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Majel Roddenberry Dies At 76

Posted by timothy on from the her-voice-prints-will-live-on dept.

unassimilatible writes "If there was ever a sad day for nerds, it's today, as Majel Barrett-Rodenberry has passed away. The widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry is best remembered as the gorgeous Nurse Christine Chapel from the original series, the pesky and officious Lwaxana Troi from The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, and of course the ubiquitous voice of Star Trek computers in movies, TV, and animated films (who hasn't used her voice as a system sound on their PC?). Majel also attended Star Trek conventions yearly and was a producer of Andromeda. Fortunately, Majel just finished her voice over work for the computers in J.J. Abrams' latest Trek movie. I have to admit, this made me sad, just having caught up on the entire TNG and DS9 series on DVD."

31 of 356 comments (clear)

  1. Who will replace her? by iSzabo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Her voice was unique - ironically I don't think a digital voice would do the computer justice, and posers ain't cool. :(

    1. Re:Who will replace her? by Matt+Perry · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Who will replace her?

      Sound Forge and a dialogue editor. There is enough of her computer dialog from all the trek episodes and movies that an editor could splice together a variety of sentences without much effort.

      --
      Slashdot: Failed Car Analogies. Amateur Lawyering. Anecdote Battles.
    2. Re:Who will replace her? by Tekoneiric · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I'm suprised she didn't market her voice to the electronics industry for products like GPS devices.

      --
      *It's not what you can do for the Dark Side but what the Dark Side can do for you!*
    3. Re:Who will replace her? by Baricom · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I wouldn't be surprised if she was under a non-compete preventing exactly that.

    4. Re:Who will replace her? by bigstrat2003 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Lots of people loved DS9, and it's widely considered a contender for the best Trek, along with TNG. And I, for one, thought Voyager was good, and I know I'm not alone.

      --
      "16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
  2. Number One! by Bieeanda · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Let's not forget that she was cast as the first officer in the original Star Trek pilot episode too.

    1. Re:Number One! by JackieBrown · · Score: 4, Informative

      And in Babylon 5!

    2. Re:Number One! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Little known fact... Had the original Star Trek pilot cast gone to series and into a second season, she like Jonathan Frakes would've grown a beard.

    3. Re:Number One! by Zibblsnrt · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I loved the kind of stealth eulogy for Gene she gave in her appearance there.

      --
      "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
    4. Re:Number One! by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 4, Insightful

      She probably didn't back in the day when "beaves" were fashionable, but later on when she became the sexy ol' cougar Lwaxana, she seduced the oedupus in all of us. I might even say that she was a prototype of Samantha from Sex and the City.

      Later, in an unexpected departure for her, it was revealed that she lost a child and almost died of her own guilt and sorrow.

      Later in DS9 she was seen as the MILFy chick who always tried to seduce the lovable, virginal social retard in all of us: Odo.

    5. Re:Number One! by profplump · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Guys, we all need to stop eating and switch to IV-delivered glucose. Poop is gross, and your digestive tract is mostly unnecessary with modern technology.

      I'm not against a hair styling -- be it head, face, or otherwise -- but to suggest that a standard bit of anatomy is "gross" and must be entirely removed is absurd.

    6. Re:Number One! by bickerdyke · · Score: 4, Funny

      Now would that be "News for Nerds" or "Stuff that matters"??

      --
      bickerdyke
  3. A fitting epitaph by dr_dank · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Computer...

    End program.

    --
    Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
    1. Re:A fitting epitaph by donig · · Score: 5, Funny

      She's dead, Jim.

  4. details by flynt · · Score: 4, Funny

    Were there any further details? Truly a Klingon icon.

  5. "Death is that state... by Azgaard · · Score: 5, Insightful

    in which one exists only in the memory of others." - Natasha Yar

    Thankfully we have DVDs.

    God speed Majel. Say hi to Gene for us.

  6. Re:Other roles... by AJWM · · Score: 4, Informative

    .the one watching as the damaged Enterprise pulls into Stardock in Star Trek III...

    Nope, that was Grace Lee Whitney, Yeoman Janice Rand in the original series, and a CPO in ST IV. Apparently her brief appearance in ST III was not officially as Rand (probably for contractual reasons, I'm guessing) but her reaction makes more sense if she'd served on the Enterprise.

    --
    -- Alastair
  7. Re:c'mon ppl,this is really sad,please hold the jo by l0ungeb0y · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Out of respect for the dearly departed, please... DO MAKE ALL THE JOKES YOU CAN THINK OF. Only a self important sourpuss would want people crying over their passing.

    I'm going to do what Scotty would have done: Drink a bottle of something good and bask in the fond memories.

  8. Re:computer voice similarity explained by Chairboy · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Rift by Peter David
    http://startrek.wikia.com/wiki/The_Rift

    I'm a nerd.

  9. Iconic... by sirroc · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My wife and I were just discussing her the other evening; while watching WALL-E. Feeling sad that pixar didn't cast her as the voice of the ship's computer. Instead we got a vague homage to Alien in Sigourney Weaver.

