trek/wars?

There are those out there who are fans of neither STAR TREK nor STAR WARS, unaware that in the occasionally rabid worlds these two groups represent, there is often a sense of disdain for the other camp. An outsider might assume they'd be lovey dovey, but they've been known to greet each other with suspicion, if not outright condescension. Even among the less rabid, there can be an expectation of being loyal to one, but not both. This is somewhat natural...many deep passions come with a sense of pride and privilege at appreciating something others don't "get". But to have one's passion lumped together with a similar entity can be irksome and belittling. It's like telling a friend about your adoration of MONTY PYTHON, then receiving from them a BENNY HILL gift set. Even if you like both, you suddenly wonder whether you've befriended a simpleton.
I've long been aware of the particularly delineated schism between TREK and SW, because i love both. Oh, i don't speak klingon, and i've never asked a woman to don a princess leia costume, but if you wish to challenge me to a SW or TREK trivia contest, you'd better bring some heat is all i'm saying. Fellow fans quickly recognize my devotion, but sometimes there's a moment of disorientation or betrayal when they realize i love both. Some have even tried to "save" me. In this schism, there's some rationality behind the snobbery. To a SW fan, TREK is geekier, smaller in scope, and simplistic. To a TREK fan, SW lacks vision and intelligence. But i'll take both. Call me a trekker or a trekkie, and i'll answer. Give me SW sheets, and i'll sleep on 'em.
Now, it is not my intention in the following to establish whether one is "better". Even though i occasionally indulge in the "favorites" game, you'll get no such satisfaction out of me on this one. Stormtroopers and phasers on stun, i need 'em both. But let's look at these two worlds, and break down their appeals.
STAR WARS is deeply rooted in mythology. This was no accident, as lucas was an avid reader of joseph campbell. The youth who goes on a transformative adventure...the wizened, magical teacher...throw in a pirate, a fool, a couple other archetypes, and you're off to the races. SW is deeply rooted in the paradigm of "good versus evil", it's unrelentingly violent on both sides of that fence, and it took place a "long time ago".
STAR TREK is an utopian dream, a vision of a human future where war, racism, disease, and hunger are relics of our barbaric past. I never thought of this until just now, but TREK is in many ways a realization of the dream set forth in "Imagine" (never mind that the show predated the song...hmmm, that's a thought, john watching STAR TREK). A future where countries are gone, and all genders and colors live in equality. A future where money is gone...people work for the greater good, and all share in the rewards. A future where religion is gone...superstition, ignorance, and "magic" have faded in the light of knowledge (indeed, this was one of roddenberry's prime directives, that there be no religion in the TREK universe, a mandate that the DS9 writers ignored after he died). TREK is not so steeped in violence. Phasers and blasters both have a stun setting, but how many times can you remember it even being used in SW? There are many episodes of TREK in which no one is killed, or even hurt. The very titles invoke different energies...independent of context, how do the words "war" and "trek" make you feel?
Of course, writing about utopia might quickly become boring. TREK's drama comes through contact with aliens. In them, we see a mirror of the worst parts of our own present-day behavior, as they face off with humanity's utopian ideals. Through them, we view the noble and ignoble parts of ourselves. The struggle of TREK is not "good versus evil", but rather "ignorance versus knowledge".
Hmm. Breaking down these two universes, it suddenly becomes clear why i so like one of them, and that i philosophically prefer it to the other.
Of course, i am in some ways a jedi padawan, as i explore intuition and the possibility of an unseen connective force. So SW doesn't get the entire fuzzy end of that lollipop.
But since i've already given unequal focus, why stop now? I think there's one very specific reason why TREK inspires such devotion. I'm talking particularly about the "get a life" fans. I think that they've seen this vision of our future, and the thought of waiting 200 years is unbearable. They look at the unspeakable cruelty and horror of this world, and say "No, waiting is not an option. We need this now". It's really amazing and beautiful, understood in those terms. All fandom starts out as escapism...and of course many TREK fans simply get off on dressing as a borg, or orion slave girl, or discussing what might happen if riker were kirk's first mate...but with the crews of trekkers all over the world, it's something more noble. Hardcore TREK fans are some of the most charitably-committed people on the planet...it's often written into the very charters of the fictional starships to which they belong.
In summation, i've come up with the perfect way to capture the antipathy between TREK and SW fans. I'm going to invoke an image. If you are a fan of one or both and have a weak stomach, please read no further. Again, an outsider might think this image would be the stuff of fanboy wet dreams. I assure you, it is not. Were you to share this image with certain fans, they'd likely try to bludgeon you. I'm feeling a little violated myself, that i've allowed this image into my brain for the entire time it's taken me to write this.
Imagine a sexy woman in a princess leia slave girl outfit...with vulcan ears.
I may never get a chubby again.

Postscript: It took a few more years, but i finally made the break from STAR WARS for good: http://nakedmeadow.blogspot.com/2016/09/1977-2014.html.