Ever been made fun of for liking Star Trek?

[Timewalker]

Only once, when a professor announced there would be a test on a certain date, and we already had tickets for a Star Trek convention that day. I asked for the test to be postponed until the next class session. After some good-natured teasing, it was.

Some profs are cool about science fiction. Back in the mid-'80s, I'd brought my suitcase with me to college because I planned to slip my physical geography lab assignment under the office door, and sneak away quietly to go catch the Greyhound to Edmonton for the annual Thanksgiving weekend science fiction convention. He was there, though, and caught me in the act. All he said, when he saw me toting a suitcase instead of my usual shopping bag with binder and textbooks, was, "You seem to be carrying somewhat more than usual today... ".

So I 'fessed up and told him I wouldn't be in class that afternoon, as I intended to spend Thanksgiving weekend in Edmonton (but didn't tell him another student - one of my roommates - would probably also be skipping class for the same reason). He was okay with that, since I had a solid B+ average, and said to have a good time.

That was the year I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Alan Dean Foster.

 

[Botany Bay]

Oh god yes. In the 80's and 90's growing up, my love of Star Trek earned me a lot of mocking and name calling, one beating up, and the one that really took me a while to get over once being locked in a school toilet for a terrifying hour when I was about six years old.

I grew up in an outer suburban area full of Neanderthals in a country where there was (is?), unfortunately, a stigma attached to Star Trek. I mean, I loved TOS from a very young age, and wanted to know all about it, and nobody where I grew up could understand why I was so passionate about this one show.

If only there had been the internet in those days so I could have realised there were loads of Trekkers out there. I really thought I was the only one

A lot of people reminisce about their childhood, but there is no way I would ever go back there again

 

[Enterprise1701]

Maybe I've been mocked a couple times for liking Star Trek, but I've never thought that much of it. Where I live, there are a good deal of sci-fi/fantasy fans.

 

[Tarheel]

Many years ago, I'm coming out of a subway station on Lexington Avenue in NYC and my cellphone (with the Communicator ring tone) goes off. Lots of people around me laughed.

But that was a long time ago. People don't do that anymore.

But they recognized the communicator tone, which means they were familiar with Trek, at least the general pop culture aspects.

 

[TheFlutteringHorde]

Can't really say so, but I guess I must've gone to a really nerdy high school where all the cheerleaders ended up going to see the 09 film.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

I was made fun of for liking Star Trek mostly in the 90s when Star Trek was incredibly popular. Now, and it's only every few years or so, people make fun of me for liking Star Wars, because most people can't tell the difference. Which is actually kind of sad.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Many years ago, I'm coming out of a subway station on Lexington Avenue in NYC and my cellphone (with the Communicator ring tone) goes off. Lots of people around me laughed.

But that was a long time ago. People don't do that anymore.

Probably not at you per se. I recall a story about Leonard Nimoy, who notices some people looking and pointing at him. He then realized why, he was talking on his cell phone.

In a big city like that, where everyone has a cellphone, I doubt that was the reason.

Dunno. If I heard a communicator ring tone, I'd smile and maybe laugh because I thought it was cool.

 

[Lance]

Like others here, I got it all the time in high school. The general trend was that Star Wars was the 'respectable' science fiction franchise that anyone can like, sci-fi fan or not; but that Star Trek was something that only nerds get into. So my adamant liking of Trek, in the face of negativity from most of those around me, certainly got me some jibes.

In particular, in my last few years in high school the word 'Spock' was used as a derogative term by the self-proclaimed cool kids, and this one got thrown in my direction a lot (and more generally at anyone who was perceived by them to be in any way geeky). Don't ask me how *that* meme started, but it's 100% true.

But hey, that was 17 years ago, and we all know high school sucks right? So it's all water under the bridge now.

 

[Tosk]

Sure, been mocked here and there a few times over the decades. Nothing major, and it pretty much deflates any attempt at it when it's clear that you don't care that they think it's lame/dorky/whatever.

 

[Amaris]

I had a science teacher, in middle school, who loved Star Trek. He had even built his own starship Enterprise out of paper mache, and hung it from the ceiling of his lab. I begged him to sell it to me.

