Trekkers and Trekkies: To Boldly Go Where Few Have Gone Before

Stereotyping all Trek fans as over obsessive is wrong. Many people think all Trek fans, Trekkers and Trekkies alike, are nerds who are unduly fanatical about "Star Trek", but there is little truth in this thought. Based on a few examples of Trekkies whose lives revolve around Star Trek, its Federation, Vulcans, Klingons, and other species, many assume all Trek fans live in a Star Trek world, as characters from a period of time yet to come. In truth, most Trekkers lead as normal a life as anyone else, living among everyone else with little difference between them and the rest of society.

Few Trek fans actually walk around with phasers, or pretend to be a Klingon or Vulcan. This may define a Trekkie, but Trekkers are only as obsessed with Star Trek as many people are with "Men in Black" or "Independence Day". Fans of "Men in Black" may buy the tapes and posters, and go on with their lives. Rarely are they seen walking around dressed in black suits and ties with sun glasses and a mind flasher! Millions of people watch Star Trek, and if they went around dressed in Starfleet uniforms or Klingon battle armor, there's a good chance people would start noticing!

In general, Trek fans are not nerds. The few Trekkies that actually exist may very well be nerds, but generally Trekkers are not. For a Trekker, there is much more in life than one series of television shows, and Trekkers can be very sociable with or without Star Trek. "My research shows that about 5 to 10 percent of (Trek) fans meet the psychological criteria of addiction," says Dr. Wolfson, "They show withdrawal symptoms such as agitation and frustration if they miss an episode and develop higher tolerance levels, so they need increasing doses." Ten percent of all Trek fans isn't much at all, and the other ninety percent are as normal as anyone else. Dr. Wolfson's research shows us that , for the most part, Star Trek fans are as normal as any human can get!

Trekkers are not crazed up and totally addicted to Star Trek like Trekkies are, but a slight "addiction" is good for them. Being a little "addicted" to Star Trek makes them happier, and after they watch the show, they are given something to think about instead of a straight forward, black and white ending. In one episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a former Starfleet Officer characterizes Captain Benjamin Sisko as Javert from Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. At the end of the show, Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax tells him, "Sometimes, I like it when the bad guy wins!" Also, many Trekkers have created lasting relationships with other Trekkers they have met through Star Trek Fan Clubs. In the end, viewing Star Trek can be very beneficial to a Trekker, as long as they do not turn into a Trekkie.

Although there are a few Trekkies who are overly obsessed nerds, Trekkers in general are just as normal as any other person who wishes to enjoy a movie or a show. Trekkers are often wrongly ridiculed for being who they are not, based on a few rare examples of Trekkies. Stereotyping a Trekker is like stereotyping the public television viewer, and is clearly the wrong thing to do.

Sources Consulted:

Charter, David. "It's Addiction, Jim… But Not As We Know It." Computer Software: Internet Explorer. Search path: Trekkie. Search date: December 1997. Address: http://home.pinehurst.net/bappel/humor.html

Gray, Matt. "Trekkies… They're Out There." Computer Software: Internet Explorer. Search path: Trekkie. Search date: December 1997. Address: http://yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au/~medic/rattle/rattle22.htm

"Subject: The Lite Hearted Trekker vs Trekkie List." Computer Software: Internet Explorer. Search path: Trekkie. Search date: December 1997. Address: http://www.math.columbus.edu/~matzimo/trek/humor/trekkie

"Trekkers." Computer Software: Internet Explorer. Search path: Trekkie. Search date: December 1997. Address: http://www.pathfinder.com/altculture/t/trekkers.html