WNMHGB Question

[Ssosmcin]

Imagine if The Dick Van Dyke show had spawned major motion pictures with the original cast. That would have been awesome, and so much better than Van Dyke's actual film career, but it didn't happen.

God I love that show too.

 

[Noname Given]

Not really. Name another that's impacted pop culture and society in the same way and still gets quoted and mentioned after 5 decades.

I Love Lucy, The Flintstones, Gilligan's Island, The Brady Bunch, The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits...

 

[J.T.B.]

Not really. Name another that's impacted pop culture and society in the same way and still gets quoted and mentioned after 5 decades.

"Popular" is generally used to mean that people actually like or enjoy something. Familiarity does not equal popularity.

I'd guess that the Star Trek movies have a stronger claim on public popularity than TOS.

 

[Ssosmcin]

I Love Lucy, The Flintstones, Gilligan's Island, The Brady Bunch, The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits...

I'm not talking about syndicated reruns longevity, I'm talking about impact on society and worldwide recognition. If you could tell me that I love Lucy inspired a generation of people to be jazz musicians or housewives, fine.

The only series on your list that I would absolutely allow is more popular and ingrained in the public consciousness would be The Twilight Zone. I can't imagine it's inspired a lot of people to become astronauts, doctors or scientists or what have you, or inspired people to believe that all races could work together equally in the future, but sure.

So, okay, , Star Trek is one of the most popular series in American history. But that is in no way "overselling it by a lot."

 

[Henoch]

I believe I was strongly influenced to become an engineer because of Scotty in Star Trek and Tony Stark in Iron Man Comics. (I was also influenced by James Bond, but that is another story.)

 

[The Old Mixer]

I wouldn't mistake having a devoted fanbase who've been hyping a show's importance for decades for general popularity. There have always been bigger fish than Star Trek.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

So, okay, , Star Trek is one of the most popular series in American history. But that is in no way "overselling it by a lot."

Yeah, but you can rely on this: express yourself with a declarative statement, and right or wrong, someone will want to fight about it.

 

[Noname Given]

I'm not talking about syndicated reruns longevity, I'm talking about impact on society and worldwide recognition. If you could tell me that I love Lucy inspired a generation of people to be jazz musicians or housewives, fine.

The only series on your list that I would absolutely allow is more popular and ingrained in the public consciousness would be The Twilight Zone. I can't imagine it's inspired a lot of people to become astronauts, doctors or scientists or what have you, or inspired people to believe that all races could work together equally in the future, but sure.

So, okay, , Star Trek is one of the most popular series in American history. But that is in no way "overselling it by a lot."

You were talking 'popularity' in the post I responded to. Now after I lost PLENTY of still popular series, you change the premise...way to move goalposts.

 

[Noname Given]

I'm not talking about syndicated reruns longevity, I'm talking about impact on society and worldwide recognition. If you could tell me that I love Lucy inspired a generation of people to be jazz musicians or housewives, fine.

The only series on your list that I would absolutely allow is more popular and ingrained in the public consciousness would be The Twilight Zone. I can't imagine it's inspired a lot of people to become astronauts, doctors or scientists or what have you, or inspired people to believe that all races could work together equally in the future, but sure.

So, okay, , Star Trek is one of the most popular series in American history. But that is in no way "overselling it by a lot."

You were talking 'popularity' in the post I responded to. Now after I lost PLENTY of still popular series, you change the premise of your claim/argument...way to move goalposts.

 

[The Old Mixer]

We may not hear as much about it in Trek-centric circles, but I'm sure that Ben Casey and Marcus Welby inspired people to become doctors; Perry Mason inspired people to study law; Adam-12 and other cop shows inspired people to become police officers; and Emergency! inspired people to become firefighters and paramedics...to name a few.

 

[fireproof78]

We may not hear as much about it in Trek-centric circles, but I'm sure that Ben Casey and Marcus Welby inspired people to become doctors; Perry Mason inspired people to study law; Adam-12 and other cop shows inspired people to become police officers; and Emergency! inspired people to become firefighters and paramedics...to name a few.

Indeed. I like Star Trek but I no way found it to be popular save in my very tight circle of friends.

 

[Vger23]

I think Star Trek, as far as television series goes, is probably in the "top-3" in terms of most influential series ever. That doesn't mean "most well-liked" or "made the most money" or whatever....but I'd say it's easily top-3 in terms of cultural impact and influence.

And, honestly, I can't even think of what the other 2 series in that hypothetical "top-3" would be....so I'm pretty much just saying that to appear less enthusiastic about the whole thing than I really am.

 

[Maurice]

Indeed. I like Star Trek but I no way found it to be popular save in my very tight circle of friends.

Awareness of Star Trek amongst most people I know is pretty much limited to knowing it exists and maybe a few of the best known characters and maybe “beam me up Scotty” or something like that. Far more of them can quote Friends or other sitcoms than anything Trek. I think promoting its supposed importance has become an easy go-to for entertainment and clickbait sites, and the shows’ fans love to trumpet it as this important pop cultural thing based mostly on say so and not anymore factual.