He didn't, but he told me he would show me how to make one, too. We never got around to it, though, because the school year ended up being really busy. Still, that he was willing to share in the fandom with one of his students was awesome. He's still my favorite science teacher to this day, and believe me I've had some great ones.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Sounds a lot like my middle school science teacher. He looked a lot like Combs, so I called him Weyoun all the time. He got a kick out of it . Of course, none of the other kids knew what the hell I was talking about.

 

[Amaris]

That's what makes it special!

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Was stoned in the street once.

 

[bbailey861]

I've been a Trekkie since the beginning and have never been made fun of over it, at least openly, although years ago I probably lost a few dates because of it.

 

[martok2112]

As with urbandefault, I used to get made fun of (albeit in the late 70's/early 80's in junior high/early high school, and this was for an overall love of sci-fi/space fantasy, not just Star Trek). I had to deal with (on a daily basis) a bunch of backwards assed, country fuck rednecks and dumb jocks (who probably chased their 10 year old sisters, and called it foreplay) who kept trying to pick fights with me just because I was into science fiction, and was exponentially smarter than all of them put together.

Back in the 70's and 80's, it was fashionable for such lowbrows to compensate for their lack of intellect by picking on someone who didn't fit their mold.

When I finally got out of "Bumphuckt, Egypt", I actually found civilization! But, just to be on the safe side, I kept my love for sci-fi/space fantasy under wraps, until I found others who had the same interests.

As time went on, I matured more into my love for sci-fi/space fantasy. And then, most recently, I renounced my fandom for it. I still love it....I'm just not a fan anymore....and this was thanks to the sniping, infighting, and pettiness of other fans who thought "let's make fun of anyone who likes a different version of (insert favorite franchise here) than us super-fans who stay true to the original"... or "let's make fun of anyone who is so stuck in the past that they can't possibly find anything good in this new take on (insert favorite franchise here)".

No matter how hard you try to escape the bad in folk, you always find yourself surrounded by it. First it was the dumbass rednecks and jocks....now its some of the fans.

 

[Grendelsbayne]

Not so much, really. I wasn't a hugely social person in High school, so god only knows what may have been said when i wasn't there (as I usually wasn't), but it probably wouldn't have been about Star trek. It never really occurred to me to even try to talk about that to people at school. Maybe every once in a while someone might have seen me reading a book, but i read all kinds of books, so that's still no reason to immediately jump on the 'trekkie' stereotype. As far as I can tell, i was mainly known for being shy and smart and not really anything else. Plus, i had a lot of generally really nice classmates overall, and the few bullies I did encounter were essentially the full-on knuckle dragging caveman type who probably never even heard of star trek anyway.

Since then, it's still never really come up much. My wife loves to tease me about being nerdy, even though she likes a lot of the same stuff I do. But she still absolutely refuses to watch either star trek or star wars (she's not that into 'space' stuff in general), and while I grew up going to conventions (in costume) she's far too down to earth to really enjoy that kind of atmosphere, so I guess that's where the 'you're more nerdy than i am' comes from.

 

[Lance]

Was stoned in the street once.

Yeah, me too.

Um, in a manner of speaking.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

I was talking with one of my co-workers and mentioned that I had recently started watching Star Trek and her response was "Oh God..." Then she went on to say how weird she thinks it is that people dress up at conventions. Truth be told I'm kind of embarrassed to say I like it, because of all the negativity a lot of fans receive.

 

[CorporalClegg]

It's 2014 and the "People who dress-up at conventions" thing still exists?

 

[LMFAOschwarz]

Then she went on to say how weird she thinks it is that people dress up at conventions. Truth be told I'm kind of embarrassed to say I like it, because of all the negativity a lot of fans receive.

It's 2014 and the "People who dress-up at conventions" thing still exists?

I'm not into that sort of thing myself, but if someone else enjoys it, who an I to judge?

I'm far removed from the days of having to conceal my The Making of Star Trek book in study halls and such, but it did teach me the value of not judging and mocking people in general.