Vegas Star Spotting: Why Star Trek Kicks Star Wars' Asteroid

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Vegas Star Spotting: Why Star Trek Kicks Star Wars' Asteroid

Posted Mar 10th 2007 8:09AM by David Hofstede
Filed under: Weird Vegas, Rants & Raves, G-Rated Vegas, City's Best

For 'Star Trek' fans, one of the best things about living in or visiting Las Vegas is the Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton. Every couple of months I spend part of an afternoon there, looking over the memorabilia in the shops, playing with the food replicators, having a Class M Pizza at Quark's, and hanging out with fellow Trekkers, and the occasional Klingon, Borg and Ferengi who are there to pose for photos and plot the Federation's demise.

And for guys, no visit is complete without setting off the talking urinals in the men's room.

I've seen men and women of all ages, some in full uniform, fighting back tears as they walk through this tribute to their beloved fictional universe. "I would work here every day for free, " they tell the shopkeepers in Deep Space Nine, as they stock up on Starfleet sweatshirts and Romulan Ale ("recently smuggled across the Neutral Zone!")

Some people will make fun of this. I think it's nice. The devotion of Trekkers is an easy target for derision, but I would argue that you'll find a much higher average IQ level among 'Star Trek' fans than you would at most public gatherings. And if they take the series' philosophy to heart, they're probably treating each other with kindness and tolerance and making the world a better place. Unlike those reprobate Star Wars fans.

Yeah, you heard me. It always fires my photon torpedo whenever Star Wars tops Star Trek in a poll about the best sci-fi franchises. Let's put our geek hats on, shall we? Star Wars consists of six feature films, three of which aren't much good according to their own fans (four, if you count those who still haven't forgiven George Lucas for putting ewoks in Return of the Jedi). You want the Clone Wars animated series, too? Fine. I'll even give you the Star Wars Holiday Special, though it won't help your cause.

'Star Trek' has inspired six television series (you get the cartoon, so do we) and ten feature films, a total of more than 600 hours of in-continuity drama. The Star Trek universe is more well-defined, it's more sophisticated, it's more optimistic, and it has introduced no one as annoying as Jar Jar Binks.

The force may be with you, but you can have it. I'll take 'Star Trek', and the Star Trek Experience, where the only force is the one that pulls money out of my wallet for that autographed photo of Jeri Ryan.

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Reader Comments

(Page 1)

1. Kirk & Spock: "pimpin' all over the Universe."

Jar Jar Stinks at 1:09PM on Mar 10th 2007

2. I enjoy both franchises. Subsequently, I can say with full confidence, that both have about a 50/50 hit-or-miss track record. Old Star Wars fans don't dig the new movies (and think the effects look fake, like a cartoon), but today's generation of young children love the new Star Wars movies (and think the effects in the original trilogy look fake).

By the same token, many Star Trek fans actively recognise that, for the most part, the odd-numbered Trek films tended to be weak.

I think both worlds are a lot of fun. Both have their ups and downs. Neither franchise was created to extoll the merits of animosity.... I think Star Trek is better for human stories while Star Wars is better for imaginition of worlds and cultures.

Seth Asa at 2:08PM on Mar 13th 2007

3. I started out a Trekkie, but Star Wars can be a lot more fun to explore. Star Trek has so many plot inconsistencies that at least Star Wars can be pretty easily toyed with without conflicting with too many things (even if you include most of the EU). I can appreciate what Lucas intended to do, though he kinda slaughtered it with what he actually did. (I can write better dialogue.) I can write a fanfic about a dead two-year-old talking to the reader with Star Wars. I can't follow such logistical lines in Star Trek, and the Federation is so na�vely optimistic it's laughable.

Then again, I'm of the generation that started watching Trek about the time Voyager came out, DS9 is my favorite series (though I'll readily admit that some of the episodes stink), and Enterprise was one of the reasons my family got rid of my TV. So I probably have a different view than a lot of fans.

Hey, at least the main characters tend to keep their clothes on in Star Wars.

Misti at 1:19PM on Mar 15th 2007

4. Misti: Keep their clothes on? Leia slave outfit, anyone?

Jedi Master Spock at 2:04AM on Mar 16th 2007

5. Where is your tickbox for Dr. Who?

Dr Who has inspired six television series too (there's a cartoon coming) and a *lot* more than 600 hours - your other comments about ST apply equally well to Dr Who - especially your points about optimism.

Gavin Bollard at 11:12PM on Mar 21st 2007

6. Aw, why do you have to pick fights like this?

I honestly love and adore both franchises. And I find equal numbers of amazing and not-so-amazing fans in both.

And The Star Trek Experience (visited by me and a large group of Star Wars fans, one year) is a blast. I definitely agree about recommending that!

Paula at 5:32PM on Mar 27th 2007

7. Star Trek rules! i used to be a major fan of star wars myself, an still am, but i prefer star trek as it is a lot more for older ages, star wars has been turned into a kids film, which is highly illogical. Another question which i rekon would be good would be, Star Trek and Star Wars. Who would win in a thourough fight?

Live long and prosper all you trekkies out there!!!

Tim Neads at 11:54AM on Jul 19th 2007

8. Star Trek definitely has the more intelligent plots, best crew, realistic character development and interaction, more interesting aliens, and a whole lot of logic to it. I've tried, on several occasions, to watch Star Wars just to be fair but I find it to be incredibly boring, drawn out, and seriously lacking in character development.

The only failure that the Star Trek empire ever had was the series Enterprise, but most of us continue to pretend that it doesn't exist.

Long live Spock! at 6:41AM on Apr 1st 2008

9. I think I side on Star Wars. Much cooler. Star Trek has just run longer so has had more time to get those good plots and stuff. Star Wars got it right the first time.

PokerDude at 12:15AM on Apr 12th 2008

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