Why Star Trek Discovery Lacks Charisma

[@kdrapertrucker]

People that claim that the older star treks were "woke" do not understand the difference between making people think, and dictating what they should think.

[@Trantor.Citizen]

👏👏👏👏

[@randyjones3050]

People making that claim do not understand classic Star Trek. Classic Star Trek showed on screen how a true idealistic "color blind" society might actually function. Crew members all treated each other with respect and dignity regardless of what they looked like or their sex. Everybody worked together as a team and supported each other. Classic Star Trek gave the audience something to which to aspire. Modern 'woke' Trek is a regression where all these differences between crew members are highlighted and there is constant drama between the characters. This is why I absolutely despise Kurtzman Trek. His take on the franchise is a fundamental betrayal of everything Star Trek was intended to represent.

[@codinghusky5196]

@@randyjones3050 exactly. Today, they have mistaken "pushing people with darker skin in front while putting people with lighter skin (asians included) in the background" for "racial equality". They have also mistaken "females with fully masculine characteristics putting all the men down" for "equality of women". Nyota Uhura, Tuvok and Geordi were characters IN the story, they weren't deliberately added by replacing a white or asian character. They were treated with respect and dignity without acting as victims and demanding privilege on the account of "historical events". Uhura didn't lose her mind at being called a "Nieg****", a word I am today afraid youtube bots will ban me for if I type. Geordi coped with his disability without playing a victim or demanding stipulations. And for pete's sake, no one was losing their mind over a person with VISION being cast as a blind man. Deanna Troi, 7 of 9, Janeway were all highly regarded and respected without the need to emasculate every man they came across (although sometimes they did, when and if it was deserved) all the while remaining WOMEN. Deanna Troi didn't have to single handedly murder 57 Klingon warriros with a toothpick to earn the respect of the crew; she was a woman doing her job and it was ENOUGH. Geez.

[@MicahMicahel]

Woke is oppressing people of today for the transgressions of the past, or oppressing people tat aren't the privileged class. It's power dynamics... nothing to do with the moral outlook of the old Tsar Trek... imagine if they went to planets and studied who the oppressed skin colors or enders were to solve the problems.. woke people don't see what's important. their focus makes them blind so that they wouldn't be able to solve any problem like Kirk and Spock did.

[@SchmokinJoe]

Well said.

[@Peorhum]

Many put down Shatner, saying he was a bad actor and so forth but his screen presence was real, his charisma was real. Few know he was a Shakespearean actor, that play in Stratford, Ontario, along side Christopher Plummer. His movie career was growing with small parts where his charisma was almost to strong for the role. I think of one of his early roles in The Brothers Karamazov, 1958, his part was small but his presence was big. Same with the pilot for Nero Wolfe, 1959(which is on KZbin) Shatner's presence or charisma was so great that it seemed HE was the star and main character of the show. Now there is some of Shatner's scenes that do seem over acted a bit but often that is the director's fault, but with Shatner it is not him that over acted, it was all the comedic parodies of Shatner that has created the believe that Shatner was a bad actor. The main point is though, is that at that time in Shatner's career, his charisma was so strong that you could likely take any story and make a successful movie or TV series around him. At the time he was made of pure royal jelly.

[@DrZacksCafe]

Shatner and Arnold Moss’s (Karidian/Kodos) scene in Conscience of the King. Plus, if you can find it, a deleted scene from City on the Edge of Forever on the stairs at the apartment house. Shatner is screen magic.

[@benlunch7618]

Shatner is awesome even when he sleepwalks his acting. If you havent yet go watch "Boston Legal" with William Shatner as "Denny Crane" and James Spader (The Blacklist) as "Alan Shore. Its worth watching for those 2 alone...

[@luchomscyfy]

Plummer respected Shatner from his times in theater. He talked how much he wanted to act in a movie with Shatner....and later he made Star Trek VI. Arguably, one of the best Trek movies....

[@corbinhirschhorn9064]

I met him and interviewed him a few years ago. Shatner exudes charisma even at his age.

[@RRTNZ]

I met Shatner when he was down here in 2011. Interesting guy, great storyteller. I asked him if he'd ever go back to Shakespeare and he talked about Stratford and working with Plummer who he described as "known for being a great actor, not known for being a great guy." I was a huge fan and still am, although he said his path had diverged from Shakespeare and never gone back.

[@thel1355]

The problem with STD is that it was sold to the moneymen as an attempt to expand the audience, but in reality it is an attempt to substitute one audience for another. The writer's even seem to go out of their way to snub much of the old audience, because they don't want to write for a show which is enjoyed by the wrong types of people.

[@schrodingerscat1863]

problem is, the audience they are replacing is a very large one and replacing it with a very small one.

[@DocMicrowave]

Facts all around.

[@calvinbethea3369]

Your analysis is brilliant and spot on. It’s across the board in all geek genre it’s killing the comic industry too.

[@deadpanbarry5442]

As a 54 year old I've given up on Star Wars, Star Trek and many more.... I've saved so much money on merchandise not buying there woke crap and stopped going to cinema. Multiple that by millions of people around the world and the damage is huge.

[@liaminwales]

As with any STD it multiplies, once it starts it spreads around. There is what 5 strains over 5 years?

[@TheGreatSnafoo]

Not only does it not have charisma but it also lacks; soul, love, understanding, and intelligence.

[@neodigremo]

Anson Mount shows up in Discovery and instantly he draws the eye and captivates the attention of everyone because the Actor and Character have that spark of pure Charisma. That is what made him stand out so much in Season 2.

[@migangelmart]

Why he rock a 'do like Vanilla Ice Ice baby

[@evilchaperone]

He could have saved the series. He lit the screen on fire. I'm glad he's getting his own spin off. He's perfect as Pike. Loved it.

[@vernonhampton5863]

@@migangelmart well... he is Anson "MFN" Mount.

[@Darkwintre]

@@evilchaperone I agree its the only reason Strange New Worlds is of interest to me I just don't care for Kurtzman's handling of it.

[@kathleenhensley5951]

He is a beautiful man. OK I said it.There. I may have to actually find a way to watch his show. My worry is they will dumb him down, or dumb the show down, or his lady second in command ends up being the real power behind the command chair.

[@colinw7205]

Star Trek-DS9 proved that a sci-fi TV show can be pro-black and even Afrocentic( i.e. Capt. Sisko bragging to his son about his Yoruba art collection) without being PC preachy. It also helps that the series featured strong male characters throughout along with the prerequisite strong badass female characters (Major Kira)as well giving weak male characters like Dr. Bashir room to mature into acceptably strong enough male characters.

[@advancedomega]

Pro-black, Afrocentric without being PC preachy means good writing. At that time, they cared about good writing. And they admitted when they missed their own standard. Even "Enterprise," which I despised, tried hard to be good. I got the feel that Berman and Braga left at least partly because they felt they could not create something new, they still cared about the quality of the story. That is all gone today. Today's writing is not about the quality, only about "The correct message." Any criticism to the show instantly labeled as "Misogynist" or "Sexist" or any other awful label. Sad. Really sad.

