STARDIARY #6: MAYBE IT'S TIME TREKKERS WENT *ON STRIKE*.
Claire Marise Francis
regarding Trek. I have a suggestion you might want to consider. But it's
neither very nice, nor simple. (I say it's not simple because short of
slashing any vital body parts, I'd do *anything* for Trek.) Bear with
me.
People never realize what they have 'til it's gone.
For example, the Hollywood Writer's Strike of 1985. (I may have screwed
up on the date, but that's not the point.):
Back then, I was a completely naive child who couldn't understand what
was taking Various Powers That Be such a long time to begin the new
television season. (Where were the premieres of my favorite shows...?)
I'd always figured *someone* put words in the mouths of the people I saw
on television, but it took the Writer's Strike to teach me that it wash't
the actors alone who made great programs, nor the big-time producers. It
was the teams of writers, working constantly, turning out script after
script, and receiving very little acknowledgement in return for their
efforts.
*And it is not UPN alone who supports Trek.*
What I am about to write will undoubtedly eliminate any chances that I
have of ever writing for Trek, but what the heck. I've shot myself in
the foot already. Might as well go ahead and cut it off. Pause and
consider:
*Without its loyal viewers, where would Star Trek be?*
Star Trek is more than just a television program. As far as I'm
concerned, it is an entity. A being that certainly deserves better
treatment than what it is presently receiving.
Therefore, if you truly believe TPTB are taking Trekkers for granted, and
want to let them know you (we) mean business, I suggest you go on some
sort of...Trek boycott.
Will I join you? I don't know if I have the nerve. I *should*,
considering I'm the one suggesting this.
I mean think of it! Completely abandoning Star Trek! Gagh!
Forever!?!
No.
For a substantial period of time!?!
Yes.
I feel the following terms ought to be included in a thorough Trek
boycott:
1. No watching Trek of any kind -- *including* re-runs! Taping the show
for postponed viewing *may* be excusable...
2. No going to cons -- NO MATTER WHO is the Guest of Honor! (Am I the
only one who thinks those things are too expensive?!) Just think of all
the money you'd save! (Perhaps enough to send Junior to college ;-) !)
3. No purchasing of Trek memorabilia OF ANY KIND!
And what would be my demands *if* I was to embark upon said boycott?:
1. DEATH TO THE ANOMALY!
2. Down with the over-use of technobabble! It's annoying to listen to,
and the actors probably go through hell saying it.
3. No more STUPID episode previews! Give me something that makes the
show look interesting and adventurous -- *not* idiotic.
4. A QUALITY episode every now and then, where the characters discover
NOTHING MORE THAN *EACH OTHER*!!!!!
5. A SPIRITED episode every now and then, where the characters discover
*THE GHOST OF ELVIS* TRAPPED IN A WORMHOLE...(Or some other exciting
thing like that.) I miss adventurous Trek. Badly. :-(
If I were to select a time to abandon Star Trek, it would be February, as
I hear it is a crucial Ratings Month in Hollyweird.
I will not take credit for this concept entirely. While I had first
mentioned this boycott in a previous DIARY, 'tis Melody Clark who decided
upon the date when it ought to take place. I believe she called it the
*Trek Strike*.
Talk amongst yourselves.
:) Claire
Gina Goff
> Therefore, if you truly believe TPTB are taking Trekkers for granted, and
> want to let them know you (we) mean business, I suggest you go on some
> sort of...Trek boycott.
>
> Will I join you? I don't know if I have the nerve. I *should*,
> considering I'm the one suggesting this.
>
> I mean think of it! Completely abandoning Star Trek! Gagh!
This has got to be the funniest post I've read in some time. (Granted,
it's been a while since I wandered through these parts, but still...)
Claire, I assure you that life *will* go on should you decide to abandon
Trek. I stopped reading the novels years ago and don't miss them. I used
to love DS9 -- even wanted to pitch for about five minutes -- but last season did such a thorough job of destroying my enthusiasm for DS9 that I've only
seen one episode of it in the last several months, and that only because a
friend nagged me into it by insisting that DS9 has improved. I discovered
that he was right... it is better... and that I still didn't give a rat's
ass about the show. So much damage had been done that I no longer cared about the characters or what they did or what happened to them. I suspect I'll be saying the same of Voyager by this time next year.
So boycott to your heart's content... you might find it a lot easier than
you think. But be aware that even if the ratings *do* drop enough for UPN
to sit up and take notice, there's no guarantee that you'll get the changes
you want. TPTB might decide that tighter uniforms and more action are what's
needed to "rescue" Voyager.
