Is Star Trek only for Lefties?

[Elegiac]

Not everyone defines their life through their political affiliation. Plus it's not really an internally political show since it takes place in a post scarcity society where political affiliation really has no meaning for people in the federation, because Roddenberry vision for Star Trek was always a utopian earth where the focus was on exploration and discovery, rather than internal struggles that make for easy drama.

I mean sure, if you ignore the first hand accounts of the production of TOS and how Roddenberry and the cast and crew used it as a vehicle for commentary on contemporary social issues.

The people who believe Star Trek or any subject of "nerd culture" are apolitical are best summed up in this quote by the late Roger Ebert:

[Every Pwny]

I mean sure, if you ignore the first hand accounts of the production of TOS and how Roddenberry and the cast and crew used it as a vehicle for commentary on contemporary social issues.

The people who believe Star Trek or any subject of "nerd culture" are apolitical are best summed up in this quote by the late Roger Ebert:

Ah, I actually almost added a line about how it's political for forces outside the federation, that's why I used "internally political", it was pretty clear but I should realize people need things really spelled out for them. Also your quote from Robert Ebert is more about hardcore fandom and not the apolitical nature of things and irrelevant to my post. You can be a hardcore fan that knows everything about a show and believe it lines up with your political ideology. It does make a good point though, people who want art to have a singular interpretation are boring to talk to.

[Rhlor]

when you do an episode where lincoln appears and you talk about how stupid racism is in the middle of the fight for civil rights you obviously have a political message and anti conservative anti racist!

[Doctor Amadeus]

If I am not mistaken Gene Roddenberry was a Republican and just like William Shatner leans more right and conservative. However I think Star Trek get misinterpreted through the lens as left wing, mostly do to the TNG series with was arguably more left than the original.

If you watch the Original series, Star Trek was defiantly right wing. As for NOW, I wouldn't say Star Trek is particularly left or right, it might skew more left now because of the perception of the most popular series The Next Generation.

Star Trek however has never been explicitly left or right, in fact, I am almost certain Gene specifically tried to bury things like religion and political ideology more specifically because then like now, mixing business and politics can effect the bottom line.

Star Trek panders to everyone because of this. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


Most the perception that Star Trek like any other Enterpise like say CNN, MSNBC, or Fucking even Google or Twitter is Left wing or left leaning is and has always been fucking projection.

It pretty much exist for more right wing lunatics to suggest Hollywood like anything else a business is control by a certain group. Which may have been more true a long time ago as far as leaning right wing. But even that is a bit of a skew.

Hollywood like anything is a business.

- - - Updated - - -

Q represents me. I am undefeatable and almighty.

Ok well I have some bad news for you, Q is a phony!

Yep shock I know, but he isn't almighty, he simply belongs to a race more technologically advanced than the any other species. A fact kind of touched on during the series.

[Rennadrel]

Shatner is also Canadian. We have conservatives, but a large population of them are not as crazy as American conservatives are. We call the crazy ones the social conservatives, they our version of bible thumpers @Doctor Amadeus. Makes sense if Shatner is seen as a lite conservative, since they do exist.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

I mean, the "man bad/we don't need men" marketing of Birds of Prey was pretty cringe, and then the few men who were even in the film were laughable simps.

So I’m not really up to date on buzz words but from my very little knowledge about “simps” none of the male characters in birds of prey would really fit the term could you give some examples out of curiosity?

[Amarys]

I don't know. I'm pretty right wing but enjoyed the movies and "Discovery". I don't really try to search a political message in everything unless it's right there in your face and just watch movies and shows for entertainment though.

[JohnBrown1917]

Ah, I actually almost added a line about how it's political for forces outside the federation, that's why I used "internally political", it was pretty clear but I should realize people need things really spelled out for them. Also your quote from Robert Ebert is more about hardcore fandom and not the apolitical nature of things and irrelevant to my post. You can be a hardcore fan that knows everything about a show and believe it lines up with your political ideology. It does make a good point though, people who want art to have a singular interpretation are boring to talk to.

Does not change that the writers intended it to be political, but you believe what you want.

[Elegiac]

Ah, I actually almost added a line about how it's political for forces outside the federation, that's why I used "internally political", it was pretty clear but I should realize people need things really spelled out for them. Also your quote from Robert Ebert is more about hardcore fandom and not the apolitical nature of things and irrelevant to my post. You can be a hardcore fan that knows everything about a show and believe it lines up with your political ideology. It does make a good point though, people who want art to have a singular interpretation are boring to talk to.