[@G360LIVE]

What made DS9 so great is that it wasn't pro-black or Afrocentric. Avery Brooks wasn't playing a black character (he said so, himself). He was playing a human character, and believe it or not, humans are into different things, such as having a Yoruba art collection. Skin color isn't a factor in that. Sisko was human, like any other human.

[@Kharmazov]

Well there was that 1950's episode "Far beyond the stars".

[@robif722]

@@G360LIVE this comment is what Star Trek really embodies. I still enjoy the current shows but it is missing that element that they are just people and the content of character is more important then a specific identity. And, yes Trek has always had political overtones, but not to the one-sided way that it is on being presented and lack of nuance to the allegory of the social topic that is being showcased in the episode. I do put some of the blame on a segment of the fan base for the lack of nuance and the one-side presentation of the social topics, if you are with them then you are the most evil thing in the world.

[@VulcanLogic]

@@Kharmazov Brilliant episode, though. I thought it was Brooks' best performance. He was generally very stoic, but not that episode.

[@harvey1965]

Kurtzman's Trek is abominable. Understanding of Trek is absent. Respect for Trek is absent. Creative ability is absent. Star Trek is absent. The solution? Make Kurtzman absent. Replace him with Ronald D. Moore: simple! Or Shankar, Behr, Echevarria: the point being there exists a pool of creative talent, who have a proven track records, are successful producers & writers and all have a former Trek background. Such a simple fix: instead we have Klutzman minimally till 2026. R.I.P. Star Trek.

[@nolongeramused8135]

I think there's a point where no amount of charisma can overcome shit writing and incessant virtue signalling in lieu of actual character development.

[@carlajenkins1990]

Unless you have a comet flashing across the sky. In The Producers, the absolute Worst Play was selected. It should have been a miserable bomb. But the actor playing Adolph Hitler was a natural comedian and ruined the plan to swindle little old ladies.

[@nolongeramused8135]

@@carlajenkins1990 Love that show.

[@bernhardtsen74]

very much like the new forgettable Moonfall! Poor Halle Berry and Patrick Wilson had to endure the writing of that movie!

[@michael7324]

I could not have said it better. This show id nothing but shite.

[@heyfitzpablum]

Well put. The shows messaging is tiresome and never-ending. People want to be entertained, not lectured. This show has no legs.

[@guittarjedi]

Thanks for talking about things like the lack of good directing, lighting and camera work now. These technical aspects I used to take for granted are becoming extinct and nobody seems to be mentioning it.

[@poorwotan]

Was gonna write something similar. I have zero movie making background but when I watch a Casablanca, I instantly know that it is good and includes all the details Chato mentioned. In fact, while he was taking about framing/filming a STAR, I instantly visualized shots of Ingrid Bergman in that film and it made perfect sense to me.

[@dronesclubhighjinks]

Well said! I really enjoy hearing Chato's perspective, which I believe is unique on KZbin. I wonder if the situation can be reversed. When he mentioned that the directors for Discovery were inexperienced, Rings of Power just announced (Dec 2022) that the second season will have all female directors only. There is one who directed the "battle scene" in (I think) episode six, who is returning, but the others are all new. On the one hand, new directors have to earn experience somehow. On the other hand, ROP have basically told the world that the male directors from season one's work was not good enough.

[@ukmediawarrior]

Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley had that sort of charisma from the get go. Yes, Nimoy and Shatner had their issues off camera, how big or small they were seems to depend on who you ask, but on screen all three were perfect together. You believed they were friends, you felt their love for each other. The scene in Amok Time where Spock thinks he has killed Kirk and then finds out he hasn't, where he bursts with happy emotion, grins, grabs Kirk's arms and calls him Jim ... as a viewer you FELT that. Spock breaking all his Vulcan teachings of non-emotion, teachings he had lived his entire life by (until Discovery happened and now he smiles, smoochies and cries at the drop of a pin) and allowing emotion simply because his best friend was alive was as heart felt for the audience as it was for him. On Discovery there is no emotional connection between the characters and audience, or for that matter between characters themselves despite them trying endlessly to make it happen with the crying and the hugging. It just feels false and lacking in real emotion, or charisma.

[@Falconlibrary]

Nimoy and Shatner were mostly friends for most of their post-Star Trek years, until Shatner included Nimoy in a documentary Shatner made over Nimoy's objections. That's what finally broke their relationship. Let's face it, it's not easy to be friends with a rampant egomaniacal narcissist like Shatner, and Nimoy's friendship with Shatner lasted longer than all of Shatner's marriages combined.

[@formwiz7096]

Think you mean sex, rather than sexuality, but these days, who knows?

[@ukmediawarrior]

@@Falconlibrary Very true, Shatner could make anyone he worked with a little nuts, lol. I read a three volume series of books by Marc Cushman about the making of TOS and one thing I recall was how as Spock got more and more popular, and Nimoy got more and more fan mail, Shatner started to insist that as the star of the show he should have more lines in each episode than Nimoy did. He would sit off to the side with the script counting words, lol.

[@rightwired]

And they didn't break the Prime Directive within 30 seconds of the first episode. Like Captain Michelle Yoh.

[@ukmediawarrior]

@@rightwired Ahhh, but then you refer to that rare and ignored thing that is canon. A word that does not exist in the vocabulary of Kurtzman and crew.

[@ericb4127]

These Are the Voyages of the Star Trek fan base. Our five-year mission to explore and find a competent individual run the Star Trek franchise. So far our mission has been a failure.

[@md_vandenberg]

_To blandly go..._

[@rbu2136]

Get the guy doing Yellowstone.

[@lafeil]

Agree, current state of Star Trek is all over place.

[@rmglover3191]

Thank you, Peter. Your content is a love letter to good times past. This section near the end about framing the star is pure gold.

[@Acrosurge]

Oh yes. Keep that Star Trek content coming! Your insights from behind the production curtain are always informative and insightful.

[@smartalec2001]

What still baffles me was that Discovery had Michelle Yeoh and Jason Isaacs both playing captains, and seemingly set to be in the show for a while - but as antagonists. It felt as if they were positioning Michelle for some sort of Section 31 spinoff show. But why, why would you give those two up? Why not have them lead your flagship show? It reminded me of the time in the David Tennant Doctor Who series, when they had Derek Jacobi guest-starring as the antagonist the Master, only to have him regenerate at the end of the episode. In interviews, Jacobi said he would have been willing to play the Master for the whole show - I get wanting to have the Master be a younger, more energetic foil to Tennant's young Doctor, and John Simm wasn't so bad in the role, but c'mon; if *Derek Jacobi* is up for being in your show, then you'd think you'd find a way to keep Derek Jacobi in it. I get the feeling 'Section 31' was the show Kurtzman has always wanted to make, and every Star Trek project he helms is in some way an effort to lay groundwork with execs to get his S31 show made.

[@Falconlibrary]

Both Yeoh and Isaacs were great.

[@KotCR]

@@Falconlibrary Yes, STD hates itself though, so they always decide to write out the show's best characters and actors lol.

