Uniform musing
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From: San Francisco, CA
Originally posted by mingster
Hmm...well, not to get into a big argument about the benefits/drawbacks of sports and TV shows, but i feel both has its benefits and drawbacks.
as for being a geek, well, i guess you were never beat up for being different. when i lived in Oklahoma, i was the only asian looking person who didn't speak English very well (let's say none at all) in school. i was 11 years old, and i went home with a bloody nose almost every day, not because i looked like a geek - shit, i had a tail like every other teenager in the early-mid 80s in the midwest had, i had a comb in my pants, and i wore all the things that everyone else wore, including the first of the Nike Air Jordans. trying to fit in, i found, was the hardest thing to do. kids are rude, crude, and very cruel, i only hope my kids will be able to defend themselves in school.
Hmm...well, not to get into a big argument about the benefits/drawbacks of sports and TV shows, but i feel both has its benefits and drawbacks.
as for being a geek, well, i guess you were never beat up for being different. when i lived in Oklahoma, i was the only asian looking person who didn't speak English very well (let's say none at all) in school. i was 11 years old, and i went home with a bloody nose almost every day, not because i looked like a geek - shit, i had a tail like every other teenager in the early-mid 80s in the midwest had, i had a comb in my pants, and i wore all the things that everyone else wore, including the first of the Nike Air Jordans. trying to fit in, i found, was the hardest thing to do. kids are rude, crude, and very cruel, i only hope my kids will be able to defend themselves in school.
I owe you an apology. I didn't mean to sound like I am supportive of beating people up simply because they are different.
You are right that there isn't much use in arguing the relative value of sports vs. tv shows, and I didn't intend to belittle Star Trek. I personally prefer team sports to science fiction, but that is just an opinion. Different strokes for different folks. What I was trying to communicate is the unfortunate reality that people will attack what is unfamiliar, threatening, or counterculture. I don't mean to defend it; I'm just speculating as to the reasoning. I would guess that some people perceive wearing a Star Trek uniform as flaunting a lifestyle that contradicts the high school social structure that masks teenage insecurities in exchange for blind conformity. Freaks some people out that they just need to hurt someone to feel better about themselves, I guess.
It's even weaker to attack someone for differences they can't even control. I have a lot of respect for you growing up having to learn a new language, and becoming successful despite such a hostile environment. My mom came to the US for college and didn't know any English either. I can't imagine how hard that must be.
I had my share of people trying to get into fights with me. The last time, when I was a senior in high school, it was in fact seven football players who surrounded me because I mocked the absurd value system of their meathead clique (among others) in the school paper. Anyway I avoided being on the losing end of those conflicts by standing my ground and by fighting back, not by trying to fit in. People suddenly stop picking on you once you spill some of their blood, whether it's with fists or with words (except when you go to far - note: meatheads react violently).
So I guess the point of all this is that bullies do suck but confronting and defeating them can also provide us with the opportunity to become strong and confident. The "it's not fair" whiner attitude that Klingon guy displayed may seem justified, but it's no way to deal with the "unfair" challenges in life. In fact if he's a thirty year old virgin lives with his mom, flips burgers for a living, and goes to Trek conventions in his spare time, we all know why.
I've got to say, though, that I think Trekkies are total losers, at least the ones who dress up in costume. Not because Star Trek sucks (which it does), but because it's just plain lame to get so wrapped up in a fantasy world that one would want to be a part of it more than the real world.
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From: Austin
Hehe... thats almost as bad as some guy who owns a $32k car and thinks he's not only sexy when driving it, but practically a race-car driver too... Doh wait--- I resemble that remark...ohh shit, I like Startrek too! I'm fvcked. (Hehe-- but I don't dress in trek uniform, now that would just be embarrasing).
-- Aaron
-- Aaron
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From: Shawnee KS USA
Whoa skippy! I consider myself a Trek fan(hell, its been around for 35 years & counting.....a butt load of people must like it to have that kind of staying power). People get into all kinds of fantasy(D&D, Sci-fi, fantasy football, etc). Just cuz someone is enthusiastic about one's likes/dislikes doesn't mean their lame....look at everyone on this board....we are all enthusiastic about our cars aren't we(my wife thinks I'm totally nuts because I dolt over this machine)?
Originally posted by dsp
I've got to say, though, that I think Trekkies are total losers, at least the ones who dress up in costume. Not because Star Trek sucks (which it does), but because it's just plain lame to get so wrapped up in a fantasy world that one would want to be a part of it more than the real world.
I've got to say, though, that I think Trekkies are total losers, at least the ones who dress up in costume. Not because Star Trek sucks (which it does), but because it's just plain lame to get so wrapped up in a fantasy world that one would want to be a part of it more than the real world.
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From: Cambridge
Originally posted by dsp
getting into fantasy is one thing. idolizing nonexistent "people" is quite another. and going out in public emulating them is waaay out there. in the social slaughterhouse that is high school, no less. thinking you *won't* get harassed for wearing a klingon uniform to school - now *that's* a fantasy.
getting into fantasy is one thing. idolizing nonexistent "people" is quite another. and going out in public emulating them is waaay out there. in the social slaughterhouse that is high school, no less. thinking you *won't* get harassed for wearing a klingon uniform to school - now *that's* a fantasy.
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