R&B, Vulcan style

Speaking of intertexual experiments with pop culture icons (see my previous post on "The Superfriends and multiculturalism"), some genres just aren’t meant to be mixed. 

While sci-fi purists might find Star Trek intellectually and artistically wanting–let’s face it, with the exception of the occasional allegory about contemporary affairs (e.g., the episodes that criticized America’s involvement in the Vietnam war), most of STOS’s plots were if truth be told formulaic and devoid of the speculative spark that inspires real sci-fi; the gang would beam down to the latest new planet, a hapless redshirt would quickly die a horrible death, Kirk would kill some creature in hand-to-hand combat and celebrate by bedding some alien beauty, and the away team would return sans one member, etc.; not that this detracts from its appeal for me in any way)– I think we can all agree that there’s something sacrilegious about having Mr. Spock croon Bobby Brown’s execrable "It’s My Prerogative" while bogeying like a late 1980s b-boy.  (Boy, that song hasn’t aged well.  The knowledge that I  bought that dreadful album as a confused, esthetically-challenged teen will haunt me till my dying day.)

Brace yourself, fellow Trekkies.  This little stop motion animation skit entitled "Star Trek Karaoke" would be funny if it weren’t so painful to watch and just downright wrong.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.  [HT: MyAsylum]  As myAsylum puts it, "Yes, the United Federation of Planets has not been spared by the scourge of karaoke."

As esthetically disquieting as that clip is, it does provide an intriguing glimpse of how realistic stop motion animation can be.  Those dolls are getting down like Soul Train dancers!  It’s a far cry from the halting movements (think of Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer) that I associate with this type of animation.

Still, I think I’m going to have to gouge my eyes out like Oedipus.  Doing that to Mr. Spock is just haram.  I did enjoy Lt. Uhura’s rowdy encouragement, though (she yells out in inebriation, "Do it Vulcan style!")