[@luchomscyfy]

@@KotCR I have to say, Saru's guy, Doug Jones, he's pretty good, and I was fond of him as captain....until he was writen out. Yeap, Discovery hates itself....

[@suzygirl1843]

@@luchomscyfy Nah, people seem to hate empowered black female characters. Not just in Discovery but in real life. Look at how people responded to Ketanji Brown Jackson

[@luchomscyfy]

@@suzygirl1843 you believe Ketanji Brown is empowered? Pfff. Ok.

[@christophernuzzi2780]

I love your channel and am glad to see you on Midnight's Edge as well!

[@CallMeChato]

Hey, thanks!

[@gentleman3313]

One of your best videos in the series. Its important to realize how much charisma matters.

[@luchomscyfy]

Lack of charisma, good writers, decent acting, a better direction, how to write a plot and themes..... I think Discovery have a lot of "lacks"

[@allluckyseven]

Also a lot of hacks...

[@kylepatrickmurphy4058]

Thanks for the experienced view point!

[@stevew8513]

I think Doug Jones has the capacity to play a good character, it's just that Saru was written worse and worse each season. He was decent in the first season, and then they couldn't think of what to do with him each following season.

[@brobot411]

Yep. They probably ran out of ideas with him because he is male

[@edejan]

Doug Jones is a great character actor and actor of characters. I've enjoyed his performances in many, many movies. He is wasted on STD.

[@TurntableTV]

I just rewatched Gladiator after 20 years and I remembered why I fell in love with that movie. Strong male character that men aspire to be and women want to be with. The same goes for strong female characters. Expanding upon the Gladiator analogy, I feel like these recent shows are written by the Commodus’es that want to bend people to their will and views of the world.

[@Bastion83]

These people who continually seek to ruin every IP within Nerd/Geek culture, be it Star War, Star Trek, LOTR, Dr. Who, He Man, and yes it's easy to keep going(sadly) refuse to understand a couple things. You cannot put anything ahead of a truly engaging story, no matter what content or message you wish to include or who you include for that matter. Without good story none of it means a damn thing. Sadly they cant write anything good as they care as much about proper writing as a bad fan fiction author. They also cannot fathom the idea of true escapism. They hate the idea of worlds that do not reflect in every way possible our own right now, so jam in elements into shows and movies that have no business being there. It does not matter which IP it is, these mistakes(among others) ruin everything they touch.

[@aldunlop4622]

So true, so true. Older fans get insulted because we want more of the same, which is totally not true. These shows (Picard in particular), rely heavily on just rehashed story elements from old series. Lifelong fans DON’T want more of the same, we want to know what happens next in the story, and we want new characters we actually care about!

[@Falconlibrary]

Nerd/Geek Culture is considered "masculine", which is why it's being targeted for destruction.

[@NeverForget1776]

They're doing that for the same reason Chinese chairman Mao instituted the Great Leap forward, power and control. The great leap forward was about the youth overturning the past and its traditions, destroying historical items like art, ending traditions, over turning society. With the woke they are doing the same but in less physically violent ways focusing more on on-line attacks and the intentional destruction if pop culture. It's all psychology and most of us just can't see it or refuse to believing that this couldn't happen here, this is America. The US is a turn key totalitarian state and they are destroying culture so once they're ready to turn that key there will be little resistance

[@PenumbranWolf]

I feel like the problem is that a lot of the time they just don't understand the difference between the concepts of text and subtext. Take the X-Men for example. The X-Men is commonly believed to be talking, in so many words, about gay people during the time it was written, but that Prof. Xavier and Magneto are largely inspired by Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. They wrote these ideas into the subtext of the characters and stories as a way of informing the characters actions. I would then go on to make up a strawman of what the modern version of this would look like, but I don't have to because it already exists. Black is a modern series that did not do well. It is a heavyhanded and racist as all hell X-Men ripoff that tries to convince us that in the universe of the story black people are the only race that has superpowers and they are still somehow oppressed. In making the subtext text they made the whole thing make no damn sense.

[@eranwilliams4098]

@@PenumbranWolf what a weird fucking tangent to go on. It seemed like you were saying something but, you had to get so weird... you just seem like a psycho. I encourage you, attempt to not be a spaz and it seems like you're maybe thoughtful enough to have something worth reading.

[@gbalfour9618]

This is so true that the lens needs to love you too, not just the audience. I remember listening to Micheal Caine talk one time about a photo shoot and they were talking photo after photo and he had been standing there for a while and got tiered of it so he started to move and say something and it clicked and the photos taken was perfect and the studio used that photo of him. I did some KZbin videos a while back and while they got the point across they were not great videos and the people who know me always said how video me sounded flat and how much personality I had in person comparatively, even people I had only met on an online chat said the same thing. It was the way I was framing the videos; I have corrected some of this in many of my later videos but still there is something missing. The reverse is true too, I have met many performers who are bigger then life with the lens on them but without it they are blander then dish water. This is why I never 100% blame the actors for bad tvshows/movies. It might be how the scene is framed or the writing or like you said lack of charisma at fault.

[@dronesclubhighjinks]

I was not aware of this at all so thank you for your comment!

[@michaelcherry8952]

8:54 The line about one of the weakest links at Discovery being all of the new directors reminded me of something I read in Akira Kurosawa's biography. When he started at Photo Chemical Laboratories (which later became a major part of Toho studios) he was assigned to one of the senior directors. He was required to do everything from set dressing to screen writing to editing. He had to work hard just to be a second unit director. He learned every aspect of film making before they allowed him to direct something on his own. He really learned from the more experienced directors. It seems that the young directors might have the technical chops, but don't understand some of the nuances of film making and the result is something that just doesn't grab your attention. It might as well be a dull, but well-filmed advertisement for toothpaste.

[@dronesclubhighjinks]

I know nothing about moviemaking, but the approach you have described is the same as required by, for example, medieval guilds. Young teenage boys started as an apprentice, and had to learn all aspects of the trade or craft. It took years before they could become a master of their trade or craft with the result that they knew exactly everything about their work. There is a reason the system has survived for centuries. I think we have a divide between the people who think they're too well educated to have to start at the bottom, and the others in charge who agree with that. A lot of the writing nowadays is also boring and predictable because young writers have little life experience. The channel "critical drinker" has a video series on "why modern movies suck" which goes into more detail. Disparu has a video from approximately end of November 2022 in which a writer for the Witcher says that the screenwriters hate the source material and think they're too smart to have to lower themselves to work on it. Furthermore, that all the Hollywood screen writers feel this way about every single intellectual property, including Star Wars, and Tolkien. The entertainment and video games journalists also think they're too smart to be wasting their precious brain cells on writing about the stuff. All of them have nothing but contempt for the fans of the source material.

[@chrisf8898]

I'm so happy finding your channel. Growing up Canadian in 80s/90s I remember watching 4onTheFloor

[@WilliamPitcher]

Don't be afraid to also tell us about shows that you like or you think are working well.

