OT - Star Trek

BatemanPatrickl · 05-04-09, 12:21 PM

Originally posted by Mudcat

I am thinking of this because there is a new movie coming out, but I am also interested in general thoughts and comments on the whole phenomenon which is over 4 decades old now.

I am looking forward to the movie quite a lot. Not just because I just saw it getting 2 good reviews (Lyons and Mankiewicz from At The Movies) but because I guess I have accepted the whole mythology as a positive part of pop culture. I definitely don't think of myself as a Trekkie/Trekker. On the other hand I have seen all the movies and probably over 90% of the episodes of all the series. So make of that what you will.

Here's a question: do you consider a Trekkie to be lower on the food chain than a hardcore sports fan? I do not. I am neither but I consider a Trekkie a more respectable thing to be.

Anyway, looking forward to the new movie.

Mudders:

Sports = Reality
Star Trek = Fiction

Therefore all Trekkies are lower on the food chain.

Hope this helps Cleatis.

RogueScholar · 05-04-09, 12:27 PM

Well, this is a topic I feel uniquely qualified to render an opinion on, considering I am both an avowed Trekkie as well as a hardcore sports fan (excepting baseball & soccer). To answer your question, I don't think you can classify one as "lower" than the other. The fact of the matter is, that human life is a difficult task, more often touched by tragedy than by joy. We're a mortal race with some profound flaws, and by our nature, we end up mucking a lot of things up. Both Star Trek and sports give us a harmless escape from that reality, and I applaud anyone who clings to one or the other, or both. Live long and prosper, Mudcat.

BatemanPatrickl · 05-04-09, 12:31 PM

Roguer have you mastered the Zulu dance? Would you toss it to George Takei?

MonkeyF0cker · 05-04-09, 12:34 PM

Can't stand Star Trek.

Bread · 05-04-09, 12:57 PM

I always wanted to put it on Uhura.

RogueJuror · 05-04-09, 01:04 PM

Originally posted by Bread

I always wanted to put it on Uhura.

you ***** lova

Matt Rain · 05-04-09, 01:07 PM

I'll see your Uhura and raise you a Seven of Nine. Jeri Ryan's body deserves a monument.

(Can't stand Star Trek either.)

Bread · 05-04-09, 01:07 PM

WTf??

purecarnagge · 05-04-09, 01:12 PM

Series peaked at First Contact...People want to see space fights and etc...they don't want to see the virus outbreak on go****meplanet VII at warp 5.

Patrick Stewart was the franchise, and it clearly went downhill after that. The only high note for a short period of time Voyger pulled good ratings after bringing the playmate bimbo 7of9 on.

I know my space series pretty well.

Rankings

1. Star Wars
2. Babylon 5 (not as long as either franchies star wars/trek.) I like B5's plots.
3. Star Trek (most episodes too boring).
4. Galaticia (hate this show)

Mudcat · 05-04-09, 01:29 PM

Originally posted by purecarnagge

Patrick Stewart was the franchise, and it clearly went downhill after that. The only high note for a short period of time Voyger pulled good ratings after bringing the playmate bimbo 7of9 on.

I am probably in the minority but I think I liked Voyager the best. Of course I hated Neelix but that aside, I thought it was a great all-time premise for a show. The quest.

I also really liked the war with the Dominion on Deep Space Nine. I guess it was towards the end of the series run that they got really focused on that and I thought it was very good.

I always liked Klingon politics. That was a big thing during the part of DS9 I am referring to - and also my favorite Next Generation arcs. Like the whole bit about Worf giving up then re-earning his family name.

Mudcat · 05-04-09, 02:08 PM

Originally posted by RogueScholar

To answer your question, I don't think you can classify one as "lower" than the other. The fact of the matter is, that human life is a difficult task, more often touched by tragedy than by joy. We're a mortal race with some profound flaws, and by our nature, we end up mucking a lot of things up. Both Star Trek and sports give us a harmless escape from that reality, and I applaud anyone who clings to one or the other, or both.

Well yes, I agree with that. Certainly. I was just drawing on high school memories of jocks looking down on nerds because of their various nerdy obsessions, and I always thought (from my vantage point as a philosophical stoner) that the jocks needed to take a look in the mirror.

Justin7 · 05-04-09, 03:12 PM

I thought DS9 was the best overall series. If you liked the in-depth story that developed (instead of "1-shot" episodes that were most of ST:TNG and Voyager), Babylon 5 is the greatest sci-fi arc ever.

Mudcat · 05-05-09, 07:33 AM

I wonder what crowds will be like on opening weekend. I have a date on Friday and she is also interested in this.

We are going to see a late afternoon movie, then have dinner, then see a movie in the evening. I don't think I want to compete with the hardcore fans for seats for the Friday evening showing but the late afternoon might be okay.

