Geeks Debate!
Which is better: Star Trek or Star Wars?
Who will win?
The age-old geek debate: which is better? Star Trek or Star Wars? Star Trek’s William Shatner is no stranger to this debate. When he is not feuding with former cast members, he taunts Star Wars alumni with regular tweets. Shatner even appeared at George Lucas’ AFI ceremony to take on an entire room full of Star Wars alumni, dangerous stuff.
Shatner, ever the good sport, was eventually carried off the stage by a legion of (dancing) Stormtroopers.
Many see Star Trek with its sanitized depiction of the future as inferior, while others see Star Wars as kids’ stuff with its force mysticism. Our own Michael Hainsworth and Alan Cross can often be heard defending their own camps. Michael Hainsworth, firmly in the Star Wars Camp with Alan Cross in the Star Trek corner.
George Lucas, before developing Star Wars, was interested in Star Trek to the point he approached Paramount Pictures to see if he could buy Star Trek. Of Star Trek, Lucas says, “‘Star Trek’ softened up the entertainment arena so that ‘Star Wars’ could come along and stand on its shoulders.”
If we imagine what the future would have looked like if George had bought Star Trek, we may never have gotten a Star Wars.
Gene Roddenberry and George Lucas
On Star Wars, Gene Roddenberry says “I like Star Wars. It was young King Arthur growing up, slay-slaying the evil emperor finally. There’s nothing wrong with that kind of entertainment – everything doesn’t have to create a philosophy for you – for your whole life. You can also have fun.”
Seems Gene and George could get along.
The Goldbergs
The Goldbergs, one of the best geek-friendly shows to come out since the Big Bang Theory, will marked their 100th episode this week. The show is set in the 80s and is based loosely on the real live childhood of the show’s creator, Adam Goldberg. It is chock full of 80s pop culture references.
To mark the 100th episode, Adam Goldberg wrote an episode that explored the classic Star Trek versus Star Wars Debate. The Adam character on the show discovered his girlfriend is not in the same galaxy on the Star Trek vs Star Wars debate. The horror. The episode aired Oct 25.
A long time ago…… There was Star Trek
For me, it may come down with what you grew up with. Star Trek was first, let that sink in….. Star Trek prepared the way for Star Wars, as George Lucas says. Both for me and for the culture at large.
Each has a place. Each great in their own unique way.
Stream into the Goldbergs on your favorite TV service and root for your team and see who won. For me, I will relish in the geekiness that is both.
Which is better, Star Wars or Star Trek? Let us know below. (Just know if you say Star Wars your post will be deleted. haha)
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