X-Message-Number: 19077
Date: Tue, 14 May 2002 20:28:07 -0700
From: "John Grigg" <>
Subject: Trekkies

Mark Plus wrote:
When Cindy came of age, she left Ohio and moved to London, where she thought 
a real-life Barbie would live.  For a few years Cindy scraped by on various 
jobs, including working as a rock musician.  In her late 20's she inherited 
some money from her father (I gathered she and her bucolic parents were 
somewhat estranged), and she decided to spend it on the first of a series of 
cosmetic operations to make her look more like Barbie.  I would describe her 
as plain-looking before her transformation, but certainly not unattractive.
(end)


I happened to be visiting my parents about seven years back when 20/20 did a 
story on her.  My mother remarked, "despite all her efforts, she is already 
forty and only getting older."  


I admit to wanting to do the same thing she did(to a lesser extent) if I had the
financial resources.  Like her, my face could have been quite attractive with 
the right surgeon's sculpting touch.  

you continue:
Another person profiled on the show was a guy who was thoroughly obsessed 
with "Star Trek."  You know: the sort of loser who has all the episodes and 
movies on videotape and a house full of Trek collectibles, dresses up in 
Trek costumes to attend conventions, and so forth.  
(end)


Ouch!!!  In my defense, I have only two or three episodes on tape(series 
finales), hardly any collectibles(I lust for the Trek Christmas tree ornaments!)
and I ONLY wear my uniform to Trek conventions.  This is unlike some people who
wear them to jury duty, work or their wedding! lol

The show presented his 
"lifestyle" as an attempt to live out the humanistic ideals of Gene 
Roddenberry's vision of the future, or something to that effect.
(end)

Mark, have you ever seen the very funny documentary called "Trekkies"?

you continue:
Now, after reflecting on both examples of human transformation, I concluded 
that both of these people had some serious emotional problems.  But I found 
myself respecting Cindy Jackson a lot more than the Trekker geek.  
(end)


Agreed, but I never saw the same documentary you did.  Many devoted Trek fans 
are productive people.

you continue:
Cindy 
could have stayed in Ohio, married a blue-collar guy, let her weight balloon 
and spent her free time reading romance novels while imagining she was the 
Barbie-like heroine.  Instead, she has exerted herself against considerable 
odds to live out her personal dream, even if it seems a bit twisted to me, 
and to a certain extent she has succeeded.  I don't know if she considers 
herself "happy," of course, but she does have some tangible results to show 
for her efforts, including apparently wealth.
(end)


What you say is so true!!  Her life could have easily have been so depressingly 
different.  But she also might have had a pleasant and fairly positive life as a
bluecollar wife, depending on her decisions.

you continue:
The Trekker guy, by contrast, couldn't possibly instantiate his dream in 
real life, given the way he defined it.  There's no "Starfleet Academy" to 
apply to.
(end)


Damn!!  And don't I just know it!  But if the Air Force Academy would not take 
me, well..., it just would not matter anyway.  Anyway, I'd really much rather 
attend school with Professor Xavier and his students. ; )

you continue:
  If the majority of SF fans are like this guy, then it's not 
surprising that they aren't interested in cryonics.  They would rather live 
in their fantasy worlds than try to do something both unusual and 
extraordinarily hard in the real world.  
(end)


Ouch again!  Based on some of the people I have seen at conventions, I believe 
there is a grain of truth to what you say.  But I prefer to think of them as 
"dreamers."  And to be honest, many science fiction fans are educated people 
with good jobs who do not live in their parent's basement.  I think you may have
enjoyed the SNL skit with the evil Kirk just a little too much. : )  Mark, do 
you ever read science fiction?    

you continue:
People who have a personality more 
like Cindy Jackson's might be better candidates for cryonics marketing, if 
there were a way to identify them demographically.
(end)


You have a very good point!  But Finding an actual demographic could be very 
challenging.  

best wishes,

John
  





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