Terminator, and a bit of a SF-related rant

[rhionnach]

I saw Terminator Salvation last night. I managed to keep awake during it, unlike Wolverine, so I guess it was marginally more interesting. There were a few good touches, including the brief appearance of a T101, but this was balanced by a number of daft ones. I know that if I was in a helicopter and about to set off an explosion involving nuclear charges I would prefer it if the helicopter reached a safe distance before doing so. Additionally, I was under the impression that the T101 was a robot covered in human skin which made me wonder what the whole heart powered cyborg thing was all about, apart from contributing to the open air heart transplant in a field hospital scenario. (Trying not to give things away here but it's difficult). Anton Yelchin was quite good in it (he's cute, like a Hobbit) but I think I prefer him in Star Trek, which I am going to see for the 9th time today!

Speaking of Star Trek, may I have a rant? (Yes, of course I can, it's my blog and I can do what I like. No one needs to read it if they don't want to.)



I have been a Star Trek fan for 39 years. Longer than anything else in my life. Before Star Trek I watched the Gerry Anderson stuff such as Thunderbirds, Stingray, Fireball XL5, right up to Captain Scarlet. Then they brought out Joe 90 , which I found so hideously awful that I refused to watch it. I read what I could from the limited choice available to me in the local library, which was extremely limited due to the bizarre behaviour of the despot librarian in charge (see http://rhionnach.livejournal.com/36269.html for explanation). Once I had full access to the (improved) library I steadily read my way through their SF selection.

Due to various factors I never realised that my behaviour or preferences were in anyway out of the ordinary, or “inappropriate” for me as a female in the West of Scotland. It came as a surprise to me when working in a shoe shop as a summer job at the age of 18 that the all female staff advised me to read romances instead of SF, as “light” reading. I failed to see the point of wasting time on “light” reading when I could be reading something I enjoyed! And I certainly didn't think I would enjoy romances. (I was right).

I also came up against opposition to my liking of Star Trek when I went through an unfortunate phase of born-again Christianity. (I recovered) I was told that my liking of such things would lead me into the occult. This opinion was partially based on the fact that bookshops tended to put SF next to Horror and one thing would inevitably lead to another. I was also told that I was making Star Trek my god and this was a Wrong Thing.

My next opposition came when I was a student and I walked into the room one day to hear one of the “mature” students voice the opinion that it would do me good not to see Star Trek. I was also asked by my peers when I was going to grow up and stop going to conventions. (Obviously never, as I have been attending conventions every year since 1977!)

I've had instances of this off and on throughout my life, usually from people who have a more blinkered way of life and who expect me to conform to their way of thinking. (No, I detest soaps! Why should I watch them?) So it came as a bit of a surprise when someone expressed the opinion last night that the frequency with which I have been going to see the new Star Trek film was “disturbing”. Especially surprising as this person is not unfamiliar with the world of SF fandom themselves.

I am of the opinion that Star Trek and SF has given me a better quality of life than I might otherwise have had (West of Scotland female and all that). I fail to see this as a bad thing. I enjoy what I do and have no intention of stopping any time soon. I am puzzled as to why people would want me to stop doing what I enjoy doing. I don't like some interests that others may be into but I don't tell them to stop it, to grow up, or whatever. I try to ignore their interests as much as possible as long as it doesn't impinge on my life. All I expect is the same in return.

Comments

[taivaantuli.livejournal.com]

I do encourage you to continue being SF fan...

I've been that, since I was six, now I am 30 and I do not regret myself either for falling in love with SF or Fantasy... We all have right to have these playful sides and healthy (FaN)atism, because they usually makes our life more vivid.

I wouldn't want to let these things to go... My ex tried to do that and he failed. I don't wish to be so fucking serious adult, who is so "grown up" that there's no place for creativity, playfullnes and child-like enthuasism about some matters.

IMHO you don't have to grow out from fandom... Because it is part of your personality.:)

I keep thumbs up for you and all SF-fans!

[dyllanne.livejournal.com]

I agree with you entirely and having had some of the same things happen to me I share your annoyance and frustration. Especially with people who attend football matches every week or watch every episode of a soap opera for decades on end and then they call us weird.

However I think the person who commented on your FB last night was parodying this quote from Star Wars:-

Admiral Motti: "Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerous ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the rebels' hidden fortress..."
(Vader makes a choking motion with his hand)
Darth Vader: "I find your lack of faith disturbing."

and not taking a swipe at you. I think he was trying to be funny not critical. No one is judging you and there's no need to be paranoid. You go ahead and watch the movie a million times and then buy the DVD and play it till it's worn out. No one thinks that's weird. You're among friends, remember that.

[purplehez.livejournal.com]

the frequency with which I have been going to see the new Star Trek film was “disturbing”.

