Scrutiny for Being a Fan

[Airwolf]

Possibly borderline sensitive subject matter here.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been scrutinized for being a fan of Star Trek. Now, I'm not talking about the passive, playful stuff that you'd see when people who are die-hard Star Wars fans come up to Trekkies and give them crap or when sports fans blab back and forth about who's team is better. That stuff is expected. I'm referring to the people who, as soon as they hear you like Star Trek, they've already made their minds up about you; the people who will make your life hell for even brining it up in a relevant conversation; those who give you weird looks in passing because they've heard you're a Star Trek fan, etc.

I thought that as I aged, so would those around me. It's sad to say that from my days of Kindergarten up to 3rd Grade, the kids seemed more accepting of who you were and what you liked. From 4th grade on up to my senior year of high school, nothing but constant slander and scrutiny. Why? Because I liked a show and franchise that was, not only entertaining, but usually had a deeper meaning to each story. I was a geek. But, I was damn proud of it.

One of the big things I think Star Trek has taught us is tolerance, which is something everyone ought to pay attention to in this world that seriously lacks it. I have plenty of friends who don't like Star Trek and don't care that I do. Then, I always have a couple of friends who will scrutinize me for liking it. The sad thing is, these people are supposed to be more seasoned than I and they seem to act like children.

Case in point. I am 24 and have this co-worker who is 28, a combat veteran, college graduate, and is interested in space exploration to an extent. Yet, when I bring up Star Trek as a relevant point, I usually hear something along the lines of "Star Trek is gay, dude," along with seemingly unintelligable reasons as to why he dislikes it. He's never seen an episode or movie nor has any interest in doing so. Plus, he threw "gay" out there casually, which annoys me because, while I am not gay, I have friends that are and I know they'd be offended.

Now, I'm not going to say that people who don't like Star Trek suck or anything of the like. I just really wish people were more open-minded.

But, I think some of you will agree, there's nothing better than coming across someone you know, albiet briefly or all your life, who admits they enjoy Star Trek.

 

[Tosk]

I fint the easiest way of dealing with it is to simply not care what someone else thinks.

You like what I like? That's cool, wer have common ground.
You don't like what I like? Oh well, everyone has different interests.
You actively hate and deride what I like? Save yourself the effort, I don't care.

One of the big things I think Star Trek has taught us is tolerance, which is something everyone ought to pay attention to in this world that seriously lacks it.

You should be more tolerant of people who have no tolerance of others.

To quote Dillon in Alien 3, "We can tolerate anyone. Even the intolerable."

 

[Airwolf]

It's not that I'm being intolerant myself. I know I can come off as such at time but I like to think I've become more tolerant as I grow older.

 

[BDJ]

I understand where you're coming from. I'm 46, I definately liked Trek when Trek wasn't cool. I also enjoyed liking Trek when Trek was cool.

It doesn't matter who you are or what you like, there's always going to be people who don't like you or what you like just because you're you and you like what you like! (clear as mud?)

I have a nephew who gives me hell all the time about Trek. This little scamp is 15 years old!!! I am uncool and totally out of touch because I like Star Trek.

"How can you watch that boring crap!" he chides. "All they do is talk and sit and talk!"

When I explain to him that ... yes, Trek isn't always action based, it is science fiction that deals with problems and moral issues through it's shows and does have it's way of remarking about the human experience and our of way conducting ourselves on this big blue marble!

Then when his eyes finally blink from his glassy stare I just tell him to go back to his damned video games and say hello to his girlfriend Rosie Palmer for me!

I'd like to boldly kick his fat puke butt where no man has kicked it before! But then I remember Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations....and remind him to lay off the extra large combo's at the Golden Arches Supper Club!!

IF it weren't for my him being my sister's son I swear I'd find an airlock and shoot him out of it...

Can you tell that I'm tired of those losers out there not being able to grasp Trek? Jeez! They don't have to like it, just get over the damned stereotype about those of us that do.

I gotta go now...I think I need a night cap or some nyquil or something....

 

[John Vasiliou]

I wouldn't give a rats ass about it if I were you.

You'll get them everywhere.

