======================================================================== Addendum URL: http://www.adden.tr.cx/ Issue# 49 : Say no to Star Wars - Part 1: Reasons to love the trek 16th May 2002 Author: Steak, i do not want to be a Jedi ======================================================================== First, before I start let me say something, It is a commonly held misconception that Star Wars is older than Star Trek. This is twenty shades of bullshit. Star Trek is much older that Star Wars. Star Wars was released in the year 1977, if you don't believe me go check it at IMDB that makes the film, and hence the franchise twenty five years old this year. Star Trek celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in 1997, making it thirty six years old this year, again if you don't believe me check IMDB a good eleven years older, and hence, more wiser. Reasons why Star Trek is better than Star Wars 1. Star Wars is a B-grade collection of science fiction films spanning all of (at time of writing) five films with a sixth in the works. All of which are just little action films set in space, no actual story telling, morals or exploring just pure boring "no-think" entertainment. While Star Trek is a humungous collection of nine movies with a tenth in the making, plus no less than six various syndicated TV series spanning (time wise) from the twenty second century to the twenty fourth. Which chart man's exploration of space and knowledge, But the ships are much more than just sound stages or models they are story telling vessels capable of taking the watcher from one place to another to another with a family that you get to love over the years. Starting with the NX: 01 the first warp five capable craft and hence able to explore strange new worlds never before seen to man, premiering on the new Star Trek series Enterprise. To captain James T. Kirks vessel from Star Trek: The Original Series that just goes on and on in peoples minds and in their stories, and forward through five incarnations, each with their own amazing victories and tragedies, from the movie run of the Enterprise A which saved the whole of earth from and alien probe in Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home from the apparent death of James T Kirk on the Enterprise B In Star Trek 7: Generations to the heroic sacrifice of the Enterprise C and her crew for nothing other than lasting and continual piece with the klingon empire, in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Yesterdays Enterprise" through to the seven season run of the enterprise D on Star Trek: The Next Generation, the adventures of which are far to numerous and great to list here and finishing on the futuristic Enterprise E that saved the whole of earth and her population from borgification in Star Trek: First Contact and much much more. Each show or movie has a moral and something to think about after the show has finished airing, plus many emotional scenes and many plot lines dealing with advanced science fiction subjects such as parallel universes and timelines, to time travel, to plane all out phaser slinging. And it will never stop, on and on and on, in stories, movies, TV shows, games, books and much much more. All these are things that gorge mucus could never even dare to come close to showing in any of his boring mainstream action flicks. It is pretty obvious which has more intellect included in it's construction. 2. Star Wars is for Kids and babies, Star Trek is for men. It is a proven fact that infants cannot understand complex plot lines such as the type that frequent Star Trek, and instead respond to flashing lights and loud noises. Also, when I went around my local shop the other night I saw a "Star Wars episode II" sixth birthday card. And they actually make star wars lego, a toy for ages four and up And thier is much more of lego shit in the same decried style. Now you can no longer tell me after the birthday card, lunch boxes, lego, action figures and Pepsi cans that Star Wars's main audience is adults.. You would never see the beautiful show Star Trek stooping to such a low. 3. Star Trek has greatly influenced the world as we know it, mention a Klingon or James T. Kirk to pretty much any one in the world and instant images are conjured up in the listeners imagination. When NASA first created the prototype design for the shuttle, many thousands of people wrote to NASA and asked that the new space shuttle not be named "The millennium Falcon" but named after kirks vessel, none other than "Enterprise" a homage to the the stories, beauty and brilliance that only Star Trek can deliver And hence the new shuttle was named so, and on her maiden voyage all of the original series cast turned out to wish her luck on her maiden voyage to boldly go where no man had gone before. Throughout the entire run of Star Trek ships named enterprise have always been at the forefront of technological advancement and space exploration, as they have in real life, with the original sailing vessel named "Enterprize" a terror on the seven seas, to the elite air craft carrier/battle ship named "enterprise" that fought many a gallant battle for the good of American citizens to this very shuttle, that marked the prototype for the main vehicle of exploration for mankind on this day. And as always Star Trek has had many a landmark point, with the show being the first to have a kiss between a white actor and a colored actor, something revolutionary and ground breaking at the time. And also on the subject of racial equality, Star Trek was the first show to have a black woman in a position that was not being constantly dominated by a white master. During that time a young girl watching the show on TV saw this actor and ran through the house screaming "Mamma! Mamma! Come quick! Come quick! There's a black lady on TV and she ain't no maid" That child, Whoppi Goldberg grew up to be a great, successful actor and to score a recurring spot on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Also it is worth noting that at the The Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, a unique museum where many symbols of American history can be found including the real Declaration of Independence, The original enterprise that was filmed in Star Trek: The Original Series is on display alongside such great space exploring vehicles such as the first airplane, the Apollo 13 capsule, and much more and holds the prestige of being the only fictional vehicle in that section The strange thing is that when these poor souls argue with me over this subject I tell them that star wars is simply action and no thought, and they seem to actually want that in science fiction. This is a shame because that is not what science fiction is about. Finally to all people who still think that Star Wars is better than Star Trek I realize that there is now no way that I can persuade you otherwise you have made your minds up and I really don't care, just leave me alone and stop pissing me off with all this 'fantastic' plastic paraphernalia But more importantly watch some proper real thought provoking ground breaking science fiction, like, of course, Star Trek, or if its not too much to ask actually get some classic science fiction books, like "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov or The Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy five book trilogy by the late great Douglas Adams (RIP) Please, stop bugging me. ======================================================================== Addendum (C) Steak May 2002 ========================================================================