Is it just me, or is Star Trek going the wrong way?

[Dryson]

Trek does seem to be going the wrong way. Trek needs to slow down a little with "this is who I am " and instead focus on the larger picture of exploring space and new worlds.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Trek does seem to be going the wrong way. Trek needs to slow down a little with "this is who I am " and instead focus on the larger picture of exploring space and new worlds.

It's never been about "exploring space and new worlds". It's about the characters and who they are.

 

[fireproof78]

Trek does seem to be going the wrong way. Trek needs to slow down a little with "this is who I am " and instead focus on the larger picture of exploring space and new worlds.

Trek has always been about the human adventure. It was the tag line for The Motion Picture.

 

[Agony_Boothb]

Trek does seem to be going the wrong way. Trek needs to slow down a little with "this is who I am " and instead focus on the larger picture of exploring space and new worlds.

'This is who I am' is just an extension of the human condition which Star Trek has been exploring since the beginning. One of, if not THE main theme of DS9 was a man rediscovering who he was after great loss. So I really don't get what you're trying to say here.

 

[The Wormhole]

'This is who I am' is just an extension of the human condition which Star Trek has been exploring since the beginning. One of, if not THE main theme of DS9 was a man rediscovering who he was after great loss. So I really don't get what you're trying to say here.

"He was a man" or "He did it without crying" in 3, 2, 1...

 

[Mudd]

It's never been about "exploring space and new worlds". It's about the characters and who they are.

Meh, it was about the characters having space adventures in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969...

It took a decade or two for folks to confuse it with Masterpiece Theatre or whateverthefuck...

 

[fireproof78]

Star Trek in general, I think, has been taken over behind-the-scenes by the Ferengi; it's more profits-oriented.

That's what Roddenberry wanted too.

 

[JeffOakland]

It certainly feels more gimmicky.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Meh, it was about the characters having space adventures in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969...

It took a decade or two for folks to confuse it with Masterpiece Theatre or whateverthefuck...

But the adventures usually involved a moral dilemma or two. Like, can I kill my friend who's now a power mad god?
Not really part of the Trekkerpiece Theatre crowd, myself.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Star Trek in general, I think, has been taken over behind-the-scenes by the Ferengi; it's more profits-oriented.

Did you think it was a charity of something? It's been on commercial TV since day one. It's always been about making a profit. For the producers, the studio, the network and even the people making it.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Well, then, why not introduce Product Placement in the show while they're at it? I'm sure that'd make them some money.
My point is there needs to be some balance, otherwise you end up with a cheesy product.

The balance is the same as it's always been. The artists create something that they hope will be profitable for the people who hired them. If it is, they get more work.
Cheesy is something that's been thrown at Trek, especially TOS, for a long time. So I'm not sure where you're going with that.

 

[fireproof78]

The balance is the same as it's always been. The artists create something that they hope will be profitable for the people who hired them. If it is, they get more work.
Cheesy is something that's been thrown at Trek, especially TOS, for a long time. So I'm not sure where you're going with that.

Indeed, yes. The idea that Trek is just now becoming motivated by profit is a strange one, at best, for me. At worst it ignores how productions actually work or that Star Trek somehow evaded the profit motive. I'm not saying Star Trek has not had messaging as part of it because it clearly has. But, the profit motive is there from the beginning.

 

[F. King Daniel]

The only reason Trek made today seems more motivated by money than the Trek you grew up with is that you were too young to think about it that way before.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Well, then, why not introduce Product Placement in the show while they're at it?

 

[Jinn]

Well, then, why not introduce Product Placement in the show while they're at it? I'm sure that'd make them some money.

According to Memory Alpha, there are Product Placements in both Star Trek: Picard and older Trek series. Although I wasn't able to verify anything from the credits of the one PIcard episode they cite. Not sure where they have to declare product placement, if at all.

 

[Coops]

"Is It Just Me Or Is Star Trek Going The Wrong Way" It's entirely possible that somebody has been messing with the Orb Of Time and this thread has emerged from 1987, or was it 2001? Or perhaps 2009? Or even from the future.........?

 

[Vger23]

​

Now, if people don't like my opinion on that, that's your prerogative. But if you think you're going to change my opinions, then don't bother.

Awesome. Then why make the effort posting?

Also, if my opinions and attitude on this subject are so diametrically opposed to the 'group think' of this particular website, then perhaps I've made a mistake being here in the first place.

As with any public posting or discussion forum, if you post, you need to have thick enough skin to have your opinions and positions on things challenged or refuted. That's not "group think," that's just a bunch of people disagreeing with you. If you can't handle that....well....I don't know what to say. Shit happens sometimes.

I disagree with people here all the time. Some people view the franchise very differently than I do. Star Trek, for example, is one of my favorite pass times in my life. I love it. I have since the late 70's when I first saw it. I have spent endless hours and dollars collecting, going to conventions, buying BR disks, watching movies and episodes, etc etc etc. But, I don't get any "meaning" out of Star Trek, and I sure as hell am not under any illusion that profitability isn't part of how and why it works. I also don't begrudge the owners of the franchise for trying to perpetuate it by having it appeal to more people and make more money off of it. To me, that's just how life and business works.

To each their own.

 

[fireproof78]

I'm one of those people for which Star Trek has always been more than just some TV show I liked to watch, there have been things about it that had and have meaning to me.

Of course it has meaning to you. It just means different things to different people.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Not responding to anyone in particular.

Here's the thing that bugs me:

Note that until a month ago I hadn't been involved in any sort of fandom for at least 20 years.
I don't seem to remember fans being all that concerned about whether 'content distributors' were making big bucks or not.
I remember them being more concerned about the 'content' they were interested in actually sparking their interest.
If 'content creators' and 'content distributors' are more concerned with pandering to the largest group of people who have the most money to spend, then that generally leaves fans of a particular genre with what they consider to be an unsatisfying piece of entertainment.
So I don't know if fandom changed somewhere along the line, or if I just never noticed things back in the day, or what.
But I will say this: I'm interested in the content being what actually interests me, and not having my interests changed to what they want the content to be, if the content is just pandering to what I'll refer to as the 'non-fans'.
I'm not even going to get into whatever complaints I might have about some of the content being produced because it's not relevant to this comment, but I do have complaints.
​

Now, if people don't like my opinion on that, that's your prerogative. But if you think you're going to change my opinions, then don't bother.
Also, if my opinions and attitude on this subject are so diametrically opposed to the 'group think' of this particular website, then perhaps I've made a mistake being here in the first place.

If all the above sounds strong to you, then you're right, it is.
I'm one of those people for which Star Trek has always been more than just some TV show I liked to watch, there have been things about it that had and have meaning to me.
If anyone thinks that silly, then I guess that's the natural filter.

If you came here expecting your opinions to be rubber stamped, you’re in the wrong place.

If you came here to worship at the alter of St. Gene the Creator, you’re probably in the wrong place.

If your attitude is I’m right, you’re wrong and nothing can change my mind, then you might want to rewatch Star Trek because that’s not a mindset it promoted.

 

[Quinton]

Apologies for the five-month delay in reply. It's a busy season and COVID-19 has had a deleterious effect on our punctuality here.

To confirm: Yes, it is just you. 99.999% of the fandom loves the new shows. There hasn't been a single complaint, nor even a constructive critique, of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Short Treks, or even Star Trek: Lower Decks. Reddit is an ocean of good feeling. The TrekBBS is a wellspring of bliss. Midnight's Edge pays for over one hundred Paramount Plus subscriptions just so a few of their subscribers can join them in witnessing cinematic excellence.