How Star Trek Changed My Life

[plynch]

The one thing about STAR TREK that's changed my life is in the way that I look at entertainment. STAR WARS, for example, is a fairy tale about Good Vs. Evil and the only way it really stays with you over the years, is by way of nostalgia. And that's cool! I mean ... it's good that it can do that for people, but there's really nothing deep going on, here. It's not trying to be the answer to Kleenex, or anything, it just wants to entertain and that's all. STAR TREK, though, is something where you can watch it as a kid and it's really no different than STAR WARS in the sense of just being a space adventure story. But the fact that STAR TREK tends to be so topical means that as you indulge your nostalgia, later on, you pick up on things that you did not, before. The show was really "about" something else, entirely, so that now, it's not just about the kid you were, you can actually appreciate it as an adult, this time.

Well... Star Wars is supposed to be mythology in line with Joseph Campbell. And things like mythology/folklore, classical studies, archaeology, dead languages, etc. do not *need* to be topical. Those are things that you study purely for their own sake. They don't seek to offer some special insight on contemporary issues. And that's perfectly OK.

Kor

I think mythology "says" there are no contemporary issues. They are always the same issues and myth deals with or re-tells those same issues again and again with different specifics but the same archetypes, which are timeless. Our public dreams. Frankly I think this is why SW is more broadly popular than Trek. Though not with me.

To the point: Trek did not change my life, it is an important stream in forming me. Some ways, of course, I cannot be conscious of (since I began in a depth psychology way, above). To my knowledge, I believe that Trek helped teach me tolerance and humanity: don't kill the Gorn or the Horta! It also gave me heroes to emulate, much as comic movies do for kids today.

 

[JamesGarfield]

One element was "I could be the woman who unlocks Spock".

Exactly! Can you imagine what it might be like to do that? I would guess 9 times out of 10 Spock would just ignore the attempts to unlock his feelings. But hey, catch him at a weak moment going into PonFarr... and whooooo hang on to yer hat .

This is of course assuming Spock could even bring himself to discuss PonFarr... considering how private this subject is kept in Vulcan society. Considering his age, Spock certainly had to have had previous PonFarr's before joining Starfleet.
But in TOS Amok Time, Spock had gone all this time in Star Fleet without anyone knowing about this hormonal time bomb ticking away within him.

I guess only the Vulcan males undergo the insanity of the PonFarr... during which point they seek out their appointed mate (presumably it's the same female every 7 years?) He lets go the veneer of logic and control, and she mind-melds with him during the mating ritual, to hold him just this side of sanity, until his blood fever passes.

There's more I'd like to write about this... but I think it would be drifting off topic for this thread. Mods or anyone, feel free to guide this newb where would be the better place to continue, thanks.

 

[JamesGarfield]

Secondly, and this is very difficult for me to write but since we are all getting personal. I'm gay. I've struggled with it for over a decade. I'm kind of out, a little."

So yeah, that's it.

I know this was difficult for you to write. In case it may not have been clearly said yet, please know, you are among friends here. Roddenberry's dream of a future in which nobody is judged for who they are, is alive, and lives here with us.

Now with that said, how goes your exploration of The Original Series episodes? Tell me when you get to the one called 'Mirror Mirror'.

Until then, warmth and peace for you.

 

[Kor]

Considering his age, Spock certainly had to have had previous PonFarr's before joining Starfleet.
But in TOS Amok Time, Spock had gone all this time in Star Fleet without anyone knowing about this hormonal time bomb ticking away within him.

One of the novels offered a potential solution. In "The Vulcan Academy Murders", a Vulcan has an adult physique for quite some years, but doesn't actually reach "biological maturity" until their late 20s or 30s. Though of course, the novels aren't "cannnnon."

I guess only the Vulcan males undergo the insanity of the PonFarr...

With the character of T'Pol, "Star Trek: Enterprise" showed that Vulcan females also have this. Though I don't remember how "insane" she got.

Kor

 

[Nightdiamond]

I don't ever really recall watching or enjoying a Trek episode solely based on a message or topic.

But yet,the franchise has managed to cross over into areas like meaning, justice, etc.