 

[BK613]

It is easy to be biased based on your friends and associates. In the 1980s, the show was popular among the shipmates I knew and the TV lounges were always full when a rerun was on. It has also been popular among those people I've known in the computer programming and networking fields. Yet not so much among the teachers and students at the high school I taught at.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I think Star Trek, as far as television series goes, is probably in the "top-3" in terms of most influential series ever. That doesn't mean "most well-liked" or "made the most money" or whatever....but I'd say it's easily top-3 in terms of cultural impact and influence.

And, honestly, I can't even think of what the other 2 series in that hypothetical "top-3" would be....so I'm pretty much just saying that to appear less enthusiastic about the whole thing than I really am.

A couple off the top of my head:

Sesame Street (hopefully doesn't require explanation)

The Ed Sullivan Show. More people tuned in to watch the Beatles' first appearance than ever tuned into any Trek installment. The role that the band's introduction to America played in their monumental influence on the music industry is unquantifiable. And how many viewers that night ended up growing out their hair and forming their own bands? That broadcast turned the world on its ear overnight.

 

[dupersuper]

(I was also influenced by James Bond, but that is another story.)

If you told us would you have to kill us?

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I wouldn't mistake having a devoted fanbase who've been hyping a show's importance for decades for general popularity. There have always been bigger fish than Star Trek.

Star Trek has more of a cultural impact than that. Just for a couple of examples, two of the biggest news magazines have spotlighted ST--rather, TOS and its movies--in ways most movies and TV series rarely enjoy--

The December 1986 issue of Newsweek (on the occasion of TOS' 20th anniversary and shortly after the release of Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home) ran this piece:

While a 2013 TIME special titled The 100 Most Influential People Who Never Lived featured Kirk and Spock (seen on the cover). That is a significant statement to make about two of endless numbers of TV characters created in the medium's history--

I cannot recall the other TV characters who appeared in the issue (other than the three on the cover), but the statement made about Kirk and Spock speaks to just how much of a cultural impact TOS had.

 

[Noname Given]

Star Trek has more of a cultural impact than that. Just for a couple of examples, two of the biggest news magazines have spotlighted ST--rather, TOS and its movies--in ways most movies and TV series rarely enjoy--

The December 1986 issue of Newsweek (on the occasion of TOS' 20th anniversary and shortly after the release of Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home) ran this piece:

While a 2013 TIME special titled The 100 Most Influential People Who Never Lived featured Kirk and Spock (seen on the cover). That is a significant statement to make about two of endless numbers of TV characters created in the medium's history--

I cannot recall the other TV characters who appeared in the issue (other than the three on the cover), but the statement made about Kirk and Spock speaks to just how much of a cultural impact TOS had.

I believe there are four TV characters on the cover, Kirk, Spock, Lucy, and whatever character Bill Cosby is tied to in the issue.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I believe there are four TV characters on the cover, Kirk, Spock, Lucy, and whatever character Bill Cosby is tied to in the issue.

I meant three additional characters (Cliff Huxtable, Lucy, and Homer Simpson) other and Kirk and Spock.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

It's been a long time since I heard news about Vic Mignogna, so maybe I'm misremembering the details, but I've had the impression that the sexual harassment allegations were highly dubious. He just seemed like an affectionate guy who liked giving his fans and coworkers hugs and sometimes kissing them on the cheek.

You obviously didn't bother reading the link I posted, so I'll quote a couple of the relevant passages:

Multiple accounts alleged that he kissed, groped, and made unwanted comments to fans without their consent, some of whom were underage. Voice actresses Monica Rial and Jamie Marchi tweeted their support for those speaking out, and alleged that he had also sexually harassed them.

On February 20, [2019] Mignogna confirmed on Twitter that he was pursuing legal action, and later filed a million-dollar lawsuit against Funimation, Rial, Marchi, and Ron Toye for defamation and tortious interference. Funimation filed a response on June 12, 2019, denying Mignogna's allegations. On September 6, a judge dismissed seven of the twelve cases, ruling in the defendants' favor. Mignogna was required to pay all of Marchi's legal fees. On October 4, Judge Chupp announced that the remaining cases had been dismissed. Mignogna filed an appeal on October 24, with a hearing set for November 21. Chupp later ruled that Mignogna was required to pay $223,042.42 for the defendants' attorney fees.

There's also the fact that Michelle Specht, his fiancée, ended her 12-year relationship with Mignogna after all of these allegations began coming to light. This article on Gizmondo details several of the complaints against Mignogna, and includes this quote from Specht:

My 12-year relationship [and] engagement to Vic Mignogna ended in May 2018. Very soon after, information about Vic’s previously unknown behavior began to surface, and has continued to do so over the last several months—each revelation more shocking and painful than the previous, spanning the entirety of our time together. I have had to face the reality that the loving, monogamous relationship I believed in and was devoted to never existed.

This pattern of egregious behavior is so linked to his position of power that the voices of those stepping forward with allegations need to be heard clearly, and their claims taken with the utmost seriousness. And I extend whatever remains of my broken heart to every one of them.

So it was quite a bit more than "an affectionate guy who liked giving his fans and coworkers hugs and sometimes kissing them on the cheek."

For crying out loud, the fact that there's an entire section on his Wikipedia page entitled "Sexual harassment allegations" should be a bit of a hint.