No longer fighting Ignorance, now encouraging it.

About This Message Board
1

For this post:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19242122#post19242122

Captain Kirk Hit with $170-Million Paternity Suit. No, sorry, Captain Kirk is a fictional character. No one is suing him.

IvoryTowerDenizen
Warning Issued
DrDeth you’ve been told to knock this behavior off before. It’s deliberate, it’s disruptive, and it’s time for it to stop.
Everyone else, please drop the discussion of this behavior, as frustrating as it is. Next time, please just report it.

Look, it’s the truth that “Captain Kirk is a fictional character”.

If it’s disruptive, it’s the fault of those that post continued comments on the issue.

The goal of the Straight Dope is to Fight Ignorance, not encourage it.

Hell, William Shatner wasn’t even* playing *Captain Kirk in 1956.

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It’s called humor.
No one believes that Capt. Kirk is a real person.

3

You know, if you’ve been told to “knock this behavior off before. It’s deliberate, it’s disruptive, and it’s time for it to stop,” then maybe you should knock this behavior off because it’s deliberate, it’s disruptive, and it’s time for it to stop.

And stop whining while you’re at it.

4

Spoiler, please!

5

I’m assuming that you didn’t learn your lesson when you were warned for the exact same thing you’re bitching about here. And that was just a little over a year ago.

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The book or the movie?

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Not Warned.

and "DrDeth drop correcting people for using a past character’s name to refer to a role played by the same actor. It’s been done before and there is nothing against the rules about it. It is clear the posters know who they are referring to and don’t need your “corrections”. If you are genuinely confused as to who is being referred to then ask. Otherwise you’re just Jr. Modding and hijacking the conversation. "

Not the same thing.

8

Fair enough. My mistake. I misinterpreted it as I skimmed. But I think my larger point stands. You were told to knock it off a year ago, and you’re doing it again.

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DrDeth, do you honestly believe that a jocular reference to Shatner’s most famous character is spreading ignorance? Or are you pulling our collective plonker?

10

WHAT???

Seriously, though, DrDeth you need to get over the fact that people use the character’s name instead of the actors. It doesn’t even need to be a joke. It’s just the way language works.

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For the record, I agree with Ivory Tower Denizen. It’s deliberate and disruptive (her words). You know that it’s annoying to people and you do it anyway. I’m glad you got a warning for it.

Besides, Shatner wouldn’t even have become that famous if not for Captain Kirk and the paternity suit would not have been worth noting.

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No one can play Captain Kirk as that’s a fictional character and not a musical instrument.

You should use portray or act the part of to avoid confusion.

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Look, I didn’t make a big deal of it. It was a single line. I assumed some would find it humorous. Others went off on it.

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So, all that stuff in the OP about fighting ignorance, etc… was a joke, too?

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Perhaps you should just stop now.

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As opposed to what you’re doing now? :dubious:

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Yes, since ITD and other posters made a big deal of it, I am responding. It’s a lame warning.

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To be fair, there have been ambiguities over the years - 1, 2, 3 - and I’m no longer convinced that the programme was fictional.

19

So who is the best starship captain: Bill Shatner, Edward James Olmos, or Captain Crunch?

20

Grace Slick.