There always several threads going about how do we get to Trek's future, and dozens and dozens of articles.

So it has had a major impact on mainstream's thinking.

It's not just about entertainment anymore, and yet that's exactly what it needs to be to survive on TV and the big screen.

 

[IrishNero]

I think it's nice when stories carry a message and yet you're not fully conscious of it because the story's otherwise enthralling and entertaining. When the do that, it represents some of the best that Trek can offer.

 

[IrishNero]

Secondly, and this is very difficult for me to write but since we are all getting personal. I'm gay. I've struggled with it for over a decade. I'm kind of out, a little."

So yeah, that's it.

I know this was difficult for you to write. In case it may not have been clearly said yet, please know, you are among friends here. Roddenberry's dream of a future in which nobody is judged for who they are, is alive, and lives here with us.

Now with that said, how goes your exploration of The Original Series episodes? Tell me when you get to the one called 'Mirror Mirror'.

Until then, warmth and peace for you.

Ditto that. Among all of the messages we should get from Trek, this is one of the best.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

Secondly, and this is very difficult for me to write but since we are all getting personal. I'm gay. I've struggled with it for over a decade. I'm kind of out, a little."

So yeah, that's it.

I know this was difficult for you to write. In case it may not have been clearly said yet, please know, you are among friends here. Roddenberry's dream of a future in which nobody is judged for who they are, is alive, and lives here with us.

Now with that said, how goes your exploration of The Original Series episodes? Tell me when you get to the one called 'Mirror Mirror'.

Until then, warmth and peace for you.

Thank you I really liked the second half of season one. Loving all the characters! Spock, McCoy, and Scotty the most. I cheated and watched Mirror, Mirror online because the evil doppelgänger thing sounded very cool and I didn't feel like waiting to get season 2.

 

[JamesGarfield]

Excellent. I had a loaded reason for asking about Mirror, Mirror. That episode was of course about an alternate universe, structured the same as this one, but with a mirror-image of values.

Decades ago, I had a pen-pal who lived in Scottland. We never met in person, but she told me much of her life, especially that she was a ST fan, and like you, she was gay. (In fact, it just occurred to me that she might even be a member somewhere here on this forum, who knows.. ).

However, as relates to Mirror, Mirror... she wrote an alternate version of that episode in which (you're gonna love this), the alternate Enterprise crew was all gay! So yeah, picture that as for how much of a shock it was for our Kirk and Scotty and McCoy... especially in McCoy's case since alternate-Spock took a fancy to him. And to make it even more interesting, she had our McCoy deciding he liked it with alt-Spock, and wanted to stay in that other universe. Hmmm .

I can't find it just at the moment, but somewhere out there on the net is an audio clip that someone made up of sound-bytes taken from various TOS episodes... which while taken totally out of context, are put together to suggest a gay relationship between Kirk and Spock. I'll go look for it later when I have more time (unless someone here finds it first). It's a hoot!

You are among friends here, because whether we realize it or not, all of us here are following the Vulcan IDIC concept: Infinite Diversity, through Infinite Combinations. See there, it works!

 

[JamesGarfield]

Considering his age, Spock certainly had to have had previous PonFarr's before joining Starfleet.
But in TOS Amok Time, Spock had gone all this time in Star Fleet without anyone knowing about this hormonal time bomb ticking away within him.

One of the novels offered a potential solution. In "The Vulcan Academy Murders", a Vulcan has an adult physique for quite some years, but doesn't actually reach "biological maturity" until their late 20s or 30s. Though of course, the novels aren't "cannnnon."

I guess only the Vulcan males undergo the insanity of the PonFarr...

With the character of T'Pol, "Star Trek: Enterprise" showed that Vulcan females also have this. Though I don't remember how "insane" she got.

Kor

Hey I love your avatar! Obviously you have a favorite episode, the Organians? This is one of the rare few episodes that we see referenced later in the series, about the Organian Peace Treaty.

And I can see you like the novels too. Help me find the name of this one, if you know of it... it's now 7 years later, and Spock is about to have his 2'nd Pon Farr since entering Starfleet. This time though its all understood, planned for, and Spock has taken about a month's leave from the Enterprise, so that he can be back home on Vulcan in time for his hot date .