[@stefansneden1957]

this would be interesting

[@Tnscla]

Second this

[@nyimagyalmo6984]

Yes, please. "3 Shows or movies in sci fi or fantasy that you recommend"

[@MK-mz3jv]

Great video and insights on how the lens sometimes picks up different things. Live energy vs well captured constructed scenes. Keep up the great content!

[@jibroniuk3604]

Anson Mount and Jason Isaacs definitely had serious charisma AND should have been the main characters. There is nothing of interest in any of the bridge crew in STD. Therefore I stopped watching a two seasons ago. Horrific sci-fi.

[@alien777]

Michael yoah should have be the lead! What a Show that could have been

[@michaelhendricks9462]

"As uninteresting as a busted piano key." Dude, I'm so glad I found your channel. With lines like that, I at least HOPE you occasionally gave "suggestions" to writers. That was brilliant.

[@itsallfunandgames723]

Streaming has created this interesting world where we can talk about and analyze failed concept TV shows that would have been cancelled instantly in the past.

[@arioch2112]

Greetings and thank you for the video. Thankful to hear this take from someone on the inside, given how monolithic things appear from outside CA. I found you right before you appeared on Midnight's Edge and appreciate your insight.

[@Matt-dk3wl]

I'd really love to get your take on The Orville. That show is more Trek than anything else recently.

[@suzygirl1843]

because it doesn't have the black female as the leader. Nothing has changed. She's still the Uhura archetype. You tell on yourselves.

[@Falconlibrary]

@@suzygirl1843 Seth MacFarlane created The Orville so he could be a starship captain. He's not a black woman. In case you hadn't noticed. Maybe you should go create your own show?

[@tomatodamashi]

@@suzygirl1843 That's the problem. You're so focused on gender and race, that you can't understand that that has nothing to do with what we're talking about. True Trek fans that love The Orville, also loved Janeway and Sisko that check your boxes. We are looking for clever social commentary, a fun tale with likeable charismatic characters. The Orville has all of those in spades. STD and sadly STP does not. Oh and how is the black doctor on The Orville, a Uhura archetype? And let's not bash Uhura, for the time her role was ground breaking.

[@AquarianNomadic]

@@suzygirl1843 "You tell on yourselves" What does that mean? What's your point? Are you not strong enough as warrior woman to call people racist? Keyboard nobody is what you are.

[@suzygirl1843]

@@tomatodamashi Uhura was not the lead is the point. It was groundbreaking FOR the TIME. Now we want more. Today, women are business owners and ambitious.

[@JeffreyRandall]

Thanks for the article, it was nice to hear from a person who used to be in the industry. Enjoy your insight.

[@PKAmedia]

I mean I would definitely say Tig Notaro was always just great to watch. Brilliant comedian, and when ever she turned up in a scene I knew I'd actually enjoy it. Honestly with better writing where a lot of the characters weren't forced to be just dour and over dramatic 24/7 I think many of the actors could actually bring forwards more charisma. You do see hints of it, but the pace and level of over saturated drama the writers keep the show at, I mean it's a hard task. Seriously discovery, just chill out a little.

[@suzygirl1843]

I wonder, what is actually a charismatic black woman to a Anglosaxon audience? Just curious.

[@PKAmedia]

@@suzygirl1843 Off the top of my head, as far as current Star Trek goes on Lower Decks Beckett (Tawny Newsome) I think does a really good job of being a likeable rebel who dislike authority and likes to have a good time, and Captain Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) is enjoyable to see in the captains seat as someone more reserved, but still willing to break rules and take risks when the situations calls for it. We also get to see both characters far more in their down time, so the audience can actually get to know the characters. To me usually just feels like Burnham just feels like generic actiony lead that writers can just have dramatic revelation after dramatically revelation happen to, but none of it really seems to effect or change her character much outside the scenes it happens in. After what 4 seasons of discovery I would find it hard to describe her character outside of describing a very generic action lead. Beckett and Freemen I can very easily describe, in a way that I think most people would be pretty able to uniquely identify them.

[@suzygirl1843]

@@PKAmedia I have an issue with that. People seem to place black women in certain boxes: The Conservative woman (Uhura), the magical Negro (Guinan), the Mammy (Dr. Finn on Orville and Captain Freeman), loud and sexually liberated (Mariner) or strong independent (Michael Burnham). I would like Normani or Ryan Destiny to be cast in these roles as the laid back romantic leads. I don't like seeing the same stereotypes over and over again of confrontational black women in media.

[@ShogunOrta]

This is a great point! Its like it was at the back of my mind for years, then you brought it to light!

[@forgivemenot1]

Casting may have been the one tool at your disposal but todays network executives just cast tools, a sad moment for those of us old enough to remember when TV was actually good.

[@CallMeChato]

Clever word juxtaposition.

[@suzygirl1843]

@@CallMeChato Perhaps you should watch it again from a different lense, Sir. Perhaps catch it with the opinion of a black person who has never watched Star Trek.

[@devmag52]

@@suzygirl1843why would anyone do that? The fact that you can ignore TOS and Uhura says volumes. Her character existed during the time of race riots and stayed at the behest of Dr King. Doesn’t get more real than that.

[@Rune3D]

This was a really well put together video! You're a lot of fun to watch and you don't mince words, so you already have my respect! You offer a lot of insight and useful information! I really enjoy working on video games, I'm a 3D Art Lead, I have a background in architecture, but I'm also am a theater nerd. Sci-Fi is my favorite genre and I've been a Trek fan since I was a kid. I grew up on TNG, DS9, Voyager and Enterprise when they used to air on UPN! xD I tried watching S3:E1 of DISCO yesterday to see for myself if it's as bad as people say. It exceeded my expectations... I couldn't last 15 minutes before I decided to turn it off and watch something else. That normally doesn't happen for me, I was really determined to give it a fair shake to see what appeal it has, and I just don't see it for the simple reason that it's not fun to watch. I subbed to your channel! Can't wait to see more of your videos! You definitely have the Royal Jelly™ :)

[@shehanum]

About 10 years ago, I kept hearing a word used in a lot of interviews with TV and film types, particularly with writers and directors. They kept throwing around the word "organic". As in the acting was organic or the evolution of the episode's plot felt organic. The drumbeat of the word was persistent enough to stick in my head and it really applies to Discovery. I will always applaud the inclusion of under-represented viewpoints such as LGBTQIA+ centric stories. HOWEVER, they need to be organic to the overall story being told, otherwise they risk de-valuing those views because they come across as cheap pandering to a segment of an audience. Discovery's stories are not organic in how they fold their LGBQTIA+ characters into the overall story; choosing rather to shoehorn them in for the sake of having an inclusive cast and story. A lot of this is with the showrunner and writers for sure, but the bulk of the blame lies with the network who is trying to have their cake (Discovery) and eat it too (Strange New Worlds).

[@ryanw3874]

Yeah, the whole point of subtle inclusion is that fiction can allow people to become familiar with and like atypical characters. I thought Euphoria did this well with its lead trans character. But when it’s done with an air of arrogance or righteousness it has the opposite effect.

