Were trekkers considered nerds and geeks in the 60s and 70s?

[Aike]

When did the mainstream media and people in general start calling trekkers geeks and nerds?

During the TOS-only era or did it start during the 80s?

 

[JNG]

Pretty sure people who were already seen that way gravitated to Star Trek, so I imagine this started early.

 

[Jim Steele]

It might have been when Trek fans felt the need to give themselves an asinine label like "Trekker/Trekkie". I'm just speculating.

 

[Maab of the Ten Tribes]

In the 80's i was skater "slinghead" kid so I was already considered to be weird to most people. I think people just blended my love of Trek into that. I remember people calling me a Trekkie back then though not a Trekker. I didnt give a damn what they called me i just knew i love me some original Trek.

 

[Augustus]

I have no idea, but my dad, who was in his early teens when Trek first came on says that there was no stigma at least where he was. And from pictures and stories about him and his family from those times, he could hardly be considered a nerd, since he grew up on a farm, not your typical nerd breeding ground

 

[Jim Steele]

Now Whovians, they're the real nerds. You've never seen a canon argument until you've seen 50 grown mean in an Outpost Gallifrey thread trying to reconcile the novels with the BFAs.

 

[trekjiro]

I can't answer for the time back then but my guess in general of why Trekkies are for 'geeks' is from a combination of certain Trekkies who were 'excessive' let's say in their devotion and also comedy shows like SNL that pushed that stereotype.

 

[Jim Steele]

That Shatner sketch probably has a lot to answer for.

 

[QuasarVM]

When did the mainstream media and people in general start calling trekkers geeks and nerds?

During the TOS-only era or did it start during the 80s?

OMG -- YES!!!! At least that was my experience as a kid. Once they found out...you were doomed -- at least where I lived.

I still have serious emotional scars from all the harassment and heckling I got...

Ok, well the last sentence was a joke and exaggeration, but no -- it was not cool to be a Trekkie back then. I don't think it's considered cool now either...just that people are more tolerant.

Then again, maybe the punkass sonsabitches just didn't like me anyway and that was a convenient thing to pick on...???

Hmmm...could be!

 

[Jim Steele]

What pisses me off (this may be unique to the UK) is when I get slagged off for being passionate about genre TV shows... by people whose sad and obsessive devotion to watching a football being kicked about a pitch puts my enthusiasm for Star Trek to shame.

 

[Deckerd]

I think in the 60s and 70s everybody had seen Star Trek, so no.

 

[Ziz]

What pisses me off (this may be unique to the UK) is when I get slagged off for being passionate about genre TV shows... by people whose sad and obsessive devotion to watching a football being kicked about a pitch puts my enthusiasm for Star Trek to shame.

That's not limited to the UK, believe me. The "sports vs sci-fi" thing is driven by testosterone, plain and simple. The only reason sports are considered "normal" is probably because they're simpler for the average person to understand. Case in point, read my sig line.

 

[Misfit Toy]

I can't answer for the time back then but my guess in general of why Trekkies are for 'geeks' is from a combination of certain Trekkies who were 'excessive' let's say in their devotion and also comedy shows like SNL that pushed that stereotype.

Don't forget the original SNL sketch that mocked NBC for cancelling Star Trek. At the time of that sketch (1975?), SNL was the epitome of "cool", and that particular sketch made Trek cool too.

 

[Saxman1]

When I told co-workers I was going to see "TMP" the night it opened, there was plenty of eye rolling. That was 12/1979 and I was a sophomore in college, so yeah, Trek fandom was considered geeky back then.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

People were made fun of for liking Trek before the Shatner SNL sketch aired. I can personally confirm that.

 

[Hambone]

Were trekkers considered nerds and geeks in the 60s and 70s?
Absolutely, and I had the wet willies, greasers, wedgies, indian burns and rear admirals to prove it. I was in middle school during TOS' first syndication run.

 

[Starlock]

It might have been when Trek fans felt the need to give themselves an asinine label like "Trekker/Trekkie". I'm just speculating.

Unless I am misremembering things it was the media who first dubbed fans "Trekkies" (as a play on "Hippies") but it was the original "Trekkies" who came up with "Trekker" in response to that part of excessivefandom who were more obsessed with the cast than with the series.

 

[Tan Ru]

Were trekkers considered nerds and geeks in the 60s and 70s?
Absolutely, and I had the wet willies, greasers, wedgies, indian burns and rear admirals to prove it. I was in middle school during TOS' first syndication run.

Yeah, but what about swirlies?? You're not a true Trekkie-nerd 'til you've been swirlied at least five times.

 

[jamestyler]

What pisses me off (this may be unique to the UK) is when I get slagged off for being passionate about genre TV shows... by people whose sad and obsessive devotion to watching a football being kicked about a pitch puts my enthusiasm for Star Trek to shame.

Football I can deal with. It's the Big Brother fans that bug me.

 

[dreadpiraterose]

Pretty sure people who were already seen that way gravitated to Star Trek, so I imagine this started early.

Yeah... my parents were original series fans. Both were pharmacists doing nerdy science stuff. LOL.