What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism | Report this post to moderator
By: Deslok (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 20:51:04 on Jul 26, 2003

First and foremost, we have to understand that every Star Trek entity beckons the viewers to watch the other branches of the franchise. It's a huge mythology unto itself, a substitute realm where we suspend reality for an hour every week.

When the franchise strayed from what has always identified it as being STAR TREK, many loyal fans stopped watching. Without the loyal fans, ENTERPRISE ceased to be STAR TREK. Even VOYAGER stuck to the formula better than ENT has to date. The teleplays exist without the fans, but it needs the fans to give it an identity, without them ENT is "just another science fiction show" in an oversaturated market.

Yes, the fans still show up at the conventions, but that is because it is such an ingrained response now. There are many young people who don't get the significance of the earlier versions of TREK, they consider it outdated and are used to big special effects. I think they miss the point of STAR TREK.

Change for the franchise may have been needed at this point of it's existence, but an overwhelming number of people who have followed the franchise for decades have fallen away because it has failed to deliver the goods. It claimed to be a prequel to all that we've seen before, but the stories and execution were unlike the bulk of what has gone before it. ENTERPRISE is simply a business enterprise at this point and nothing more, there has been very little vision involved with this series, and STAR TREK has always been about being visionary, until now. But that may be about to change, hopefully.

ENTERPRISE needs fans in order for it to be defined as a part of the franchise. With fans turning off their televisions in disgust, it's not part of the STAR TREK franchise, no matter what the people at Paramount say. They need the fans more than the fans need them in order to survive.

Yes, STAR TREK fans are unique in this world. Fans mounted the SST (save Star Trek) campaign and that led to the return of TREK with the arrival of TNG. Roddenberry was there to ensure the quality and care that made TREK special. Rick Berman was hired by Roddenberry becuase he liked his outsider status, Rick Berman was totally unfamiliar with TREK, and at first that was an asset, but then Gene Roddenberry eventually died and Rick Berman was left in charge. The perception now is that Mr. Berman is trying to make TREK in his own way, and as we all know, perception is a very powerful thing. It is perception that made the show and it is perception that breaks it.

Rick Berman is a lightning rod, and to a lesser degree Brannon Braga is too. They make most of the decisions as to what gets commited to the screen and what doesn't. This spiteful tennis game of insults started long ago and has escalated. Their dismissive and arrogant nature fueled the fire that is the B&B bashing we see today. I know that nobody can please everybody all the time, but a few choice decisions as to how they carry out the rest of the current series will result in a lot of positive results for the health of the franchise. If they can put their egos aside, this could be a love-fest instead of an arena of insults. I have been among the group known as B&B bashers, but I have always tried to be articulate and constructive where possible. But I read a comment by Ensign-Ro-Your-Boat the other day which was very true. He said that the same people are saying the same things all the time. Many of the really tactless bashers appear to be bashing B&B and ENTERPRISE simply out of a need to belong to a group that is vocal and angry, but their posts have no substance. They're as bad as the people who blindly love ENTERPRISE like a bunch of drugged up cult members.

When the fans and/or the detractors of ENT can't even express themselves with distinction, it's a sad day indeed. This used to be such an intelligent crowd associated with Star Trek........
............perhaps the dumbing down of STAR TREK was a response to a fanbase that doesn't have the capacity to think for itself or spell common words properly.

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Be vewy, vewy quiet. I'm hunting Womuwans.

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RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by angie @ 11:47:39 on Jul 30
RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by monsters @ 09:45:51 on Jul 30
    RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by Deslok @ 23:49:00 on Jul 30
    RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by egervari @ 10:27:33 on Jul 30
       RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by monsters @ 10:49:50 on Jul 30
          RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by Deslok @ 23:54:38 on Jul 30
RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by twizzle @ 17:20:54 on Jul 29
    RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by Deslok @ 20:26:28 on Jul 29
RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by Logic Incarnate @ 14:43:14 on Jul 28
RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by StarFleet Captain @ 07:10:21 on Jul 27
    RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by Red Barchetta @ 12:48:51 on Aug 01
       RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by egervari @ 19:15:10 on Aug 01
    RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by Deslok @ 08:33:18 on Jul 27
       RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by Hbasm @ 10:13:42 on Jul 27
RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by egervari @ 05:29:07 on Jul 27
    RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by Deslok @ 08:55:40 on Jul 27
       RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by egervari @ 17:05:13 on Jul 28
          RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by Deslok @ 21:36:58 on Jul 28
             RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by egervari @ 06:18:50 on Jul 29
                RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by egervari @ 11:38:14 on Jul 30
RE: What Berman and Braga and others don't understand about fan criticism by MaxPower @ 22:19:26 on Jul 26
    The condensed version for those who don't like to read: by Deslok @ 22:36:56 on Jul 26
       RE: The condensed version for those who don't like to read: by Flynn 19 @ 03:03:33 on Jul 28
          RE: The condensed version for those who don't like to read: by SpaceGoat @ 10:49:57 on Jul 28
          RE: The condensed version for those who don't like to read: by Deslok @ 05:11:48 on Jul 28
             RE: The condensed version for those who don't like to read: by Flynn 19 @ 01:09:20 on Jul 29
                RE: The condensed version for those who don't like to read: by Keoki @ 09:50:14 on Jul 31
                RE: The condensed version for those who don't like to read: by Deslok @ 20:29:50 on Jul 29
                RE: The condensed version for those who don't like to read: by Hbasm @ 09:42:39 on Jul 29
                   RE: The condensed version for those who don't like to read: by Flynn 19 @ 22:50:04 on Jul 29
                      RE: The condensed version for those who don't like to read: by Deslok @ 08:31:17 on Jul 30
                RE: The condensed version for those who don't like to read: by Hbasm @ 09:40:44 on Jul 29