[@suzygirl1843]

You are right about the LGBTQ shoehorning part. But I think people's criticism of Michael Burnham are obtuse. There's a reason why Uhuru wasn't a main protagonist - there are people with better skills than her while Michael was trained by Vulcans to be the among best. She is not a Mary Sue. She sabotaged herself with that mutiny in episode 1 which showed you her greatest flaw: she thinks she's right all the time and is unforgiving. She let her emotions rule her in that 1 instant.

[@Falconlibrary]

Matching the right actor to the right script is an art, not a science. What's lacking in Hollywood is artistic taste, talent, and aesthetic judgment. That's because it's run as if it's a factory, cranking out widgets. My experience in the industry is that Hollywood is run by lawyers and accountants, two groups of people not famous for their imaginations.

[@suzygirl1843]

What's lacking in Hollywood is an investment in black stars. There's only a handful: Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Will Smith, Halle Berry etc.

[@Falconlibrary]

@@suzygirl1843 It's one problem among many, but yes, there's a lot of untapped talent. How many black directors are there? Again, only a handful. And we know it's not because black people lack talent. But you're a one-note singer, I see from your other comments.

[@kevinkorenke3569]

A great example of on-screen and off screen charisma in a Star Trek title is in Galaxy quest. Alan Rickman who famously stated that Tim Allen had finally actually experienced acting for the first time in his life during that movie. In the script there was old animosity between those characters but it was expertly buried in the process of telling a good story. You can inject charisma into characters who may not have all of it with a good script. STD is simply checking boxes to try and attract an audience that really doesn't care at the cost of an audience that does care and the stilted interactions show. Tell a good story and the audience will find a way to show up. Check off the boxes and you have a list of fans of the cause, not of the story. Those fans are fair weather at best and will move on to the next show that reflects them on tv.

[@yousernameish]

GQ also had the most charismatic protaginist in Sarazzar "deliver the device!!!"

[@kevinkorenke3569]

@@yousernameish I agree, in this case the protagonist was a complete mustache twirler but that's what the script called for. Sometimes you don't need an intricate backstory and most of the time you don't need to know the childhood experiences that made the bad guy into the bad guy. Simply create a protagonist that is the slightly more powerful opposite of the antagonist and let good storytelling work its magic.

[@BertoxolusThePuzzled]

@@yousernameish Damn straight, also if you look closely they even got a pre-office Dwight playing one of the backup aliens lol.

[@jnnx]

I used to think you were an former evil suit. I watched the Midnight Edge interview, and discovered your Canadian comedy roots, and was pleasantly surprised to find out you were a creative who made it up through the ranks…keep doing what you are doing, your videos are always interesting and entertaining!

[@bearzerger]

Everyone being constantly lit in cold, dim, blue light certainly doesn't help make the people in STD charismatic. And the writing does the rest.

[@raymondsmith6870]

OMG I didn't realize your one of The Frantics(only listened to radio show). Your a Royal Jelly Jedi god. So Cool! Your point about charisma makes me think of Season 4 of Voyager when they introduce Jeri Ryan and her Seven of Nine character. I found the first three seasons turgid and ponderous but as soon as Ryan came on, the show had snap,crackle and pop. Jeri Ryan has the Royal Jelly to turn a whole show on it's head. Much to the chagrin to Kate Mulgrew who didn't take it well as we found out later.

[@davidkulmaczewski4911]

I remember watching audition reels of kids reading for the part of young Anakin Skywalker, which of course went to Jake Lloyd. There was one boy in particular who seemed to have that "royal jelly".... his performance just grabbed you, even in that limited context. And JL's performance was exactly as wooden and stilted as he appeared in the movie. Why they chose Lloyd over the other kid I'll never understand.

[@CallMeChato]

Lloyd was dreadful. Agreed. The Phantom Edit cuts around a lot of Lloyd and Jar Jar and is great.

[@JohnS-il1dr]

George Lucas said in that documentary that he chose Lloyd because he felt Lloyd could move production along faster than the other kids. So it was a technical decision not a character casting decision

[@ikept_the_jethryk2421]

Or why they chose to have a kid at all

[@OgamiItto70]

I remember seeing that, too. Plus, the kid looked like a little Mark Hamill, circa 1976. Jake Lloyd acted like first-season Jerry Mathers from _Leave It To Beaver._ You know: cock head, screw face up briefly, sniff, rub nose, shrug. Instead of acting it was all little "look-at-me" tics. And I think *_that's_* why Lucas cast Lloyd instead of the other kid. Lloyd's style was *_familiar._*

[@mem1701movies]

@@ikept_the_jethryk2421 like Patton Oswalt said

[@lancebaylis3169]

Your insights into this are great and I'd say your observations are spot on. I'm sure many of us here could name any number of otherwise bad TV shows or movies that were at the very least lifted by charismatic casting... and several that were outright saved by it.

[@raymathews1474]

Agreed on Jason Isaacs. Captain Lorca was the only good officer on the ship. Our tv night host subjected us to this show for years, but it's finally become too much for him.

[@tinad8561]

Isaacs is surprisingly good. If you haven’t seen it, check out his performance as tough-guy PI in Case Histories.

[@JOECANDELA22]

Isaacs is exactly the kind of actor you need on a show like Discovery but of course the Hollywood rocket scientists with all their bullshit about male white toxicity have to get their way and good by Jason. Fortunately, the new Star Trek with Anson Mount is an indication that they are finally realizing they need to stop the bullshit and start making good television. Time will tell.

[@cjk5115]

You touched on a great point and a conversation I recently had with someone about interesting people. I doubt I'm unique in this, but I don't know many truly interesting people who can talk and captivate me and have that magnetism that you want to spend time around them. Sadly, most of the people who I know who fit that description are deceased. It is my humble opinion that the vast majority of actors today are simply meatbags who look good and can occasionally emote convincingly enough to sell that they're humans. Without all the the things you mentioned - quality directing, lighting, production value and most importantly, writing - we're left with what passes as most modern entertainment. I barely made it through the first episode of Discovery and saw nothing that would bring me back. Even the worst episode of TOS had something redeeming; Discovery cannot make that claim. Thanks for another great bit of analysis, Mr. Chato.

[@arpitakodagu9854]

Many actors and especially actresses these days don't even look that great, Chuck. Hollywood is above the act of entertainment now.

[@silverjohn6037]

Stars from Family Ties I still remember? Michael Gross, though admittedly more from the Tremors series;).

[@palpaladin315]

I'm glad you pointed out Sonequa's character evacuation. Most Trek fans would say its the least of the shows problems; whereas, for me, its a _major_ problem! - I suppose she didn't get the ears, so she didn't want to do it. Theres no other explanation.

[@alien777]

Vulkans habe Charisma if you have good actors

[@robertfalse9063]

It's a bit unfair to the actors. They never had a chance. THE MESSAGE superceeds plot and writing. The people involved in the show are disrespectful to established fans. Everything is so awkward. It's as if they are intentionally pissing people like me off as a form of appealing to people who want me to be pissed off. Then the actors are caught up in an online drama, not a show.

