Battle of The Nerds

Battle+of+The+Nerds

Zach Kehoe, Staff Writer

 

“Luke I am your father.” “Live long and prosper.” Words seared into the minds of people worldwide. “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” are some of the most recognizable pieces of pop culture of all time. With “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” both being ranked in the 110 best science fiction movies according to Rotten Tomatoes, both have millions of sci-fi fans worldwide. This is most likely due to the polish and quality of the franchises. A single question has plagued nerds for centuries, which of these franchises are better? In my opinion, “Star Wars” easily takes the cake as the better series, but this does not discredit the massive reverence I hold for “Star Trek”.   

With “Star Wars” being the fourth most profitable franchise of all time with $65 billion in sales and “Star Trek” being racking in an estimated $10.6 billion. Clearly millions of people worldwide adore these properties, and are willing to spend hard earned cash on merchandise and movie tickets. However, with “Star Wars” having nearly six times more revenue earned, certainly the quality of these franchises became apparent.  

There are a multitude of reasons why “Star Trek” fans (Trekkies) swear by the franchise. With eight separate T.V shows and over twelve movies, “Star Trek” has a long and fruitful history.  Many Trekkies idolize the plot and special effects used in the T.V shows and movies. While both series pull on the nostalgia strings of the fans, “Star Trek” pulls deeper than “Star Wars” by far. When “Star Trek” first aired on Septe. 8, 1966 a whole 10 years before “Star Wars: a New Hope” was released. “Star Trek” was used as a sort of stepping stone by “Star Wars.” Star Trek softened up the entertainment arena so that ‘Star Wars’ could come along and stand on its shoulders,” said George Lucas, the creator of “Star Wars,” Den of Geek Interview. While “Star Trek” was the original space saga thrusted into society’s hearts, I believe that “Star Wars” revolutionized the formula “Star Trek” established.  

Trekkies are often looked at by society as weirdos and oddities, but they accomplish great things and are a positive influence on our society. Often Trekkies are seen as a very inclusive group, accepting anyone and everyone into their ranks. This helps social misfits that may be unable to fit in elsewhere. These super fans have also produced fantastic fan films such as “Temporal Anomaly” a full fledged fan made “Star Trek” movie.  

On May 25, 1977, the world was changed forever, when “Star Wars A New Hope” was released. Fans worldwide still line up year after year for the brand new “Star Wars” movie. With the backing of Disney, there has been no shortage of new “Star Wars” media being produced over the past few years. Some fans may not idolize the new “Star Wars” trilogy. But with “Star Wars The Force Awakens” pulling in over two billion dollars, evidently considerable amounts of people enjoyed the film.

The jumbled mess that is the “Star Wars” community often holds extremist views and negatively impacts society. While many great things are accomplished by the “Star Wars” community like creating amazing fan films such as, “Darth Maul: Apprentice.” While fan volunteer organizations like the 501 legion. The 501 is a cosplaying fan group that volunteers at charity events. Their mission statement is, “The 501st is proud to put its resources to good use through fundraising, charity work, and volunteering,”  

While these fans positively influence our society, there are a small minority of very vocal fans that dominate the dialogue. Some actors have dealt with harassment and even death threats by these “fans”, forcing them to quit social media. I do believe that criticism is expected and deserved for the new trilogy, but not to this catastrophic level.

While I acknowledge the downfalls of the “Star Wars” fan base, the property itself is magical and life changing. “Star Wars” was cited as an inspiration for franchises such as “Alien”, “Toy Story”, “Batman”, and “Battlestar Galactica”. A movie that inspires some of the greatest films of our generation, truly is a masterpiece. The fact that “Star Wars” is relevant 33 years later proves its impact on our society.

“Star Wars” and “Star Trek” are icons of pop culture and both deserve respect for shaping our society. But from my personal point of view “Star Wars” has been more influential and is a better franchise. Obviously this is my perspective, feel free to disagree.