Boycott ENTERPRISE .. it's just that bad.

POSTED BY: Ghoulman
UPDATED: Monday, January 24, 2005 20:10
VIEWED: 38245
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GHOULMAN

Thursday, May 20, 2004 4:21 PM

Since ENTERPRISE began it has been hailed as being the very worst Star Trek ever done... and after Voyager that's quite an accomplishment. Now, after three seasons of fascistic, racist, and horrifically mysoginistic story lines the TV viewing public, who avoided this show like dog shit on the sidewalk, will get more.

Why?

Well, we don't know why. But we can guess. And the best guess always goes with the money.

Paramount, rather like NBC losing Friends, is horrified to learn that their long standing Star Trek franchise is dead. Dead dead. No one cares for the material except a very, very, smelly and small number of Fan boy freaks. You know... the kind who have no life but fetishizing dolls and other 'collectibles'. Forget those who appreciated the intricate and smart stories from the original series 40 years ago... those people are looong gone. Paramount has opted to do what all giant Corps. do when faced with an artistic crisis... they buy more. They market more. They keep it going even if it looses millions simply because they still have no idea what to do. So they keep doing what they are doing.

Notice how popular shows (can we think of one? Hmm... something by that Joss guy) get the shaft while "franchises" get perpetuated as if they deserve too. The lesson being that a brand name is far, far, more important than a good show.

Worse, Enterprise is also the producers sycophantic pro George "Dubya" Bush cream dream. Notice how the protagonist, Capt. Archer, is the son of a "great man" who was held back by the (liberal) Vulcans. As the show progresses, Archer becomes increasingly more angry and with a terrorist attack on Earth by an alien race he agrees to "do what it takes" to ... well, the actual goals aren't defined. Stop the bad guys? Sound familiar? Propoganda is not what I watch Star Trek for let alone a soft sell for the War in Iraq. It's become painfully obvious that Enterprise means to present the 'War against Islam" as a great adventure. Sick.

Then, just to undermine the characters rather like on Voyager... soldiers are brought into the show to "solve the problem". Enterprise just failed first year English... sad.

Looking at the original Trek compared to ENTERPRISE one has to wonder why in 1965 they had a multi-racial show that portrayed a ship full of different people while today they can't even give the one black guy on the show lines. The producers lack of giving a shit or even basic morals becomes more apparent. There is an asian girl who is portrayed rather like all women on Enterprise; a weak willed child who's job is so unimportant the stories forgot about her main skill early on. And just when you thought you'd seen the main characters turned into put upon tokens Enterprise will come along with an ep about fundamentalist suicide bombers that deserves an award for being the most racist and ignorant story put on TV in some years.

If this weren't bad enough I can't leave without bringing up the horrifically mysoginistic undertone of Enterprise that is personified by the character T'pol. Even from the first show we see a woman who is attacked by Archer and yet she is drawn to him like a battered wife (and is a psychology T'Pol demonstrates consistantly. I think it's the producers true feelings about women. Scary). Make sense? Only to certain sexually twisted fanboy writers. Anyho', this has continued and is sure to keep on going. Lately, T'Pol has inexplicably decided that wearing a silly cat suit isn't enough to degrade herself so she has become a sort of ships whore by fucking the engineer... again for no apparent reason.

And now for what might be the real reason ENTERPRISE should go away... it's a joke on the Star Trek fans! The producers of this show have, I can only divine, seemingly tried to turn Enterprise into a kind of childish 'Capt. Proton' (if you get me) that takes gleeful joy in ignoring, destroying, or just plain making fun of everything Trek that came before. Noticeably all the good stuff Paramount doesn't want to pay royalties on.

EARLYWASLATE

Thursday, May 20, 2004 4:54 PM

There is a lot to what you say about the first two and a haf seasons. I pretty much completely ignored the first season because of how bad I heard it was. I watched a few of the second, and saw just enough OK episodes to give me hope that it would get better. There were charecter episodes for a change, and not just technology of the week.

So I decided to give the show a fair shake in the third season. It started out pretty much as bad as the second. However, the last 8 or so episodes have really improved. I was shocked by the jump in quality. Certianly not FF caliber by any stretch, but it was near average SciFi.

If you havn't seen the last few episodes, they are worth a look before you write it off.

EARLYWASLATE

SOULOFSERENITY

Thursday, May 20, 2004 5:02 PM

Now see, here's where I have to respectably disagree with you. I'll give you that for about two and a half seasons, Enterprise was lacking. It was simply bad.

Now I am not a "Trekkie" by any means. I own nothing Trek related, nor do I attend conventions about anything. I am not a geek (not that I'm insinuating that that's a bad thing, because it's not). I'm pretty damn average.

I my view, the second half of this season has been a rush. The show has finally gotten around to having real caracters with real emotions instead of autonomous robots. It's been an exilarating ride, that's just been getting better. I, for one, am anxious to find out how this all wraps up, and I will welcome back Enterprise next year if it continues to expand on the current formula.

