transedwarp
i’ve been thinking about how popular media currently processes history through several layers of the public’s preconceived notions and pop culture tradition, as well as what relevant themes the public wants to consume. we produce historical dramas that are more about the present—present desires and sensibilities, present concerns, present ideas of what history looked like—than they are about the past. and because i have brainrot at all times, i’m also thinking about star trek.
discovery makes it clear that spock is still famous in 32nd century, so it’s pretty reasonable to assume that kirk is also still famous—either through his own reputation, his association with spock, or both. given that these two historical figures have remained as legends in the public consciousness of the federation for centuries.... how many shitty “based on true events” period dramas do we think have been made? after kirk’s captain’s logs become public domain, how many space tv networks used them to make miniseries with wildly inaccurate costuming and props? how many times has a fictionalized captain kirk gone out to fight the gorn, each time with a different metaphor for whatever current event is relevant to the time it was produced? how many subplots have been manufactured for some narrative spice?
and—whoops—several decades after spock’s death, kirk and spock’s old love correspondences and information about their t’hy’la bond is made public.... after that happens, how many of those shitty period dramas are romances?
adira: gray’s a bit of a history buff, we used to watch period dramas all the time :) now that he can hang out uncorporeally we’ve started doing it again
tilly: oh i went through a phase of only watching historical holos when i was in the academy, i was addicted to those retellings of 20th, 21st century love stories
adira: yeah lately we’ve been getting into this series about the 23rd....... century....... ohmygodthat’syouthough
tilly: THERE ARE PERIOD DRAMAS?? OF OUR TIME?? ARE THEY GOOD??
gray: ASK HER IF SHE KNEW THE ENTERPISE
adira: DID YOU KNOW ABOUT—
gray: ASK HER IF SHE SAW SPIRK HAPPEN
gray: HOLY SHIT GET MICHAEL IN HERE I HAVE QUESTIONS
