Star Trek-- It's Kind of a Big Deal!
It seems like everyone nowadays has a "fandom" that they follow. People are crazy about Dr. Who or the Hunger Games or Steven Universe. If I had to pick my first and most favorite "fandom," it would have to be Star Trek. For those unfamiliar with the series, Star Trek is a popular U.S. television series set in the future. It’s one of the longest running and most successful television franchises-- and for good reason. Below is a list of 5 ideas that Star Trek made clear for a younger me.
Much of the science fiction I read as a young girl was still lacking female characters. Male ship captains, male scientists, male leaders, etc. Star Trek was different. Women were powerful doctors, empathic counselors, effective communication officers, mechanical geniuses, ruthless and self-sacrificing captains. A girl’s role wasn’t predetermined in the Star Trek world— and the more traditional roles weren’t condemned either. Women were still proud to be teachers, mothers, and nurses.
2: Society is made up of many kinds of people, and if we want to better humanity, we have to work together.
Star Trek: The Original Series was one of the first television show with an interracial kiss— in 1968. That was before my high school in South Carolina allowed black and white people to go to the same schools. Whoopi Goldberg, inspired to act by watching this series, was one of many black viewers who got to watch a vision of the future that included many races.
Additionally, Walter Koenig’s character Pavel Chekov spoke with a heavy Russian accent— a big deal during the Cold War era. Actor George Takei, a Japanese American, was also involved. This is another big deal considering that the Japanese were at war with the United States less than two decades before the show's premier. Young audiences watching the more recent spin-off movie of this series don’t alway understand the importance of the inclusion of these characters.
3: Every job is important, even on a starship.
Some of the best, most developed characters in the series are cooks, teachers, and low-ranking ensigns. Star Trek would be nothing without its screen time devoted to interactions in mess halls and Ten-Forward, the Enterprise’s lounge. Whether you are the captain, the cook, a teacher, or an engineer, you are a valued member of the crew. Each character’s job is important— and worthy of being a part of space exploration. It takes more than those high-ranking leaders to run a starship, and the audience is frequently reminded of this.
4: A good leader doesn’t abandon or go down with the ship— they save it.
The leaders in Star Trek never abandon their crews— but this wasn’t just a cliche. Good leaders don’t leave the people they lead behind regardless of the sacrifice that must be made. In episodes where this kind of situation occurs, audiences are in for some serious crisis decision making. I could get super nerdy with this one and talk about the Kobayashi Maru test, but I won’t. Here’s a link, if you’re interested.
5: There is always— always— something new to discover if you’re willing to look for it.
We are at a serious loss for frontiers in 2015. When Star Trek began in the 1960s, space was a great unknown that provided for a lot of speculation. There hadn’t been a moon landing, a Mars rover, or an international space station. Despite the great unknown that still lies within space, there seems to be a lull. Kids don’t seem to want to be astronauts anymore. The great unknown is now known enough that it’s not as exciting as it once was. Neil deGresse Tyson addresses this issue— it’s an interesting listen.
Regardless of this— every episode of Star Trek approaches space with a newfound fervor for exploration, discovery, curiosity. I credit much of my own questioning of the world and my open mind for human potential to what I watched on Star Trek as a kid. Star Trek is a semi-realistic, optimistic prediction of what humanity could do if we worked together to explore the universe.
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| This is Nichelle Nichols as communications officer Uhura in the original series. She kicked some serious butt. Image Source |
1: Women can be leaders, too.
Much of the science fiction I read as a young girl was still lacking female characters. Male ship captains, male scientists, male leaders, etc. Star Trek was different. Women were powerful doctors, empathic counselors, effective communication officers, mechanical geniuses, ruthless and self-sacrificing captains. A girl’s role wasn’t predetermined in the Star Trek world— and the more traditional roles weren’t condemned either. Women were still proud to be teachers, mothers, and nurses.
2: Society is made up of many kinds of people, and if we want to better humanity, we have to work together.
Star Trek: The Original Series was one of the first television show with an interracial kiss— in 1968. That was before my high school in South Carolina allowed black and white people to go to the same schools. Whoopi Goldberg, inspired to act by watching this series, was one of many black viewers who got to watch a vision of the future that included many races.
Additionally, Walter Koenig’s character Pavel Chekov spoke with a heavy Russian accent— a big deal during the Cold War era. Actor George Takei, a Japanese American, was also involved. This is another big deal considering that the Japanese were at war with the United States less than two decades before the show's premier. Young audiences watching the more recent spin-off movie of this series don’t alway understand the importance of the inclusion of these characters.
3: Every job is important, even on a starship.
Some of the best, most developed characters in the series are cooks, teachers, and low-ranking ensigns. Star Trek would be nothing without its screen time devoted to interactions in mess halls and Ten-Forward, the Enterprise’s lounge. Whether you are the captain, the cook, a teacher, or an engineer, you are a valued member of the crew. Each character’s job is important— and worthy of being a part of space exploration. It takes more than those high-ranking leaders to run a starship, and the audience is frequently reminded of this.
 |
| This is the USS Enterprise (the NCC 1701-D, if we want to get super nerdy. It's from Star Trek: The Next Generation. (Image Source) |
The leaders in Star Trek never abandon their crews— but this wasn’t just a cliche. Good leaders don’t leave the people they lead behind regardless of the sacrifice that must be made. In episodes where this kind of situation occurs, audiences are in for some serious crisis decision making. I could get super nerdy with this one and talk about the Kobayashi Maru test, but I won’t. Here’s a link, if you’re interested.
5: There is always— always— something new to discover if you’re willing to look for it.
We are at a serious loss for frontiers in 2015. When Star Trek began in the 1960s, space was a great unknown that provided for a lot of speculation. There hadn’t been a moon landing, a Mars rover, or an international space station. Despite the great unknown that still lies within space, there seems to be a lull. Kids don’t seem to want to be astronauts anymore. The great unknown is now known enough that it’s not as exciting as it once was. Neil deGresse Tyson addresses this issue— it’s an interesting listen.
Regardless of this— every episode of Star Trek approaches space with a newfound fervor for exploration, discovery, curiosity. I credit much of my own questioning of the world and my open mind for human potential to what I watched on Star Trek as a kid. Star Trek is a semi-realistic, optimistic prediction of what humanity could do if we worked together to explore the universe.
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