Are you a Star Trek fan?

[Tom Servo]

I am a Star Trek fan. I like, and enjoy all the shows, even though Voyager was a disappointment to me. And even though I enjoy most of the things to come out of trek, I do disagree with some of the decisions made over the years by the shows management.

What I do have a problem with is some of the fans of Star Trek. I am a person who feels that people should like what they like. They can't change what they like, and I don't think I should make them change what they like. I have a problem with the people who dislike something, and then constantly have to remind everyone how much they dislike it, or feel like a movie's or show's producers are hacks and jerks, just because they didn't do what the fan wanted them to do. This is especially true with the new film. Its isn't even out yet, and people are bashing the film and the people who made it, calling them jerks and morons because they can't read your mind, and do what you want. I am personally excited for the film, and I feel this is what the franchise needs, a Batman Begins or a Casino Royale for Star Trek. The current version of the franchise was growing old, despite me liking it. It became too niche, too obsessed with its own continuity.

I went and saw Iron Man last night, and I knew nothing of the mythology, but I loved it, and want to see more. It was a FUN movie, with laughs, excitement and danger. THAT is what trek needs, a fun movie, a movie that is enjoyable, and not too full of the old universe that the public could care less of. I think Abrams and his crew are on the right track, and I can't wait to see it.

 

[Steve Roby]

"Trekkie" is an outsider's term used to put us down.

"Trekker" is the fans response to "Trekkie".

The idea that trekkie is an outsider term was certainly the impetus behind creating the term trekker back in the mid-70s, but it doesn't account for all the people who still call themselves trekkies. It may be a lost battle, like the war against "sci fi."

Some years back I had a falling out in my love for TOS because in my attempts to hook up with other Trek fans, I kept running into the same damn roadblock: Fandom was (and still is) divided into two groups: Those that love the 24th century shows, and those that love TOS only.

That definitely seems to be a problem here at TrekBBS, and it's why I don't venture often into the series-specific forums. The funny thing is, there was a time, ten or fifteen years ago, when I knew a fair number of people online who liked TNG well enough but really loved both TOS and DS9. It seemed like a lot of the people who liked DS9 from the start were TOS fans, while a lot of the people who got into Trek through TNG were less interested in DS9.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

The whole existence of the perception of insider/outsider is a problem with fandom itself.

I'm a "Star Trek" fan - I like every version of it to some degree (yeah, even some of DS9), but some versions a great deal better than others.

It's all "Star Trek."

 

[M'Sharak]

Are you a Star Trek fan?

Yes.

 

[number6]

It's all "Star Trek."

Absolutely Right!!(tm)

 

[curtiscx]

Here! Here!

 

[Mrs Paris]

It's hard to nail down exact definitions of the following, but these seem to be the consensus -

Trekkie: A devoted fan of the television program Star Trek.

Trekker: What a devoted Star Trek fan who doesn't like the term "Trekkie" (because they think it's demeaning) calls themself.

Trekkist: Someone who likes the show, will watch it if it's on, but is not a devoted fan.

Personally I never understood those unnecessary differentiations. It's all just hollow words.

"Trekkie" is an outsider's term used to put us down.

"Trekker" is the fans response to "Trekkie".

I've never heard of "Trekkist" until today.

And yes, I am a fan of Star Trek which includes all of it, but only tolerates ENTERPRISE.

Some years back I had a falling out in my love for TOS because in my attempts to hook up with other Trek fans, I kept running into the same damn roadblock: Fandom was (and still is) divided into two groups: Those that love the 24th century shows, and those that love TOS only. This is what bothered me: Those in the "TOS only" crowd really meant Shatner only, and that annoyed the hell out of me. This was right around the time Kirk died in GENERATIONS. A plot point nowhere near as offensive as the lunatic fringe of fandom (the TOS only guys), made it out to be. It got so I couldn't watch TOS for a long time, and stuck only to Berman's stuff. The fans of these seemed to be (slightly) more welcoming, and a hell of a lot less snobbish. Over time though, I began to remember when I was little, how TOS was the only game in town, and I loved those guys back then, and let my affection for them return (although it took the news of De Kelley's death to do it).

you are incorrect about one thing. "Trekkie" was not an oustider's term. It was created by GENE RODDENBERRY himself

 

[Mistral]

Star Trek? What the hell is Star Trek? All I remember is tripping and hitting my head and I woke up here. Who ARE you people?