We're not talking about whether or not it's diegetically political, we're talking about whether or not it's metatextually political - something which, as said, it was absolutely intended to be by Roddenberry. And I bring up that Ebert quote precisely because it's that sort of fan who knows the ins and outs of the in-universe political system that misses the point of the narrative entirely.

Kinda like the people that use "redpilled" unironically without realising that the Matrix is a trans coming-out story by two closeted tans women and then proceed to use it to justify their anti-SJW nonsense, lol.

[Hammerfest]

The people who believe Star Trek or any subject of "nerd culture" are apolitical are best summed up in this quote by the late Roger Ebert:

Ah yes, Roger Ebert... a man who never made a hit Hollywood movie (Beyond the Valley of the Dolls... blech...) or TV show in his life and basically made the bulk of his living watching movies and then writing what he thought about them. Yeah, he's really worth quoting and considering in this discussion.

[Elegiac]

Ah yes, Roger Ebert... a man who never made a hit Hollywood movie (Beyond the Valley of the Dolls... blech...) or TV show in his life and basically made the bulk of his living watching movies and then writing what he thought about them. Yeah, he's really worth quoting and considering in this discussion.

Yep. Imagine how surprised you'll be when you realise that writing and literary criticism are also two different pursuits.

The lack of emphasis on the humanities in red state education is really being put on blast these last four years, lordy.

[Hammerfest]

Yep. Imagine how surprised you'll be when you realise that writing and literary criticism are also two different pursuits.

I didn't have to imagine it, thanks.

[Elegiac]

I didn't have to imagine it, thanks.

Cool, then I take it you'll stop making uninformed remarks about film criticism in future. /s

[Hammerfest]

Cool, then I take it you'll stop making uninformed remarks about film criticism in future. /s

Didn't make one in the first place. Ebert isn't particularly qualified to comment on fandom. He can make the comments, but we should in no way feel compelled to entertain them.

[Elegiac]

Didn't make one in the first place. Ebert isn't particularly qualified to comment on fandom. He can make the comments, but we should in no way feel compelled to entertain them.

Which has no bearing on whether or not his statement was true, which it manifestly is.

People who think Star Trek is apolitical are fake fans, plain and simple.

[Endus]

Didn't make one in the first place. Ebert isn't particularly qualified to comment on fandom. He can make the comments, but we should in no way feel compelled to entertain them.

You're not actually making any point. You're just whining that you don't want other people to consider the merit of Ebert's statement, because reasons. You don't have reasons, other than baseless character assertions that even you admit, in the last few posts, are irrelevant meaningless horseshit.

[Hammerfest]

You're not actually making any point.

You mean other than that Roger Ebert's opinion isn't any more valuable than, say, anyone else who isn't a fan of any particular franchise?

[Endus]

People who think Star Trek is apolitical are fake fans, plain and simple.

Science fiction in general is usually super political, not just Trek. Star Wars is all about real-world fascism, particularly the aesthetics of it. Stargate was all about America hoo-rah militarism. Battlestar Galactica was about the military/civilian distinction, particularly in times of conflict. Westworld is about slavery and personhood. Altered Carbon is about the inhumanity of capitalism. And that's just a few examples off the top of my head with regards to shows with strong central themes; shows like Star Trek are just as political, but the theme can vary wildly from episode to episode (albeit with a strong presence in each).

[Hammerfest]

Which has no bearing on whether or not his statement was true, which it manifestly is.

It's monumentally false. This comment seeks to impugn a harmless group of people and to say that they are being duplicitous. Even if half the fans were as he describes, it's a dunder-headed thing to say.

[Elegiac]

Science fiction in general is usually super political, not just Trek. Star Wars is all about real-world fascism, particularly the aesthetics of it. Stargate was all about America hoo-rah militarism. Battlestar Galactica was about the military/civilian distinction, particularly in times of conflict. Westworld is about slavery and personhood. Altered Carbon is about the inhumanity of capitalism. And that's just a few examples off the top of my head with regards to shows with strong central themes; shows like Star Trek are just as political, but the theme can vary wildly from episode to episode (albeit with a strong presence in each).

I mean that's generally true of any speculative fiction.

Let's not get into fantasy nerds and their belief that fantasy stories are never political, either.