There were enough characters on Star Trek (all versions and upgrades) who were indeed married. Kirk, at one time, was married – I believe twice, his second to Carol Marcus, and had a son to her – possibly out of wedlock (?) (who later dies at the blade delivered unceremoniuosly by a Klingon, in The Search for Spock, and just as father gets to know son! You Klignon bastard!)

Spock’s father and HUMAN mother were married (although perhaps not legally recognized in some planetary systems). I think even Spock went thorugh a ceremony on shore leave in the Spores episode and later (or earlier ?) was almost b’trothed to a Vulcan princess – if he would only fight a johnny-come-lately rival suitor.

So, jon: wherefore of you speaketh?

Nice one, but as usual, you seem like an observer of SciFi and not a student of it. Or you were being sarcastic?

SciFi, or Science Fiction, is generally Science fact mixed with fictional situations and characters (but the backdrops, or McGuffuns, simetimes can be in fact characters or locations present or in history – even history revisited – at least one episode of TOS was openly acussed by some in the press as anti-semetic at worst, revisionist at best).

The science fact is 99% of the time based on either prototype, plausible by either hypothetical or theoretical extension, or already in production. The “flip phone” is a good example – the flip came first, not it’s “appearance” as a communicator on TOS!

That is Star Trek. Even the planets of Star Trek with a premise of reality – itself stemming from the 5-year Mission Statement.

Star Wars’, otoh, characters, situations, indeed its very premise (the “Force” and its interpreters, the Metachlorians (sp?) ) is Fantasy more than SciFi, but certianly mostly SciFi where ships and propulsions and military protocols (or its dissenters/foil, such as Han Solo who would rather negitiate through kissing than philosophical deabte with a princess).

And as far as plot goes, Rodenberry already knew that he was going to retell most, if not all, of the Bard’s work. Star Wars? It’s Cowboys & Indians meets Camelot. Not that that is a bad thing.

I think you’ve entirely missed the point of Star Trek. When people ask me why I love Trek, or why I devote the time necessary to be the captain of one of the largest clubs in the country, I explain it this way:

When Star Trek was originally aired, it was at a time in history when we really didn’t know how long the human race could survive. There was conflict in Viet Nam, social revolution, and a culture that was changing rapidly and disrupting the way people had been raised to view the world. Most fiction about the future, whether it was television or literature, showed us a universe where the human race didn’t fare very well. We either killed ourselves off with our ignorance, or we were overrun by aliens.

Star Trek, on the other hand, offered a positive view of the future. It showed a time when human beings had gotten over most of the crap, and actually made it. Ethnicity didn’t matter, and the world was at peace. Money wasn’t an issue, and nobody was hungry any more. Star Trek gave us an image of hope, and a common future.

It’s still true today that we’re not sure how long we’ve got. Why do you think people turn to fiction at all? We need something to distract us from the unfortunate truths of our world. Star Trek was merely ahead of its time, and this earned it the fan following that it still enjoys today.

I agree with #25 about the value of Star Trek in teaching children. I have two small children, and we frequently talk about the moral issues in Star Trek. Interestingly, I am rarely the instigator of these talks. For instance, my young son asked me at dinner the other night, “Mom, why would the Klingons develop a creature that would seek out and kill tribbles? Isn’t it wrong to kill for no reason?” You can imagine the discussion that followed. We have also talked many times about why Kirk would let someone go without killing him, why Picard talks and Kirk fights, and such matters. I see these as valuable teaching lessons.

I also agree with #25 about the value of out-of-the-box thinking. I am a trained scientist, and now a business woman. I have no doubt that Star Trek taught me at an early age how to question and to consider thoughtful alternatives.

I don’t know how old you are, Jon, but I’m guessing it’s pretty young. I am inferring this from the fact that you would presume to insult others for simply enjoying a TV show. I also get the impression that you haven’t yet learned that each person needs something to enjoy or they become angry and sad, and they lose hope.

Most of my friends envy me when I go off to a convention and get to wear a costume. I get (once or twice a year) to be a kid again, and laugh and smile, and it’s fun. They also envy me when I get to do all kinds of community service with my club, like volunteering for science fairs, telethons, halloween events and trash pickups, or walking in the MS or diabetes walks. It makes me feel happy and useful to do all of these things. I think you should give it a try.

I think some people might take it to an unhealthy extreme, but not all fans are like that. Star Trek isn’t an escape from reality; on the contrary, it serves to remind us that the world we live in leaves a lot to be desired. Without reminders like that, wherever they might come from, we’d all get too caught up in our trivial daily affairs to sit back and try to change the world we live in.

I grew up watching Star Trek, and it really helped to shape the way I think. Though the problems and solutions they encounter are fictitious and often technologically absurd, they taught me, at an early stage, how valuable the ability to analyze a situation and improvise can really be. Just as Geordi La Forge always he bypasses some imaginary circuit using some other technobabble, I now look for unconventional solutions to problems I face in my every day life. That way of thinking gives me an enormous advantage over my coworkers, allowing me to solve problems in fields I know nothing about, based solely on how my questions are answered.

Star Trek also teaches tolerance and kindness, not just through instruction, but through example. The episodes often show how every person in a situation is affected when people are discriminated against, lied to, cheated, or otherwise harmed. You might think it’s corny or even complete hogwash, but taking the time to sit down and watch a few episodes with an open mind would quickly change your mind.

To be honest with you, I think that shows like Star Trek are more educational for children than sesame street. Children are much more receptive than we’d like to think, and we may be wasting their potential by subjecting them to a bunch of fat, colorful babies(teletubbies) that can’t even form a complete sentence. If we expose them to entertainment that guides them through the problem solving process, rather than simple memorization and rudamentary social drama, I think our future would be a much better place.

Now if you think I’ve put too much thought into that, or that my concerns are somehow based in fantasy land, I think it’s time you questioned your own affinity for the “real” world. It’s so much easier to pretend that the issues that Star Trek addresses don’t exist, isn’t it?