Stigma being a Stargate Fan (or fan of any Scifi really)

[Hyndara71]

I guess it's almost universal (only the Sith deal in absolutes ), that people want to be liked, accepted, socialize with ease. Socializing has not been my strong suit, and perhaps I've made the mistake that because I'm on a forum, and can jump into a thread, that posters would be a) tolerant and b) understand where I'm coming from. Perhaps Syfy and SGU are what I want to talk about, but no one's interested.

Well, actually, there's something more about and around me. I'm not a lone wolf by birth. Bad experiences made me to what I'm now. The most time I don't recognize how I seem to appear to others (online and also RL). Some ask why I'm acting like I do, the most not.

It's funny you use the word alien, because to some extent, scifi and especially Stargate, represent the desire for connection (i.e. via the Stargate) with "alien" peoples or worlds. I think that's where the stigma I talked about affects me, that the need for connection, and the fact I try to do so through the fascinating, multi-universe that scifi is, is not a connection I can make with those directly around me, and isolates and saddens me sometimes. Don't worry, I feel this way about the environment and eco problems in North America, too.

Well, living as an artist in any times is always like you are an alien. Because you have other priorities, you see life in another way, touch it in another way, live it in another way. For others this is strange and weird behaviour and the most can't handle with it. When time goes by you begin to pretend you are not that alien that you are by birth . It's difficult to explain.

[SF_and_Coffee]

I can only speak from my experiences in the UK, but I find there's much less of a stigma attached to liking Stargate than there is Star Trek. I think amongst most social groups or workplaces you'll find someone who likes the show, maybe not a fan, but enjoys it at least. With Star Trek though, that has the nerd-alarmbells ringing straight away. I'm not sure you could admit to liking Star Trek to many people without having the piss ripped out of you

I should note that I'm female, middle-aged, and live in the US. I've loved scifi since I was about 2 or 3 because that's when my dad started me watching the original Star Trek (which was still in production at the time). I was never bothered by the idea that people might think I was weird for liking Trek, maybe because people already thought I was a nerd for being intelligent or for being a tomboy or for any number of things. And in my teens I got involved in theatre; nearly everyone in theatre is a bit geeky around the edges anyway. The theatre folks were the same people I played D&D with and a lot of them shared my love of scifi. So do several of the people in the theatrical production I'm currently involved with, for that matter!

I've managed to find lots of other female scifi fans, scifi writers (yes, I write in the genre too) and whatnot, so the "stigma" is never an issue for me and I actually have to be reminded that it exists.

[blueray]

i know many other sci-fi fans of both genders. my roommate and i both are trekies and are girls. i openly admit to being a sci-fi nerd, but if people don't like it than forget them .

[KEK]

I think the reason Stargate isn't seen as that nerdy in the UK is because it's in syndication on mainstream channels almost all the time. Right now for example, SGU is in syndication on Sky One, while SG-1 and SGA are both in syndication on Sky Two back to back, while Trek seems to be mainly filling up slots on the cheapo Freeview channels.

[Snowman37]

I think Stargate avoids being seen as nerdy, because there are relatable down-to-Earth characters. It also helps that stories are driven by drama and action rather than BS science talk that people today don't care to try to understand.

[dr_rodney_mcray]

Great thread Dean. It does give a lot of food for thought. Gave me some things to think about as well. Thanks!

[Girlbot]

I really have no one in RL to talk Stargate or Sci Fi with.
It's why I come here.
I did have a long discussion with the clerk at Barnes and Noble when I bought Dr Who box set. we got to talking about that and then on to Stargate.
It was really great to talk to someone who had the same interest

[SeaBee]

There will always be a gap between those that like science fiction and those who don't, and those that like show A and those that don't.

Case in point: A few years ago I was discussing SG1 with a friend who had recently started watching it and wanted to know some of the back story. Another friend came over and asked us what we were discussing. I began to tell her and she cut me off with "Oh, that's science fiction. I hate science fiction." End of conversation.

