How to get friends into Trek?

[Greg Cox]

What I meant by the title was, really, how would you recommend getting a friend interested in the franchise. This is really the only place where I can regularly talk about this stuff right now, and I was wondering how to spark interest. Sorry for the confusion.

No need to apologize. It's a perfectly valid question. Just offering tips on how to go about it . . . and possible traps to avoid.

The other way to go is to find folks who are already fans. Does your local library have an SF Book Club? Are there any local conventions you can volunteer for? Is there a Star Trek fan club nearby? Or just a generic SF fan organization?

Doesn't have to be a specifically STAR TREK group. Hang out with fans in general and chances are there will be folks to talk Trek with.

Conspicuously reading STAR TREK books or comics in public might help, too.

(Seriously, I met my oldest friend in the world because she spotted me reading a DOC SAVAGE comic book in junior high and started talking to me about comics.)

 

[fireproof78]

People are naturally going to want to share their enthusiasms with their friends and family because we're social creatures. "Ohmigod, you've got to hear this new album! It's amazing!"

Quite right. Though, the quickest way to turn me off of something new is to do the whole "OMG!"

 

[Boris Skrbic]

Quite right. Though, the quickest way to turn me off of something new is to do the whole "OMG!"

Exactly, but I sometimes do it tongue-in-cheek anyway (”Hey, Star Trek: Picard arrives on January 24! With TNG cast!”), although I couldn’t care less if anyone else watches it (and even I’ll do so for the canon regardless of quality, though it’s hard to go wrong with Patrick Stewart in a starring role).

As sekundant pointed out, we’re not missionaries. This whole premise of getting someone into something is wrong, since we should all have interests that are diverse enough to find common ground with friends. It’s a practical application of IDIC, after all — rather than try and almost certainly fail to get someone into Trek, get into something they like. Use the opportunity to expand your own horizons, because nothing says Trek more than getting out of a comfort zone.

 

[Greg Cox]

This whole premise of getting someone into something is wrong, since we should all have interests that are diverse enough to find common ground with friends.

I wouldn't go that far. I think there's a sane middle ground between being aggressively evangelical about it and just wanting to share your enthusiasms with your friends and family and significant others, especially if you think So-and-So might like it. It only becomes problematic if you take it too far and persist even when it's obvious the other person isn't interested.

And, of course, it's a two-way street. If you want to talk to your friends about Star Trek, be willing to hear about their favorite band or book or movie or whatever. Heck, a big part of dating somebody new is finding out what they're interested in and letting them know what you're into.

Just avoid monopolizing the conversation or ONLY talking about Star Trek all the time.

 

[nafeasonto]

One of my friends got into trek cause of JJ. The other because of First Contact. They ended up watching EVERYTHING

 

[Greg Cox]

One of my friends got into trek cause of JJ. The other because of First Contact. They ended up watching EVERYTHING

I gave up on BABYLON-5 early on, but friends whose judgment I respected urged me to give it a second chance. "Seriously, it's gotten much better. You're missing out on some good stuff."

So I did and did not regret it.

Over the years, I've discovered any number of good shows, movies, music, and so on, because friends and family exposed me to it. You just need to allow for each individual's tastes and remember that not every thing is right for everyone. Lord knows I've had this conversation many, many times.

"I've discovered this great new TV show. It's my new favorite."
"Would I like it?"
"Absolutely not."

 

[fireproof78]

As sekundant pointed out, we’re not missionaries. This whole premise of getting someone into something is wrong, since we should all have interests that are diverse enough to find common ground with friends. It’s a practical application of IDIC, after all — rather than try and almost certainly fail to get someone into Trek, get into something they like. Use the opportunity to expand your own horizons, because nothing says Trek more than getting out of a comfort zone.

As with all things it requires balance. Never sharing my interests is a quick way to feel resentful, while always expanding my horizons sometimes means I miss out on sharing showing I'm truly passionate about. There are many films friends have showed me that I didn't enjoy but was glad to share the experience. I think an appropriate response would be to share one with them in kind.

Greg Cox has got it pretty close to me-talk about things I like and gauge interest accordingly. I certainly have similar conversations with even my dad, who is a Star Trek fan, but couldn't get in to Firefly, or Farscape. But, I never would have seen Alien if it wasn't for him.

Balance.