However, while out of uniform, dressed as a civilian in transit with other civilians on a commercial shuttle, their vessel gets hijacked and captured by slave traders. The hijackers take all the passengers off to this far remote little planet where they're forced into mining labor.

They never know Spock is Federation, or they would have just killed him outright. As it is, they are thrilled to have a strong healthy Vulcan as one of their slaves. He gets thrown into a cell with two human females. These 2 women are counting their lucky blessings that they are to be paired with a Vulcan... reputed to be so calm, serene, gentle..

That is, until they realize this Vulcan they've been paired with is on the ragged edge of sanity with his Pon Farr. Between the two of them, the women manage to deal with Spock's rutting rages.

Ultimately Spock impregnates one of the women. Then with the blood rage passed, Spock is able to analyze an escape strategy... which he does... and gets far enough away to get a signal out to Starfleet, which of course has been looking for them all this time.

Kirk is beyond delighted to have Spock back on board, but is surprised when Spock says they have to go back to the slave planet. Kirk is like, Why? Federation police are taking care of it... when Spock interrupts him, "Jim... I MUST go back... I have a son."

Cool story.

 

[2takesfrakes]

I wish that ENTERPRISE had not introduced Vulcan females going into Pon Far - although, I understand the temptation, considering Jolene Blalock's sex appeal. It made Vulcans seem more alien, at least to me, to have just one gender go through it. But ... what can you do? The bowl haircut, pointed ears and green blood will ... have to suffice.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

Excellent. I had a loaded reason for asking about Mirror, Mirror. That episode was of course about an alternate universe, structured the same as this one, but with a mirror-image of values.

Decades ago, I had a pen-pal who lived in Scottland. We never met in person, but she told me much of her life, especially that she was a ST fan, and like you, she was gay. (In fact, it just occurred to me that she might even be a member somewhere here on this forum, who knows.. ).

However, as relates to Mirror, Mirror... she wrote an alternate version of that episode in which (you're gonna love this), the alternate Enterprise crew was all gay! So yeah, picture that as for how much of a shock it was for our Kirk and Scotty and McCoy... especially in McCoy's case since alternate-Spock took a fancy to him. And to make it even more interesting, she had our McCoy deciding he liked it with alt-Spock, and wanted to stay in that other universe. Hmmm .

I can't find it just at the moment, but somewhere out there on the net is an audio clip that someone made up of sound-bytes taken from various TOS episodes... which while taken totally out of context, are put together to suggest a gay relationship between Kirk and Spock. I'll go look for it later when I have more time (unless someone here finds it first). It's a hoot!

You are among friends here, because whether we realize it or not, all of us here are following the Vulcan IDIC concept: Infinite Diversity, through Infinite Combinations. See there, it works!

OMG! Spock and McCoy? Together! Hilarious! Hmm... Now we all know why they give eachother a hard time. Underlying sexual feelings Spock/Kirk (or as some call them, Spirk) is extremely popular. There are many videos dedicated to to them. I read somewhere that they are considered to be the first gay subtextual relationship on tv.

Is this it?

[yt]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pjiF55BPHN8[/yt]

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

This is of course assuming Spock could even bring himself to discuss PonFarr... considering how private this subject is kept in Vulcan society. Considering his age, Spock certainly had to have had previous PonFarr's before joining Starfleet.

Not necessarily. Who knows how being half human interfered with the cycle. I always assumed Amok Time was his first pon farr.

 

[Brie]

Star Trek definitely has done some good in my life. I have some health issues and knowing that technology is advancing everyday gives me hope. The idea of living in a world where my issues would no longer exist is very appealing. Secondly, and this is very difficult for me to write but since we are all getting personal. I'm gay. I've struggled with it for over a decade. I'm kind of out, a little. My family is completely unaccepting and chooses to live in denial. It's nice to imagine a world with no prejudice or hate. Where everyone is treated equally. Then there's Spock. In the past few weeks I've really gotten to know Spock, as others have said, him being a loner, different, has helped. I think that if I were to have a conversation with him about it he would probably say "It is illogical to fear what other people think."

