Real answer? It requires intellect to enjoy Trek. It is not required to enjoy Wars. Wars is a serial epic, a popcorn shoot em up. Trek was always a little more cerebral. And our society has always thought badly about intellect.
Why is Star trek nerdy but Star wars Cool?
- Thread starter Infern0
- Start date
Same here, but I was continually mocked well into my adult years.
Aside from the part where they are actually taking
and Star Trek sciences using them in real life.
I think there are many people on this board who go beyond simply enjoying a show. This is not a criticism - there are far too many of you to say that your behaviour is odd. However, outwith this rarified atmosphere, you will appear to be odd, in the same way that fans of all non-mainstream forms of entertainment are. I think there's a 'type' (for want of a better word) of person found here that people just don't find in everyday acquaintance. And if there's one thing that social groups abhor, it's the different one, from infant school to octogenarians.
I'm a Nerd. Plain and simple and I couldn't care less who thinks what about
that. But my interests are very broad outside of that so I usually find common
ground in most circles, and I am forward with what I like so most people just
learn to accept it.
As both a Trek fan and a wrestling fan - I agree with that a lot. Both groups are viewed in a similar way. In the height of popularity for each it wasn't as big a deal, but these days it's just weird to the masses.
Often those interests seem to override anything else about me in other peoples eyes. A recent ex's parents are a great example of that - I was a wrestling fan, and to make it worse worked as a pro wrestler, so I was a nerdy neanderthal not worthy of their daughter. On the same level being an ST fan makes people assume I spend most of my time in full Starfleet uniform.
I also agree with the points that SW is more mainstream due to it's story, action and themes. Compare almost any cinematic masterpiece (and I'm not saying Trek films are the masterpiece level) to Die Hard... most people would rather watch Bruce Willis shooting people in his vest.
They are both nerdy.
Then find new friends. Seriously.
Many of my friends are fellow Star Trek fans anyway. And, being a teacher, my current work colleagues, who have also become my friends, are mostly respectful about everyone's passions, be they sportspeople, knitters, readers, raising families, or following science fiction TV shows.
I've never been belittled by friends for liking various TV shows. If you're talking schoolyard bullies, well, of course I was bullied. Most kids are, at some point. But bullies pick their victims for any one of a thousand reasons - wearing glasses, having only one parent, having blond hair, not having blond hair, speaking with an accent, eating the wrong lunch, not wanting to play sport, being too tall or too short or too fat or too skinny...
I guess I prefer to hang with people of like tastes or, at least, who are educated enough to behave in an IDIC-like fashion, ie. accepting and respecting me for my differences. Even if they never learned about IDIC from Star Trek.
Sure. And that "type" can be found in basketball groups, dog show groups (ever seen seen "Best in Show"?), car fanciers' groups, pigeon fanciers' groups, porn movie groups, whatever...
Well if they try to attack me personally then I would find the need to find new friends. But many of those friends, are coming around these days thanks to the new trailer.
Hey I make fun of some of their shows too: I hate reality TV
Interesting. In my demographic (age, gender and other stuff) liking Trek is seen as a little peculiar, just an eccentric footnote about me. Liking Star Wars is just outright WEIRD. I mean, Star Wars is for little kids isn't it?
Now personally I think they are both utterly cool. There is a lot more to Star Wars than a shoot 'em up. I'm looking at my action figure of Obi-wan on the Boga lizard on top of my monitor now.. its coolness is indisputable IMHO.
Now personally I think they are both utterly cool. There is a lot more to Star Wars than a shoot 'em up. I'm looking at my action figure of Obi-wan on the Boga lizard on top of my monitor now.. its coolness is indisputable IMHO.
Star Trek is good. Star Wars is evil.
Evil will always triumph because good is dumb.
These were the first Google image I came up with when I searched for "Star Trek Fan"
and then "Star Wars Fan"
Exhibit A; a social retard who thinks a Star Trek costume is a real military uniform should be work to an impeachment trial.
Exhibit B; A man at a Star Wars convention having a good time.
That's funny. I see:
1. A dork.
2. Another dork.
And that's what all those "normals" out there in the real world would see, too.
It has nothing to do with any lofty crap, it's all about wanting to be the badass. SW has Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Star Destroyers, light sabers (which also appeal to the katana crowd), Boba Fett and so on in an almost endless parade of machismo. This is considered acceptable, if not even desirable, to the general population.
ST, OTOH, doesn't have any of that as a rule. ST and its fans are generally considered as a bunch of goody-two-shoes about as interesting as day old porridge and just as annoying.
ST, OTOH, doesn't have any of that as a rule. ST and its fans are generally considered as a bunch of goody-two-shoes about as interesting as day old porridge and just as annoying.
Star Wars is 6 movies plus an expanded universe probably invisible to 95% of the population that saw those movies. Star Wars also has a much broader fan base that probably owns the movies on DVD and watches them every now and then but don't buy book or comics or participate in online forums. In this way Star Wars has a lot more in common with the Indiana Jones franchise or say Aliens.
Star Trek has a much narrower audience and is more demanding on its fans. There is a lot of continuity you need to keep track of. You are looking at spending over a grand buying it all on DVD. 10 movies. 6 tv shows with over 800 episodes. Star Trek was big in the 70s and early 90s, but its viewership shrank as Paramount kept putting out content that was watched more and more by serious fans and less of the general population. Plus you end up with a couple obsessive fans that the media always focus on when covering the franchise.
I'm 25 now and got into TNG when it was first on when I was in elementary school. In high school, college, and grad school I've never met another Star Trek fan (although I did meet some real life SG-1 fans during a summer school class). People do of course know and joke about it though. Hell you could call me a closeted ST fan... I don't even keep my ST DVD sets out with all my other 50 seasons plus worth of tv box sets.
The new fringe show on people's radar now is Nu-BSG. I think pretty much after FC was released in 1996 Star Trek has been declining and not picking up many new casual fans. In the US reruns have been relegated to Spike TV and UPN was invisible to people during VGR and ENT.
The X Files was mainly mainstream but had a strong fan base. Lost and 24 manage to have strong ratings and pay off fans who watch all the time.
Hopefully JJ Abrams movie will put ST back on the popular radar.
Star Trek has a much narrower audience and is more demanding on its fans. There is a lot of continuity you need to keep track of. You are looking at spending over a grand buying it all on DVD. 10 movies. 6 tv shows with over 800 episodes. Star Trek was big in the 70s and early 90s, but its viewership shrank as Paramount kept putting out content that was watched more and more by serious fans and less of the general population. Plus you end up with a couple obsessive fans that the media always focus on when covering the franchise.
I'm 25 now and got into TNG when it was first on when I was in elementary school. In high school, college, and grad school I've never met another Star Trek fan (although I did meet some real life SG-1 fans during a summer school class). People do of course know and joke about it though. Hell you could call me a closeted ST fan... I don't even keep my ST DVD sets out with all my other 50 seasons plus worth of tv box sets.
The new fringe show on people's radar now is Nu-BSG. I think pretty much after FC was released in 1996 Star Trek has been declining and not picking up many new casual fans. In the US reruns have been relegated to Spike TV and UPN was invisible to people during VGR and ENT.
The X Files was mainly mainstream but had a strong fan base. Lost and 24 manage to have strong ratings and pay off fans who watch all the time.
Hopefully JJ Abrams movie will put ST back on the popular radar.
And that's what all those "normals" out there in the real world would see, too.
Temis has never been to a fancy dress party?
