The hit original animated series will arrive later this fall.

It looks like the upcoming Lower Decks season will be the last one 😭😭 I didn’t have any expectations for this show but it has quickly grown to be one of my favorites. I’ll miss it

  • Stamets@lemmy.worldMEnglish
    1·
    9 months ago

    The ultimate fear is that such a wide range of tones attempting to capture different audiences ultimately results in none of them capturing enough of an audience to justify their existence, and then the whole franchise gets written off for another dry spell like we had post-Enterprise.

    That’s a gatekeepers argument. It’s not an argument for the strength of the show itself, it’s fear of something new and to shun that new thing because it might shake the status quo. It’s nonsense. Especially when we’re talking about a franchise like Star Trek which is specifically dedicated to the idea of representing different audiences and peoples. The idea that the series is being “too diverse” is just ridiculous. That’s literally the point of everything in the shows. To show diversity and inclusion through that strength. There are numerous quotes from the shows specifically saying that.

    I also still am not giving any weight to what you’re saying here because you’re not part of that demographic. At no point in this conversation have you ever considered them. Every single retort of yours has just been “Yeah but it might make things worse for me and other older fans. Who cares about the new ones?”

    Fear of the unknown, fear of something knew, and hiding behind tradition is the exact type of shit that Star Trek goes out of its way to say is a terrible thing to hold onto. Especially, again considering you have repeatedly ignored me saying this, every single show has had a radically different tone to varying degrees of success. Fearing that this new tone is going to break it is just the same argument that’s been made since TNG was released and I’m not entertaining this nonsense any longer.

    Goodbye.

    • mycodesucks@lemmy.world
      11·
      9 months ago

      That’s a gatekeepers argument.

      I’m not saying that IS what’s going to happen. Please don’t put words in my mouth. But to say there is ZERO concern that it CAN happen is to ignore a very realistic scenario.

      You’re right, I’m not a part of the target demographic. But that’s not point. The point is if that demographic wants what is being offered. Sure, this is targeted at them, but is their audience out there asking for this? If there is an audience, absolutely, they should have the show they want.

      I’m not ignoring that there have been varied tones in various Trek shows. I am however, pointing out that not all of those tones have been successful, and that’s a cause for concern. Star Trek isn’t some public domain franchise that can be picked up at any time by anyone, Paramount’s begrudging allowance for fan projects not withstanding. The success of the franchise and the ability to keep new Trek coming depends on the success of the series that are produced. If a series cannot sustain an audience, it hurts the viability of the franchise as a whole in the eyes of the people who fund production, and that is a legitimate concern.

      But while I don’t know that there is a teenage Star Trek audience looking for a show targeted at them, I KNOW there is an audience looking for the tone of the older Star Trek show tones because they are vocally and visibly looking for it right now.

      I’m not arguing a Star Trek show targeted to teenagers shouldn’t exist because I don’t want it. That’s a nonsense argument. I’m arguing the simple reality that there are limited resources for producing these shows, and Paramount is the only company that gets to make them. This is not some projected negativity - this is simple reality. And for all the idealized, lofty goals there are, if they don’t establish and keep an audience, Paramount will shut them down. It’s not gatekeeping to suggest building an audience where one doesn’t exist yet is harder than keeping an existing one, and it’s a gamble with the future of the franchise to paint such a wide target, particularly without an anchor series that you can point to and say “This is the secure flagship series we’re building these other series around.” That doesn’t exist. Every single one of the current series is in a precarious position. That is a cause for concern.

      Also, on a side note, I would like to point out that many of us became Star Trek fans during the TNG/DS9/Voyager era, and we were teenagers then. Those shows were not specifically targeted at us, but they still captured our imagination and won us over. A show doesn’t have to be about teenagers to appeal to teenagers. Again, this is not to say this SHOULDN’T exist, but you are making it sound like the idea that thinking Paramount could focus their efforts elsewhere instead is somehow an attack on teenagers, and some form of discrimination. I assure you, that is not my intent, and I don’t think it’s anybody else’s either. There are lots of reasons to be concerned this is not the right path, or that it might not succeed, other than having some kind of agenda against the young.

      I see your last response to me as a bit of an overreaction, but regardless, it’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it. I apologize for allowing it to overcome me and overreacting myself to make this response seem overly hostile, but at the end of the day it certainly sounds like there is no argument that could be made to you that would legitimize someone’s concern that Starfleet Academy might not be the right path for the franchise to take, and if that’s the case, you’re right that there’s no point in continuing the discussion. I hope you continue to enjoy the franchise we love and wish you the best, regardless.

      Goodbye.