Fan of the Past: Difference between revisions

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* An early scene in the 2009 ''[[Star Trek (film)|Star Trek]]'' movie shows a young Kirk joyriding in a 20th-century convertible, which his father had apparently refurbished.

* In ''[[Overdrawn at the Memory Bank]]'' Aram Fingal is a big fan of old pop culture, most notably ''[[Casablanca]]''. This is what gets him into so much trouble.

* In the movie version of [[Michael Crichton]]'s [[Timeline]], most of the main characters are historians of the medieval era. One of them is a lifelong enthusiast who's trained himself in period-era blacksmithing and swordplay. Early on in the film, he describes the life of a knight and concludes with the mildly [[Narm~~|Narmy~~]] "The past is ''where it's at!"''

* In the movie version of [[Michael Crichton]]'s [[Timeline]], most of the main characters are historians of the medieval era. One of them is a lifelong enthusiast who's trained himself in period-era blacksmithing and swordplay. Early on in the film, he describes the life of a knight and concludes with the mildly [[Narm]]y "The past is ''where it's at!"''

== [[Literature]] ==

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== [[Live Action TV]] ==

* This trope seems to be standard issue on ''[[Star Trek]]'':

** Tom Paris in ''[[Star Trek: Voyager|Voyager]]'', though he likes things slightly older than modern day (like '''Captain Proton!''', based on [[Pulp Magazine~~|Pulp Magazines~~]] and serials like [[Buck Rogers]] and [[Flash Gordon Serial|Flash Gordon]]). And fixing cars.

** Tom Paris in ''[[Star Trek: Voyager|Voyager]]'', though he likes things slightly older than modern day (like '''Captain Proton!''', based on [[Pulp Magazine]]s and serials like [[Buck Rogers]] and [[Flash Gordon Serial|Flash Gordon]]). And fixing cars.

** ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Deep Space Nine]]'' has Sisko and baseball.

*** Odo and O'Brien both enjoy twentieth-century detective novels.

*** Dr. Bashir and Chief O'Brien were re-fighting the Alamo and playing fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain. The station's counselor started to get concerned after a ~~while--other~~ than the battle of Britain, all of their scenarios were unwinnable last stands.

*** Dr. Bashir and Chief O'Brien were re-fighting the Alamo and playing fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain. The station's counselor started to get concerned after a while—other than the battle of Britain, all of their scenarios were unwinnable last stands.

** ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek the Next Generation]]'' has Picard and the detective program.

*** Not to mention wine making (or at least such is the case with his brother, though considering how steeped in tradition wine making is this may be [[Justified Trope]].)

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** In ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise|Enterprise]]'', Trip was an old movie buff, and T'Pol knew [[Fridge Logic|way more than made]] sense about her great-grandmother's trip to Earth in the 20th century.

** Kirk in [[Star Trek: The Original Series|the original series]]

*** In one of the early Star Trek movies, Kirk receives a pair of "antique" eyeglasses as a birthday present (the explanation is he's allergic to some drug that 24th-century people use to treat bad ~~vision -- funny~~ in hindsight since before the end of the 20th century, we were using [[Technology Marches On|laser microsurgery]] to fix eye problems).

*** In one of the early Star Trek movies, Kirk receives a pair of "antique" eyeglasses as a birthday present (the explanation is he's allergic to some drug that 24th-century people use to treat bad vision—funny in hindsight since before the end of the 20th century, we were using [[Technology Marches On|laser microsurgery]] to fix eye problems).

*** Marla McGivers from "[[Star Trek/Recap/S1/E22 Space Seed|Space Seed]]". Completely justified in [[Mc Givers]]' case, because she is a historian by profession. Kirk even remarks sardonically upon the discovery of Khan's ship, the ''Botany Bay'', that this will finally give her something to do.

*** Two more examples: During Sam Cogley's closing arguments in "[[Star Trek/Recap/S1/E20 Court Martial|Court Martial]]", he refers to fundamental declarations of rights made in the Magna Carta, the US Constitution, a Declaration of Rights from the Martian Colonies, and the Statutes of Alpha III. Also, references are periodically made to Colonel Green (a dictator from the 21st century) and World War III, as well as the fact that mankind avoided an all-out nuclear war.

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*** He also showed knowledge of fencing, and while hallucinating from a contagious [[G-Rated Drug]] called a seeming opponent "Cardinal Richelieu", so clearly ''[[The Three Musketeers (novel)|The Three Musketeers]]'' (or European history, as the fictional Richelieu was based on a real person) was an influence as well.

*** Young Sulu's knowledge of fencing comes in handier than you might expect in the latest ''[[Star Trek (film)|Star Trek]]'' movie ...

** Averted in ''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home|Star Trek IV the Voyage Home]]'', when the 20th-century marine biologist correctly points out that there's at least one ~~thing -- whales -- which~~ no one in Kirk's time will be an expert on.

** Averted in ''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home|Star Trek IV the Voyage Home]]'', when the 20th-century marine biologist correctly points out that there's at least one thing—whales—which no one in Kirk's time will be an expert on.

** The strangest thing is that these history fans almost never talk about anything that hasn't already happened. Given, this has made them look silly in the past, but it gets to the point where you feel that no great works of art, philosophy or religion was accomplished after the 20th Century. A rather strange state of affairs, considering that's when we achieve world peace and space travel.

*** They also consider everything before first contact 'ancient' history on several occasions, Voyager especially being prone to this.

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* Seamus Harper in ''[[Andromeda]]''; he often references culture from our time that confuses everyone else, as he is the only main character from Earth. Examples include comic book references, a desire to learn Gaelic, and surfing (although that seems to still be popular all across the galaxy.)

* Initially averted in ''[[Red Dwarf]]'', where the only references Lister made were originally to futuristic sports (like players for various Zero-G Football teams) and television shows (Mugs Murphy), but eventually just gave up and made jokes referencing pop-culture concepts people actually understood. From the beginning though, Rimmer has been a fan of the Napoleonic Age of War.

** Although a lot of the jokes already feel rather dated ~~10-20~~ years on.

** Although a lot of the jokes already feel rather dated 10–20 years on.

* ''[[Blake's 7|Blakes Seven]]''. In the episode "Bounty", former President Sarkoff is a student of 'natural history', which has come to mean the study of things that no longer exist. Thus he has 20th Century artefacts mounted on his wall like heirlooms, including gasmasks and cutlery.

* Half of the jokes in ''[[Buck Rogers in The 25th Century]]'' were based on misinterpreting items from the 20th Century.

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== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

* Taken to ridiculous levels in ''[[Traveller]]: The New Era'' (set in the 57th century, referencing 20th century history and popular culture left, right and centre), but justified in that [[Word of God]] has it that what we're reading is a [[Cultural Translation]] of the 57th-century stuff that's really being referenced.

* A ''[[BattleTech]]'' book of rumors [[Lampshade Hanging|hung out a lampshade]] on this trope, asking why there were so many references to things 1000 years in the past, and so few from just ~~200-300~~ years ago.

* A ''[[BattleTech]]'' book of rumors [[Lampshade Hanging|hung out a lampshade]] on this trope, asking why there were so many references to things 1000 years in the past, and so few from just 200–300 years ago.

* In ''[[Paranoia (game)|Paranoia]]'', the Romantics are an entire secret society of Fans of the Past. Of course, this being ''Paranoia'', their historical records are [[Future Imperfect|badly mixed up]].