What's the difference between a trekkie and a trekker?

[RB_Kandy]

What is the difference between a Trekkie and a trekker, and which one are you?

[teacake]

Trekkers keep asking this question.

[Timewalker]

If you're a Trekker (a more mature fan), you don't need to ask what the difference is.

[Methos]

Trekkie is "frequently depreciative" and is thus "not an acceptable term to serious fans", who prefer Trekker. The distinction existed as early as May 1970, when the editor of fanzine Deck 6 wrote:

...when I start acting like a bubble-headed trekkie, rather than a sober, dignified—albeit enthusiastic—trekker.

By 1976, media reports on Star Trek conventions acknowledged the two types of fans:

One Trekkie came by and felt compelled to explain, while paying for his Mr. Spock computer image, that he was actually a Trekker (a rational fan). Whereas, he said, a Trekkie worships anything connected with Star Trek and would sell his or her mother for a pair of Spock ears.

In the 1991 TV show Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special, Leonard Nimoy attempted to settle the issue by stating that the term 'Trekker' is the preferred term; during an appearance on Saturday Night Live to promote the 2009 Star Trek film, Nimoy—seeking to assure Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, the "new" Kirk and Spock, that most fans would embrace them—initially referred to "Trekkies" before correcting himself and saying "Trekkers", emphasizing the second syllable.

In the documentary Trekkies, Kate Mulgrew stated that Trekkers are the ones "walking with us" while the Trekkies are the ones content to simply sit and watch Star Trek. According to Patrick Stewart, the actors dislike being called Trekkies and are careful to distinguish between themselves and the Trekkie audience. He objected, however, when an interviewer described Trekkies as "weird", calling it a "silly thing to say". Stewart added, "How many do you know personally? You couldn't be more wrong."

The issue is also shown in the film Trekkies 2, in which a Star Trek fan recounts a supposed incident during a Star Trek convention where Gene Roddenberry used the term "trekkies" to describe fans of the show, only to be corrected by a fan that stood up and yelled "Trekkers!" Gene Roddenberry allegedly responded with "No, it's 'Trekkies.' I should know — I invented the thing."

Other fans have recounted a tale that the term trekkies was the original term that was adopted with the first Star Trek convention in 1972. However, by the second convention so many people had "jumped on the bandwagon" that the fans present at the second convention adopted the term "Trekkers" in order to distinguish themselves as the true fans, versus the fad fans who continued to use the term trekkies.

M

[CorporalClegg]

The spelling?

[teacake]

Methos wrote:

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Hey, my neck is just flexible.

Oh that's "bubble" not "bobble".

I'll take whatever is currently the most embarrassing label. I'm out and proud.

[King Daniel Into Darkness]

Trekkies laugh at this...

Trekkers are FURIOUS
(although at the video or JJ Abrams for making the movie I'm not sure!)

[CorporalCaptain]

I think the difference between a trekkie and a trekker as about on par with the difference between Unified Atheist League and the United Atheist Alliance, if you know the reference.

Fans argue about it a lot, but there's really nothing there.

[Greg Cox]

CorporalCaptain wrote:

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I think the difference between a trekkie and a trekker as about on par with the difference between Unified Atheist League and the United Atheist Alliance, if you know the reference.

Fans argue about it a lot, but there's really nothing there.

Or the People's Front for Judea?

I like Trekkie, because it's fun and unpretentious and not trying too hard to be taken seriously, but it's no big deal.

[RandyS]

The main difference is some over-senstive fans way back when got tired of being looked down upon by tactless morons with nothing better to do than make fun of sci-fi fans, so they came up with a name that sounded "less insulting".

[Rhaven]

RB_Kandy wrote:

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What is the difference between a Trekkie and a trekker

The spelling or how playful one is at the moment.

and which one are you?

I'm either, but will admit Trekker sounds less fan-boy.

[GSnail]

Trekkies are fans.
Trekkers are people who are ashamed of star trek.
I'm not ashamed.

[Greg Cox]

The other issue, of course, is that these distinctions are only meaningful to the handful of people who care about them.

Try explaining to most people that, no, you're a "Trekker," not a Trekkie, and they're just going to look at you funny . . . which, ironically, is probably the opposite of what you were going for!

[CorporalCaptain]

Greg Cox wrote:

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Or the People's Front for Judea?

Oh, yeah.

[The Wormhole]

Trekkers are Trekkies who are uptight and snooty.