 

[Steve Roby]

"Trekkie" was not an oustider's term. It was created by GENE RODDENBERRY himself

Cite? I'm not as young as I used to be, so may have read something to that effect and forgotten it. But citing a source would help.

 

[Mrs Paris]

"Trekkie" was not an oustider's term. It was created by GENE RODDENBERRY himself

Cite? I'm not as young as I used to be, so may have read something to that effect and forgotten it. But citing a source would help.

from Wiki:
"The issue is also shown in the film Trekkies 2, in which a Star Trek fan recounts a supposed incident during a Star Trek convention where Gene Roddenberry used the term "trekkies" to describe fans of the show, only to be corrected by a fan that stood up and yelled "Trekkers!" Gene Roddenberry, allegedly, responded with "No, it's trekkies. I should know, I invented the thing.""

 

[number6]

"Trekkie" was not an oustider's term. It was created by GENE RODDENBERRY himself

Cite? I'm not as young as I used to be, so may have read something to that effect and forgotten it. But citing a source would help.

from Wiki:
"The issue is also shown in the film Trekkies 2, in which a Star Trek fan recounts a supposed incident during a Star Trek convention where Gene Roddenberry used the term "trekkies" to describe fans of the show, only to be corrected by a fan that stood up and yelled "Trekkers!" Gene Roddenberry, allegedly, responded with "No, it's trekkies. I should know, I invented the thing.""

That's hardly proof. GR also said Ellison's draft of COTEOF had Scotty dealing drugs. A great deal of the things GR "invented" were actually the work of loads of other people. That being said, maybe he did "invent" the term, but I wouldn't cite that incident as absolute proof.

 

[Mrs Paris]

yeah, and Gene didn't invent Star Trek either

 

[number6]

yeah, and Gene didn't invent Star Trek either

Inventing Star Trek and claiming to invent the term "trekkies" aren't the same thing. Come on, now..

 

[Mrs Paris]

whatever, but if Gene himself says that Trekkies is the correct term, how can "trekker" even exist?

 

[number6]

whatever, but if Gene himself says that Trekkies is the correct term, how can "trekker" even exist?

Because the "Trekkies" didn't like the term.

They decided that they preferred "Trekker."

The 70s were certainly simpler times.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

whatever, but if Gene himself says that Trekkies is the correct term, how can "trekker" even exist?

Roddenberry doesn't get to choose what people call themselves.

 

[Apogeal Alpha01]

If you hang around here, you're a fan by definition. Is that a surprise?

What I'm not, is fanatical.

I don't think.

 

[Gepard]

whatever, but if Gene himself says that Trekkies is the correct term, how can "trekker" even exist?

Because the "Trekkies" didn't like the term.

They decided that they preferred "Trekker."

Well...except for those of us who don't.

 

[WillsBabe]

The Trekkie/Trekker debate is interesting. In my day (early 80s) we stopped using the term Trekkie to describe ourselves. I stopped using it because it was the term the media used to describe us - often in disparaging terms. I started using the term Trekker, as did those I hung around with at the time.

Since then it seems that the term Trekkie has come back into use, or been reclaimed.

I stopped calling myself a Trekker, even, and started referring to myself as a Trek fan.

As for sci-fi, well that will always be sf to me!

FIAWOL.

 

[Hermiod]

I am not a Trekkie or a Trekker. I am a Star Trek fan. I own every single minute of Star Trek on DVD. I am a fan and I always will be.