Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Star Bores - Revenge of the Sucks

I'm a science fiction buff. I grew up with it. I dig the original Star Wars series, but nothing has impacted my life like Star Trek. I plan lunchbreaks around DS9 airings on spikeI finally had a revelation about the difference between diehard Star Wars fans and Star Trek fans...

  1. Some Star Trek fans may dress in silly costumes at conventions, but those acts pale in comparison to the sheer insanity of the folks who wait in line for DAYS dressed as a wookie to sit and watch a movie.
  2. Star Trek has inspired generations of doctors, scientists, philosophers, and great thinkers. The Original Series promoted civil rights, equality, and hope. Star Wars, with the exception of Kevin Smith, has given us a generation of career slackers who collect toys, bathe infrequently, play video games, and Jar Jar Binks.
  3. Stoners cannot watch Star Trek because it makes their little heads hurt.
  4. No Star Trek fan ever tried to declare their religion "Vulcan" as several Britons declared "Jedi" their faith a few years ago.
  5. Why is it in Star Wars, all the females are skinny little white girls in skimpy clothing? Nichelle Nichols (Uhura from the firstStar Trek series) had such sensuality in the 60s, I find it hard to believe ol' Geoge Lucas couldn't find one female lead of color to put in his films. And Gen Roddenberry was the master of making even his female aliens hot...part of the whole theme of equality.
  6. Star Wars never tackles race as an issue. How did Lando Calrissian ... just turn up as the only brother in space?
  7. I once dated this girl (hey Beth!) who hated watching Star Trek and Sci-Fi, but would INSIST on watching ST Voyager because it featured a Belanna Torres, a half-Klingon, half-Latina engineer and a Native American first officer. She felt she owed it to her ancestors to support the cause. Does Star Wars have any real cultural signifigance with that kind of power? Nope. Beth was a Kappa Delt in college...how many shows on television can say they were so important that a sorority girl would have to drop everything to watch it out of Chicana pride?!?
  8. Star Trek is a cultural phenomena that spans nations. Star Wars is a popular movie franchise.
  9. The galaxy in Star Wars is so black-and-white. Reality doesn't work like that. That's why so many very lonely people are addicted to it.
Hey, I love Star Wars. The battle between good and evil is definitely a theme lost in today's cinema. It represents a part of the moral decay and ethical failings of the Western world that needs to be addressed. Good fantasy...

Star Trek, above all, gives hope and inspiration to build a better Earth. Without Lt. Uhura, black actors might still be left to play roles at the back of the bus. Without addressing the underlying causes of evil, the complex nature of decision making, the sheer valor of exploration, we don't get anywhere.

Okay...done...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tri-Delt, hon.

Love,
Beth Trijillo

Smurf said...

WOW! It is so black and white because reality really is black and white. Not with races, but with reality. It is said you should either be hot or cold.... if you are luke warm you will be vomitted from creator's mouth!