The classic TNG episode, Darmok, has Captain Picard abducted from the Enterprise by a race of aliens the crew cannot understand. It is not because the universal translator cannot translate their language, but it is eventually revealed the aliens, the Tamarians, speak only in allegories and so while the crew is getting a direct translation of their words they mean nothing without knowing the context behind each story. The most famous one from the episode, 'Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra' which the Tamarian captain repeats to Picard over and over, is eventually understood to be that Darmok and Jalad were two travellers, strangers to each other, who came together to defeat a common enemy at Tanagra. Picard and the Tamarian captain, of course, had to work together to defeat a spooky invisible monster that was hunting them. Picard even figured out how to speak a bit in allegory as well and told the tale of Gilgamesh and Enkidu who I was surprised to learn is NOT a goofy henchmen and his flying green demon buddy. But I digress.
Fantastic episode. A classic. And as it turns out it was decades before its time because goddamn it all we all do in the year of our Q 2023 is talk to each other in memes. Simpsons gifs litter social media, most grimier gaming forums are absolutely lousy with Pepes, and we need not even mention Talking Time's own persimmon of horror. But these are all images, and they cannot be communicated as-is verbally. I have no doubt the Tamarians had their own brand of gifs based on each of their allegories in their social media age they are primarily conveyed by speech so all of this is my roundabout way of saying: Let's word up some memes!
Captain Picard. His face in his palm.
Homer Simpson. Engulfed by shrubbery, backstepping.
Spider-Man. At his duplicate, pointing.
Sideshow Bob. His face caressed by rakes, repeatedly.
Tuxedo Mask leaving, his job here done.
Fantastic episode. A classic. And as it turns out it was decades before its time because goddamn it all we all do in the year of our Q 2023 is talk to each other in memes. Simpsons gifs litter social media, most grimier gaming forums are absolutely lousy with Pepes, and we need not even mention Talking Time's own persimmon of horror. But these are all images, and they cannot be communicated as-is verbally. I have no doubt the Tamarians had their own brand of gifs based on each of their allegories in their social media age they are primarily conveyed by speech so all of this is my roundabout way of saying: Let's word up some memes!
Captain Picard. His face in his palm.
Homer Simpson. Engulfed by shrubbery, backstepping.
Spider-Man. At his duplicate, pointing.
Sideshow Bob. His face caressed by rakes, repeatedly.
Tuxedo Mask leaving, his job here done.