[@CallMeChato]

Well I kind of said that that the actors are not being given a chance to have the camera love them.

[@Knightfall182]

The actors play their part in pushing THE MESSAGE, you should see their terrible interviews. Even the Tilly actress admits her only function on the show is to be there for Fat Woman representaaaation.

[@robertfalse9063]

@@CallMeChato 👍

[@robertfalse9063]

@@Knightfall182 Very true. Some are more toxic than others though. Some are Ezra Miller's and others are just parroting, because that's the thing to do. I can't respect that, but I understand the pressure. If you speak out, you can go home. It's very complicated. I don't see the industry fixing itself, but rather just collapsing to one degree or another, and the space being filled by outsider creators... who will be maligned like youtubers, comicsgaters, authors like Brandon Sanderson who are stepping outside the industry boundaries and being very successful. I don't know. I just look forward to Chato and people like him with deeper involvement than me sharing their opinions and ideas. Whatever happens, I think will look radically different in 10 years. Well, there was a rant!

[@cattraknoff]

@@Knightfall182 I wouldn't really call her fat though. A little chunky. Of course it would certainly be absurd for an actual fat girl to be in Starfleet though.

[@a500]

Well put and you’ve yet again put a finger on and verbalised what bothered me mostly about discovery.

[@frankb3347]

It also lacks intellect, ethics, optimism, consistency, etc. Really not sure who's even watching the show.

[@gilbertlozano902]

I just bought me one of your inspiring t-shirts! I chose Forest Green. Truly loving your insight, keep going my friend!!!!🙏🏼👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😊

[@MoonjumperReviews]

Great analysis! So... actually FIRED for pointing out canonical issues. So, WHY did they set this in the pre-TOS/Cage era again?--insisting that it would be a direct prequel and not a reboot? Who was this show for? Younger "new" viewers don't care anything about the Cage era (that's meaningless to them). And completely blowing up the canon of this era into something completely unrecognizable to OG fans would only alienate said OG fans. Who the &*^# was this show for?

[@kovaulvirrin2453]

It's a Star Trek show made by people who hate Star Trek intended for and audience of people who don't like or watch Star Trek. Really you could say it's intended purpose is to support "The Message."

[@allenshepard7992]

Check out the dining room at Cinderella's Castle in Disney world Florida. A few years go Disney removed "My Lord", My Lady and King Henry the VIII food. it now more gender neutral and fu fu healthy trendy. No fish taco [yet] but long gone is the cannon and realism. Very sad. My money no longer stops there [not so sad ]

[@MoonjumperReviews]

@@allenshepard7992 They do what all revolutionary authoritarians do. Erase the history of everything and everyone who came before. There is no history or culture before them. Just ask Lenin and Stalin.

[@kevinkorenke3569]

The problem that I see with this show is that it was already green lighted for multiple seasons. Doing that sets a perception in the audience that since the show has made it multiple seasons it must be good. This is most definitely the downside of the consolidation of entertainment companies.

[@kimmccarthy7747]

@@kevinkorenke3569 Here you have the problem with little streaming channels producing their own shows. They need content, and will keep a piece of trash on because what else have they got? If Discovery was on the networks, there would be ratings attached, and everyone would see how many actually watched, and the thing would never have made 13 weeks. When they tried airing it on CBS, no one watched. But because it is where it is, now it has 4 seasons under its belt, and the cache of having lasted that long, so it must be good.

[@Appleblade]

OMG... when you put that picture of the STD cast up... I'm looking for my flame thrower... 'Kill it with fire!', as my son used to joke, comes to mind.

[@markusfreund6961]

What, toxic, abrasive, psychotically insolent impostors "lack charisma"? I guess that's one way of putting it.

[@mem1701movies]

Aren’t you that POF guy?

[@neonphoenixoriginal]

Royal jelly, I like that, subscribed 👍

[@JSWmus]

I’ve been watching Star Trek Enterprise … I love it, and Discovery lacks the human interaction we enjoy with most Star Trek franchises. It’s all aimed at younger people who some people believe have no appetite for charisma and just care about CGI and fast moving action. I like to see a real, appealing lead team, such as the officers of the original series, and Discovery fails to do this (for me anyway). Woke has crept in too much, and I like to see the interaction and responses of the cast to the situations they find themselves in and, in my opinion, Enterprise does this so well. Kirk, Spock, Archer, T’pol, Phlox and Picard, amongst others, all had the ‘royal jelly’

[@bradenkropp7956]

Appreciate the insight u bring from ur experience

[@oldgoat142]

Chato, thank you for today's dose of reality. I appreciate it. We have a word in Spanish that has unfortunately been demonized, especially with the weak today. Machismo. A macho knows who he is and is very comfortable, even loves, being in his own skin. He treats people according to how they treat him. Some people get an asshole. Some people get a great guy. You know the drill. I grew up with a generation of these men, and the women who married them who were the epitome of inner strength. Were they perfect? Not damn hardly, but they knew who they were and were cool with it. Oh, and if your feelings were easily hurt, don't ask them their opinions on anything.

[@suzygirl1843]

So why do you have a hard time understanding characters like Michael Burnham if you want us to tolerate the machismo type? Michael would fall into a similar category called a "proud" woman. Are these characters perfect? No but they certainly do have their own challenges that Fanbase kind of proved. I enjoyed Michael Burnham because she is actually a realistic portrait of an overachiever who prioritizes results over friendship or comradery. She learns along the way to include people into her endeavors - that was the point.

[@oldgoat142]

@@suzygirl1843 You would have had to have grown up around that generation to get a true grasp of the meaning. It is not a construct. It's not about overachieving. Anyone with a strong enough will can be an overachiever. It isn't any of those things. Mostly, it is an intangible. Like an "It" factor. You can't define it, but you knew a man had it when you saw him. It was all about mental attitude. It also was simple biology. Men were men. Women were women. Period. There were no infinite genders. it wasn't about how you "identify." It wasn't about pronouns. They would have what is now known as toxic masculinity. They didn't give a damn about your feelings. They prioritized getting the job done, which included being a provider or whatever else was required, and not accepting excuses such as, "I'm not feeling it today." Their mantra was simple. Shut up, quit crying, get the job done. Each and every day. This is the best I can do in this short space.

[@alexejfrohlich5869]

@4:47 -- PURE ... GOLD ... PERIOD!

[@michaelkrull3331]

Bruce Campbell. I'll watch anything with him in it.

[@ffsireallydontcare]

I have this strange compulsion to buy "Old Spice"..

[@thomasmaughan4798]

"Demolition Man" is one of the more *re-watchable* movies to have in collection. So is "The Fifth Element" probably the most re-watchable future set movie of them all.

[@marvlouslie2053]

Oh. Oh. I thought of another one! Remember that time Marina Sirtis asserted that the reason why the Texas ice storm happened was because Texas citizens hated brown people? Man, Chato. Star Trek actors are sure full of that "Charisma", aren't they? Just lovely, lovely people.

[@JLOFlix]

BRILLIANT and always interesting insights!!

