Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Obama?

[Good Will Riker]

Has Star Trek become so less culturally relevant in recent years that there are no comments or interviews from Star Trek actors of African American descent on the possibility of a Barack Obama United States presidency?

For example, Levar Burton who portrayed the slave Kunta Kinte in the 1970's mini-series "Roots," or Nichelle Nichols who herself was told that she was a positive role model for African Americans by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. himself. For that matter, Avery Brooks who portrayed the first African American captain in a Star Trek show. I am sure Tim Russ has time to chime in between directing films, or Michael Dorn between acting auditions. Perhaps even Dr. Mae Jameson who was the first African American astronaut in space.

The only Star Trek alumni of African American descent to publicly promote Barack Obama's presidency is Whoopi Goldberg from "The View," but all we get for the latest Star Trek news nowadays are the same old soundbites from Simon Pegg and Zachary Quinto on the upcoming Star Trek film, when this is important. This is history in the making, and there actually was a time when the progress of African Americans in the United States was also culturally tied to the inroads that African American actors have made on Star Trek over the last several decades.

So, what happened?

We are talking a full on collective support of a presidential candidate, not a soundbite quote from Wil Wheaton here or Leonard Nimoy there from "the grapevine." But, something like a full spread Trekweb heading that says "Star Trek actors in support of US presidential candidates" and have interviews/quotes with Shatner, Nimoy, Takei, Koenig, Nichols, Stewart, Frakes, Spiner, Brooks, Dorn, Mulgrew, Russ, Bakula, Trinneer, etc. on their opinions?

 

[c0rnedfr0g]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

maybe they support candidates based on the issues, not the colour of their skin...

 

[trekker670]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

maybe they support candidates based on the issues, not the colour of their skin

Whoa! What!!!

 

[Good Will Riker]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

Why do news sites like Trekweb overwhemingly devote their time every little bit of Star Trek movie trivia news, yet rarely if ever report on relevant issues, events, happenings which happen to relate to the Star Trek alumni?

It is almost as if we discuss Star Trek for the sake of discussing Star Trek now instead of the ideas, issues, historical and cultural relevance behind them like the way it was originally intended to be.

 

[Markas]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

Has Star Trek become so less culturally relevant in recent years that there are no comments or interviews from Star Trek actors of African American descent on the possibility of a Barack Obama United States presidency?

Yes, I think that is relatively accurate. The relevence of Trek has declined over time due to the decline in ST quality. When TOS was on the air, it was perhaps not well watched, but forced some discussion. The same happened when the TOS movies were being made and up through Next Gen. I think that later series were simply entertainment in much of the minds of non-fans.

STAR TREK's new SPOCK insists the new sci-fi blockbuster will be more successful at the U.S. box office if BARACK OBAMA is U.S. President.
Actor Zachary Quinto believes Obama's optimism will drive film fans to see films that have positive messages - like Star Trek.

However, STXI might make a difference. I was reading what Zachary Quinto was saying about the effect of Barack Obama winning the presidency. It was quite fascinating.

 

[T'Aerwynd]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

Star Trek alumni not commenting on the presidential election doesn't mean that Star Trek's ideals have lost significance. Perhaps it makes the show's ideals MORE significant. Perhaps nobody is really all that surprised that a black man, a woman and a white man ran against one another for the privilege of holding the most powerful position in the country (or world, if you hold that view). Perhaps it means nobody really cares that a black man could be our next president. Perhaps it means that Sen. Obama is only a man and nothing more or less. That is as it should be.

 

[Captain X]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

Who cares what any celebrity's opinion is. I sure don't. I actually tend to resent it when celebrities use their status as a soap box anyway.

 

[ialfan]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

maybe they support candidates based on the issues, not the colour of their skin...

Seconded. Maybe they don't agree with some of Obama's more socialist ideas and therefore don't support him.

