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Yes, I'll readily admit that I'm a Star Trek fan myself - especially TOS, which was made before I was even born, and VOYAGER - that I've just joined Ms. Mulgrew's fan club (not just because of VOYAGER, though) and that I'm really looking forward to attending the odd convention either here in Europe or in the US.
Nevertheless I couldn't agree more with Ms. Necchi's point of view that the Trekkers you are portraying in "Trekkies" are indeed taking fandom to the extreme and do not appropriately represent the average Trekker. Personally, I like Star Trek because just for one or two hours a week it allows me to enter an adventurous world of social and scientific progress which I'd like to (but presumably never will) be part of during my lifetime. I once remarked that it makes me want to crawl into the TV and join the crew. But, fascinating as the series may be, Star Trek is and remains fictional, and if we really want to see such a world come into existence, we must focus on today and today's politics and people. Wearing a Star Trek uniform in the 20th century is probably a sign of respect for the ideals represented by the series, but most other people simply do not grasp the meaning of that uniform and therefore tend to dismiss its wearer as weird, no matter how intelligent or how committed a social worker he/she may be. Anyone who wears such a uniform in public has to be aware of the fact that there is a limit to the degree of tolerance you can expect from the rest of society. Under certain circumstances, this is regrettable, but it is also vital for the very existence and cohesion of a society.
Furthermore, I should like to make it perfectly clear that I strongly object to imposing one's own fanaticism on an animal, i. e. a Star Trek uniform on a pet. Quite frankly, I consider that thoughtless, to say the least. How is this unfortunate cat supposed to properly lick or scratch itself, leave alone move and jump freely??? Being "free to say and be whatever we want, as long as we don't infringe on another's right to do so" - as Mr. Nygard put it in his reply to Ms. Necchi - surely includes all other forms of life as well. I obviously have not been able to watch "Trekkies" yet, but I sincerely do hope that the makers of the film won't suggest that such disregard for animals' needs is common among Starfleet officers or - heaven forbid - among us Trekkers!
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Dear Ute,
You make very insightful points about the limited tolerance people typically have for divergent points of view (i.e., wearing Trek uniforms in public).
I disagree with your objection to dressing one's pet in a costume. I believe there is no harm done by doing so. Pets crave attention, and this can be a positive form of attention. As long as the costumes aren't left on for extended periods, the animals have an abundance of licking, scratching, and jumping time. If we were to ban all doggie sweaters on poodles, where would it end? Soon we'd have to unbridle our horses and yaks and set them free as well.
Thanks for writing Ute,
Bis später,