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Star Trek's Global ImpactRead the article this discussion is about
This archived discussion is "read only".
» BuckyRea - Backward little planet I agree that Star Trek has conquered Earth. But I think the emphasis should be on the fact that it was the 60s series that conquered us and helped shape how people think about progress, destiny, the future, and the values promoted by scientific progress.In fact, I think only the first series has had much of an impact. The three main characters in the original Trek reach a mythological status. If you can't name them and their job titles then you are lacking in cultural literacy. On the other hand, if you can name a majority of the characters from the three spin-offs, you've gone one rung up the Nerd Ladder. (Personally I think I could name the 8 main characters from each of the three, which puts me half way up to the Nerd Roof.) Why this distinction? Well, on accounta the fact that Kirk, Spock, and McCoy acted mythically. They were larger than life, as TV heroes tended to be back then. But also the series, like any mythology, sought to teach a lesson with each new tale. Practically every single episode of the first Trek served as little more than a veiled commentary on the human condition. Like a myth, the orginal Trek's purpose was to teach. The three spin offs strived to be entertaining rather than didactic. With the exception of DS9, these 3 new series have casts that were little more than an assembly of characters. Only DS9 had a crew (and a collection of civilians that sought consciously to represent the breadth of the human condition). Oddly enough, because of this undergirding premise, DS9 is the series most likely of the three to have character-driven rather than situation-driven plots and story lines. The characters aren't mythical the way Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are. They don't collectively say anything that will aid in understanding the human condition. Individual stories may focus on certain issues or characters. But they don't create characters just for the purpose of embodying a given human temperament. The 1960s ST did that, and did it well. The TNG characters were all basically a bunch of engineers, just as Voyager is little more than a far-flung Captain Cook adventure. Only the first and third series are engineered to plot out what humans are really like. And only these two (TOS and DS9) have characters who are so quick to argue among themselves. If you leave out arguing from the representation of the human picture, then you are leaving out a large part of what it means to be human. This type of inner-cast creative tension make these two series the ones that best reflect what us hairless monkeys are really like. -- posted by BuckyRea » CBJ - Excellent Points Thanks for the input Bucky! You make a lot of good points. I must admit that I can name all the characters on all the series, including peripherals, so I guess I must be the one who built the nerd ladder that you are climbing up, as well as the roof you are approaching!I recently visited Alex Shutter’s TNG topic and he has a poll up at the moment asking which Trek series is your favorite. I thought about it for a while—I love all the series because I just love Trek in general—but I finally came to the conclusion that it is DS9; for the same reasons that you so eloquently put forth. Like so many people, I grew up watching TOS. And it is the way in which they get across their message that I love. I mean, the sets are cheesy, the special effects are nothing to write home about, and I could really do without the obligatory bar room brawl. But the messages are so clear and meaningful. And of the new series, I agree that DS9 has done the best job of recapturing that spirit. It is a pity that the show has always been overlooked in the States. The media was keen on its debut, and the premier episode boasted the highest ratings in syndication history. But after that it was treated as the ugly stepchild and didn’t get the attention it deserved. Then, when TNG finished its run, everyone jumped on the Voyager bandwagon and continued to ignore the most intelligent of the three spinoffs. Regarding the others, The Next Generation is a wonderful show, and it has many great episodes. In some ways it’s difficult not to choose it. Voyager, on the other hand, has always felt flawed to me. While they also have had some excellent episodes—the one that came on here in Japan this week, "Death Wish," is a particularly good commentary on euthanasia—the overall series seems to lack direction. As for Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, I would agree that they were bigger than life. Kirk was the ultimate leader—always ready to take charge, always with a solution at hand—and McCoy’s ability to create effective antidotes based on the color of the liquid is something that Bashir, Crusher, and the Doctor can only dream about. Damn it, Jim! I’m a being of mythological proportions, not a doctor! Spock is the struggle between the reptilian and the mammalian in humanoid form. The one point I disagree on is that only TOS has had an impact. There are many people who only know TNG, DS9, and Voyager but still feel a profound influence from Trek. It is true that it was TOS that ingrained Star Trek in our cultural psyche, but I still don’t think it would have the following that it does today if TNG had never come along. -- posted by CBJ » CBJ - Other Trek Articles on Suite For those who stumble across this discussion and would like to see more Trek articles on Suite, visit Alex Shutter’s The Next Generation topic. There's an interesting discussion going on about the Borg.Also, Kassandra Viscovich has an interesting article on her "Women in the Military" page entitled "The Women of the Star Trek Empire." -- posted by CBJ » TMBlakeley - Star Trek's impact... I agree with you Christopher! The Next Generation is a great show, as such it's had its share of wonderful episodes. As has DS9 and Voyager (although Voyager hasn't had as many as the others).And about Voyager being flawed in someways. As with the latest season But, that said if I had to choose my favourite Star Trek series...I have to admit that I might not be able to make that choice, I love 'em all. Personally, I think each series in it's turn has made an impact. At convetions there is a mixture of TOS, TNG, DS9 and Voyager uniforms and other various costumes. If only TOS made an impact you'd only see TOS uniforms. But, the main reason is that some Star Trek fans have only seen either TNG, DS9 or Voyager. So for that reason alone each series has made an impact. True, TOS started the ball rolling and hooked us onto the franchise... Tanya
-- posted by TMBlakeley
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