[@YourFoodBank]

Not only charisma deficient, they’re written as 20-30 something snarly smart ass high school students … nothing about them inspires confidence

[@johnsims2728]

Been watching your videos and I have to say, Well done! Glad to hear the break down from someone who actually did this for a living. Oh, and I love the Hat tip to "The Prisoner"..:) I am not a number, I am a free man..

[@CallMeChato]

Much appreciated!

[@tdsdave]

Discovery: How would travelling to the future from a time wedged in between various canon series would canon cease to matter, at least for the crew. Very odd denial that .

[@ThatJohnKillion1970]

Kirk, Spock, and Bones were often of 3 different ideologies most of the time, but they were always able to come to a decision that best benefitted everyone.

[@estuardo2985]

The constant camera movement is a technique that Disney TV uses (not sure if they pioneered it or not) to generate more attention even with otherwise bland stories. Not sure if younger viewers are now subconsciously hooked on that style or not but I remember the late Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) speaking about the mental development of children and how he wanted shots that stayed on a person or set for a period of time for their benefit.

[@ColinForBooks]

very interesting. I am not a star person, but I purposely watched Elisha Cuthbert on Adam Corolla the other day, because I wanted to see what she is like "in person." I was very impressed by her charisma, as you call it. She is a pro. She knows how to be interesting and enthusiastic. She seems like a person I would actually want to hang out with.

[@BitCounter]

I loved season 1 and 2. Season 3 started going cray cray for me. By the end I finished the season just to get past it. Have started and stopped season 4 episode 1 several times. I have thrown in the towel. Hope Strange New Worlds is worth the investment of time.

[@Arcodus]

Thanks for the video, Mr. Chato!

[@MK-mz3jv]

One thing it also feels Disco and other current ST series are lacking is charismatic villains. Would love to hear your thoughts on actors playing villains and how important they can be to a show

[@DavidBrendan7799]

Completely agree, take Stargate Universe, an otherwise good show but it lacked one important thing, a good consistent villain. Star Trek Picard season two, six episodes in and we have no villain! I mean, unless you include the borg queen they are working with!? lmao

[@DavidBrendan7799]

Star Trek Discovery Season four had no villain at all, except for maybe book who wasn't!

[@mickmic1]

I really enjoy your humor. And Number Six's farewell, always good.😀

[@Knightfall182]

It's funny how when an actor with actual Charisma (ANSON MOUNT) showed up, he *Easily* stole the show... and was given a Spinoff accordingly. And he was barely trying, but he easily elevated the poor writing that he had to work with 👍

[@ikept_the_jethryk2421]

I haven’t watched the Star Trek he is in, but I give him major points for doing the only accurate Mississippi accent I have ever heard, for Hell On Wheels. My family comes from the area that his character names as a hometown, and he nailed it. For Louisiana, still waiting

[@suzygirl1843]

That's because the fans are MEN. They are biased to see white men as leaders. Honestly, we have a LONG way to go for black females main protagonists. I have long waited for Storm solo movie, DC Vixen, Marvel Misty Knight spinoff etc

[@Knightfall182]

@@suzygirl1843 It's not that basic. It comes down to charisma and screen presence. Hence why everyone loved Sisko on DS9, he was believable as a leader. Same with Pres David Palmer on 24. Chadwick Boseman etc. Anson has that same quality. Sonequa does not, and the poor writing for Burnham doesn't help matters.

[@suzygirl1843]

@@Knightfall182 Name me a black female character that YOU find charismatic? And don't write down Uhura because she was a glorified secretary.

[@Knightfall182]

@@suzygirl1843 Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan

[@DrLongdongler]

I've been enjoying your FNER's and it was good to see you on ME on Friday.

[@williamwilson5127]

Disco firing reminds me about the story of Walter Mosley, an older black writer Discovery brought in. He tells the other younger writers about his personal experience with old fashioned up close and personal nasty racism, as it was way back when. A couple of writers report him to HR for the language he was using. He gets the call from HR telling him to tone it down because he was upsetting some people. He immediately quits, basically he was too old for this kind of shit. He was sharing pure gold with the young writers, but they were too green and stupid to understand irony. Now on the subject of charm. We live in what seems to be a charmless age. In the old incarnations of Star Trek, a principal would say some sort of silly shit and the viewer would believe it while they were saying it. The production was geared around the principal's performance, rather than quick cut, quick cut, quick cut, steadycam, steadycam, steadycam, underexposure, underexposure, underexposure, orange and teal, orange and teal and finally orange and teal.

[@Kvic2112]

Let's not forget our good friend, Lens Flare...

[@lsporter88]

I sincerely hope that they are seeing these videos and getting the message. This is an extremely intelligent and ballsy vehicle to get your point across.

[@Malt454]

It's not so much a lack of charisma as much as the show's desperate dedication to the idea that "substance" is more important than style - the show is just so strident in making sure that the audience understands that its characters, and by extension the show itself, is doing all the right things for all the right reasons instead of letting the writing/character action speak for itself and letting that point become self evident... if it can be made. TOS and TNG were usually more interested in posing moral questions than in always providing moral answers to them; with Discovery, the opposite is true - it's interested in posing moral answers to questions no one asked. On the matter of "canon", Discovery is really Star Trek in name only - it's not tied to canon as Next Generation was because it's a different product looking for a different audience. Anyway, The Frantics really kicked ass. Heavy Metal Shop IS dangerous as Hell!

[@alfredbucket848]

Great work, hit it on the head for me. Thank you.

[@waylander9265]

A good example of charisma in a tv show is Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Amazons “Reacher”. The man always has screen presence and you want to listen to what he says

[@robertgibbs8953]

Great example. Reacher is great!!

[@rbu2136]

It’s good? I saw what this actor wrote about Will Smith and was impressed.

[@bearzerger]

I must be impervious to his charisma. He always seemed like a piece of cardboard to me. Well a hunky piece of cardboard. Now don't get me wrong, I really liked Reacher, but not because of his charisma. I found the two cops he worked with far more charismatic and engaging.

[@NefariousKoel]

I must be the odd one out regarding the Reacher series, and stopped after a couple episodes. Got severe "Gary Stu", the character which begins great at everything, impressions and couldn't continue.

[@bearzerger]

@@NefariousKoel Oh, he totally is a Gary Stu. Complete and utter male wish fulfillment. Still, the series was entertaining. It never really tried to be more than it was and it did have a quite good supporting cast.

[@thothmesx1]

On the issue of charisma: I grew up LOVING Buck Rogers, the A-Team, Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider, and of course, Star Trek (in syndication). Npw, I can't believe ANYONE could enjoy Buck Rodgers, A-Team, or Knight Rider (although Trek and Galactic are still great). And I was thinking that much of the reason I enjoyed them was the charm of the actors. Even when the plots were wretched, you loved the cast. And when the plots were good, they were excellent. Some time after these thoughts, I ran across this video, and WOW! Your point about charisma expands my little observation to the fullest degree. And you sum up slot so well. I do believe in diversity in casting, but it takes real talent to utilize diversity AND serve your story. (I would hold up Supergirl as a really good example.) But regardless of your stance on SJWs, if you're making a show, you should be making a good show. And you're right, often that doesn't seem to be the priority.