 

[The Wormhole]

I really don't care what other people think. I like Star Trek, and that's all that matters to me. If someone else don't like it, that's fine, not everyone likes everything. If they want to ridicule me or call me "gay" because of it than they are a jerk and I have no need to bother with them any further.

 

[ngc7293]

If someone calls Star Trek gay and you get offended, then you have issues. Obviously the guy was just calling Star Trek stupid. If you can't let something as small as that bounce off of you, you STILL have issues.

 

[scotpens]

I have a nephew who gives me hell all the time about Trek. This little scamp is 15 years old!!! I am uncool and totally out of touch because I like Star Trek.

“How can you watch that boring crap!” he chides. “All they do is talk and sit and talk!”

Uh, has he ever seen an episode of the original series?

 

[Airwolf]

Yes, it's clearly obvious what he was saying. His dislike of Star Trek doesn't offend me. Perhaps I should've made that clearer. His stubborn closed-mindedness doesn't necessarily offend me either, but it does irk me because he does it constantly. I was just using him as an example of the many others I've had to contend with in the past and casting the net to see if other's have had similar experiences.

 

[-Brett-]

You say you only bring it up when it's relevant. It's been my experience that Star Trek fans tend to get most of the ridicule not merely for liking Star Trek, but for constantly bringing it up when it isn't relevant or appropriate.

Only time you should be talking about a TV show is in a conversation about TV shows. A situation in real life reminding you of a Kirk quote from episode 96 "The Pretentious Episode Title" doesn't make it appropriate to start talking about Star Trek.

 

[Airwolf]

I would've thought space exploration and scientific discovery would've been an appropriate topic to bring it up, especially since the article he was talking about was in regards to progress towards making a tractor beam (look it up in past CNN.com articles), and the front page photo was of the Defiant tractoring something.

No?

 

[Chaos Descending]

If someone gives me guff because I like Star Trek, I typically just hit him with an Atomic Cock Punch and then have his old lady give me the Dutch Rudder.

You don't hear much out of them after that.

 

[Deckerd]

I would've thought space exploration and scientific discovery would've been an appropriate topic to bring it up, especially since the article he was talking about was in regards to progress towards making a tractor beam (look it up in past CNN.com articles), and the front page photo was of the Defiant tractoring something.

No?

Probably saying "the NCC-75633 Sao Paolo had the NX-74205 registration because they were using old footage" was a leetle geekish...

 

[Satyrquaze]

I'd ignore him. I mean consider the source, he throws out the word 'gay' like it's an insult. He's clearly not enlightened enough to appreciate Star Trek.

 

[Greg Cox]

I'd ignore him. I mean consider the source, he throws out the word 'gay' like it's an insult. He's clearly not enlightened enough to appreciate Star Trek.

I tend to resist the idea that Trekkies are more "enlightened" than non-fans, which is not exactly an attitude that is going to endear us to our friends and co-workers. But, yeah, I wouldn't worry about the opinion of anyone whose go-to insult is "gay."

 

[Airwolf]

Probably saying "the NCC-75633 Sao Paolo had the NX-74205 registration because they were using old footage" was a leetle geekish...

Nah, he asked what the picture was and the "blue *expletive*" in it. I honestly didn't know the Sao Paulo's registry number, either.

 

[sonak]

Why are some Star Trek fans so defensive about this? I don't see a lot of this in other fandoms, like in sports. Does a Denver Broncos fan feel defensive when referencing John Elway's career stats off the top of their heads?

Yet when a Star Trek fan references a technical detail from a TNG episode, they're supposed to feel embarrassed by their "nerdiness."

Why criticize someone's taste in shows anyway? What difference does it make to them?

if it wasn't Trek, it'd be something else. Some folks just need people to make fun of to feel better about themselves. Sad but true.

 

[Deckerd]

So long as there are furries we will never be bottom of the food chain.

 

[drazzz52923849]

I am also a victim of scrutiny. Mostly by my friends. But i get over and beam with Trek pride knowing thier scrutiny is misguided.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I'd ignore him. I mean consider the source, he throws out the word 'gay' like it's an insult. He's clearly not enlightened enough to appreciate Star Trek.

Either that or he's a male under the age of 30 speaking idiomatic American English.