Star Trek Lover

Paramount To Longtime Trek Fans: Screw You

I’ve been hopeful, but mostly skeptical, about the new Star Trek movie that’s being produced. Maybe this article is old news to you, but I found it interesting, not very surprising actually and now I’m not quite so hopeful any longer.

Victor Holtreman wrote:

Ok, so this falls under the heading of “rumour”, but it comes from an anonymous source at Paramount, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all… According to this source at the studio, the upcoming “Star Trek XI” to be directed by J.J. Abrams will:

“This is not just another Trek movie but instead a total reboot, we will see things that are similar to what is known in the Trek Universe but we will not be held to every aspect of the last 40 years. We are going to introduce Star Trek to a whole new generation and many more generations to come. We have total faith that J.J. and company will take Trek to a whole new level. Trek has been going downhill for the last 10 years and if we expect it to be around 20 years from now we will have to take some bold steps that might be controversial at first but we are sure to bring new fans to the dying franchise.”

Are you red-faced yet? Hang on a sec:

“Trek fans were not able to keep the last show [Enterprise] on the air and we are looking on bringing over “Alias” and “Lost” fans and if the old Trekkies like the new movie great, if not too bad. We have to boldly go were no Star Trek has gone before.”

Isn’t that like, just totally awesome? Nothing like a nice, big, fat F-U to the fans who have fed about a billion dollars to Paramount over the history of the Trek franchise.

I’ll tell you what I found REALLY funny… let’s excerpt a couple of quotes and put them right next to each other, shall we?

“Trek has been going downhill for the last 10 years”
“Trek fans were not able to keep the last show [Enterprise] on the air”

Ok… so who PRODUCES Trek? Would that be Paramount? So if Star Trek has been “going downhill” for 10 years, whose fault exactly would that be? It’s obvious isn’t it? THE FANS. As evidenced by his statements above.

So despite the fact that the studio puts out crap, we the fans are still supposed to tune in and sing its praises? I’m sorry, but Paramount is who put out the ridiculous “Voyager” and let Berman and Braga run the excellent concept of “Enterprise” into the dirt. And when Manny Coto came on board, finally putting the show on the right track, Paramount CANCELLED it!

I am SO bloody sick to DEATH of studios putting out lousy product and then blaming the public when they don’t show up in droves. This has been especially prevalant with the Trek movies. Star Trek Generations, Insurrection and Nemesis were ALL terrible, but it’s our fault that box office kept dropping.

Man… the hubris of these guys is incomprehensible and utterly infuriating. Good luck with those “new” fans, Paramount.

Alright, if you’re waaay down here, you’ve read the whole article. Hi! Anyway, why am I not surprised? Star Trek has ‘been going downhill for the past 10 years’? Oh, big surprise. Who else here remembers the huge fight that Trek fans had with Paramount in the mid-90’s to even be allowed to have Star Trek fan websites like this one? Anyone?

They were, as I understand and remember it, shutting down all sorts of non-commercial Star Trek sites, simply for referencing Star Trek and having a few Star Trek-related graphics (not like Paramount was actually selling any Trek graphics online or anything either). At least until there was a huge petition drive and Paramount finally caved.

So if Star Trek is dying now, fan-wise, it’s only because of the callous disregard Paramount has shown for Trek lovers over the years. Fans pay their bills. They need to learn to be nicer.

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