Star Trek Social Club
r/startrek: The Next Generation
Star Trek news and discussion. No slash fic...
Maybe a little slash fic.
New to Star Trek and wondering where to start?
Rules
1 Be constructive
All posts/comments must be thoughtful and balanced.
2 Be welcoming
It is important that everyone from newbies to OG Trekkers feel welcome, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, religion or race.
3 Be truthful
All posts/comments must be factually accurate and verifiable. We are not a place for gossip, rumors, or manipulative or misleading content.
4 Be nice
If a polite way cannot be found to phrase what it is you want to say, don't say anything at all. Insulting or disparaging remarks about any human being are expressly not allowed.
5 Spoilers
Utilize the spoiler system for any and all spoilers relating to the most recently-aired episode. There is no formal spoiler protection for episodes/films after they have been available for approximately one week.
6 Keep on-topic
All busmittions must be directly about the Star Trek franchise (the shows, movies, books, etc.). Off-topic discussions are welcome at c/Quarks.
7 Meta
Questions and concerns about moderator actions should be brought forward via DM.
Upcoming Episodes
| Date | Episode | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 11-28 | LD 5x07 | "Fully Dilated" |
| 12-05 | LD 5x08 | "Upper Decks" |
| 12-12 | LD 5x09 | "Fissure Quest" |
| 12-19 | LD 5x10 | "The New Next Generation" |
| 01-24 | Film | "Section 31" |
In Production
Strange New Worlds (TBA)
Section 31 (2025-01-24)
Starfleet Academy (TBA)
In Development
Untitled comedy series
Wondering where to stream a series? Check here.
view the rest of the comments
Nice article. Never went but I have been to ComicCon. The signing/photo with celebrities is a big business, and of course not limited to Star Trek conventions. Here’s an article on it: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/stars-getting-rich-fan-conventions-933062/
I have a who is a screen actor and they often work for very little pay. Even a recurring character on a hit TV show might not even be making enough to afford health insurance.
This friend recently landed a small but important role in a movie that gained somewhat of a "cult" status after its release. The money he makes from selfies and autographs at conventions is sometimes the only money he earns that month. I can see why it disappoints fans, but I can also understand these actors who are just trying to stay afloat. Especially the Trek actors who often don't seem to get much other work.
That's totally fair but in this case all the actors signing autographs are multi-millionaires. Totally different I agree if it's a much smaller actor but the Star Trek Convention definitely didn't provide a platform for smaller actors, only the big ones.
I think you sorely overestimate how much working actors make. Lots of actors, even those on Star Trek, fall into the middle class and that's if they're working regularly. Very few actors, percentage wise, are multi-millionaires.
I don't known if you've been paying attention to the SAG strike, but it's been really eye opening for me! Of course it sucks to pay 10$ for an autograph from a millionaire, but I wouldn't assume to know how much they all actually make from acting gigs.
Thanks and good feedback, probably something I guess is just a reality these days. For me it feels like, without the fans the actors wouldn't have jobs so why not give out autographs and photos for free supporting the people who support you?
@metaversemorgan @blewit
I've never been to a con, and likely never will, but it's a lot of work for an actor to be there. They take time out of their lives, have to be charming, and operate the assembly line of autographs on a multi day event. I'm not sure there's a clearly correct answer, but them being there is a real job with real work. Having them do it all gratis is a big ask.
However, to be fair, there is a difference between going to a convention you are interested in and working a convention.
The actors are giving days of their lives to come to the cons and need to be compensated for it.
While I would find it creepy to pay for the time, I also see it as a sign of respect on fans’ part and as a way to make sure that the whole process is run safely and respectfully. But then, even in the old, old days of Trek conventions before paid availability, I felt uncomfortable to approach the actors and other panelists in the very limited time that they were out on the floor.
If not for the paid signings and photo ops, there would be fewer stars at these events. The old 80s and 90s cons had at most one or two actors and a producer, designer or writer. The price for admissions would be higher and there likely would be less availability for photos and autographs, and it would be poorly managed.
I’ve been to both political conventions and amateur sports events with photo ops and signings. In one case, the politician had a photographer who literally followed up with an ‘opportunity’ to buy the photo. (I’d rather use my own camera.) The sports star was mobbed and just took and signed pieces of paper and handed them back without interacting. Neither was a good experience for me.