Gina
Claire Marise Francis
obsessed with Trek, and have no intention of giving up on it. I
haven't got the guts. (Even though sometimes they do things that make me
want to smash my TV set....)
:) Claire
schlock
take notice, but a boycott is probably not the answer. Look what
happened when they thought DS9 was being "boycotted": they threw Worf
into it! Yerghhh!
When TPTB thinks it's time to get drastic, they get STUPIDLY drastic.
First thing they'll do to Voyager is either (a) throw Torres and
Chakotay together for the meaningless sex quotient, (b) kill off
someone, probably someone we LIKE, or (c) bring the Voyager home, which
will muck up the premise of the show and remove one of the best reasons
Janeway and Chakotay should cast command protocol to the (stellar) winds
and damn well get something started. (So I've got this ulterior motive.
So sue me.) :)
Were we to abandon Trek, I fear we'd miss something important, or even
(gasp!) something GOOD. (Had I missed "Elogium" I would have
oh-so-little material for the J/C crusade!) And for all intents and
purposes, if matters did indeed force this sort of action, I couldn't
abandon ALL Trek; DS9 is, for the moment, behaving itself. It's even
tantalizing us with Dax/Bashir. Now, if they cop out on that, I will be
pissed, but I have this insane frame of mind that keeps me coming back.
Call me die-hard, call me addicted, call me eternally optimistic, but I
can't break this freakin' habit. (Now you understand my .sig line...)
schlock
"I don't have a life. I have a program." --Doc Zimmerman
"Find beauty in the banal, for it is everywhere." --Bellini
schlock
>(gasp!) something GOOD. (Had I missed "Elogium" I would have
>oh-so-little material for the J/C crusade!) And for all intents and
>purposes, if matters did indeed force this sort of action, I couldn't
>abandon ALL Trek; DS9 is, for the moment, behaving itself. It's even
>tantalizing us with Dax/Bashir. Now, if they cop out on that, I will be
>pissed, but I have this insane frame of mind that keeps me coming back.
>Call me die-hard, call me addicted, call me eternally optimistic, but I
>can't break this freakin' habit. (Now you understand my .sig line...)
>
Maybe I shouldn't have put it that way, if indeed the producers do have
spies who lurk around here. Hmm...well, I want change just as bad as the
rest of us; just because I'm an addict doesn't mean I accept everything
blindly. And if we don't see some things changing...then dammit I'm not
going to buy any of these merchandising items! So there!
It's all a rabid obsessive Trekker can do. Give me a kick in my
complacency if you have the time.
Claire Marise Francis
<SNIP>
>This has got to be the funniest post I've read in some time. (Granted,
>it's been a while since I wandered through these parts, but still...)
I'm glad you enjoyed my little piece of trash ;-).
>
>Claire, I assure you that life *will* go on should you decide to abandon
>Trek.
No *it won't*!!!
:-P :-D ;-)
I stopped reading the novels years ago and don't miss them. I used
>to love DS9 -- even wanted to pitch for about five minutes -- but last season did such a thorough job of destroying my enthusiasm f=
or DS9 that I've only
>seen one episode of it in the last several months, and that only because a
>friend nagged me into it by insisting that DS9 has improved. I discovered
>that he was right... it is better... and that I still didn't give a rat's
>ass about the show. So much damage had been done that I no longer cared about the characters or what they did or what happened to =
them. I suspect I'll be saying the same of Voyager by this time next year.
>
>So boycott to your heart's content... you might find it a lot easier than
>you think.
I *personally* have no intention of boycotting Voy. Something keeps
pulling me back to it. I think I'll always love Trek.
But be aware that even if the ratings *do* drop enough for UPN
>to sit up and take notice, there's no guarantee that you'll get the changes
>you want. TPTB might decide that tighter uniforms and more action are what's
>needed to "rescue" Voyager.
Ewww. *I hope not!*
:) Claire
>
>Gina
Gina Goff
Claire Marise Francis <CMFR...@ARTSU1.Watstar.UWaterloo.CA> writes:
>I *personally* have no intention of boycotting Voy. Something keeps
I don't watch DS9 because I flat-out stopped caring, not because I'm
trying to "send a message".
>pulling me back to it. I think I'll always love Trek.
question is, how often is something that good going to come along and
how much will the rest of what we see alienate us...
Gina