# Star Trek: TNG has aged badly (IMHO) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 18, 2003, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530 "2003-04-18T12:24:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/41 "2003-04-20T05:07:26Z")
[here’s](http://www.trek5.com/caps/tng/101-102/pages/TNG101_113.htm) the infamous guy-in-a-skant (yup, they called the male mini-skirt a “skant”) from _Encounter at Farpoint_. I sure don’t want to know how this guy’s aged! ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/42 "2003-04-20T05:08:41Z")
Sorry, that post really called for a :dubious:. My first time to use it, and I blew it. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/43 "2003-04-20T06:28:02Z")
> [@](#): > > here’s the infamous guy-in-a-skant (yup, they called the male mini-skirt a “skant”) from Encounter at Farpoint. I sure don’t want to know how this guy’s aged! \ I’m not as big a fan of velour as you are, sir. \ ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/44 "2003-04-20T07:20:01Z")
Hey, I _liked_ the way the sets looked! What better way to say, “I run a galaxy-spanning multi-system civilization and I can do whatever the Hell I want” than building a kilometer-long heavy cruiser that STILL had an interior that looks like a hotel? Conquering the stars in STYLE, baby! Yeah! In any case, it has to be better for crew morale than the “Voyager” interior…that one looked like the inside of an air conditioning duct. Ugh. But…I am glad that they didn’t put ferns on the bridge, like in some of the initial concept drawings. There are some lines that even I won’t cross. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/45 "2003-04-20T07:22:32Z")
As for the “skant,” well…Maybe with a higher collar. And longer sleves. And maybe a belt. Or just some pants. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/46 "2003-04-20T10:09:11Z")
> [@](#): > > What better way to say, “I run a galaxy-spanning multi-system civilization and I can do whatever the Hell I want” than building a kilometer-long heavy cruiser that STILL had an interior that looks like a hotel? Building one that doesn’t have a warp core breach every other week? Seriously, if it weren’t for the prevalence of time causalty loop singularities (that seem to be more common than hydrogen in the Star Trek universe) the Enterprise wouldn’t have lasted five seconds into its maiden voyage. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/47 "2003-04-20T20:22:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Smapti \* > \*\*\ > > I’m not as big a fan of velour as you are, sir. > > \ \*\* KIFF? I’m not sure what you mean, but the :dubious: I meant to add was supposed to help indicate I find a guy in a skant unappealing enough without twenty years aging added. At least that’s what I was trying to say. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/48 "2003-04-20T22:37:14Z")
It’s a Futurama reference. Kiff is the alien crewman who hangs around with Captain Zapp Branigan. They wear uniforms much like skants. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/49 "2003-04-21T00:04:19Z")
I always identify a Season 1, 2, or 3 TNG episode by Jonathan Frakes’ weight. He really packed on the pounds for a while after that. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/50 "2003-04-21T00:19:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vivalostwages \* > \*\*I always identify a Season 1, 2, or 3 TNG episode by Jonathan Frakes’ weight. He really packed on the pounds for a while after that. \*\* I watch his facial hair. If he has the beard, it’s late on. If he looks like a dork, it’s early. (He really, really looked better with the beard…) ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/51 "2003-04-21T03:17:52Z")
I’m with you, **Tengu**. He looked like Pottsie without it. About the weight: I do the same thing with the TOS episodes re: Shatner’s fluctuating weight. Oh, and the TNG uniforms…Troi never looked at all professional to me until Captain Jellico made her put on that regular uniform. And then she kept wearing it, no doubt realizing that she looked better that way. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/52 "2003-04-21T03:20:53Z")
I do the same thing with Voyager and Janeway’s bitchiness. Oh, wait… ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/53 "2003-04-21T03:23:32Z")
Or trace the progression of Picard from uptight “I don’t feel comfortable around children” guy to “I want a Nexus family” and then “Shut up, Data” guy. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/54 "2003-04-21T03:25:36Z")
Or Worf’s forehead. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530/55 "2003-04-21T03:28:05Z")
Worf’s hair. B’Elanna’s hair and eyebrows. Janeway’s hair. The hair’s the thing. The little white bit of hair that Bakula had all through _Quantum Leap_ is poking out again. He must have stopped coloring it. Geordi’s vision! Okay, there’s more to watch than just hair. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tng-has-aged-badly-imho/169530.md?page=2)