZT41R/ref=atv_hm_hom_1_c_lZOsi7_2_1


Mark Twain
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2022
woke sexist hate.
Full female crew, hate white man etc etc
163 people found this helpful


Noone
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2022
Women are tiring me out
WHY is the bridge filled with nothing but women? The fact that one is a lesbian is not helpful. I don't mind that she's a lesbian, but I do mind that there is nothing but women, with FORTUNATELY the exceptions of the Captain and Spock. I'm a woman, but I'm sick and tired of watching every role being changed so a woman can play it. Woke crap. Sorry.... like men a lot better - any race or species. TOS and TNG had a much better mix. I started losing interest in Star Trek beginning with Captain Janeway. and continuing with Discovery. But I love the new movies and their crew very much!! It's not like women aren't as capable as men, they just aren't as interesting on-screen IMHO.


C.O.
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2022
Horrible
Where does one start with this. Windmills in Montana (showing off "Green Engergy&quot , to the whiny and I am scared performance for Anson Mount as Captain Pike (shadow of the character he portrayed in Discovery) to the "human" Spock, to the I am so tough acting Number One, to the what happened to our world performance, again, by Pike. This series appears like it is going to follow the whiny, woke and we are just so much better people now route, that I can say for sure, Star Trek is dead.I had high hopes for this show, was really looking forward to Anson Mounts portrayal as Captain Pike (he was great on Discovery), but here he is, a big disappointing mess. Paramount should have reviewed how Vulcans have been portrayed in every Star Trek ever, instead of creating this "human" version of him. Nurse Chapel, seriously? Could you have at least one character that was a decent performer? Same goes with Uhura. And what is it with all these females on the bridge. As a female myself, I am so sick and tired of seeing every possible male role written now for females. Yes, we women are quite capable of filling many roles, but this woke crap has got to stop. There is nothing wrong with white males. They are not evil and toxic as the left would have you believe. At least on any other Star Trek franchise, with the exception of woke Discovery, you had a great mix of characters, male and female. Since Discovery, everything has become way to woke. And please, for the love of God, quit bringing sex into the shows. We don't care that somewhat is gay, straight, trans, whatever you want to be. This does not belong into a Star Trek Series. This should be about the discovery of strange new worlds and civilizations and not your personal sex life.
Congratulations Paramount, you have taken an great opportunity and completely trashed it.
145 people found this helpful
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Fire all casting directors & writers
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2022
Which episode do they teach pronoun usage?
More woke feminist alphabet soup... Star Wars is winning!
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Demovictory9

(37,113 posts)
37. every new TV show/movie ...significant ratio of reviews are based on hetero white male ratio
Sun May 15, 2022, 05:07 PM
May 2022

if hetero white male ratio is low, they rip into the show and hope is craters.

ymetca

(1,182 posts)
38. After catching up on the Star Trek Discovery series
Sun May 15, 2022, 05:13 PM
May 2022

I found myself at first puzzled by the often quite sophisticated emotional relationships between the various characters. Then I realized, well, yeah, sure, of course we should expect people in the future to be not only much more technologically advanced, but emotionally advanced as well. It's a quite sensible update to the franchise.


Takket

(23,714 posts)
31. i was just telling a DUer yesterday to watch Bar Association LOL
Sun May 15, 2022, 04:03 PM
May 2022

Really all of DS9 is fantastic, but that was a great pro-union episode.

Thank you Mr Wolfe!!!!!

 

Hugh_Lebowski

(33,643 posts)
32. Hey, Fox guy? Remember in 90's when they made an entire (beloved) movie where the hunting of whales
Sun May 15, 2022, 04:08 PM
May 2022

to the point of extinction was to be the DIRECT cause of Planet Earth being destroyed, and the crew had to go back in time to gather up some whales before they were wiped out and bring them back to the future?

That didn't clue you in at all as to the franchise's 'politics'?

Leith

(7,864 posts)
33. Star Trek has always been woke
Sun May 15, 2022, 04:09 PM
May 2022

About race, wars (direct and proxy), religion, sex - and that's just the original series.

The Next Generation had men wearing miniskirts in the first couple of episodes. The first season faltered a bit ( Code of Honor - REALLY? ), but the got a bit better after that. They touched on racism, definition of life, terrorism, and other topics I haven't thought of yet. Not perfect, but better.

Voyager had the first woman as a captain for the whole series, with women in positions of power and knowledge without blinking an eye.

As for Deep Space 9: a single black man raising his son, openly discussing race, worker rights, wars against fascists and dominionists, women in positions of power and knowledge (again without blinking an eye), the evils of unchecked capitalism, terrorism, cultural differences, and several more things I haven't thought of yet.

How does Star Trek being woke come as a surprise? THERE! ARE! FOUR! LIGHTS! futher-muckers.

Response to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

hamsterjill

(17,576 posts)
39. To put Fox News even in the same sentence as Star Trek
Sun May 15, 2022, 05:22 PM
May 2022

Is complete sacrilege. Roddenberry was a genius who saw the potential in humanity if we overcome the crappy shit that Fox News peddles. Those assholes have no right to even invoke the name “Star Trek”!

misanthrope

(9,495 posts)
42. Just to play Devil's advocate
Sun May 15, 2022, 06:12 PM
May 2022

Roddenberry was also a womanizing, pill-popping hypocrite at times. He even violated many of the guidelines he set out for the show's writing whenever it pleased him. Not to say I don't appreciate what he did, but I think it's also good to dial back our adulation periodically.

And what our species is trying to overcome isn't just bad propaganda from certain media entities. It is our very nature that drives us to self-destruction. Leading an evidence-based, rational and egalitarian life is exceedingly difficult because it goes against our hard wiring. It takes constant vigilance and never subsides.

misanthrope

(9,495 posts)
46. Thank you! Hope you're having a great Sunday as well!
Sun May 15, 2022, 07:04 PM
May 2022

If you're a fan of the original series, you might enjoy this series of books:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H2RPG8U/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

There is one for each of the seasons. They are packed with all manner of minutiae which illustrate the difficulties of show business and the elaborate coordination it took to get those episodes on the air. Good reading for both franchise fans and fans of show business in general.

AllaN01Bear

(29,485 posts)
41. i removed one of my earlier posts as i didnt understand and had to re re read the post.
Sun May 15, 2022, 05:44 PM
May 2022

fox was not calling us trek fans marooons but rather one of the shows writers called fox moranns .

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