 

[Captain X]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

 

[Good Will Riker]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

Star Trek alumni not commenting on the presidential election doesn't mean that Star Trek's ideals have lost significance. Perhaps it makes the show's ideals MORE significant. Perhaps nobody is really all that surprised that a black man, a woman and a white man ran against one another for the privilege of holding the most powerful position in the country (or world, if you hold that view). Perhaps it means nobody really cares that a black man could be our next president. Perhaps it means that Sen. Obama is only a man and nothing more or less. That is as it should be.

Who cares what any celebrity's opinion is. I sure don't. I actually tend to resent it when celebrities use their status as a soap box anyway.

Seconded. Maybe they don't agree with some of Obama's more socialist ideas and therefore don't support him.

Spoken like a true, non-African American.

10 years ago there was a special issue of Star Trek magazine that was devoted fully to African American actors and actresses in Star Trek with photos and exclusive interviews from Nichelle Nichols, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Whoopi Goldberg, Avery Brooks, Cirroc Lofton, Tim Russ, and even non-regular Dr. Mae Jameson.

We all know that Hollywood is all about making money, and nothing but making money. Period. But, even a few years ago they at least put on the pretense of marketing Star Trek as a vehicle for cultural relevance rather than the "Paramount Gravy Train" that it actually is and has been all along.

The public discourse of the 1960's where mass media was used to espouse, discuss, and debate ideas relevant to our times transformed into primarily a popular culture that mainly discusses the latest fashion trends and celebrity gossip. This is what happens when Star Trek becomes dominated less by people who praises the works of Gene L. Coon and more by people who gossip about the latest Kim Kardashian sex tape.

 

[Sector 7]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

Why do news sites like Trekweb overwhemingly devote their time every little bit of Star Trek movie trivia news, yet rarely if ever report on relevant issues, events, happenings which happen to relate to the Star Trek alumni?

It is almost as if we discuss Star Trek for the sake of discussing Star Trek now instead of the ideas, issues, historical and cultural relevance behind them like the way it was originally intended to be.

I think I understand what you mean. Star Trek was boldly going before much of society did. Unfortunately, people have short memories. In part, thanks to Star Trek breaking ground in the 1960s, it isn't that cutting edge to see black, white, hispanic, asian or gay people in a television show. They now commonly interact on screen, whereas in the 1960s it was very UNcommon to see culturally different people interacting at work.

The Star Trek fanbase is also more diverse now, compared to the early days of Trek. Even conservatives like Star Trek these days, thus there are many differing views within the Trek community. Some who used to be leftist liberals have become conservatives in their old age . Others may have grown up in conservative homes, but now are more moderate/liberal (like me).

All in all, Star Trek is now relegated to familiar names from old television and movies. It has become the subject of Trivial Pursuit questions; no more. The only ones actively debating Trek issues are hardcore trekkies/trekkers... even the name is debated.

I also hope that, with the new movie, Star Trek may become relevant again. But, JJ & Co. may or may not have a debate-starting movie for us next May. Perhaps it will come later, or perhaps it will be left to any future series to cause debate.

Food for thought: what do you consider cutting edge issues to be? What should Star Trek challenge us to grow toward? What should it challenge us to overcome in ourselves? The issues Trek used to cover have been done and many seem old hat to the public. Where do we boldly go from here?

 

[Cyke101]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

I would think that Star Trek actors would voice their support more through campaign contributions than through soapboxing. They all seem pretty sensible in that regard, and I don't recall any of them being as obnoxious as Stephen or Alec Baldwin.

With that said, I think Nimoy and Takei have contributed the limit to Obama (esp. considering Takei's history with politics and what's at stake for him personally in this race). I wouldn't be surprised if Kate Mulgrew did, as her husband is a politician. Jeri Ryan, though, was once married to Republian Jack Ryan, so perhaps she leans to the right. Who knows? Probably just Jeri.

