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Trekker versus Trekkie: The Controversy
So what is the difference between
a trekker and a trekkie? The short answer is:
nothing. According to Wikipedia, the all-knowing,
on-line encyclopedia, both terms denote a fan
of the Star Trek science fiction franchise. So
why all the controversy between the two? I once
heard that fans of the original series were called
trekkers, while those of the Next Generation were
trekkies, but I have since learned it’s not as
simple as that. The difference, it turns out,
has nothing to do with the actual meaning of the
terms, but with the connotations associated with
them. Taking this into consideration, it’s largely
a matter of preference which label you prefer.
The Star Trek fan base is, after
all a widely diverse group. Attending a convention,
you will see young and old, male and female, from
all walks of life. The ideology of Star Trek captures
the interest of more than science and technology
“geeks.” I’ve known well-educated professionals
to don a uniform and attend a convention as enthusiastically
as the pop-culture groupie. Can one term describe
them all?
Apparently not. In the late 1960s,
science fiction editor Art Saha used the word
“Trekkies” to describe a group of early fans who
were wearing pointy Vulcan ears at a science fiction
convention. The label caught on, although some
devotees felt it sounded too much like “crazies”
and preferred to call themselves trekkers. To
a trekker, the term trekkies creates images of
fanatics struggling to distinguish between reality
and fiction.
Our friends at the USS Dauntless
(http://members.tripod.com/~learnb/dauntless/recdeck.htm),
a web-site devoted to Star Trek trivia, makes
these comparisons between the two:
A Trekker wears a STARFLEET uniform
to a convention because its fun…
A Trekkie wears a uniform to a convention because
s/he has heard that it is in style at the academy.
A Trekker has a STARFLEET Academy
window sticker on his car…
A Trekkie is cramming for the entrance exams.
A Trekker thinks Wil Wheaton was
a lucky kid who got to play a kid on Star Trek…
A Trekkie thinks that Wesley Crusher was a lucky
kid who got to sit on the bridge.
A Trekker thinks that it is a shame
that the show is coming to an end…
A Trekkie thinks that it is a shame that the crew
is being reassigned and the Enterprise is being
decommissioned.
A Trekker knows that there are gaping
holes in the technology, but ignores them and
enjoys the show…
A Trekkie can't wait for the price to come down
on those home food replicator units.”
Those self-identified trekkies,
however, have their own fodder to fling. They
associate the term trekkers with pretentious nuts
obsessed over minutiae and details. Moreover,
they accuse ‘trekkers’ of being too ashamed to
admit they are ‘trekkies.’ Apparently this camp
has the good graces of Gene Roddenbury, the creator
of Star Trek. According to his former assistant,
Richard Arnold, Gene Roddenbury spoke during a
convention and used the term trekkie. Someone
attempted to correct him, to which he responded,
“Excuse me, did you say 'TrekkER?' The word is
'TrekkIE.' I should know, I created them." (http://www.trekdoc.com/database/fanfeed/1.htm)
And so the question still rings,
trekkers or trekkies? What is the correct term
of usage? My advice? When labeling any group of
people, political correctness rules the day. Just
to play it safe, maybe use “Star Trek enthusiast.”
About the Author
Francesca Black has always enjoyed Science Fiction
and she manages the content at: Science Fiction
Corner http://www.science-fiction-corner.com
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