Abrams dissing Star Trek... again

[Jefferies]

In a recent interview that JJ Abrams gave to an Italian sci-fi magazine, called Ciak, he made the following comment:

"We're lucky that Star Trek is reborn in the era of the new president" […] "The new Star Trek has the same enthusiasm of the new America of Obama, after the frustation, the depression and the shame of the old one, the George W. Bush one"

Now is it just me or is this guy just full of himself? I must admit I’m no fan of his Star Trek movie and I generally feel this guy is about as shallow as a puddle on a sunny day. But if he seriously thinks that the Star Trek that was made before he stepped in equates to “depression and shame” at a level that equals Hollywood’s contempt for the previous president then he is suffering from a messiah complex. Also, such a disdain of the material he is or was supposed to engage in makes me wonder why he was given the job after all? Yeah we get it, Enterprise and Nemesis weren’t great, but give it a break already!!! It’s not as if 40 years of Star Trek were crystallised in these 4 meagre years.

For the original source go to: http://zach-quinto.net/wp/articles/ciak-april-2009/

 

[DevilEyes]

Abrams dissing Star Trek... again

Again? When was the first time?

Also, such a disdain of the material he is or was supposed to engage in makes me wonder why he was given the job after all?

What disdain?

But if he seriously thinks that the Star Trek that was made before he stepped in equates to “depression and shame” at a level that equals Hollywood’s contempt for the previous president then he is suffering from a messiah complex.

He didn't say that. You did.

Yeah we get it, Enterprise and Nemesis weren’t great, but give it a break already!!! It’s not as if 40 years of Star Trek were crystallised in these 4 meagre years.

He said nothing about Enterprise or Nemesis. You did.

Now is it just me or is this guy just full of himself?

It is just you.

 

[kes7]

All I know is I'm really sick of EVERYTHING being filtered through the political lens. Trek and Obama have nothing to do with one another, and just because Abrams feels a certain way doesn't mean everyone shares his opinion.

I liked Trek in the Reagan years, through the first Bush, in the Clinton years, the second Bush, and now that Obama is occupying 1600 Penn. Ave. NW, I still like Trek. If McCain was president, it wouldn't have spoiled my enjoyment of the new movie.

However, if Abrams keeps running his mouth about this too much, it might prevent my enjoyment of the next one. I like entertainment, not propaganda.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

I'm not sure if he's ascribing "depression and shame" to the Star Trek made in the Bush era, but if he is that's a legitimate opinion. No doubt the man's got strong views about politics and about his work, but so what?

 

[Misfit Toy]

In a recent interview that JJ Abrams gave to an Italian sci-fi magazine, called Ciak, he made the following comment:

"We're lucky that Star Trek is reborn in the era of the new president" […] "The new Star Trek has the same enthusiasm of the new America of Obama, after the frustation, the depression and the shame of the old one, the George W. Bush one"

Looks like "the old one, the George W. Bush one" is referring to America, not Star Trek.

 

[Middle Earther]

I'm not surprised, having read the article. It is obviously a translation, as it seems awkwardly worded in parts. However, Abrams's contempt for the old ST does come through loud and clear. He wanted more a more Star Wars-y like feel to ST and that's what he did. It's a shame he framed it with politics - it really doesn't make sense when you think about it: How is "old Star Trek" like George W. Bush?

 

[cardinal biggles]

I don't necessarily see anything wrong with what Abrams said. The original Trek was born out of the optimism — about space travel and everything else — of the Kennedy years. Whether Obama is living up to his campaign themes of hope and optimism is a matter of opinion, but I can certainly see Abrams wanting to connect his Trek, which had the luck to be released when it did, with the optimism of the original Trek and its place in history.

And let's face it, the Trek of the Bush years — Enterprise and Nemesis — weren't much to write home about. My 2¢, anyhoo...

 

[DevilEyes]

I'm not surprised, having read the article. It is obviously a translation, as it seems awkwardly worded in parts. However, Abrams's contempt for the old ST does come through loud and clear. He wanted more a more Star Wars-y like feel to ST and that's what he did. It's a shame he framed it with politics - it really doesn't make sense when you think about it: How is "old Star Trek" like George W. Bush?

Of course it doesn't make sense, that's why he never said it. Um, hello:

"The new Star Trek has the same enthusiasm of the new America of Obama, after the frustation, the depression and the shame of the old one, the George W. Bush one"

> "the old one" obviously refers the old America, as he put it, not "the old Star Trek".

Don't be ridiculous. Abrams has never shown any contempt for Star Trek, its is just in the heads of fanboys who can't get over the fact that he - shock, horror! - likes Star Wars. Get over it already.

 

[The Comedian]

And let's face it, the Trek of the Bush years — Enterprise and Nemesis — weren't much to write home about. My 2¢, anyhoo...

This.

 

[Vonstadt]

I didn't see any dissing in that comment at all, well not dissing Trek.

He did diss Bush *shrugs*

But I didnt see any slamming of older trek at in there, might be reading too much into it there.

Vons

 

[Mach5]

Rick Berman = Bush
JJ Abrams = Obama
----
A reasonable analogy.

 

[Kelthaz]

I don't see any dissing of Star Trek, and even if he did who cares? It's a TV show. The man is free to hate whatever entertainment he wants to hate.

