The Influence Of Star Trek In Pop Culture

Star Trek took the world by storm with its futuristic scenarios and outlandish ideas, which opened up the doors for science fiction in America as it gained recognition and popularity all across the world. It started as a television series in the 1960’s to becoming a multi-billion dollar franchise including 5 television series, 12 movies, and selling a magnitude of merchandise (Star Trek). People tend to look past the fact that Star Trek was so influential on the world, all they see is men and women in weird suits fighting aliens in space. But, what people don’t see is the how Star Trek inspired people and events that have drastically impacted not only America, but eventually the whole world. Things like the non-vehicular cell phone, iPad,

They even consider themselves part of the Star Trek family, calling themselves ‘Trekkies’ or ‘Trekkers’ (Star Trek). Star Trek fans have even gone as far as of learning to speak Klingon and use the Vulcan salute as a symbol to recognize another fan (Star Trek).

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

Most people compared it to the british Twilight Zone but only Star Trek was the first science fiction series to have a steady cast. But once it was started multiple shows and movies formed. Babylon 5 was a 1990 television series that was at first denied but then was given the chance to air (Star Trek). After three script writers from Trek’s Original Series started writing for Babylon 5. After a lot of feuding between the fans, Roddenberry's widow Majel Barrett Roddenberry, and Star Trek actress decided to do a guest appearance on Babylon 5 to get the feuding to end (Star Trek). The show was up an running for five series which at the time was the longest running science fiction television series besides Star Trek. That wasn’t the only place we were seeing Star Trek. In season five of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we see a tribute made to Star Trek by using the scenario of two Captain Kirk used in episode “The Enemy Within” (Star Trek). A more modern example of how Star Trek has so widely affected Science Fiction was in NBC’s Heroes, when character Hiro Nakamura explained his ability to teleport “like Star Trek” (Star Trek). He is even seen doing the vulcan salute and his father played in Heroes is George Takei who played Sulu in the original Star Trek series (Star Trek). Other T.V. series such as Stargate and movies like Crimson Tale with Denzel Washington, all paid tribute to, or used Star Trek in