Most of the world was taken by surprise on the 22nd of november 1968 when nbc aired arguably the first and definitely the most impactful interracial kiss on television. Over the years Star Trek has never lost its charm nor has it lost its social impact on the masses. Every series has taken a just and improving political opinion and displayed it on the silver screen for the public to watch.
People across the continents have been inspired by this show, unified by it’s message for a better future. Kaitlyn Morgan from Canada says that Star Trek for her has a “different feel depending on the series, but overall, the show has a wonderfully optimistic view of the future.” She continues to say, “In these dark times, it’s nice to have a show with some sort of positive look at the future.”
Raine Nerys from the Netherlands on the other hand talks about how Star Trek The Original Series was “interesting how much it was a symbol of progress way back in the 60’s with a black woman as a lieutenant on the bridge, a Japanese man on the bridge, and a Russian on the bridge.” They also recognise the shortcoming of this show, calling it a “mildly problematic piece of media, viewed under a modern lens,” but continue that they do not wish to “discredit the importance of tos for its time period and its influence on modern sci-fi.” They conclude that “it's still interesting to see how society changes through something like that, which has stayed relevant for all this time.”
Olivia Pardo, a young American says that her view of Star Trek is shaped by the future Star Trek presents, a future “promoting not just tolerance of different people and species, but uplifting and valuing their differences.” She also notices that “The show has slipped up in certain areas, both in its depiction of the future and handling of characters and sci-fi plots, but it depicts a future many of us cling to, especially in the turbulent climate we endure today.” She very much appreciates it for “it's message that humanity needs to band together to become better and be more than the sum of its parts, and overcome it's past and present societal problems.”
Closer to home, Rowan Majstorovic from London says he loves Star Trek as “it explores issues that need exploring, like how The Original Series had blatant allegories for racism or the Vietnam War. It makes mistakes sometimes but it’s a show that learns from them and isn’t afraid to expand upon its repertoire - infinite diversity in infinite combinations”
Star Trek has impacted people all over the world, wherever they are, giving out a strong message. A message of unity, hope and a better future, one we could all use right now, right here, in London.
[ STAR TREK TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT AND DISCOVERY ARE AVAILABLE TO WATCH ON NETFLIX UK ]
