Thursday, December 29, 2011

Today in Pop Culture History

Upper:
29 December 1967: The beloved Star Trek episode "The Trouble with Tribbles" aired for the first time. The season-two classic is ostensibly about a contested sector of space and a trade dispute (we all know how badly that plot can go awry), but what everyone remembers is the furry creatures brought on board by Uhura. The tribbles trill adorably when around humans and Vulcans, but shriek like a two-year-old having a tantrum in the presence of Klingons. The episode actually has some eco-crit concerns: the "trouble" is that the tribbles are an invasive species in a predator-free environment, and threaten the planet's food supply. However, any sophisticated real-world parallels are all overwhelmed by delightful images like these:



Apparently, the crew of Star Trek had a lovely time pelting Kirk with tribbles from off-camera, and allegedly, all the props "disappeared" from the set after filming.



But that doesn't mean you can't have one!

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