The other thing to keep in mind, though, is that SNL, from the first year with Belushi to that Shatner appearance, also did skits about the show itself. Also, popular comedians of the day, from Jay Leno to Kevin Pollack, did routines centered around Trek. Trek was mainstream enough back in the day that general audiences got the jokes. I think that back then it was more a matter of degrees...you could watch and enjoy the show without necessarily being one of "them" (pointing to the people they were making fun of in Shatner's "Get a Life" sketch).