There's a new crowdfunding campaign to build a monument in Captain Janeway's honor in her future birthplace of Bloomington, Indiana. https://www.startrek.com/news/captain-janeway-bloomington-indiana-monument It's supported by the City of Bloomington, which will match donations with a grant if they reach their goal. I think this sounds super cool, and she is certainly deserving of the honor.
What is funny is that at the beginning, Bloomington is the city where the producer Jeri Taylor is from. So, let's say that by wanting to pay tribute to Star Trek's fictional character, Kathryn Janeway, Mrs Taylor will be honored in the same time!
Man, I don't know if the town could handle all the thousands of tourists who would come as part of their Janeway Pilgrimage!
There's a monument to and statue of James T. Kirk in Riverside*, Iowa so I guess why not? *although the dates have been contradicted by modern Trek which seems a bit cruel if you ask me.
A great idea. But why is there nothing of the sort for New Orleans? Or La Barre, France? Upstate New York? Why are we skipping Picard and Sisko and going straight to Janeway? Janeway's character obviously inspired people and was popular enough to warrant this. But Picard and Sisko didn't? Their characters should have been next on the list.
^ I think the French would be a little slower in erecting a statue for a fictional Frenchman from an American show I doubt they'd even have done that if Kirk had been French. (But I might be wrong of course)
I think of the quartet Kirk, Picard, Janeway, Sisko, Sisko is the least "mainstream" popular one, so on that basis would have the lowest probability of getting his own statue. (And I'm saying this as someone who considers DS9 to be the best series).
But what would be point to this monument? Inspiring future generations to watch seven seasons of a bland 90s spinoff that isn’t even worth an HD master? Or at least to start watching and give up in wonder at those who kept going? If not that, to remind only the 90s generation of the good old Bermanverse? Surely if the idea is to celebrate Star Trek one wouldn’t point at one of its weakest iterations? Why not honor Jeri Taylor instead?
You may be right. And DS9 is my favorite of the franchise. It's just a shame. One of its weakest iterations?! On every level, DS9 is one of the strongest iterations of STAR TREK. And as much of a fan of VOYAGER as I am, I've actually felt that was on the weaker end of the spectrum. And despite how much I have enjoyed her episodes, the two seasons that Jeri Taylor had the biggest control over (TNG season 7 and VOY season 3) have widely been considered among the weakest of their shows. As an episode writer, she's great. But as one in charge of the writers, the franchise has had better. Don't get me wrong... Taylor should get a statue, too. But there are others who deserve it as much, and frankly, should get it ahead of her. Gene L. Coon, D.C. Fontana, Michael Piller, Ira Steven Behr... to name a few.
I was speaking about VGR as one of the weakest iterations, not DS9. Personally I’m against spending $25,000 on this sort of monument, so I’m asking what there is to be gained by referencing VGR for future generations. It’s a forgettable 90s spinoff, not a landmark in the history of entertainment. If someone wants to advertise Star Trek, why not do it properly by focusing on the underlying ideals of IDIC, exploration, curiosity?
I confirm that France will never EVER erect a statue for a fictional character who is French only on paper but performed by an English actor... who can't speak French. We have better things to do like paying homage to real people, famous or not, no matter their nationality.
Janeway has been a huge inspiration for some people*, including friends of mine. That means more than episode quality consistency. *That's not to say Sisko and others haven't.
Quick question, and off topic (for which I apologise): Do French Star Trek fans consider it kind of offensive (or at least a missed opportunity) that the Picard character wasn't played by an actual Frenchman, or don't they care about that ?
No, it wasn't offensive but just awkward that a man who was introduced like a French citizen, was unable to speak a minimum in this language. To say "oh zut alors!" or "c'est la vie!" isn't enough to say you're French. Worst, it is even cartoonish. He could have been introduced like someone born in France but having been raised in England or Canada, what would have explained that his complete name sounded french but that he doesn't speak in the language of Molière. It would have been more realistic, wouldn't it?
The monument is kind of silly, but the show isn't by any means "a forgettable 90's spin off." It has had quite a following to this day. To many people, it is the best Trek iteration. For proof, just go to any random YouTube video showing Voyager clips, or documentaries, or special features and read the comments section. You may not care for it, but you don't hold the one objective view on its quality. TNG wasn't worth putting on Blu-Ray either. If it had been, DS9 and VOY would have gotten the same treatment. And TNG was and still is the most successful and profitable Star Trek show. It's not like it's some old obscure movie that isn't getting high definition treatment, it's a seven season series that would take years to remaster, and 10's of millions of dollars.
The whole point here is whether Janeway and by extension VGR deserve a monument, which (unless it’s more of a $25,000 in-joke) implies major cultural, historical and critical significance as opposed to the fact that some people can watch it in the context of The X-Files and fail to see it for what it is, seven seasons of a bland spinoff that never left the turn of the century and can’t be an easy sell to future generations. Perhaps in the final calculation not even TNG was worth an HD master, but CBS did invest in TNG first because of its relative status in the public eye, and now they’re making PIC first with no suggestion of a Janeway show.