I have well-meaning friends and colleagues who buy me "Star Wars" souvenirs when they're on vacation - because they know I'm such a "Star Track" fan.
Is Anyone Else Seeing Lots of New Trekkies?
- Thread starter Frontier
- Start date
I have well-meaning friends and colleagues who buy me "Star Wars" souvenirs when they're on vacation - because they know I'm such a "Star Track" fan.
In my case, the people around me who are not generally into Star Trek endedup enjoying the 2009 film.
But, none of them endedup embracing the rest of the Star Trek franchise.
To tell you the truth, it was more of a compliment as if "Star Trek is enjoyable enough to compete with the other summer blockbusters like Spider-Man, Batman, Iron Man, etc." rather than they start grokking IDIC.
Or to put it bluntly, it was actually more like "I won't sit through any Star Trek films or TV episodes because they are generally not my cup of tea; but this one is the only one (the '09 film) I will watch."
But, none of them endedup embracing the rest of the Star Trek franchise.
To tell you the truth, it was more of a compliment as if "Star Trek is enjoyable enough to compete with the other summer blockbusters like Spider-Man, Batman, Iron Man, etc." rather than they start grokking IDIC.
Or to put it bluntly, it was actually more like "I won't sit through any Star Trek films or TV episodes because they are generally not my cup of tea; but this one is the only one (the '09 film) I will watch."
I think it's safe to say that the 2009 movie has attracted some new fans. From what I've seen, there has been a mild uproar in my corner of Europe as well around the time when the movie was running in cinemas. There were fan communities, sites and such, but most of the activity there seems to have lessened considerably in the aftermath. Yet, I'm sure that some of those people have taken a deeper interest in Trek. It got me interested in the Original Series, after all. And I've seen teenagers wearing Spock t-shirts in the street, so something did happen.
And from my experience, the response to the new Star Trek film and to being a Star Trek fan has always been positive. I mean, I've never been ridiculed, people actually seem to be impressed. Maybe it's the cultural difference - in Eastern Europe Trek hasn't had such a strong presence in popular culture. At least in Romania, TNG at least is regarded with quite a bit of reverence.
And from my experience, the response to the new Star Trek film and to being a Star Trek fan has always been positive. I mean, I've never been ridiculed, people actually seem to be impressed. Maybe it's the cultural difference - in Eastern Europe Trek hasn't had such a strong presence in popular culture. At least in Romania, TNG at least is regarded with quite a bit of reverence.
antiquityscion
Commander
You are missing the point, Therin. A Trekkie is a fan of the Star Trek Franchise. They can be a fan of at least one series, or just the films only, but if only for the films, I believe it should be at least 2 of the Star Trek movies, or any combination of the two (IE a Star Trek movie and one series). However, Star Trek '09 is a single movie, and was an intentional break from the rest of the franchise: a soft reboot, if you will. It isn't it's own franchise yet, meaning it needs at least one sequel before it is a franchise in my mind. People who like just that one movie are not Trekkies, if that is the ONLY Star Trek film or series they have seen and\or like. They simply are fans of that movie.
Now,Therin, if someone who never saw any other form of Star Trek, started watching and liked earlier movies or series as a direct result of having watched Star Trek '09, just as you started to watch the following movies or the various shows, then yes, they would be Trekkies. But I would also say the same thing about you if you ONLY liked TMP and never got into the rest of Star Trek movies: one film does not a Trekkie make, no matter how much you liked that film.
Also, I think CE makes a good point in that there was a surge in new Star Trek 09 fans, and those fans have ebbed and flowed. It will certainly surge again when the sequel is released: some of the fans of 09 will return, who then I think can be considered trekkies at that point, and some new who didn't see 09 will be there also. If those new fans then see Trek 09 as a result of a sequel, then they can be considered Trekkies as well, otherwise if they see Trek 12 only, and no other form of Trek, then they are just fans of that movie.
Conform or be cast out!
I've not seen a lot of new fans just because of the last movie. At least not strictly because of the last movie. However, I have seen some that the last movie was their first foray into Star Trek and they liked it so much that they have gone onto getting into the old series and other movies. My kids, even though they have grown up with Trek because of me, are deciding to get into Trek a bit more.
But with the last movie I have found more Trek fans that have been fans for a long time. I will have to add that I find more Trekkies/Trekkers by having people come up to me when I'm in public reading Star Trek books.
But with the last movie I have found more Trek fans that have been fans for a long time. I will have to add that I find more Trekkies/Trekkers by having people come up to me when I'm in public reading Star Trek books.
I'm so glad we have you as the arbiter of who's allowed to call themselves Trekkies.
You know what: I didn't feel any different between being an avid fan of one film and discovering there was so much more. I was a Trekkie because of one movie (TMP). That first film spoke to me in ways that no other ST product did. The rest is gravy, but that first film transformed me. It was then my choice to seek out more.
So now people are going to draw a line in the sand and say that fans of one movie have to step over it to be a real fan?
Fans have always ebbed and flowed. Some weeks/years, Star Trek fans don't even seem to like Star Trek. But then they need a fix and they're back. I ran a large ST fan club from 1983-1992. I saw plenty of ebb and flow.
There's the rub. If you have enjoyed ST09 as an arbitrary summer blockbuster you can hardly be a fan. Gee, a friend of mine has seen the movie, told me so and basically said that he liked it although it was Trek. He is obviously not a Trekker nor has he become one because he likes a single Trek movie.
Fan comes from fanatic and assumes at least an tiny bit of active personal interest. Some of the folks who liked the movie and sought our more of Trek like you did after TMP on the other hand have become fans.
They're Trekkies.
But that's exactly what I did with TMP, and I later met others who'd done the same. TMP was an arbitrary summer blockbuster. In the next few months, I realised there was more... but I was already a fan.
Are you saying that no one can be a fan of any one-off movie either?
I know "Barbarella" fans. I know "2001: A Space Odyssey" fans - and they even ran a convention, invited two of the actors and attracted over 200 people. I know fans of the actors who played teenagers in the movie "Jaws 2".
No,...they are not.They're Trekkies.
The last movie got some people into Star Trek as a whole. DVD sales for the movies and series' spiked. But others saw it, enjoyed it but don't care for previous films or series. That's fair enough. We're not the Borg.
TMP wasn't a summer blockbuster, it aired in winter and it was more of a bad 2001 copy than a action-filled blockbuster.
I like Nolan's Batman movies yet I am not a Batman fan as I did not start to read the comics because of these movies.
There is a difference between a singular movie and a movie being part of a franchise.
Well, I haven't read the comics that much, either. But I personally consider myself a Batman fan--due to my love of the Nolan films.
Last edited:
You just snuggle up for the free drinks. Admit it.
I knew you'd say that. I'm in Australia. I saw TMP during a December/January heatwave.
It was promoted as a blockbuster. People went to see it, expecting a blockbuster. Even though they found it slow, lots of people went back to see it over and over and over.
I was a fan of the 1960s "Batman" series on TV, but I was blissfully unaware of the comics for many years, and I still don't collect them. When I did look at some, they were much grittier than I'd expected.
Exactly. I have already said as much. But, as I also said, it IS possible to be a fan of one small part of a franchise and still feel the deep resonance and passion as felt by fans of the whole franchise.
Similar threads
