From: YANJUNA@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Patrick Stewart Interview in Playboy
Date: 11 Oct 92 00:21:53 GMT
Organization: Yale University


    Lo and behold, when I got this month's issue of Playboy, what should
I find inside but a (short) interview with Patrick Stewart.  (I usually
buy the magazine only for the pictures -- not the articles.  Honest.)
   The interviewer asks Stewart "20 questions", about half of which
have to do with Trek.  Since the whole article is only about four
pages long, and most of the questions on Trek are the usual non-fan's
fannish questions, I cannot really recommend it except for the die-hard
Stewart fans, (there is the usual question on what it feels like to be
a bald sex symbol.) the first question is indeed a "classic" answer.
(On the other hand, there are the pictures...)
   (Since this article qualifies as a review, and I am not quoting the
entire article, I believe I, and the net, are on safe legal grounds.
If I am wrong, then either post or e-mail me.)
 
   Q: If you didn 't have to go through channels, whom would you fire from the
starship Enterprise?
   A: I would fire Commander Riker because he perpetually reminds Captain
Picard of his mortality, certainly as far as sexual matters are concerned.  I
would fire Commander Data because he doesn't seem to understand the meaning of
the word concise.  I would fire Geordi LaForge because his technical
terminology goes right over the captain's head and, therefore, I have to take
recourse in simply saying "Make it so" when it is perfectly clear that the
captain hasn't understood a word.  [See footnote at the end]  I'd fire
Lieutenant Worf simply for being Lieutenant Worf.  I'd fire Dr. Crusher
becuase she has a look that is capable of suggesting not just two things but
a dozen things -- most of which the captain feels inadequate to cope with.
And I would certainly fire Counselor Troi because her costume reminds me
of how unattractive I feel mine is.
 
    Footnote: The following is from TNG Technical Manual by Sternbach and
Okuda, footnote page 64
   "Early in the series, Patrick Stewart came up to us [Sternbach and Okuda]
and asked how warp drive worked.  We explained some of the hypothetical
principles dexcribed in this volume, but added that such a device is far beyond
 present day physics.  We emphasized that no one has any real idea how to
make a ship go faster than light.  'Nonsense,' Patrick declared.  'All you have
to do is say, "Engage."'  And he was right..."
   Also there is the infamous story from the TOS, where a writer handed in a
five page dialogue describing, in precise technical detail, the process of
turning the ship around.  Gene Roddenberry (or may be Gene Coon) scratched
the entire five pages and replaced the entire dialogue with...
   "Reverse course."
 
   Overall, Stewart gave the impression that Trek is another job for him.
He enjoys the work, though perhaps not passionately; but he definitely
does not want to be tied down to it.  He also thinks Trek is sexist in its
handling of women, and he really enjoyed singing backup with other members
of the cast on Brent Spiner's album.  There is, also, a nice photo portrait
of Stewart.
                                   Junsok Yang (YANJUNA @YALEVM.YCC)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current