Just a warning, this
post is going to be a bit of a rant.
I’m not
going to lie; I am a huge fangirl when it comes to the shows and movies and
books that I enjoy. So sue me, I like to talk about the things that I see or
read about that influence my life. And yes, I get a teensy bit (okay, A LOT)
obsessed with them because they are so addictive to me, like my own personal,
harmless drug. Maybe that’s not necessarily normal, but do I care? Nope. So
what irritates me the most is when I mention I like something, like Star Trek,
and people make that face at me (you know the one, the slightly narrowed eyes,
the crinkled nose, and you can practically feel them judging you because they
think they know about the thing that you like, even though they don’t have a
clue).
I’ve
gotten that look every single time I bring up the fact that I like nerdy stuff.
And yeah, I’ll admit, it’s pretty nerdy. But who cares, honestly? How does me
liking a certain thing influence your life at all?
Got a
little bit off topic up there, but I felt like it had to be said. Now, this
post is actually about the misconceptions of Star Trek. Yep, you read that
correctly, and if you’re one of those people who turn your nose up at that kind
of thing, I highly suggest you KEEP READING, because it’s not just about aliens
or space.
It’s
about exploring the unknown. It’s about discovering amazing things that people
can only dream of nowadays. It’s about humanity's faults, and how we can
overcome the bad instincts and primal urges inside of us and become a better race together.
Granted,
the show was made in the sixties, and it had silly special effects and dumb
costumes and aliens that are almost always humanoid but that’s just because of
the era and budgeting factors. And it’s not important.
What is
important, however, is the underlying issues that Star Trek addresses, and
people don’t even realize it because their stuck on the aliens aspect. Come on
people, look a little deeper. A lot of times, Gene Roddenberry (the creator)
focused the episodes to be analogies of problems that were actually happening
in the world at the time.
The
episode Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
is about two races of aliens that are almost identical, but discriminate
because of the coloring on their faces. Sound familiar? It should, because it
was relaying the importance of equality for African American people in the
sixties. Kirk gives an inspiring speech about the ridiculousness of prejudice,
and settles the conflict between the races, symbolizing the hope that America
could overcome the unfairness of the time period. There was an episode that
simulated the effects of Hitler’s rein, and how absolute power corrupts
absolutely. It made references to the ongoing war in Vietnam. Star Trek featured
an important and intelligent African American woman as a crucial role on the
ship, for the first time, as well as the first interracial kiss on television. ST
featured Chekov, a Russian navigator who worked alongside Americans, even
though this aired during the Cold War. Women had equal roles aboard the
Enterprise, and they played an important part as part of the crew (even if
their outfits were revealing). It also implied sexual relations between
unmarried people—which happened often but was frowned upon in society—as something
that wasn’t a big deal and should be accepted. In the episode Plato’s Stepchildren, Kirk emphasizes
the importance of equality, stating, “Where I come from, size, shape or color
makes no difference.” It deals with Mr. Spock, who is a child of two worlds and
doesn’t belong anywhere, constantly facing bigotry towards his heritage.
The
show’s not just about the sci-fi element. Star Trek deals with friendship, love, loyalty, responsibility, courage, overcoming obstacles, the thirst for knowledge, advancing to be better than who you are, and not believing in no-win scenarios. Its about exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new civilizations, boldy going where no one has gone before. And if that isn’t considered
a great show for this era, then I don’t know what would be.
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