Actually, Penny*, there is a difference and as a
fan of the Star Wars franchise and a
casual watcher of the Star Trek franchise,
I say there’s a world of difference. I grew up watching Star Trek. My father is a big fan of the original Star Trek
(1966-1969) while my brother is a fan of Star
Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994). Even my best friend loves Star Trek especially The Next Generation and Voyager (1995-2001). While I’m drawn more
to Star Wars as is my husband. While
I am not writing to argue which franchise is better because both have their
merits, I am writing to distinguish the differences between the two.
First, Star Wars
is a dramatic epic rooted in legends like Beowulf and King Arthur, mythologies,
world religions and ancient and medieval history to tell a story of a galactic
society in conflict. The importance is not on believability of the science but
on the characters and the moral choices they make while Star Trek has “ham-fisted dialogue
and Gong Show-caliber acting. But the fictional science has always been
brilliant” (Herzthe, 1998). Star
Trek is rooted in a greater existential dilemma in which an idealistic,
utopian prospect of the future human society is explored and debated. Star Wars focuses on the ethics of good
vs evil and against totalitarian government systems. Star Trek features the
morals of exploration and interference, how to properly confront and ethically
resolve situations. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, is said to have been inspired by morality tales like Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift.
Second, Star Wars,
essentially, focuses on the individual’s power to do good. It is the struggle
with feelings of powerlessness and how an individual responds to that feeling.
There is a strong connection to faith, mythology, or the Force within the
individual and trusting yourself and others. It is about individuals breaking
free from governmental oppression (Bedinger, 2015). The Original Trilogy
avoided explicit political messages while being anti-authoritarian, the prequel
trilogy is clearly a commentary on imperialism and warmongering. Star Trek focuses on a commentary on
social structure, defining a society’s obligation to humanity, the world and
the galaxy. Star Trek operates within
a stable government, The United Federation of Planets, and spreading
enlightened values throughout the galaxy (Bedinger, 2015). Each of the Star Trek television series focused on a
central worry. For example, in the original show, the central worry was Captain Kirk (played
by William Shatner) losing his command and the fight against anything
undermined his command. In the Next
Generation, Captain Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) was focused on
choosing the wise path and being a responsible leader (Anders, 2016).
Third, the debate between the fan bases can be polarizing
that it’s hard to image someone being a fan of both. Some fans believe that you
cannot be a fan of one, if you are a fan of the other. This sentiment is also reflected
in the statements made by the actors in each franchise. William Shatner argues
that Star Trek is superior to Star Wars because “Star Trek had
relationships and conflict among the relationships and stories that involved
humanity and philosophical questions” (Emami, 2015). Tim Russ, who played Tuvok
in Star Trek: Voyager claims that Star Trek is better than the two because
it is set in "our" galaxy and therefore people can relate better to
it, whereas Star Wars takes place in another galaxy (Forbeck, 2011). He
acknowledged that he could be biased (yeah, you think! LOL). Jeremy Bulloch,
who played Boba Fett in the original Star
Wars trilogy. He is a fan of Star Trek: The Original Series. He argued that
while both franchises are popular, Star Wars comes out as the superior, for its
soundtracks and special effects (Forbeck, 2011).
Why does Star Wars
seem greater in popularity than Star Trek?
And yes, it does. Star Wars has a
franchise revenue of $42 billion (as of 2015) while Star Trek has a franchise revenue of $10 billion (as of 2016).
While both have large fan bases with fiercely loyal fans, Star Wars seems to speak to the American identity as the rebels,
the revolutionaries fighting against an evil empire while Star Trek speaks more to the American political superpower we’ve
become with unparalleled military and economic might (although there is some
debate if this is even still true). Star
Wars plays into the national fantasy as the righteous underdogs and Star Trek portrays our national reality
and the moral question as to how to use that power. In a UK program for the Star Wars 20th anniversary,
Patrick Stewart said “A belief in one’s own powers; especially one’s own powers
to do good because the underlying morality of Star Wars is a very, very positive one.”
In conclusion, while the two franchises are similar in that
they depict societies of multiple planets and species, they promote different
messages. A philosophical message verses a political message. The story and its
characters verses the reality of the science. The individual and his or her
role in the galaxy while verses society
as a whole. I prefer Star Wars
because the characters are relatable and the action adventure is entertaining.
I often find the dialogue in Star Trek
to be difficult to follow at times. Is one better than the other? It’s simply a
matter of choice and nothing else. Both have had a great impact on pop culture
that cannot be ignored.
References
- Anders, Charlie Jane. The Essential Difference between Star Wars and Star Trek https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-essential-difference-between-star-wars-and-star-tre-1754297235. January 21, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- Bedinger, Melissa. What are the main differences between Star Trek and Star Wars? www.quora.com/What-are-the-main-differences-between-Star-Trek-and-Star-Wars. December 21, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- Emami, Gazelle. William Shatner On Star Trek Vs. Star Wars: ‘Star Wars Is Derivative of Star Trek’ www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/15/william-shatner-star-trek-star-wars_n_964530.html. September 15, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- Forbeck, Matt (2011). Star Wars vs. Star Trek: Could the Empire kick the Federation's ass? And other galaxy-shaking enigmas. F&W Media.
- Herzthe, J.C. Star Wars' World with a Sense of Humor. The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/29/technology/game-theory-star-wars-world-with-a-sense-of-humor.html. October 29, 1998. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
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