Disturbing?? Erm, no!

But I know exactly where you are coming from. I get the same sort of reaction whenever one of my favourite bands goes on tour and I go to every date I possibly can. Eg 18 dates on the last Rammstein tour and I once saw Wolfstone 11 times in 2 weeks.

My dad asks me why I travel those long distances, and borrow large sums of money, just to see the same show over and over again. In return I ask him why he drives for hours and hours to stay the week in a run-down caravan and complain every night about how bad the on-site entertainment is! (Haven/Butlins/Pontins Holidays.) I don't say it to put him down. I say it to make the point that what makes him happy is just as unfathomable to me as vice versa!

I do what I do because I enjoy it, it makes me happy, gives me something to look forward to, it's a great excuse to travel and see new places, it's how I get to meet people and make friends.

The above counts mostly for music but also to a lesser extent science fiction fandom. (and, funnily enough, it was my dad that got me into that! I can't remember a time before Doctor Who - it's just always been there! - but I do remember the first time my dad sat me down to watch Star Trek. I remember being fascinated by Spock. Some things never change! :) )

I do get fed up of people who are made happy by more mainstream things such as soap operas, reality TV, romance novels and holiday parks failing to understand that some of us are made happy by other things. Why can't people just live and let live? *sigh*

Oops, that turned into a bit of a ramble. Sorry!

[wolfette]

Heh - I saw Iron Man 6 times in the cinema, the Superman Returns 5 times. Lost count of how many times I saw the first X-Men. (that's when I decided that the Cineworld card was worthwhile) I find your frequent visits to see Star Trek as ... amusing ... but not in a denigratory way, just amusing as in "by now she'll be able to recite the lines before the actors say them".

I must admit I didn't like Joe 90 either, but I was a huge fan of Captain Scarlet - and an even bigger UFO fan later.

No one ever tried to turn me away from SF books, apart from one English lit teacher who thought that all SF was "robots and rayguns" pulp with nothing of substance to it. I altered her opinion when I took an Andre Norton book which she thought was "fluff" and got a Band 1 A pass at O level, which she said must have been a "fluke", then used the sequel to get a similar result for my Highers. (my view is that it isn't the book that's important, but what you get from it)

My other English lit teacher (who had taught Melvin Bragg and Nigel Tranter when they were at school) used to say that there was nothing wrong with "mental chewing-gum" books, including comics, because "mental chewing-gum keeps the mind in shape for mental steak-pie". She didn't read SF - but she used to compliment me on the pieces of fic I'd written because she though they were "original and fresh" (I could see the themes I'd plagerised from Andre Norton - but in my defence I was only 14 at the time).

Sure, I've had a few folk say "get a life" about SF, conventions and the internet - but my reply is that I've done more, been more places and met more people through SF than these people with their "real lives".

Actually until I went to my first SF convention (1981, the same year I got married) I never had a real female friend - I had classmates and workmates, but no girlfriends that I shared enough with that I'd still be friends years later.

[heethen-crone.livejournal.com]

I'd certainly never criticize you because of your love of Sci Fi. I'm a huge fan too. Some people just don't care for the genre and can't understand why everyone doesn't like what ever it is that they like. I have a friend that is constantly putting down Sci Fi and fantasy but then when she actually takes the time to read it or watch a film then she's all over admiring it. *shakes head* It's not "intellectual" enough for her I guess. Don't care. Gonna continue to soak up my Sci Fi like a sponge.

[the-changeling.livejournal.com]

Me too. ;-)

[madame-queeny.livejournal.com]

I don't see anything wrong with your liking for SF... I like you have been a long time Start Trek Fan, started out on my SF/Fantasy reading with Rebecca's World by Terry Nation, and have never stopped since. I feel that people that have love of SF have more creative minds than people who read mundame books about everyday events (you know, boy meets girl etc, personally would much rather be watching something like Heros on TV than Eastenders!!)

Don't conform to what society expects... I'll be reading SF/Fantasty watching Star Trek and attending conventions until I'm old and grey and waving a zimmer frame in the general direction of Zak Quintto!!!!!

[rhionnach.livejournal.com]

If Zak Quinto turns up I'll knock your zimmer out the way and get to the head of the queue!

[madame-queeny.livejournal.com]

Its alright, they'll probably have developed human cloning technology by then and we can have one each, or two ;-)

[stevegreen.livejournal.com]

The heart surgery plotline was absurd, and ignored even the most basic medical protocols (did Wright and Connor even share the same blood group?). Given the death toll, surely there had to be another donor available, rather than sacrificing one of your best weapons: a superpowered cyborg.

[stevegreen.livejournal.com]

Incidentally, I started watching Trek on its first BBC run (1969) and also attended my first con in 1977 (Fantasycon, first weekend in Feburary). Small world.