Why is there such hatred for Wil Weaton (Wesley Crusher)? (1 Viewer)

[MikeSerrano]

Looking for intelligent discussion here... topic says it all.

-Mike

 

[Dennis Reno]

I think because he was such a weenie on ST:TNG. He really added nothing to the plot of the show and the idea of a pimply faced teen being at the helm of a starship was a bit much to accept.
Sure, I can accept that not only does the Universal Translator always work, but the other species lips move in perfect unison with the translation (instead of looking like an old karate film.) But a hormone raging kid as a member of Star Fleet is too much
To be truthful, he never bothered me that much, but I have never taken a TV show or movie that seriously.

 

[DaveF]

I've got nothing against Wil Wheaton. But the character "Wesley Crusher" could be annoying (though I though they used the character well at times).

I think some people confuse TV with reality, and forget that the actor is not the character.

 

[Neil Joseph]

Wesley crusher was even more annoying than Cousellor Troi in the early episodes ...."Captain, can you tell me how you feel" They really needed to fleash out that character and make her more interesting and not so goody goody.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Yes, Deanna took some getting used to.

But the problem with lil' Wes was that he was such a glass of milk. He was too good to be true, as well. He should have made off with The Traveler upon their first encounter.

And we knew all along that his being a part of the crew was a ploy on Paramount's part to draw a younger audience to the franchise (kids never have cared for the TOS characters).

Wesley didn't drive me up the turbolift the way he has some others, but he didn't endear himself to me either. That goody-goody persona was a bit much (especially in the infamous "anti-drug" episode, "The Game"). He seemed a little more like a "real person" in fifth season's "The First Duty."

 

[Howard Williams]

Hmmmm....I always liked Wesley. If there was any charactor I would have like to have been, I would chose him right after Captain Picard. Who doesn't want to be "The Boy Genius"?

I had a much bigger problem with Worf and his bullshit "Honor this"...."Warrior that" culture, even though deceit and cowardice runs rampants in their society.

 

[Don Black]

I kind of identified with Wheaton's character. I never had a problem with him. It wasn't until I read an interview he did on /. that I realized there was such a cult hatred of him. Plus, he was Ashley Judd's first on-screen kiss. I think he had the last laugh...

 

[Joseph Young]

I, like many people don't know him. In interviews he sounds really down to earth and 'real.' During The Weakest Link he decided to put on quite a performance... 'the slimy spoiled former child actor-who's really a nice guy but just f**ing with the audience.'
Umm.. yeah, I was convinced...
Joseph

 

[Steve Owen]

Yea, Wesley was lame, but Wil Weaton is a super cool dude. His website is really quite funny (he does it himself). Turns out he's quite a geek (in a good way). When he recently played on the Star Trek edition of The Weakest Link, his charity of choice was The Electronic Frontier Foundation. How cool is that?
Read his "interview" on Slashdot before busting on the guy.
-Steve

 

[Carlo_M]

There is hatred for Wil Wheaton? I've liked him since The Body...oh, I mean Stand By Me.

 

[Adil M]

I always hated that second doctor who replaced Beverly. The one w/ short curly blond hair.

Wesley Crusher was a superdork w/ no personality. He was the only one on the bridge I did not like. Deanna was only liked but I always wondered what she was thinking b/c she knew what Riker was thinking.

 

[CharlesD]

Wheaton's web site is actually pretty cool. If you read his 'blog, he seems like a real geek and an all round hoopy frood.

I can understand the Wesley hatred, although Wesley never particularly annoyed me. The character was not always used well on TNG, however.

What I don't understand is the transference of hatred to Wheaton himself. Some people can't seem to separate the character from the actor. I suppose that's part of being type cast, he had two major roles early on in his career and some people with serious life-deficits can't get over Wesley Crusher 'Worst.Character.Ever'.

BTW on his Web site, Wheaton mentions recording a narration for an A&E Biography on River Phoenix.

 

[Max Leung]

Yep, I didn't like Crusher's character either. And I associated it with the actor himself. However, his site that was mentioned a few posts up show that he really is indeed a cool dude! Smart and witty and all that crap. And more aware of the world than 99% of the actors out there.

 

[WoodyH]

Wesley Crusher may have been seriously mis-managed by the Powers that Be during his time on ST:TNG, but as mentioned above, Will Wheaton is one heck of a cool guy. If you haven't yet, stop by the site and give it a read - definitely worth the time.
The following is from his site...

I made this website so I could let you get to know the real me, not the space-suited, enterprising young ensign, or the sweet, vulnerable little dead body seeker.
See, here is the thing: I don't take myself seriously.
At all. Not even a little bit. People (and by people, I mean Star Trek fans who were the inspiration for The Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons....you know who you are) have been dumping on me for over 10 years, and if I took myself too seriously, I'd probably be sitting in an Urn next to River Phoenix.
So, have I barbequed enough sacred cows to make my point?

 

[Jon_B]

I think my biggest problem was Beverly Crusher. I just could not stand her for some reason. Some of my ill feelings for her rubbed off on her son, Wesley. It didn't help that Wesley got hooked up with some fine women on the show.

Jon

 

[andrew markworthy]

I must precede this contribution by stating that I have absolutely nothing against Mr Wheaton, who for all I know is a perfectly charming, okay guy. Certainly in the non-TNG things I've seen him do, he is a good actor, IMHO.

However, the character of Wesley Crusher is a different matter, and earlier contributors to this thread have outlined perfectly well why he should have been evacuated from an airlock in the first episode. Wesley Crusher is the reason why I won't be buying any of the early series TNG DVDs. Even if he's not in a particular episode, the thought that he is probably somewhere on the same disc is enough to put me off. I probably will avoid the next TNG movie because Wesley has a cameo role - I'll wait until it's out on DVD so I can fast-forward through that bit. I don't care if I miss a valuable part of the plot as a result - it's worth the sacrifice IMO.

 

[Scott W.]

Well I don't know what you trekkies will think of this, but Wheaton is gonna be in the next feature film 'Nemesis'. Thought I'd mention this. (E.T.)

Scott

 

[TheoGB]

Yeah, nothing against Wil after Stand By Me. I guess it's odd that people transfer the hatred but then it's hard to watch an actor who's played a character you hate. I still have a general dubious feeling towards Tom Cruise because all the early roles I associated him with were total nightmare ego-trips - the sort of people I hate in real life. It's weird I know.
I don't think anyone's really made the point of why Wesley is sooo awful. He's used like the 'moral barometer' of the show. He'll ask questions about people and life that even a 7-year old would already have fathomned the answer to. I guess he's even more hated in the UK because he has a touch of the 'American Brat' about him. You guys really don't know how much we can hate your kids in movies.
And he's really only there to provide an early 2D character point for Picard (the anti-kids thing) which IIRC is quickly forgotten. (This is actually pretty commmon with TV - every starts off with their apparent 'bad side' and within one episode it's a happy family of characters, etc. etc.)

 

[Neil Joseph]

I liked his mother though :b (Beverly)

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

I had a much bigger problem with Worf and his bullshit "Honor this"...."Warrior that" culture, even though deceit and cowardice runs rampants in their society.

You realize that all of that is made up I hope.