What it means to be a trekkie

[Vandervecken]

I'm fine with "Trekkie." I'm also inclined to think that a "Trekker' is just a Trekkie who is putting on airs. And insisting that "No, I'm a Trekker, not a Trekkie" is just going to make most people roll their eyes . . . which is probably the opposite of what you're going for.

I'm a Trekkie and proud of it.

And I'm a Trekker and proud of it. Let's not pretend that both words don't exist. Both do. Therefore both have meaning, even if informally.

You realize that, given this repeated (in some form) opinion from some of those who choose to call themselves Trekkies, someone who calls himself a Trekker might conclude that the exact reverse is true---that it's the Trekkies who are putting on airs. I'm not rolling my eyes at your statement, and it's eye-rolling that's a feature of judgment.

This Trekker lives and lets live. I didn't snigger at Trekkies, mock Trekkies, roll my eyes at Trekkies, or impute a hidden, insecurity-spawned meaning to that choice of word. I just stated what I consider the difference and placed myself in one category.

 

[Nerys Myk]

That is not the original distinction I remember from the "veterans" of our fanzine back in 1980.

Back in the 1970's and 1980's you had fans interested mostly in the concepts of Star Trek ("Trekkers") and you had fans mostly interested in the actors ("Trekkies").

Over the years "Trekkies" became the dominant nickname for the general public, but I don't like the "cute" connotation.

After all, "Trekky" sounds rather like a name for a pet or a nickname for a child. YMMV.

Bob

I've been watching Star Trek since the Sixties. The term "Trekker" wasn't part of the fan lexicon then, nor do I recall hearing it in the Seventies or Eighties. If you like Star Trek you were a Trekkie. It didn't matter what you like about it or how you expressed it.

Trekker sounds like you're hiking or on a long journey.

How about Trekker vs Trekkie? I make that distinction, and I'm the first. If folks want to wear Spock ears with other folks who learn Klingon, and go to conventions everywhere or even eventually model their homes on the Enterprise or 24th-century earth, that's fine, but it's not my thing. I just like watching Trek in most of its incarnations, and knowing a lot about episode minutiae and chewing over stuff with peeps on this site. That's enough for me.

A Trekker is what a Trekkie calls himself when he's embarrassed by the word "Trekkie".

I've never worn Spock ears, don't speak Klingon and can count the number of cons I've been to on one hand. A movie poster is the most visual piece of memorabilia in my home. I'm a Trekkie because I enjoy Star Trek. That's all it takes. How you express that enjoyment is up to the individual fan.

Nope and wrongo. I'm not "embarrassed [to be called] a Trekkie"--it's simply inaccurate; no more accurate than calling a reform Jew a Conservative Jew, for example. A Trekkie does all the extra stuff I just mentioned. That you don't and still choose to call yourself a "Trekkie" simply makes you unorthodox and/or unwilling to accept certain consensus definitions; it doesn't disqualify the distinction. A Trekker just watches the shows/movies, loves them, and knows a lot about them. That's a distinction, and it's one with a difference. You can all yourself whatever you want, but sometimes nomenclature does expand to encompass more nuance, and this is one of those sometimes.

"Wrongo?" There is no consensus. No one took a vote. All there seems to be a group of fans who want to disassociate themselves from the term "Trekkie" because of its connotations. Trekkie or Trekker, there is no difference or distinction. Telling someone you're a "Trekker" probably won't change their opinion about Star Trek or you for being a fan. Going to such lengths to define the type of fan you are will probably re-enforce it,

 

[KMCarr]

I think it's kind of amusing how a troll got so many people to post rebuttals.

 

[Warped9]

I've met Trek fans of all stripes. The vast majority were just regular folks from diverse backgrounds. I could say for some Trek was (apparently) their major interest while for many others it's but one of many interest.

At conventions anyone I saw in costume seemed like any normal person just having fun, no different than dressing up on Halloween. I've never worn a Trek costume, but I do dress up as Santa Claus at Christmas in my own custom made suit and I don't consider that any different.

Ironically the weirdest people I've met at conventions (and they were few) were not in costume. And there are some for whom Trek seemed to be their only or overriding interest, but that can be said about any interest. There are avid sports or even soap opera fans (and they are legion), but I rarely here of them getting any grief.

 

[The Transformed Man]

My name is Kristi and i am writing a final paper on Trekkies/ star trek fans. i need to answer these three questions:

-Why is there still a stigma around the star trek fandom when their fandom is so large and popular today?
-How does the mainstream fuel the stigma to the trekkie fire?
-How do trekkies see themselves in contrast to how everyone else does?

Any thoughts or comments or thoughts? I would really appreciate some feedback! Thank you guys for helping!

1) I think you are overestimating the size of Star Trek fandom that would qualify as Trekkie/Trekkers for the purpose of your paper. There are certainly millions of casual Trek fans among the general public, but super hardcore fans are more of a fringe element, and like most fringe elements in any fandom (including sports), they are frequently the butt of jokes.

So I would argue that Trekkie/Trekkers are no different than hardcore NY Jets fan who paint himself green and white and shows up shirtless to a game in a snowstorm... he's going to be mocked.

