Being told to change expectations while prematurely blaming a fans "mindset" for upcoming disappointment does not give me a good vibe at all about this....
Lower Expectations, says Discovery Writer.
- Thread starter Phoenix219
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Being told to change expectations while prematurely blaming a fans "mindset" for upcoming disappointment does not give me a good vibe at all about this....
This is good advice, that hardcore fans are bound to ignore.
The title is rather misleading. He was speaking of unreasonably high expectations that are bound to lead to disappointment no matter how good the show is, not saying that fan expectations should be dropped to sub-par, lowest-common-denominator levels, which is what the title of the article implies.
Kor
Kor
Yes, I agree with this, too. Having highly specific expectations that have hardened over the course of many years isn't necessarily the best path to enjoyment of something.
I don't see anything like a suggestion to "lower expectations" in the OP's quote, and the linked article didn't back up that characterization of what Meyer said, either. See, "lower expectations" means settle for something more mediocre. What he said was get off of the impossible.
edit - What @Kor said.
edit - What @Kor said.
I was in the room when he said this at the Mission New York Discovery panel and it got roaring applause from the audience. It was in response to a rather rude "question" from an audience member demanding they not "screw it up." I loved Meyer's response. Art is not produced by committee and they cannot please everyone. I loved when he said, "I wouldn't tell you a joke I didn't think is funny because I thought you would think it's funny. That's bullshit." Something to that effect.
Fans do not always know what is best. That is a fact. We all have ideas about what a show "should" be, but the show will be the story the showrunners want to tell. And we are free to tune out. But to think they should kowtow to every comment online in an attempt to appease people is just absurd, and that's basically what angry internet commenters are ultimately expecting creators to do. He's right. We need to get loose. Go in with an open mind and an open heart and experience the story they want to tell. And then decide if we like that story or not.
Fans do not always know what is best. That is a fact. We all have ideas about what a show "should" be, but the show will be the story the showrunners want to tell. And we are free to tune out. But to think they should kowtow to every comment online in an attempt to appease people is just absurd, and that's basically what angry internet commenters are ultimately expecting creators to do. He's right. We need to get loose. Go in with an open mind and an open heart and experience the story they want to tell. And then decide if we like that story or not.
I felt this way about the Kelvin timeline; I decided in 2008 that I would go in with an open mind, and I've had a great time ever since. I took this tack not because I'm more noble or discerning, but because the satisfaction of being a hardass was really starting to pall, and maybe there was more fun elsewhere.
I swore off ENT because Robert S. April was the first captain of any starship named Enterprise, goddammit, and nothing else would do. This cut me off from enjoying the show until years after it had finished, and I found I had passed up a goodly amount of watchable Trek, and I had punished no one but myself.
That's similar to my experience with the Kelvin Timeline. I was dismissive and aggressive about it and it's only in the last couple years that I rewatched them with an open mind and found I really enjoy them. Deciding how you feel about something without even giving it the opportunity to entertain you isn't fair to yourself or the creators. I'd rather allow myself to enjoy a thing than the satisfaction of patting myself on the back for being a "die hard purist" who can no longer enjoy anything.
How ludicrous to misinterpret what Meyer is really saying with this comment, this sort of mentality is basically what he's warning about!
Sounds like Meyer knows a thing or two about sci-fi/fantasy fandom. 
There always have been (and always will be, I suppose) fans who want new content to unrealistically cater to their own vision. But unrealistic expectations almost always lead to disappointment. Why set oneself up for that?
Better to keep an open mind and judge the product on its own terms, rather than on some idealized preconception.
There always have been (and always will be, I suppose) fans who want new content to unrealistically cater to their own vision. But unrealistic expectations almost always lead to disappointment. Why set oneself up for that?Better to keep an open mind and judge the product on its own terms, rather than on some idealized preconception.
You are misinterpreting or misconceiving wisdom as criticism.
All Meyer is saying is that fans need to stop having impossibly high expectations that can only ever not be met, much less surpassed. What good can the creators do if fans are automatically setting themselves up to be disappointed, no matter how the show turns out?
I don't blame Meyer for feeling that way. I'm more amazed someone working behind the scenes was willing to say it publicly. I know that if I were in his position, I would be hard-pressed to hold my tongue.
I don't blame Meyer for feeling that way. I'm more amazed someone working behind the scenes was willing to say it publicly. I know that if I were in his position, I would be hard-pressed to hold my tongue.
A large segment of the audience wrote off Enterprise before it came on the air, and years later are realizing that it was really pretty good. If not for that prejudice, the show might have lasted seven years. Meyer doesn't want that to happen with Discovery, and neither do I.
And as kind of a patron saint of successful Trek he's one of the few people who can say something like that without being crucified by some fans.
Yeah I agree. Meyer's comment also gave me a really bad vibe. Of course I initially read it as "if you go in with open minds and open hearts, you may be retarded". 
Exactly so. The title feels a bit like click bait.The title is rather misleading. He was speaking of unreasonably high expectations that are bound to lead to disappointment no matter how good the show is, not saying that fan expectations should be dropped to sub-par, lowest-common-denominator levels, which is what the title of the article implies.
Kor
