I can to an extent understand the tongue-in-cheek: the original Star Trek could be camp, with low-budget sets, theatrical acting, and over-the-top costumes; the story-telling was light-hearted so that non-sci-fi fans could enjoy the ride; and sometimes futuristic concepts became absurd and comical.
The later Star Trek could be similar, but also grittier, with lines like: "What you call genocide, I call a day's work."