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CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

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SeerSGB said:
Bingo. Peters knows he's in the wrong, but he's trying to either skate out of this with the money and a studio or he's hoping the fans will ride to his rescue.
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Some days I wonder if he's going for the insanity plea. :p
 
I kind of half-jokingly refer to Axanar as a cult, but as I'm seeing increasingly unhinged Axanar fans posting online, including threats of violence, I've been thinking more about some of the common definitions of cults. Here's one checklist.

The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law. CHECK

‪Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished. CHECK

‪Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s). Well, okay, maybe not. Unless you count hashtags.

‪The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth). Arguable.

‪The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity). CHECK. "Best Trek Ever." "CBS is Afraid."

‪The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society. CHECK. Haters.

‪The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations). CHECK

‪The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities). CHECK. It's not stealing when we do it.

‪The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt iin order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion. Arguable.

‪Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group. Not so much.

‪The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members. CHECK

‪The group is preoccupied with making money. BINGO

‪Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities. CHECK. MARINES.

‪Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members. CHECK

‪The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group. CHECK​

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/may/27/cults-definition-religion
http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm
https://carm.org/cults-outline-analysis
 
seigezunt said:
I kind of half-jokingly refer to Axanar as a cult, but as I'm seeing increasingly unhinged Axanar fans posting online, including threats of violence, I've been thinking more about some of the common definitions of cults. Here's one checklist.

The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law. CHECK

‪Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished. CHECK

‪Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s). Well, okay, maybe not. Unless you count hashtags.

‪The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth). Arguable.

‪The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity). CHECK. "Best Trek Ever." "CBS is Afraid."

‪The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society. CHECK. Haters.

‪The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations). CHECK

‪The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities). CHECK. It's not stealing when we do it.

‪The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt iin order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion. Arguable.

‪Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group. Not so much.

‪The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members. CHECK

‪The group is preoccupied with making money. BINGO

‪Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities. CHECK. MARINES.

‪Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members. CHECK

‪The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group. CHECK​

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/may/27/cults-definition-religion
http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm
https://carm.org/cults-outline-analysis
Click to expand...




I've thought about this and while it's a more extreme conclusion to draw, what seals it for me is the absolute inability for the Axanar acolytes to recognize, let alone agree with the legal truths being spelled out in public.
 
seigezunt said:
I kind of half-jokingly refer to Axanar as a cult, but as I'm seeing increasingly unhinged Axanar fans posting online, including threats of violence, I've been thinking more about some of the common definitions of cults. Here's one checklist.

The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law. CHECK

‪Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished. CHECK

‪Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s). Well, okay, maybe not. Unless you count hashtags.

‪The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth). Arguable.

‪The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity). CHECK. "Best Trek Ever." "CBS is Afraid."

‪The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society. CHECK. Haters.

‪The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations). CHECK

‪The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities). CHECK. It's not stealing when we do it.

‪The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt iin order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion. Arguable.

‪Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group. Not so much.

‪The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members. CHECK

‪The group is preoccupied with making money. BINGO

‪Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities. CHECK. MARINES.

‪Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members. CHECK

‪The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group. CHECK​

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/may/27/cults-definition-religion
http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm
https://carm.org/cults-outline-analysis
Click to expand...
If it's ok with you Seigzunt (and doesn't violate anyone's IP) I'd like to quote those points at some future date on a FB political forum I'm on. They just as easily apply to the followers of Jeremy Corbyn (Britain's answer to Bernie Sanders) as Axanar.
 
Jedi_Master said:
I don't think his attorney is all that reasonable though, she seems convinced she is on some sort of holy crusade on behalf of the fans.
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I don't think she gives a fig about the fans, I think this is all about her career and good luck to her in that respect. She's making the right noises to suggest she's fighting our corner for us all but she'd be doing that whether it was Star Trek, A Man Named Sloane or BJ & The Bear that was getting ripped off.
 
OtherGene said:
I don't think she gives a fig about the fans, I think this is all about her career and good luck to her in that respect. She's making the right noises to suggest she's fighting our corner for us all but she'd be doing that whether it was Star Trek, A Man Named Sloane or BJ & The Bear that was getting ripped off.
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Of course she doesn't care about the fans. She wasn't hired by them. Don't know if it's all about her career, instead, she's fighting in the court of public opinion, as are. BTW nice reference to T J Sloane. I thought I was the only one who remembered that (not so hot) Robert Conrad show :crazy:
 
Should we get Mr. Sulu in here to run the countdown?

What would everyone do without Alec Peters to schedule their entertainment?
 
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I imagine if there was no arguing of either brief, the hearing was quick. But still, it may be early tomorrow before we hear anything. I would imagine the court's order would appear on PACER.
 
CaptGrumpy said:
BTW nice reference to T J Sloane. I thought I was the only one who remembered that (not so hot) Robert Conrad show :crazy:
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It was of it's time and for that time I thought it was great. It wouldn't stand up to scrutiny for todays TV audience but what the hell do they know? They probably wouldn't enjoy the Logans Run TV show either. Losers.
 
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