Funny thing is, if Jack Ryan hadn't been hit by a sex scandal, he probably would have beaten Barack Obama for the US Senate. But thanks to Jeri Ryan (among many other factors), Obama's poised to win. That just PROVES that Star Trek is culturally important!

 

[Good Will Riker]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

Food for thought: what do you consider cutting edge issues to be? What should Star Trek challenge us to grow toward? What should it challenge us to overcome in ourselves? The issues Trek used to cover have been done and many seem old hat to the public. Where do we boldly go from here?

The last time a Star Trek feature film was topical was when it addressed the allegory of the end of the Cold War in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in 1991, which was a nice wrap up to the prevailing global issues that dominated the 1960's which dealt with the ideological differences between democracy and communism, as well as the arms race/space race between the United States and the former Soviet Union.

On television, DS9 was prescient when it came to 9/11 and Homeland Security, and explored issues of war, annexation, religion, espionage, and politics.

Then, all we pretty much got for discourse were primarily superficial discussions on how big Seven of Nine and Tpol's boobs were in VOY and ENT.

The way the world is headed nowadays, with the United States no longer having global dominance as a world superpower, the future of Star Trek should discuss how more interdependent we are in need of each other more than ever. No more discussions of how one ideology is greater than another in trying to top each other, but the fact that we all need to be united together pretty much equally with the common goal to survive.

 

[Gepard]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

It is almost as if we discuss Star Trek for the sake of discussing Star Trek now instead of the ideas, issues, historical and cultural relevance behind them like the way it was originally intended to be.

This is...irony, right?

 

[Brolan]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

Hollywood actors don't often announce their support anymore because they know the other side will use it as ammunition. They just write checks which may ultimately be more useful.

 

[T'Aerwynd]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

Star Trek alumni not commenting on the presidential election doesn't mean that Star Trek's ideals have lost significance. Perhaps it makes the show's ideals MORE significant. Perhaps nobody is really all that surprised that a black man, a woman and a white man ran against one another for the privilege of holding the most powerful position in the country (or world, if you hold that view). Perhaps it means nobody really cares that a black man could be our next president. Perhaps it means that Sen. Obama is only a man and nothing more or less. That is as it should be.

Spoken like a true, non-African American.

Yep, I'm white. I fail to see how that matters. It bothers me when someone white looks at a black person and just sees a person instead of a black person (isn't equality and seeing one another as human beings and not as members of a particular race what we've all been working toward?) ... and is then called out for not seeing the black in the person, as if that's somehow a bad thing. But if, as a white person, you see the black in the person and identify them as black, you're racist. Why must there be a racial demarcation (sp) at all? I don't understand.

(As an aside, I don't subscribe to the "African-American" label unless someone holds dual citizenship in both America and an African country.)

 

[Captain X]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

Spoken like a true, non-African American.

Wow, that wasn't racist at all.

Yes, I'm such an evil bastard, I see a person, and I see ... a person, imagine that.

I'm American, that's what matters. I'm also of mixed racial background, so trying to pull a race card on my is the most pointless thing you could do, even if I actually cared.

 

[Haytil]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

The last time a Star Trek feature film was topical was when it addressed the allegory of the end of the Cold War in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in 1991

Insurrection was about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

 

[Captain X]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

Plus there was all that stuff in DS9 about Bajor and Cardassia, religion, the ends possibly justifying the means in winning a war, forcing people from their homes ala eminent domain, the separation of church and state, the Maquis as terrorists/freedom fighters, how societies deal with their poor and underprivileged, how spreading your ideals might have unintended negative consequences. Hell, even VOY managed to guilt-trip us about using information derived from Nazi experiments. A lot of the things on DS9 were actually somewhat prophetic. Didn't you watch anything besides TNG?

 

[Gepard]

Re: Why hasn't there been more from Star Trek actors in support of Oba

^I thought the Bajoran/Cardssian situation was about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Insurrection was more along the lines of the Trail of Tears.