I realize that you're pissed that great shows get cancelled while mediocre to crap shows stay on the air, and in that aspect I totally agree with you. There are some seriously bad shows (Idol, anyone?) that are ruining TV, and for a long time Enterprise was one of them, but I think it is finally pulling itself up out of the muck and trying to become a real show.

One final thing: with absolute respect to you, Ghoulman, I hate it when someone tries to discect a show and throws political crap into it. Bush sent us to war because of something that was assumed. Enterprise went to war because of something that was an undeniable fact. Screw the political parallels. Why can't people just enjoy a show for the entertainment.

Some things just need to be taken at face value.

In the way of Zoid:

Respectably,

SoulOfSerenity

______________________

But if your hand touches metal, I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you.

GHOULMAN

Thursday, May 20, 2004 6:44 PM

Terrific posts. I've seen a few shows this season and as you can see I was horrified by the "islamic suicide bombers' episode that demonstrated that old moral... crazy people should be killed? Uuuummmm no. So I watched a few more. The show is just as slick and expensive looking as ever and is still having trouble remembering what happened from Act I to Act II. Really, I've seen comic books with more insight... even Marvel comic books!

BTW; just entertainment is, if you want to know, propoganda by default. That is, since the story is hollow anyway then there is nothing left but it's intrinsic message. Whatever that message is.

Save the world from the tyrany of 'entertainment'!

Anyho', if the current seasons mission into Iraq (Xindi space) for whatever reason (the reasons given were, frankly, bullshit writing... as usual) and then it all changed the minute the Iraqi Council was introduced. Now, I'm hardly the only one to have noticed the Bush/ENT connection. Remember the times you live in Bucky, the propoganda is thick.

GHOULMAN

Thursday, May 20, 2004 7:03 PM

... oh and I don't want to sound like I'm dumping on those who say 'it's improving' but FRELL! ... do you normally wait through years of crap to get to the good? Has any good come yet? Will it?

Honestly. What sort of bizarre logic is that?

And for the love of mudville ... realize that this sort of TV (on various levels) keeps shows like Firefly off the air. After all... if the viewing SciFi fans will accept such rubbish than why the frell would a network pay for a high class production like Firefly? Or Angel? Or... are ya seeing a pattern here boys and girls?

SIGNYM

Thursday, May 20, 2004 7:16 PM

I'd boycott it except that I never watch it. My hubby, who is an ardent couch potato (when he's not building clusters or playing semi-pro racquetball) tried watching but gave up. For a guy whose hand has melded into the remote, that's saying something!

RKLENSETH

Thursday, May 20, 2004 7:16 PM

Ghoulman, just a quick question, do you have a problem with everything in the world (well besides Firefly)? And if the answer is no then I would to hear what you don't have a problem with for once rather then what you do have a problem with.

Oh, and play Cantr II at www.cantr.net.

LASHER99

Thursday, May 20, 2004 7:34 PM

Boycott? Um, you go on right ahead and tell all your friends (and your adoring public) that don't already watch it to boycott it as well. Those of us who are watching it will probably continue to do so. We have our own reasons to continue to watch it or to stop. Guess what, convincing those that don't already watch it will have how much negative impact on the Nielsens? Lemme think.... Nada. Zilch. Zip. Zero. Cya.

FREAKYSINS

Thursday, May 20, 2004 7:39 PM

*sigh*

The first two seasons were, at best, "meh". Face it, the writing was, generally speaking, sub par. Of course, I blame the producers.

This season has been considerably more interesting, to say the least, and there have been several episodes I've thoroughly enjoyed. It's what the first season should have been, to be quite honest.

As far as your references to parallels with the current stupidity in Iraq, I agree to a point, in that, as has ever been the case, art imitates life. We have an unprovoked attack against civilian targets, to which there absolutely must be a response. It is here that I believe your righteousness and indignation falls short. Archer is trying to convince and appeal... to reach a diplomatic solution, though he has had to use force to get there. Obviously, that's not what's happened or is currently happening in the Middle East. It's my thought that the current administration has more in common with the Xindi than Starfleet. The Xindi are responding proactively to a threat which they are told will occur in the far future, not unlike the US-led invasion of Iraq.

But, I suppose we all see what we want to see.

If boycotting a television program makes you feel better, knock yourself out. Me, I'll be casting a vote come November.

Peace

-FS

If I ever decide to kill you, you'll be standing, you'll be facing me, and you'll be armed.

GHOLA

Thursday, May 20, 2004 7:48 PM

Enterprise is most of the time an incredibly dull show it doesn't really do anything. Now I'll admit that this past season has picked it up a bit but not alot. However if you want to find propaganda Ghoulman perhaps you should check your own post. You're just trying to disect the show until you can find some political meaning for you to complain about I'm sure if I tried hard enough I could shove the same amount of political crap into Firefly.

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