    What I am now coming to realize by digesting this sad news; is that playing the voice of such a seemingly mundane role -of a starship's computer, Has become an icon of the Sci-Fi genre. While certainly not the first to play such a role. She certainly changed the entire paradigm of how the role was portrayed.

    Her efforts to continue her husbands work and support of the genre will be sorely missed.

    1. Re:Iconic... by cavefrog · · Score: 5, Funny

      "My wife and I were just discussing her the other evening; while watching WALL-E. Feeling sad that pixar didn't cast her as the voice of the ship's computer. Instead we got a vague homage to Alien in Sigourney Weaver."

      Hmm. And Sigourney Weaver played the part of Gwen DeMarco in Galaxy Quest - a person who's job it was to repeat what the computer was saying.

  10. Re:May I be the first to say... by Teresita · · Score: 5, Funny

    "She's dead, Jim"

    No, it's "She's dead, get off her Jim!"

  11. Re:c'mon ppl,this is really sad,please hold the jo by M1rth · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No shit.

    The best way to memorialize someone isn't to cry boo-hoo over the fact that they died... but to celebrate what they gave us in their life. I'm sure there are an absolute ton of wonderful stories about her, and if you feel the need to make a joke related to her career... you validate her career and life by doing so.

    "She's dead, Jim." But at the same time the memories of her live on, and all she contributed to our lives will not be soon forgotten.

    Raise a glass and make a toast: to Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, who Boldly Went Where No Woman Had Gone Before starting at the very beginning.

    --
    If you can read this sig, congratulations, you have your glasses on!
  12. Re:c'mon ppl,this is really sad,please hold the jo by Zibblsnrt · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Having (briefly) met her once, I think she'd appreciate the cascade of awful, awful Trek jokes that would spring up at the news of something like this.

    Or the Scotty route, which ideally done results in a thundering hangover and the inability to find at least half your clothes.

    --
    "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
  13. Things like this... by patryn20 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...make you realize just what you take for granted. That voice was the same from day one. Yet it never dawned on me there was a person (and, it turns out, a relatively prominent one) behind that sound. Another talent gone. Another memory created. Another ubiquitous item in our lives that will have to be replaced. The voice will never be the same. Godspeed, Majel.

    1. Re:Things like this... by lilomar · · Score: 4, Funny

      Godspeed, Majel.

      Is that warp-eight, or -nine?

      --
      The creator of this post (Jacob Smith) hereby releases it, and all of his other posts, into the public domain.
  14. Re:Roddenberry by ArcherB · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Isn't that one of the syrup flavors at IHOP?

    Sheldon

    Actually, the Roddenberry from an episode of Futurama that they were looking for when they were starving after leaving the planet of moochers. It was intended as reference to Gene Roddenberry (if I have to tell you who he is, please remove your SlashDot account!)

    Also, the title, "The Problem with Popplers" was in reference to "The Trouble with Tribbles", a Star Trek episode.

    --
    There is no "I disagree" mod for a reason. Flamebait, Troll, and Overrated are not substitutes.
  15. Re:Roddenberry by TwilightXaos · · Score: 4, Insightful

    We shall honor the dead how we wish.

    Perhaps you need to lighten the fuck up.

    Lame and rude? Like she cares now.

    Do you seriously think she wouldn't laugh at these jokes, if she were here?

    If that is the case, then I am glad she is gone. Those that can't laugh at themselves are the poorest souls, and life in it's wonder is lost on them; death is better.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBiLNN1NhQ&feature=channel

  16. Re:c'mon ppl,this is really sad,please hold the jo by CharlieG · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's OK if you can't manage it. I remember when Dad passed, some folks had funny stories about Dad (including a time he was arrested that I didn't know about!! - and I was in my 30s when it happened - charges dismissed). I was unable to make the jokes Dad would have appreciated, but I myself appreciated hearing them

    --
    -- 73 de KG2V For the Children - RKBA! "You are what you do when it counts" - the Masso
  17. JMS put the words there, no stealth was needed by Shivetya · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://www.ntua.gr/lurk/countries/co/guide/053.html

    About halfway down the page is some discussion of the quote and Majel's appearance on B5.


    # Was Morella's speech about greatness intended as a tribute to Gene Roddenberry?
    There's probably a fair amount there that could apply to Gene, yes...

    # If a word comes out of a character's mouth, it's usually mine. The bit about greatness was one of them; had a number of different subtexts going on behind it.

    If anything I would say that while there might have been some rivalry among the crews the people who create are more likely to be friendly than anything else. It is a small world when it comes to finding truly creative people.

    --
    * Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
  18. That's on pages 80-81, btw. by mikelieman · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://books.google.com/books?id=bBO7Uqv8LB4C&pg=PA81&vq=voice&dq=peter+david+the+rift&source=gbs_search_s&cad=0

    You know, those first 100 books or so didn't totally suck.

    --
    Technology -- No Place For Wimps! Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Chatroom -- http://www.wemissjerry.org