I haven’t done a rant or rave about much of anything lately but I’ve been doing a lot of reading and hearing a lot of things about Star Trek lately so I figured why not take a stab at writing something about this sci-fi series that has been around for almost 40 years, and to this day, still has a huge base of fans. There’s some things about the show that have been said recently and things I’ve read that just annoy me. So here’s a sci-fi rant.
Star Trek. Even if you have never watched the show, everyone out there has at least heard of Star Trek. Most people have heard of Klingons or ?Beam Me Up Scotty?, and even characters like Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and others, ring a bell to most people familiar with any form of pop-culture.
Personally, I?ve always been a huge fan of Star Trek. Ever since I was a kid I watched Captain Kirk on Star Trek and went to the movies, and even watched Star Trek: The Next Generation, thinking it would suck, and eventually finding it to be an awesome show. One of the things about Star Trek that a lot of people who don?t watch the show don?t realize is that Star Trek has always had a way about it that they tell stories about things in a fictitious future, that reflect on things going on in the real world. In the old series, Klingons were essentially the Russians and there were a lot of parallels shown there that fit in that time. Things like racism, homosexuality, rape, and countless other sensitive topics were always touched upon in such a way that they didn?t come out and say it, but people knew what they were referring to. In an episode of Enterprise last season, the doctor cloned one of the crew members for the sole purpose of using it?s organs to cure the original host. Human cloning for medical purposes. There was a lot of ethical issues addressed in this episode and it directly relates to the issue of human cloning today.
Plus, the one thing about the Star Trek universe was the fact that everyone was equal, and the world existed without hunger, poverty, or any of that type of anguish that we see on the TV everyday. ?Infinite diversity in infinite combinations? comes from this show. Gene Roddenberry created a universe that all people could look at and be proud of and think that maybe someday, when man finally grows up, we might be able to achieve the same thing. Not perfect, as even the times in Star Trek have conflict, but with a higher level of thought and a more mature society than what we have now.
Anyways, so the show has been on almost 40 years. In the last few incantations of the show, things seem to have slipped, at least in the eyes of some of the hard core fans. Personally, I?ve enjoyed all of the series, including Enterprise which showcases the Star Trek universe before Captian Kirk. Although the show hasn?t focused much on what happened before Kirk, I thought it?s been pretty good.
One thing about Star Trek is the fact that it?s hard core fans, are insane. There?s a website I frequent to keep myself up to date on what?s going on and I?ve read some of these message boards and there seems to be a lot of people bitching about Star Trek and how Rick Berman & Brannon Braga (producers) have destroyed the show and made it a horrible thing to watch, blah blah blah, yet these people continue to watch the show and bitch, and when the show faced cancellation earlier this year, these same fans sent in thousands of letters and made thousands of phone calls insisting that the show come back. It was renewed, and has a new show runner (Manny Coto) whom the fans think can save the show (I didn?t think it ever needed saving), and I am sure that after a few episodes, these same fans will be bitching about the same thing.
I get very annoyed at reading these things about how people hate the show but watch it anyway. WTF? Just DON?T FUCKING WATCH IT THEN!!!!
Regardless, I?m glad Star Trek is returning. I enjoy the escapist element since I can inject myself into a part of the future and imagine what it would be like to be there. I don?t like the fact that there does seem to be some powers that be that are milking the show for all it?s worth, but I see good elements coming this season, and it?s never so horribly bad that I wouldn?t watch it.
Star Trek is now a cultural phenomenon and 100 years from now, I?m sure people are going to remember it. Here?s a show that has, in one form or another, lasted 40 years, inspired thousands of fans, and spawned numerous technological advancements. I mean, my PDA looks like tricorder almost. Tablet PC?s look like the pad?s Kirk signed. Communicators work just like cell phones, and now they can even teleport atoms. It won?t be long before I?m yelling out ?Beam me up Scotty!?
So there, I?ve had my say.