[@randylevy]

Speaking of Family Ties, it's impossible for me to conceive of a show now having a teenager who is a staunch Conservative/Republican played for laughs but without belittling or demeaning (or worse!) any of the characters.

[@Falconlibrary]

Alex had a poster of Nixon in his bedroom.

[@n.d.m.515]

I can't remember where I read this, and perhaps I am making this up as a memory in my own head. Years ago I remember they had Alex the character as a foil to the parents who were supposed to be the moral center. They were going to use the character as a running joke, but something happened that turned that around. The actor Michael J. Fox was an audience favorite. Despite the writing it turned out his conservatism was actually respected and rather popular. There was some growing for the character, but he often became more "sane" than his siblings or parents. In other words, the actor and the character transformed a gimmick into someone relatable.

[@newargot]

The show was meant as a role reversal - instead of conservative parents and a radical kid you had the opposite (in a sense flipping shows like All in the Family). Aside from Fox's charisma the reason the character took off was because it was the 80s and so he was more in tune with the Reagan era culture. If the show was rebooted (a bad idea) the character would not resonate today no matter how charismatic the actor.

[@damac5136]

Great stuff, Chato, thanks!

[@shonen_x_trash2488]

Your "fuckable" story made me think of a criticism I hold against the woke virus. It's odd how the people who push for complete sexual liberation are also "triggered" by comments like that, or objectifying behavior. While not polite conversation, lust underpins desires fundamental to life. You can't have complete sexual liberation and ignore that fact. I guess that's the dialectic in action- to borrow their words.

[@CallMeChato]

Exactly.

[@suzygirl1843]

@@CallMeChato Did the whole world agree to that mindset, though? Or are there battling ideals and 1 wins over the other depending on who has the power of media?

[@eleventy-seven]

Words like woke, fake news etc are preschool. I do however agree with your thoughts even though liberal agenda Over substance describe things better then woke.

[@shonen_x_trash2488]

@@eleventy-seven are preschool? I don't know what you mean but woke culture and fake news are very real things. Even if I could understand your gibberish, I 'd immediately discount it because of your profile picture. Disgusting. Damn you for jumping onto a damn band wagon that emphasizes your selfish feelings and disguises them as virtue while you drag us closer to nuclear winter for your hit of dopamine. Frankly, get bent current thing guy. Why don't you go back to yelling about masks or you gonna wait to hear what your next identity is from your handlers?

[@gavinholt5428]

hey I love your content. It's nice to hear what thoughts are going in to these shows behind the scenes. I also love the Star Trek info (huge TOS and Next Gen fan) . Oh I checked out Abbott Elementary, You are right about the attraction to the characters there and there is a real US Office / Parks and Recreation feel to it. I will be watching. Thanks 😊

[@brion0220]

Michael J Fox as Alex P Keaton. Perfect casting. He stole the show. Even the 2 part finale was all about Alex.

[@Matt-dk3wl]

A million years later inside my head I still hear "He's so cute..." after someone says 'Alex P. Keaton'.

[@thatcanadian6698]

Michael J Fox really did steal the show. Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter were the ostensible stars of the show but Michael J Fox simply took over by way of his charisma and charm. He made the show about him, not because of ego or a desire to upstage the other actors, but through his power to finesse the audience. That's what we call star power.

[@anonygent]

What was funny about that, too, was that the conservative Alex was supposed to be the foil for the liberal parents, who were supposed to get the respect. It was almost but not quite like All In the Family in that regard.

[@2OldGeeksTalking]

Love your take on everything....especially Star Trek.

[@CallMeChato]

Glad to hear it!

[@f.douglassgoreiii7861]

One reason the Discovery sets are poorly shot and darkly lit is that (for some strange, amateur reason) the set surfaces are shiny and highly reflective. The lighting has to be lit dark to avoid reflections and light bouncing all over the place, slowing down production. Discovery sets are incredibly expensive-looking, uninteresting spaces, and the bridge is too large, but that's an entirely separate issue.

[@nufosmatic]

9:54 - there is another YTer I listen to who reviews movies and television who is essentially a writer but AFAIK does not have any movie or television production experience. Your observations are a great counterpoint from the production side. It is great fun watching other people work or having them tell you their “war stories”. Thank you…

[@Trixiethegoldenwitch]

You could almost be a vocal stand-in for John de Lancie

[@CallMeChato]

We could be the brothers. He would be Q and I would be R.

[@user-qy9rg3nt2l]

I hear it now.

[@suzygirl1843]

@@CallMeChato If I go to your patreon will you review HBO's Watchmen and juxtapose Regina King's character with Soniqua Martin-Green? They are similar so it would be a fair and balanced argument over charisma

[@CallMeChato]

@@suzygirl1843 Ha I don’t have a patreon account. I don’t do this for a living. Regina vs Sonequa. That’s interesting. I am not the official arbiter of charisma. I did not see HBO’s The Watchmen but I heard that Regina was very good. Sonequa has left me cold to-date. Perhaps she just needs the right project.

[@TimoRutanen]

@@CallMeChato The brothers QQ ?

[@nyimagyalmo6984]

Loved The boys casting and the backstories. Great recommendation.

[@jasonpratt5126]

Many years ago now, my brother and I attended a casting call for background/extras in "US Marshals", the sequel to "The Fugitive" -- y'know, the one with Tommy Lee Jones vs Wesley Smith. Part of the hunt was going to be shot about 45 minutes away. The Assistant Director in charge of herding us together and getting our info, stats, and photos, told us exactly the same thing about lenses (which I then learned more directly in getting my broadcast communications degree). Some people look great in real life but practically every lens hates them, and vice versa. Her specific example: "Everyone here knows Tom Cruise, right? In real life, he's as ugly as a mud fence -- but every lens makes him look great!"

[@mem1701movies]

I’ve seen a TV anchor that looks like an old hag onscreen but in real life she’s quite pretty.

[@blakekatuin9679]

Brothers hey lolol great videos keep up the good work

[@brianbagnall3029]

The Frantics! I remember Boot to the Head. Also the TV show Four on the Floor. Great show!

[@badnewsBH]

Now *that* was some good television!

[@takkima]

I have been telling my friends how wonderful your channel is, keep it up, esp love the part about old TV show introductions. This clip is nice also.

[@countofdownable]

When you hire people based on box ticking, don't expect good scripts, acting or directing.

[@primafacie5029]

Good one... also loved you on FNT

[@julius-stark]

I honestly think that, at least when it comes to something like TV, good writing can usually fill in for a lack of charisma. I think the cast of STD would be adequate if they had good writing and stories to support them. Game of Thrones Season 8 is a great example of how bad writing can drown otherwise good actors.

[@Idazmi7]

"We kinda... forgot..."

[@Daramouthe]

Preach it Chato. Glad to see you on ME yesterday. I always enjoy your vids.