Star Trek is a piece of popular culture with an extremely
dedicated fan base. The fandom to an average person will make people question
why Star Trek? It has lead people to question what makes Star Trek so
successful. Initially it was thought that the original character and their
relationships where the reason for success but that was soon disproved with the
success of TNG. Star Trek has a picture of the future that is very attractive
to many of the individuals who watch. The positive view of the future is one of
the most popular reasons fans like the show. The show creates a utopic future
that the fans flock towards.
What happens in Star Trek is that it “mixes sci-fi and
technical ideals of America’ to produce a progressive world. People of all
races work together to create this perfect world. Many Star Trek fans tend to
take what happens on Star Trek very seriously. There are countless communities,
virtual and real life that allows Trek fans to communicate. One fan
organization called the ‘Welcommittee’ connects fans and introduces new fans to
the Star Trek universe. The Welcommittee
began in 1977 that now has at least 14 geographical areas, each with its own
‘caption’ and ‘crew'.
In the article “Star Trek as a Religious Phenomenon” it
mentions that while Star Trek brings hope to the fans it also brought
intolerance and prejudice. One could ask that this intolerance and prejudice
could be brought on by Trekkie’s themselves. Certain fans have distain for individuals who refuse to
consider “alternative worlds and futures that science fiction construct”. Even
the actors in Star Trek themselves such as William Shatner made fun of Trek
fans. He told them to get a life in a SNL skit where fans assumed Star Trek was
real. Even the characters of Star Trek themselves don’t understand the fandom.
Star Trek director Nicholas Meyer even admits to that, “ I don’t really
understand fandom. I tend to think its people with too much time on their
hands.”
With the countless fan made content Meyer may have a point
about fans having too much time on their hands. Fans are literally arguing on
boards over a fictional world that doesn’t exist in the first place. Fans have constructed their own world with
Star Trek essentially. Star Trek does
give fans hope for the future, which isn’t a bad thing. It is important though
that Trek fans remember that the universe is fictional even if certain aspects
have spilled reality.
The Star Trek fandom is a phenomenon that gives fans "the positive view of the future is one of the most popular reasons fans like the show. The show creates a utopic future that the fans flock towards," as mentioned by the writer. When comparing the Star Trek fandom to a religion, there are obvious similarities including the "utopic future," "positive view of the future," and a set system of beliefs. As with religion, the Star Trek fandom, as the writer mentions, also comes with "intolerance and prejudice." It makes me think of the saying, "to each their own." For some, the Star Trek fandom is a sense of community and belonging and for others they may chose sports, religion, another fandom, or countless hundreds other communities (online or IRL). Because a fan is passionate about Star Trek, does not mean they necessarily have too much time on their hands, rather they are just excited about their fandom community.
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