I'll have to keep an ear open for stories about people camping out and whatnot. I don't know if people do that shit for this kind of movie. I guess probably in some places.

Dark Horse · 05-05-09, 05:59 PM

Nothing but admiration for a franchise that gave us Vulcans, Romulans, Cardassians, Ferengi, and ... the Borg.

Patrick Picard Stewart brought a Shakespearean element to the show. I loved Next Generation, and remember being fascinated by Picard's crisp decision making. I was interested in acting at the time, and went to see him at Pepperdine for a one-man show. Most students were out surfing, so I had practically the entire front row to myself. In between scenes he would chat with the audience, creating almost an auditioning kind of vibe.

The first time the Borg showed up bordered on historical, one of those moments of which, even twenty years later, you remember exactly what you were doing (namely watching the show!). This intensity happens more often in sports, by the way; but I'm happy to report that I've recently reclaimed it while watching the show Breaking Bad, which combines excellent writing with excellent acting.

DS-9 was good too. Never really got into the original, Voyager, or whatever came after that. And the movies are usually missed opportunities, doomed from the start because of a bad story. The problem with sci-fi is that, unless the writing is very good, it becomes silly. Similar to Batman or 007. The recent move towards much grittier and realistic versions of those last two is something I would like to see in Star Trek as well. I want to see the dirt and grease, and real violence, and, last but not least, real use of language. People don't wait all the time for the other to finish his sentence. They talk straight through each other. (easy in real life, but try acting and timing it).

Casperwaits · 05-05-09, 06:08 PM

Ricardo Montalban made me a fan of Star Trek for about a month. The man had great pec muscles for an 80 year old.

Mudcat · 05-06-09, 08:58 AM

Originally posted by Dark Horse

The first time the Borg showed up bordered on historical

Good thing for mankind that, with all their bio-technological advances, they hadn't figured out that alien intruders on their ships should probably not be ignored. And it might be a good idea to move faster, you know, in some situations.

Patrick Stewart really did have some Shakespearean moments. I remember when he mind-melded with a mentally deteriorating Sarek. Typing that out felt kind of ridiculous but he really did act the shit out of that episode.

Stumpage · 05-06-09, 09:10 AM

I agree that the introduction of The Borg was a massive stepping stone for the franchise. I was a part-time Star Trek watcher, taking a look for a bit if I passed it while channel surfing and such, but when the "Cube" first showed up, I was hooked. Quite a vast improvement over the Ferengi, who were pencilled in to be the the ultimate Federation adversary, but this apparently led to a massive fan backlash (Too comical looking and not fearsome enough, at least from what I've read).

eberetta1 · 10-26-09, 11:34 PM

Food chain

Originally posted by BatemanPatrickl

Mudders:

Sports = Reality
Star Trek = Fiction

Therefore all Trekkies are lower on the food chain.

Hope this helps Cleatis.

You had me going. But I thought for a minute,

I believed your viewpoint was gospel. And thats is where the answer lies.
Star Trek tries to show what we may encounter in the future, years from now, and sports is the using of our physical abilities to its finest in an endeavor we encounter 100's of times but in a set boundary.
In a hundred years, sports will not evolve, it uses a ball that uses a new material but you still try to score with it.
Star trek is Science Fiction.
When it was made in 1967, it envisioned a computer could be talked to, and now I see my grandson, speak into his cellphone to call his mother, since the keypad does not work since he went swimming with the cellphone in his pocket. There is a space station being built with help from many countries. So many things never in existence before and with new technologies what was once Fiction, is no longer. We have filmed Saturn and her rings. As in Toy story, to Infinity and beyond.

You sweat playing sports and with Star Trek(science fiction) is more mind work or simply actors and actresses. So you basically have the athletes, who are the blue collar workers, and you have actors and actresses imitating space flight crew members who might be considered white collar workers. Some blue collar workers make more money than white collar. And blue collar usually require less schooling.

So, are actors and actresses higher up the food chain than athletes!!! Or is an audience of moviegoers higher up the food chain than sports fans?

You can have your sports playing field, I like wide open outer space for my imagination.. I'll throw my vote (admitting I'm a trekkie) and vote I feel higher up the food chain as a trekkie than audiences who watch... The Gladiators

.

P.S. I love my pay per view wrestling also.

eberetta1 · 10-26-09, 11:49 PM

Doh, I forgot to say Deanna Troi is the hottest Star Trek girl there is...imagine a babe that never needs to speak(she's telepathic),
the perfect girlfriend...

Chi_archie · 10-26-09, 11:53 PM

I've never watched one movie or one episode, new or old

MrX · 10-27-09, 12:18 AM