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Trekkie or Trekker? The term for Star Trek fans is disputed, with some considering “trekkies” to be obsessed and “trekkers” as just huge fans. The franchise has inspired a huge fan base, with some attending conventions and building full-scale starship models. Outsiders may see both the rabid and rational fan, and the franchise has been both celebrated and parodied in media.
A trekkie is a term sometimes used for avid fans of the Star Trek television franchises. Some fans take offense at this term, however, and prefer to be called “trekkers.” There is significant dispute on this point, however, with some fans considering “trekkies” to be people who are obsessed with entertainment and “have no life”, while someone who is just a huge fan is a “trekker”. Others use the term to mean any fan of the franchise, and to add to the confusion, Gene Rodenberry, the creator of Star Trek, referred to all fans as trekkies. Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played the beloved Mr. Spock, prefers the term trekker. “Trekkie” is the most commonly used.
The first Trekkies were probably members of the fan organization, STARFLEET International, which started in 1974. Many loved the first Star Trek series, and especially its attitude towards global and universal responsibility. Spectacle tended to be similar in nature to the goals of cultural anthropology, to look at, but not interfere with, other cultures. It’s fair to say, though, that the original series frequently interfered with other cultures, particularly in how the ship’s captain took liberties with various female aliens.
The series was the first to promote cultural equality, however, and was noted for including a black woman, an Asian man, and a Russian as notable ship members. In this way, Star Trek had indeed gone where “no man has gone before” in its promotion of racial equality. The series was short-lived, but it has inspired a huge fan base. Shortly after the series ended, cast members began appearing at fan conventions, and eventually, conventions devoted solely to the series developed.
A trekkie could simply be an interested fan who has attended local conventions, or it could be someone who is really serious about the world of Star Trek. A devoted fan could give himself an official Starfleet title, as noted in the alternate juror at Whitewater Trials in the United States, who in real life asked to be styled lieutenant commander. He or she may also be part of a group that is building a full-scale starship model, or may be building one of its own.
People outside of fandom, or Trekdom, began to think of trekkie as synonymous with someone who walked around with rubber Vulcan ears and who might be slightly distant from real life outside of Star Trek activities. While it’s true that this type of fan clearly exists and may travel across the country to attend multiple conventions, most simply enjoy being fans of the franchise’s different series. A “normal” trekkie might attend conventions, may be part of a fan organization, and may have a title or character dress as appropriate. This may be taken very seriously by some fans; some who dress as Klingons, for example, have learned the Klingon language and often only converse in it.
For anyone outside the imaginary world, attending one of these conferences is an interesting study. Outsiders will see a mixed example of both the rabid and the more rational fan.
The original Star Trek and the many subsequent series created a new legion of trekkies. Star Trek: The Next Generation in particular inspired many new fans, as it promoted the ideals of tolerance. The quirks of the rabid trekkie are apt to promote intolerance or at least good-natured parody.
The film Trekkies and its sequel Trekkies 2 are documentaries that follow the lives of hardcore fans, while the film Galaxy Quest affectionately pokes fun at them. William Shatner’s appearance on Saturday Night Live also took a hit at trekkies in a skit. Shatner played himself in the skit and started insulting fans of him at a convention, telling them that Star Trek was a TV show and they should really get a life.