So yeah, that's it.

I feel because we all have such a strong connection to the same interests (and in a way other fandoms just can't compair) we have a connection even though we all have never met. I have has several friends that have struggled with coming out and not being accepted. That's something that has always perplexed me but let's not delve too deep into that topic lol. I have been through a lot in my life, lots of negativity and darkness have been part of me for a while, so I can understand how you feel (I think) if you ever need a listening ear feel free to send me a message on here or on Facebook. I'm actually getting my degree in psychology because I love helping others so much, anyway yeah let me know if you ever need an ear or a friend

Another psychology major! I always love meeting others like me

Sadly I can only work towards my Associates right now. I'm 2 classes away from my AA then I can transfer to a university when I get out of the Navy. do you like psych?

 

[Brie]

Another thing Trek has taught me is to be open to different ideas. I was raised in a seriously religious environment, but in the past several years, I have really changed my mind about many of the beliefs I was raised with. But here's the thing: More than half of my family is so committed to their religion that they would be crushed if I openly left it. And it's the half of my family I like more.

That's weird you would mention that because when I was 14 I had the same feeling and I was raised by my mom and grandmom. My mom was spiritual but not religious and my grandmother was VERY christian. When I was 14 I started investigating Buddhism and became enthralled a few moths later I converted. I told my mom but my grandmother was ill at he time (and a few months later passed) I never told her because I didn't want her to be disappointing in me. So I know just how you feel.

 

[Brie]

I joined the Army during the summer between the third and 4th seasons, and remember watching part 2 of BOBW crammed into the rec room with many other fellow soldiers while in AIT and in training and preparing for war in real life (Desert Storm).

from a fellow military member thanks for serving. Did you enjoy it? Desert storm is always interesting to me because I work with pilots and some flew during desert storm. My XO on the ship is one of those people.

 

[Brie]

Thank you I really liked the second half of season one. Loving all the characters! Spock, McCoy, and Scotty the most. I cheated and watched Mirror, Mirror online because the evil doppelgänger thing sounded very cool and I didn't feel like waiting to get season 2.

Awe yay we have the same favorite characters (I love McCoy he's so sarcastic)

 

[IrishNero]

I joined the Army during the summer between the third and 4th seasons, and remember watching part 2 of BOBW crammed into the rec room with many other fellow soldiers while in AIT and in training and preparing for war in real life (Desert Storm).

from a fellow military member thanks for serving. Did you enjoy it? Desert storm is always interesting to me because I work with pilots and some flew during desert storm. My XO on the ship is one of those people.

I am a desert storm vet too. In fact, I managed to go my whole 23 years and get invited to every 'party' they threw (from Panama to Iraq). LOL Happy to say that I'm retired now and living a much quieter life. Thank you both for your service.

 

[Brie]

I joined the Army during the summer between the third and 4th seasons, and remember watching part 2 of BOBW crammed into the rec room with many other fellow soldiers while in AIT and in training and preparing for war in real life (Desert Storm).

from a fellow military member thanks for serving. Did you enjoy it? Desert storm is always interesting to me because I work with pilots and some flew during desert storm. My XO on the ship is one of those people.

I am a desert storm vet too. In fact, I managed to go my whole 23 years and get invited to every 'party' they threw (from Panama to Iraq). LOL Happy to say that I'm retired now and living a much quieter life. Thank you both for your service.

Nice! Thank YOU as well. I know I'm not going to stay in till retirement. I want to go to college to major is psychology but I'm enjoying my time in. what branch were you?

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

Thank you I really liked the second half of season one. Loving all the characters! Spock, McCoy, and Scotty the most. I cheated and watched Mirror, Mirror online because the evil doppelgänger thing sounded very cool and I didn't feel like waiting to get season 2.

Awe yay we have the same favorite characters (I love McCoy he's so sarcastic)

McCoy reminds me of Voyager's EMH. Yes I know McCoy came first but seeing as Voyager was my first Trek show. Do all the doctors use the "I'm a doctor, not a..." line or just those too?