Movies

Star Trek is considered one of the most popular science-fiction shows in the world which is probably rivaled by the Star Wars saga of George Lucas.  It is so popular as a TV series that it evolved to become a sort of a cult as the storys principal characters, along with the actors who portrayed them, became cultural icons.  Star Trek was the brainchild of a visionary named Gene Roddenbury.  Star Trek and Gene Roddenberry would forever be intertwined and can never be separated.  Gene Roddenbury through his creative writing on Star Trek has bridged generations by transporting his audience into the future and satisfying the curiosity for space exploration.  Like French novelist Jules Verne, Roddenberry boldly took us where no one has gone before  into a future no one thought was possibly and was only a fantasy.  He believed and was not afraid of what the future would bring and in the end, he had been right all along.

After a distinguished career in the military and police force, Roddenberry took to writing which he developed while serving in the military.  His writing also reflected his personality of being a futurist.  It was through futuristic writing that Roddenberry wanted to open our eyes to a brighter future than ever before where techno-miracles can be real and anything is possible (Jennings).  Through Star Trek, he created a future for the human race that is full of adventure though limited only by our imagination, such as seeing what benefits technology can bring rather than the harm it can cause.  Roddenberrys greatest legacy was perhaps his ability to get  people to overcome their fears by embracing the future as opposed to hiding from it or fearing it (Gene Roddenberry).

If there was one thing Star Trek prepared people for about the future, it is the technology.  The Original Series, first aired in 1966, featured technology that was then considered impossible to create and use.  Although these were mere props on the set, the idea that these would become real-life gadgetry in use by people in their everyday lives is not far-fetched.  Today, personal computers are becoming a staple of every household, thanks in part to user-friendly software developed to make them more accessible and available to the common folk.  The communicators the crew of the Enterprise used would eventually be manifested in the present as cellular or even satellite phones.  Like the props on Star Trek, they are small enough to be put in ones pocket they can be flipped open and one can reach out and touch someone anywhere.  Uhuras trademark earpiece has become more than a prop for Nichelle Nichols, the actress who played the iconic communications officer.  Modern technology made the wireless earpiece a partner of the cell phone thanks in part to Bluetooth technology which enables cell phone users to communicate with anyone without having to reach for their phones which has become convenient when one is driving or preoccupied with something that requires the use of both hands (Gerson Lehrman Group).  Modern medicine joined forces with computer technology as the latter helped create devices such as the MRI or Sonogram which enables expectant couples to see what the gender of their unborn child would be.  The CAT Scan resembles the same apparatuses Dr, McCoy uses in the Enterprises sick bay to conduct non-intrusive check-ups and diagnosis to determine ones ailments. The ubiquitous phaser has proven that the weapons used by the Entrprise crew were not necessarily lethal as evidenced by its ability to be set for stun.  Today, police and military forces, concerned with minimizing the use of force and in keeping for the respect for human rights, now make use of non-lethal weapons.  There is the hand-held stun device used by women to defend themselves against rapists.  There is also the tazer gun used by police men to subdue an aggressive suspect without the need to inflict severe physical injury or even use their guns which would lead to needless deaths (Evangelista).

Besides the space-age technology, Star Trek also has social and political undertones that also reflect Roddenberrys views on the social and political issues of his time which still has relevance to this day.  From the cast to the plots of each episodes, Star Trek tends to serve as an allegory to real-life social and political issues.  For one, the crew of the Enterprise is diverse, one in terms of race (and gender), as evidenced by the inclusion of Nichols (African-American woman) and George Takei (Asian-American) who plays Hikaru Sulu, the Enterprises swashbuckling helmsman, not to mention the inclusion of an alien in Mr. Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy (Alexander, 370  Fern, 7).  It also has political undertones as well with the casting  of Walter Koenig who played the Russian securityweapons system officer Pavel Chekov since the 1960s was the time of the Cold War when the United States and the Soviet Union were the two competing superpowers then.  The interracial and political issues were also evident whenever the crew of the Enterprise would interact with other alien races.  Even in later spinoffs of Star Trek, the social and political ideals Roddenberry showed in the Original Series still remains.  Roddenberry wanted to show people what the future had in store for them besides technology. He used the series to show that it is possible for people of different backgrounds to get along and there would come a time when their political and even racial conflict would come to an end.  The bridge of the Enterprise would serve as a model of the kind of world Roddenberry saw where people of diverse backgrounds and personalities would come together.  This was evidenced in one scene when Kirk, played by William Shatner and Uhura kissed (Alexander, 317).  There is also the balance of personalities when Kirks maverick streak is tempered by Spocks calculating logical approach in dealing with problems, not to mention being level-headed as opposed to Dr. McCoys cantankerous and crabby personality (Fern, 80).  This would be repeated in The Next Generation in the relationship between Captain Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, who is Kirs opposite being methodical and level-headed and his Number One, William Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes who appears to be more like Kirk.  There is also the United Federation of Planets adherence to the Prime Directive which called for non-interference as Roddenberrys answer in addressing imperialism in the real world.

Through the Prime Directive Roddenberry wanted to teach the world about respecting and appreciating ones culture without trying to impose ones own upon others. The mission of the Enterprise in the Original Series was mainly scientific as stated in the voiceover at the beginning of every show, to explore strange new worldsto seek out new life and new civilizations  Despite being a military vessel, the crew of the Enterprise conducts scientific research and sometimes performs diplomatic and peacekeeping missions and none of the shows ever depicted acts of aggression committed by the Enterprise in behalf of the Federation.  As shown by the diversity of the crew, Roddenberry also tried to promote a sense of ecumenism and community as the principal characters are essentially altruists and in the world they live in, the pervading attitude is the betterment of ones self instead of the acquisition of wealth or assertion of ones supremacy over the other in many ways.  As Roddenberry once put it, (By creating) a new world with new rules, I could make statements about sex, religion, Vietnam, politics, and intercontinental missiles. Indeed, we did make them on Star Trek we were sending messages and fortunately they all got by the network (Alexander, 329  Fern, 163).

In conclusion, Gene Roddenberry was not afraid of the future and enjoined others to boldly go where no one has gone before.