Today marks 50 years since Star Trek first aired on television in 1966. It's been my favorite show for 12 years.
I remember watching it for the first time with my dad, and although I can't tell you the specific episode we watched, I can tell you that I was completely hooked. I was in middle school at the time, and now watching Star Trek every time it came on. To this day, I love talking about the show with my dad, who remembers watching reruns in college. The fact that, at 11, a show had me as captivated as my dad had been at age 20 speaks volumes about Star Trek's ability to transcend time.
Though you won't find me dressed as Spock at a convention, I can rattle off an intense list of reasons why I love the original series of Star Trek. It's engaging, thought provoking, relatable, funny, and smart. The show features a racially diverse crew comprised of both men and women, as well as the first ever televised interracial kiss. And although, it never fully escaped the lens of the 60s, it was still wildly ahead of it's time, firmly rooted in complex characters and compelling stories. 50 years later, those stories hold up, even if the original special effects don't.
There's always been a connotation that comes with loving Star Trek, but in 2016 nerd culture is mainstream. The world, and New York City especially, have gone all out to mark this iconic anniversary of the beloved franchise. A new blockbuster film, a 3 day convention, a cosmetic collaboration, and an Intrepid exhibit were all on the summer agenda in New York, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't living for it. I participated in all of the above (minus the convention) and I thought I'd share a few snaps from my visit to the Intrepid Starfleet Academy Experience in honor of today's anniversary.
Believe it or not, I convinced my Star Trek loving Birchbox boss, Allison, to bring our whole team to this exhibit as a bonding experience. We trekked (get it?) to the museum on a Wednesday afternoon with the rest of our small CRM marketing team for what I anticipated would be the best work day ever. -- It was.
The experience is part museum, part nerdy playground. You're given an interactive wristband and set loose to complete a number challenges, all designed to tell you which division of Star Fleet you're best suited for: medical, communications, engineering, science, command etc
Clearly, I took this very seriously. Just call me McCoy.
Nicole took it seriously too -- Giving our patient the prettiest of snap filters.
Allison has a 3D printer at home because she's the coolest, and she 3D printed us all communicator badges. Mine is of course better than the one on display.
Living for the transporter.
Living more.
Living most.
This is me running the Enterprise on the bridge, of course.
Was there even a question this is where I'd be placed?
After 50 years, Star Trek has undoubtably stood the test of time, and I have no doubts that it will be just as relevant to audiences in another 50 years-- that audience will most likely be an 11 year old middle schooler in 2066.
So Happy Birthday Star Trek. Live Long and Prosper.
No comments:
Post a Comment