Southwest Airlines Mag Pokes Fun at DS9 (and DVD) Fans (1 Viewer)

[Todd K]

I figured since this didn't have anything to do with R. Epstein's review of the box set, I'd start a new thread. If an admin feels it would better as an addendum the original thread, please move it.

So I was flying Southwest Airlines over the weekend and picked up their complimentary "Spirit" magazine. On page 103, they discuss upcoming media releases. There was a blurb on the DS9 Season One set.

The problem is, the article doesn't really promote the series as much as it does insult the fans. Here's the Text:

DEEP SPACE DORKS
A DVD can hold 4.7 gigabytes to 17 gigabytes of information. It is recorded in layers using the MPEG-2 format to compress video and audio down so as to maximize the amount of information that will fit on each disc while maximizing the quality. MPEG stands for "Moving Picture Expert Group."
Why mention all this? Because those are details only a dork would care about. And dorks also care about Star Trek: deep Space Nine, whose first season is coming out on DVD this month.
The show's first 20 episodes track the wacky goings on of a Starfleet Federation station in Cardassian space (dork), and a host of addition features fill the six-disc set, burning through all of those maximum 17 megs of data. Data. Hey, he's the android on Star Trek: The Next Generation. But only a dork would know that.

I'm not complaining about this article itself, since trying to argue that ST fans aren't special breed is an uphill battle, but what was this author's deal? Either he's got a huge chip on his shoulder, or he's the worst promoter (or jokester) in the history of printed media.

 

[Tim Doane]

Indeed, a very strange magazine article indeed. Extremely insulting in fact and I'm not that big of a Star Trek fan.

-Tim

 

[Rain]

Data. Hey, he's the android on Star Trek: The Next Generation. But only a dork would know that.

Um, get it?

It doesn't sound to me like the guy is being very insulting, especially since he's basically including himself in the "dork" group.

 

[DeVario]

Yes, he too is a "dork" since he also knew that Data is the android on TNG.

 

[jonathan_little]

Actually, I bet they used Dolby's AC-3 to compress the audio, not MPEG2.

I don't like his definition of compression, either. Compression is to 'minimize size' not to necessarily to 'maximize the amount of "information" that will fit on a disc.' I suppose you could say his definition was correct, but I think he's looking at it backwards... or something. He's a dork.

 

[Todd K]

I really only mentioned this because it's the oddest promo I've seen in a while.

The scenario reminds me a lot of that Seinfeld episode where Tim Watley converted to Judaism just so he could make Jewish jokes.

"So, this offends you as a Star Trek fan?"
"No, it offends me as a writer!"

 

[Sam Hatch]

I've been seeing quite a few of these reviewless reviews lately -- especially from the DVD guy in my local paper. Despite the fact that he hates anything that isn't completely obscure, he recently foamed at the mouth about the Six Feet Under boxed set.

He argued that the price was too high for the content included (a valid point), and that since everybody already has HBO [it's free after all, isn't it? ] we should all just tape it -- since off-the-air VHS copies (yes, no mention of higher quality signal/recording devices, just plain old VHS and plain old snowy coax cable) are about equal to DVD quality anyhow. And that was the review. No mention of special features, surround mix or even a rudimentary glance at the picture. Perhaps someone out there will be want to rent it at a cost lower than either the purchase of the box set or a subscription to HBO? Nope! Not an option.

He frequently flames cult B-movies as well, especially Image releases. The fact that they aren't Citizen Kane yet still contain extras apparently infuriates him. How someone who despises the format would want to write a column about DVDs every week is beyond me. His boss must have forced him to take the gig, I suppose.

 

[David Lambert]

Whether the guy is insinuating he's a dork or not himself, the article IS rather insulting to Trekkies. As you know, we are a group that takes things to fanatical levels. I wouldn't be surprised to see a movement along the lines of "well, we just won't fly SouthWest Airlines" over something like this. Why patronize a business that "entertains" you with a magazine whose editor permits writers to take shots at you?

 

[Bryan Tuck]

Data. Hey, he's the android on Star Trek: The Next Generation. But only a dork would know that.

There must be a lot of dorks in the world.

At any rate, I prefer the term "geek."

 

[Matt Birchall]

I'm a huge Star Wars fan, and although we Star Wars fans are a class or two above Trek fans, we're still nerds and geeks and dorks and whatever. Still a strange article, though. . .

 

[Luis A]

I'm a huge SW fan also, but wouldn't consider a Trekkie a lower class fan. I dunno I think the guy who wrote that was obviously making fun of himself.

 

[Carlo_M]

You know, a quality article like that got me thinking: if they just stopped making the "Spirit" magazine I wonder if they could lower the prices of their tickets...

 

[Paul Arnette]

You know, a quality article like that got me thinking: if they just stopped making the "Spirit" magazine I wonder if they could lower the prices of their tickets...

Burn!

Take that, "Spirit" magazine reviewer "dork"!

 

[Rain]

Wow, the humour is obviously lost.

I'm not really a hardcore Trekkie, but I've watched pretty much every incarnation of ST as well as going to the movies.

And I think this is pretty funny.

I've been seeing quite a few of these reviewless reviews lately...

It's not a review, it's merely an announcement.

Seems to me the guy was just trying to inject a little humour into it.

 

[David Lambert]

Wow, the humour is obviously lost...I think this is pretty funny...Seems to me the guy was just trying to inject a little humour into it.

I look at it this way, Rain: I can call me a dork. You can call me a dork, because I know you and I know where you're coming from when you do. When a complete stranger calls me a dork, he better let me know up from that no offense is intended, and/or that he's one of the dorks involved, and that we're just having a spot of fun here. Otherwise, I tend to get insulted quite fast.

Me, I can blow the thing off, no prob. It's not worth losing any sleep over, here. As I pointed out, though, a bajillion cranky Trekkies might not be a customer base the airline wants to alienate.

 

[Nathan*W]

Methinks this has the smatterings of the Shatner/SNL "Get a Life!" sketch. There were those that advocated boycotting both Shatner and SNL at the time. I think the reviewer's biggest fault lies in not including enough smilies so everyone takes his comments in a good natured way. Like this --> (StarTrekFansAreDorksI'mOneToo)

 

[Rain]

...he better let me know up from that no offense is intended, and/or that he's one of the dorks involved...

Well, no offense, but I thought that was abundantly clear just from reading it.

Come on, guys. Can't people joke about anything anymore? :frowning:

 

[MikeM]

Rain, I'm with ya. I think it's funny!

I think the reason that most of us don't find it funny is that we're geeks. (Yes, myself included!).

 

[Rain]

I'm a geek and I'm proud.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

you see, the Shatner sketch had a funny end, and was obviously meant tongue in cheek

This comes off as nothing but mean