 

[Danja]

How to get your kids into Trek:

https://www.startrek.com/news/how-to-raise-a-star-trek-fan-a-tutorial?amp=

 

[Datalore1701]

Most of my friends are very anti-trek. I have tried to get some of them involved with the franchise by starting them on Star Trek (2009), but they just looked at their phones the whole time. Personally, I think you have to do it by stages. The first Star Trek episode I watched was "The Cage", a rather disappointing beginning. I would not recommend starting someone new to Star Trek on chronological TOS episodes.
This is how I got ONE of my friends into Star Trek:
I asked if they had ever seen any episodes or movies.
They hadn't.
I asked if they would be open to watching them in their own time.
They weren't.
I asked if they would be open to watching an episode or movie in my company.
They were. (I think their acquiescence may have just been to get me to stop talking.)
I spent two weeks stressing over which episode/movie to watch with them. I had almost settled of TWOK and "Space Seed", but then I remembered that they didn't even know who Spock was, so I might have to start with something that established the characters.
The friend came over.
We watched the first reboot and "The Galileo Seven".
They enjoyed them.
We watched Into Darkness.
They enjoyed that too. (I was surprised. I don't particularly like Into Darkness.) They said, (and I quote) "I really want to get into Star Trek now."
I was happy. I recommended some TOS and TNG episodes. They watched them and enjoyed them. Yay. We now can talk about Star Trek together. That being said, I have tried the same thing with other friends, and it really didn't work, hence my presence in an online forum.
ANYway.
I think I should have started them on TWOK and continued with films 3 and 4. The reboot movies are so different to the originals, I reckon I might have given the wrong idea of what the franchise is like.

 

[amp]

You could try hosting a Picard viewing party and show the first couple of episodes. I think between esteem for Patrick Stewart and the show's dramatic presentation it may intrigue some people to check it out who wouldn't normally be into sci-fi.

 

[Spicy Thunder]

So update: A friend started watching TNG season 1, after I told them to skip that season and now their favorite is Tasha Yar and in the 3 minutes they took to explain why they like her so much it was very tricky to keep smiling.

 

[Kor]

So update: A friend started watching TNG season 1, after I told them to skip that season and now their favorite is Tasha Yar and in the 3 minutes they took to explain why they like her so much it was very tricky to keep smiling.

Yes, the world of Trek fandom comes up with all these consensuses about which Trek episodes, seasons and movies are good, bad, weak, or whatever. But you never know what might catch the fancy of an open-minded non-fan who isn't beholden to the baggage and preconceptions of fandom.

A friend of mine had never watched any kind of Star Trek in her whole life, then happened to see Into Darkness without even having seen the 2009 movie. She absolutely loved it, and said, "Oh, now I understand why people like Star Trek so much!"

Kor

 

[Spicy Thunder]

Yes, the world of Trek fandom comes up with all these consensuses about which Trek episodes, seasons and movies are good, bad, weak, or whatever. But you never know what might catch the fancy of an open-minded non-fan who isn't beholden to the baggage and preconceptions of fandom.

A friend of mine had never watched any kind of Star Trek in her whole life, then happened to see Into Darkness without even having seen the 2009 movie. She absolutely loved it, and said, "Oh, now I understand why people like Star Trek so much!"

Kor

Understood. And I am kinda glad they chose to do that. I just feel bad about Tasha and how they're going to react to episode 22

 

[Alexander Corrino]

So update: A friend started watching TNG season 1, after I told them to skip that season and now their favorite is Tasha Yar and in the 3 minutes they took to explain why they like her so much it was very tricky to keep smiling.

Ooops, awkward. Ah well, at least they'll see (a different version of) Tasha again.

 

[Ocanain]

I have a love/hate relationship with Star Trek so getting my friends into with would be like getting my friends into heroin. Haha.
On a more serious note it would depend on what other shows they like. If they’re the wholesome type- I’d go TNG. If they’re the dramatic type- I’d go Ds9, if they’re the edgy metaphor type- I’d go Picard, if they’re the serial type- I’d go Voyager, if they’re the didactic libertarian type- I’d go Discovery and if they’re the action type I’d show them JJ Star Trek and hope for the best. TOS is a long shot by any reckoning. Enterprise is a bit of a stretch but you never know.

 

[Falconer]

TOS is a long shot by any reckoning.

By any reckoning? Definitely not. I find TOS overwhelmingly more appealing and entertaining than the rest of the franchise combined.