2) Frankly a lot of this stigma is simply brought on ourselves. Publicly arguing about obscure Trek trivia and expecting strangers to get the jist of our conversations, wearing our Star Trek uniform to work (I had a friend who wore his full TOS Science Officer uniform to work every day at 7-11), and even nerd rage fights on the interwebs about how JJ ruined Trek, how Berman/Braga ruined Trek, etc. are what fuel the perception among the general public that Trek fanatics "have no life."

The movie Trekkies, while attempting to explain the Trek phenomenon, really did more to validate the general consensus that Trek fans are "weird." Barbara Adams wearing her Starfleet uniform to the Whitewater trial, the odd behavior of Gabriel Koerner, and the guy riding down the street in his Captain Pike chair only reinforce those opinions.

3) Certainly, I don't really care what people do to express their fandom, but don't act shocked when you show up to jury duty dressed as Spock or some other Trek character that you are met with a few snickers or strange looks. I've heard more than a few use the justification that "it's no different than wearing the jersey of your favorite team." That's actually a poor argument. A more appropriate comparison would be if you showed up to jury duty wearing a full football uniform complete with shoulder pads, helmet, and cleats... you would be met with the same snickers and odd looks if you tried to pull that off as well.


Yancy

 

[Greg Cox]

Nerys has it right. There is no standard, accepted, or official definition of either term. This whole silliness is usually just an effort on the part of some Trek fans to distinguish themselves from, you know, those other fans.

Not sure why this matters to some people, but what the heck . . .

 

[dub]

I'm a Niner, not a Ninee.

 

[Greg Cox]

You know, Veronica Mars fans call themselves "Marshmallows." One can only wonder if, at some point, certain of them will insist on being called "Marshers" instead.

 

[JarodRussell]

Or Marshmelons.

 

[Greg Cox]

Or Marshmelons.

Or "Martians"--which seems more obvious than "Marshmallows," actually. Or they could really confuse people and call themselves "Neptunians."

(Yes, I finally saw the new Veronica Mars movie this week. Already watched it twice.)

 

[BigJake]

Publicly arguing about obscure Trek trivia and expecting strangers to get the jist of our conversations . . . and even nerd rage fights on the interwebs about how JJ ruined Trek, how Berman/Braga ruined Trek, etc. are what fuel the perception among the general public that Trek fanatics "have no life."

Cosplay on jury duty is legit over-the-top, so anyone doing it had best be comfortable with that. The above, however? Trekkies are way too self-conscious about being interested in and arguing about their hobby, and the wider world doesn't care about or judge that activity as much as some seem to think it does (at least no more than for any other type of fandom). There is no form of dedicated fandom, sports or otherwise, that doesn't do this; there's a reason why "fantasy football" is known as D&D for jocks.

 

[Ssosmcin]

It’s funny. I was at this thing called “Pug Fest.” It’s a like a convention for people who love the Pug breed of dogs. Anyway, I work for a Pug Rescue Group and we took part in the costume contest. Usually, only the dogs were dressed up, but my wife and I couldn’t resist being part of it. So we got into our custom made original series uniforms, dressed three of our pugs in Star Trek dog costimes and had an entire landing party.

Everyone who approached us, fans and non-fans, thought it was a great idea. Especially that my wife and I got involved. One guy was an honest to god “Trekkie” (and called himself that) and really appreciated the accuracy of our costumes. But at no point did I feel ridiculous nor were we the object of any ridicule. I actually made the first joke when given the chance to say something to a group of people: “I think we walked into the wrong convention.”

I’m a Star Trek Fan. Old School. That makes me a Trekkie. Sometimes I’ll be asked “or is it Trekker?” I’m like, “meh, Trekkie’s fine, it’s the same thing, just without the attitude.”

I’m also a “Puggie.”

 

[Mad Mike]

Honestly, I just go by Trekkie to let everyone know in advance that I'm an old fart

 

[Greg Cox]

I don't really encounter much anti-Trekkie prejudice. Just the other day, the pleasant young barista at our local coffee shop gave me a Vulcan salute when I walked in wearing a Star Trek tee-shirt . . . .

 

[Nerys Myk]

Yeah, in close to fifty years, I don't think I've had a negative reaction to be a Trek fan.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

The stereotypical "Trekkie" of pop culture fame--a nerdy 40-year-old virgin living in his parents' basement--is like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. Maybe such creatures exist in reality, but I'm not sure I've ever met one.

Fairly accurate.

Still, the stereotype has its origins in reality; before the explosion of occasionally negative media attention, I recall the ultra-geeks, the less than shapely fans squeezing into Kirk shirts or Uhura skirts, etc. Let's not talk about all of those bizarre, would-be Spocks wearing giant rubber ears, and walking around with a pompous air, spouting Trek-isms like it applied to real life, and somehow separated themselves from the expectations of human relation (undoubtedly a defensive position).

So, some of the "Trekkie" stereotypes are grounded in truth, even while the people you describe:

Most of the Trekkies I know have kids, careers, and mortgages--just like everybody else.

..exist.

 

[plynch]

I'm not going to find my Guinevere at no STAR TREK convention! I want a woman I can be eXcited by. Big glasses, dirndl skirts and all that just won't do...

Personally, that's my perfect girl.

Yeah, I was just gonna say . . .

 

[Nerys Myk]

Had to google dirndl. Not seeing the problem.