In article <0Jzwk.70134$hx.44505@pd7urf3no>,
"Karl Johanson" wrote:
> "ToolPackinMama"
comcast.net> wrote>> ToolPackinMama wrote:
>>> It seems that people here are telling me that "Trekker" was born before
>>> TNG.
>>>
>>> Interesting.
>>>
>>> So the "Trekkies are ghey, let's call ourselves Trekkers" movement began
>>> BEFORE TNG?
>>>
>>> Interesting.
>>>
>>> That doesn't change the FACT that original fans call themselves Trekkies,
>>> and that Roddenberry confirmed that in his view Trekkies was the correct
>>> term.
>>
>> I have to ask, WHY some Trekkies felt the need to promote the word
>> "Trekker" in preference to "Trekkie" when referring to themselves.
Because Trekkie is, and always was, a derogatory term. It was never
self referential.
>>
>> ?
>>
>> Can somebody please explain that to me?
>>
>> And please, be explicit.
>
> I don't mind either term myself, but more often use "Trek fan".
>
> In *some* cases, people consider "Trekkie" to mean passive fans who just
> watch the show & maybe read the books. Those people use "Trekker" to refer
> to more active fans, such as those who go to club meetings, do art, put out
> zines, make costumes, etc. In broader fandom some differentiate between
> "fans" who "just read the stuff" and "Fans" (capital 'F') who do zines, run
> cons, etc.
>
> Con going is more likely to get you considered an 'active' general fan than
> an 'active' Trek fan, as *some* Trek cons are often more of a show you
> simply watch, while *some* broader fan cons are more about people
> participating in the con. (I think the issue is a bit grey to conclude
> anything.)
>
> *Some* find the term "Trekkie" to sound too much like "kiddie", so they
> prefer "Trekker". (Again, I don't mind either.)
>
> *Some* note that the term Trekkie is used as a pejorative by some, thus
> prefer it not to be used. That sort of thing happens in language all the
> time. An obvious example is the word "nigger", which simply means "black",
> but which has such a history of use as a pejorative that the term is often
> avoided as a term for black people by those whishing to avoid offence
> (myself included, other than as a discussion of etymology). I note that
> clearly "Trekkie" has far far less of a history of pejorative intent than
> the 'n word', but the reaction to the term (right or wrong, overblown or
> otherwise) by some Trek fans, is a similar phenomenon.
I respectfully disagree. Trekkie began as an insult. "Ick, Trekkies"
>
> I've had *some* Trek fans mad at me for using the term "Trekkie", when I
> intended no offence.
>
> I'm sure there are more complexities to the etymology I'm not aware of.
>
> Karl Johanson
--
Multiple root canals; hopped up on multiple pain drugs.
It's an explanation, not an excuse!