 

[iguana_tonante]

In a recent interview that JJ Abrams gave to an Italian sci-fi magazine, called Ciak, he made the following comment:

"We're lucky that Star Trek is reborn in the era of the new president" […] "The new Star Trek has the same enthusiasm of the new America of Obama, after the frustation, the depression and the shame of the old one, the George W. Bush one"

Looks like "the old one, the George W. Bush one" is referring to America, not Star Trek.

Yep. After reading the article in the original language, I can confirm it's the actual meaning.

Complete quotation: (translation mine) "We are lucky that Star Trek is reborn in the era of the new US President," Abrams said. His keyword, 'hope', is very well related to the philosophy of Star Trek which, during the times of the Cold War, was preaching the union and co-existence of all races, and the foreseeable survival of mankind and its culture against the unknown challenges of the future. "The new Star Trek overlaps with the enthusiasm for the new America of Obama, after the frustration, the depression and the shame of the old one of George W. Bush."

Critical of Bush? Yeah. Dismissive of Star Trek? Not at all.

 

[Mysterion]

All I know is I'm really sick of EVERYTHING being filtered through the political lens. Trek and Obama have nothing to do with one another, and just because Abrams feels a certain way doesn't mean everyone shares his opinion.

I liked Trek in the Reagan years, through the first Bush, in the Clinton years, the second Bush, and now that Obama is occupying 1600 Penn. Ave. NW, I still like Trek. If McCain was president, it wouldn't have spoiled my enjoyment of the new movie.

Ditto. Have liked Star Trek since Nixon was in office.

 

[RandyS]

Rick Berman = Bush
JJ Abrams = Obama
----
A reasonable analogy.

Not really. That's being unfair to Rick Berman.

 

[Sci]

In a recent interview that JJ Abrams gave to an Italian sci-fi magazine, called Ciak, he made the following comment:

"We're lucky that Star Trek is reborn in the era of the new president" […] "The new Star Trek has the same enthusiasm of the new America of Obama, after the frustation, the depression and the shame of the old one, the George W. Bush one"

Now is it just me or is this guy just full of himself?

He may be, but such an assessment of much of Trek in the past ten years is also absolutely right. Most of VOY and ENT reflected some very conservative ideas, creatively and politically, and were undercut by a strong sensation of stagnation, directionlessness, and general apathy.

Besides:

The "old one" he's referring to is obviously the old America of George W. Bush as contrasted with the "new America of Obama." He's dissing American Conservatism/Neo-Conservatism, not Star Trek.

ETA:

Has it occurred to anyone to remember that Abrams is trying to promote a big-budget American sci-fi adventure film in a country that didn't join the Iraq War and in which the U.S. under Bush became increasingly unpopular? Of course he's going to try to tap into the enthusiasm that many Europeans feel for Barack Obama; he wants to link this new American movie to the positive feelings that Europeans have for the new American president, in order to make sure the European audience doesn't end up associating this new American movie with their negative feelings for America that they developed under Bush.

 

[ALF]

Mmm. Trekkies are reading into this a bit too much.

It's a statement more aimed at presidential styles and policies, not Trek.

Relax. Everything is back to normal.

 

[DevilEyes]

All I know is I'm really sick of EVERYTHING being filtered through the political lens. Trek and Obama have nothing to do with one another, and just because Abrams feels a certain way doesn't mean everyone shares his opinion.

I liked Trek in the Reagan years, through the first Bush, in the Clinton years, the second Bush, and now that Obama is occupying 1600 Penn. Ave. NW, I still like Trek. If McCain was president, it wouldn't have spoiled my enjoyment of the new movie.

However, if Abrams keeps running his mouth about this too much, it might prevent my enjoyment of the next one. I like entertainment, not propaganda.

Why shouldn't he talk about his political views, just like anyone else? Whether it is "entertainment" or "propaganda" depends on what you see on screen, not on personal views of the director, actors or even writers that they state in interviews. As for the interviews, if you agree with him/like what he says, great, if you don't, just dissociate the movie from the personalities or views of people who were involved in making it (as it should be - a work of fiction or art in general should be seen independently of its author), and everything is fine.

 

[Mach5]

Rick Berman = Bush
JJ Abrams = Obama
----
A reasonable analogy.

Not really. That's being unfair to Rick Berman.

More like being unfair to Bush...

 

[kes7]

All I know is I'm really sick of EVERYTHING being filtered through the political lens. Trek and Obama have nothing to do with one another, and just because Abrams feels a certain way doesn't mean everyone shares his opinion.

I liked Trek in the Reagan years, through the first Bush, in the Clinton years, the second Bush, and now that Obama is occupying 1600 Penn. Ave. NW, I still like Trek. If McCain was president, it wouldn't have spoiled my enjoyment of the new movie.

However, if Abrams keeps running his mouth about this too much, it might prevent my enjoyment of the next one. I like entertainment, not propaganda.

Why shouldn't he talk about his political views, just like anyone else? Whether it is "entertainment" or "propaganda" depends on what you see on screen, not on personal views of the director, actors or even writers that they state in interviews. As for the interviews, if you agree with him/like what he says, great, if you don't, just dissociate the movie from the personalities or views of people who were involved in making it (as it should be - a work of fiction or art in general should be seen independently of its author), and everything is fine.

In general, I don't care if he wants to talk about politics. I do care if he starts trying to use on-screen Trek as a way to promote his personal politics. He likes Star Wars, and I thought Star Wars really fell on its face when Lucas started using it to bash the Bush administration instead of just telling a good story. I'm no Bush fan, but after a while it just starts to feel like the dead horse has been flogged enough.

I thought the new movie was great and very apolitical. I hope the next one stays that way.