The problem is that once you hit the "I hate..." statement there is nowhere for the discussion to go. Once a person has decided that they hate a subject, character, show, genre or whatever, there is very little you can do except agree to disagree and start talking about something else.

[hedwig]

Case in point: A few years ago I was discussing SG1 with a friend who had recently started watching it and wanted to know some of the back story. Another friend came over and asked us what we were discussing. I began to tell her and she cut me off with "Oh, that's science fiction. I hate science fiction." End of conversation.

At that point, the other person should have left so you could continue your conversation about Stargate. You shouldn't be expected to stop talking about it just because a third person interrupts and then says they hate scifi.

[SF_and_Coffee]

at that point, the other person should have left so you could continue your conversation about stargate. You shouldn't be expected to stop talking about it just because a third person interrupts and then says they hate scifi.

this!

[escyos]

I feel that i would hesitate when saying i was a stargate fan, mostly because the uneducated out there would assume i mean star trek and thus I would be cheesey as star trek is.

[SF_and_Coffee]

I think most people who matter know the difference... then again, I'm a fan of both and no, Star Trek isn't cheesy.

[KEK]

I don't think he means cheesy as in sentimental, more of the camp/tacky variety.

[Reseph(Shed)]

I like Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate, and a few other sci-fi shows. I will also say this here, I love soap operas as well. If someone doesn't like what you like or says they hate it to your face, then nuts to them. I like what I like and I love it. I don't necessarily think there's a stigma to those that like Sci-Fi or if there is I'm not seeing it but I don't care. A lot of people must like sci-fi as well for it to be referenced in so many shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, and so many other countless shows that I can't think of at the moment. There will always be some that certain shows or types of shows don't appeal to no matter what the show is about.

For example, my dad hates House and he is glad it's going off the air. Me, I've never watched it but I know it has it's fans. I say this a lot when he says something like this, "they don't care if you hate their show or if you don't watch because House lasted as long as it did." I think there are just some people that just won't like something if it's not their cup of tea instead of just being neutral.

[Snowman37]

I've never understood why people will look down on someone for liking "X" TV show. Really, who cares? I mean, it's one thing if you're censoring children's TV viewing, but aside from that, who cares?

[SF_and_Coffee]

I don't think he means cheesy as in sentimental, more of the camp/tacky variety.

I don't see "cheesy" as a synonym for "sentimental". And I don't think Trek is cheesy. The original was campy, but it was meant to be a bit that way. None of the franchise is what I'd call tacky (well, except for some elements in the 'reboot' film).

[Snowman37]

What most people call cheesey is everyone standing around the bridge, shouting out technical dialogue while their fingers dance along colorful consoles.

TNG was a hit, because most episodes revolved around narrative. DS9 didn't catch, because of the space station setting. VOY didn't catch as well as TNG, because it was too similar in concept. By the time ENT rolled around, no one was watching UPN anymore, thus the show didn't have a chance. Simple, really.

[unknown_k]

Scifi might have had a stigma stuck to it from the Star trek days (early conventions), but not so much anymore. We live in a society where half the movies are about comic book heroes.. so that tells you how slack we give people.

What I find troubling is that younger people seem to have lost the ability to understand what is reality and what is a made up TV show. For kicks go look around postings for the show Castle, seems like some of the people there think the lead actors are realy dating and freak over ever little show detail. At least the old trekkies knew what was real and what wasn't.

[KEK]

I don't see "cheesy" as a synonym for "sentimental". And I don't think Trek is cheesy. The original was campy, but it was meant to be a bit that way. None of the franchise is what I'd call tacky (well, except for some elements in the 'reboot' film).

I think for most people, actors with make-upon pretending to be aliens is pretty tacky.

[escyos]

I think most people who matter know the difference... then again, I'm a fan of both and no, Star Trek isn't cheesy.

I meant the general look of the starships, they look really fake and cheap. CGI and acting was good but the sets were terrible.