One of Star Treks greatest strengths has been the variety of stories it can tell. Individual episodes ranged from the tragic to the frightening, the thought-provoking to the hilarious. Two classic episodes, "The Trouble with Tribbles and A Piece of the Action, were comedic gems. Among the six original cast movies, it is Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home that stands out for its brilliant sprinkling of comedy in a serious plot. Many of the funny moments in the film involve Spock (including his applying the Vulcan nerve pinch to a punk on a bus who refuses to turn down his boom box), but perhaps the best is his attempt to understand profanity. Kirk and crew have traveled back in time to the late 20th century and Spock questions the use of what he calls, Colourful metaphors, such as Double dumb ass on you. Once Kirk has explained, Spock makes several attempts to incorporate swearing into conversation, most notably when he and Kirk are speaking with ocean biologist Dr. Gillian Taylor and Spock insists that, They are not the hell your whales. Kirk wisely tells Spock to give up his attempt at colourful metaphors.
Aaron Smith is a writer who can't stick to one genre. He's written horror, mystery, fantasy, and espionage novels and short stories, including new tales of Sherlock Holmes. A lifelong fan of movies, comics, good books, obscure trivia, and the New York Yankees, he lives in northern New Jersey.
