Many scholars have their own take on what convergence is and it all depends on what field of work they are involved in, which makes it hard to give convergence a definite definition. It simply has no single agreed upon definition, but as Potter Steward might say, “I can’t define it, but I know what it is when I see it.” One of the principle elements to convergence is its interactivity and technology, which is greatly demonstrated through participatory cultures such as that of Star Trek.
Star Trek has a long history spanning over four decades. It has taken the form of six television series, eleven feature films, and hundreds of fan work but it all started with Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS). TOS follows the adventures of the Starship Enterprise and its crew led by James T. Kirk. Unfortunately the series only lasted three seasons before being canceled on NBC but through syndication the show grew in popularity developing an extreme following in the 70s (The First Post). Also with the huge popularity of Star Wars sparked even more life into the once dead franchise spawning two feature length films featuring the original cast and with the two films the franchise was reborn sparking ten more films and four more television series. The bulk of what Star Trek is known for though is its fans and that is where convergence comes in.
Convergence is not simply defined by one definition. There are many different takes on the theory of convergence. August E. Grant states that convergence is a driven through technology and that it is a tend that is still in process, which makes it harder to analyze since it is constantly progressing. We don’t know where its going to take us or how long it is going to last. Convergence is a buzzword acro...
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... Post | News, Comment, Opinion, People, Arts, Sport & Life. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. .
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America got its first look of a program that would later become legendary on September 8, 1966 at 8:30 PM on NBC. America was never the same after Star Trek made its debut that night. The series did not receive the recognition it deserved until it was canceled after only three years and later returning in syndication. However, Star Trek was never an ordinary science fiction program to begin with. Comparison to other programs in this genre is difficult because Star Trek is certainly not an unconventional science fiction program- it is a science fiction program that displays America during 1960's. In fact, Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, during an interview said, "I have no belief that Star Trek depicts the actual future, it depicts us, now, things we need to understand about that". Even David Gerrold, a writer for the series, writes in his book that "[t]he stories are about twentieth century man's attitudes in a future universe. The stories are about us". Naturally each episode does not make a social commentary, but all through the program, characters, themes, and it goes without saying, individual episodes make powerful reflections on sexism, feminism, as well as racism and improving race relations, all crucial social affairs during the late 1960's, and to a certain extent, social affairs of today.
The 1960’s were a memorable time, even now. Riots over war, women's rights, racial rights, technological advancements, and it being the height of the space race all shaped the main purpose of the show (Pop Culture Forever). At the time of the filming and showing of Star Trek: The Original Series NASA was creating Apollo, which would be the first rocket to send men to the moon. “The show played to our obsession with space flight and what might be cut out there,” admits Daniel Bernardi, a professor at San Francisco State University (Pop Culture Icon). At the time and even now space...
To fully appreciate Star Trek’s influence, you have to understand its enormous scope. Although the first series only ran for three years, the show gained popularity in syndication. It would go on to spawn five new series with a total of 726 episodes, 12 films, 31 Emmy Awards and 149 nominations, one Academy Award and 15 Oscar nominations, 120 CDs, 40 video games, 70 million books in print and one invented language, estimated to be spoken by over 100 people.
In 1966 Gene Roddenberry put his vision of the future into the most influential of television shows, Star Trek. From the beginning, Star Trek reflected the social and economic events that were happening at the time. Race segregation, and the Vietnam war were the major events among others. Roddenberry used his show to criticize these events and show not only alternatives, but the potential implications of our actions if we continue the self destructive behavior. John F. Kennedy's “moonshot speech” to congress in May of 1961 brought about a huge interest in space exploration and no doubt influenced Gene Roddenberry's vision.
Joseph STRAUBHAAR and Robert LaROSE (2002). Media Now. Communication Media in the Information Age. 3rd Edition. Belmont, Wadworth/Tompson Learning.
“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” Humans have been fascinated by space for generations. They are intrigued by its lovely mystery that contains a multitude of possibilities. Significant improvements in space discovery opened many opportunities for filmmakers to go to infinity and beyond. Outer space has been portrayed on the silver screen countless times, from Star Wars, the epic space opera series, to Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip to the Moon), the iconic French silent film, to Gravity, the Academy Award-nominated contemporary thriller. After the moon landing in 1969, the motion picture industry began to produce more stories about space travel; thus, a wide variety of space films that appeal to different audiences was created. Moviegoers were eager to see both outlandish science fiction films and strictly historical biopics alike. A new era of film had begun and it revolutionized Hollywood as we know it.
The state of convergence began when people were communicating increased types of information through these computers. First program data, statistics, stock market quotes, news, specific interest information, and finally personal information. Computers became a method of communication within themselves.
Literally converge means "to tend toward or approach an intersecting point." But I believe that word's meaning especially in literature changes, or even contains two different meanings. So in the story "Everything that Rises Must Converge" by Flannery O 'Connor converge affects the title but has different meaning. The title means that the past is nothing and the present is more important. Not only that, but everything will return as God made as the time goes by.
Robert Poole, in his article, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” explores how the film was put together, edited for better responses from viewers and critics, and how our culture and politics of the 1960s influenced its making. Poole describes how Kubrick’s ahead-of-their-time special affects set the stage for future science fiction films and inspired many. Poole gives his readers a summary of the film, describing how man evolved from ape and into man who took to spaceflight.
In 1966 a series called "Star Trek" was created. It's creator, Gene Roddenberry, did not create the show to be a science fiction series. The series was much deeper than that. It wasn't just about discovering new planets and civilizations. It was about controversial issues. Even though the series' take place in the 23rd and 24th century the issues struck with the times and related current issues. Through each series, The Original, Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager, there has been progression with the times and the issues. The issues that surround the episodes of Star Trek include race, religion, sexuality, the depiction of science and gender roles. The central focus being talked about in this paper will be gender roles. Gender roles in Star Trek deal with leadership and sexuality.
Since the beginning, the sci-fi genre has used special effects and sound to create the technologically advanced future worlds including space exploration and adventuring to alien planets. Traditionally, the sci-fi genre has been used to display a technologically advanced future and in some cases involving space travel. Since George Melies’s Trip to the Moon (1902 film), the
The Technological singularity is defined by three concepts: 1.) the moment when an artificial intelligence becomes super intelligent, capable of improving itself more rapidly than the greatest human mind, 2.) Scientific breakthroughs rise extra exponentially, with the potential of new ideas every few seconds, and 3.) The point at which the future cannot be predicted beyond in a scientific sense.
Joseph STRAUBHAAR and Robert LaROSE (2002). Media Now. Communications Media in the Information Age. 3rd Edition. Belmont, Wadsworth/Thompson Learning.
(QUINN, S., & FILAK, V. F. (2005). Convergent journalism: an introduction. Burlington, MA, Elsevier/Focal Press.