I have the feeling most of the Star Trek viewers aren't exactly the target of the producers. (Do writers in general has this problem?)
Ok, this gonna sound polemic and I'm gonna try to not use any adjectives. (Except for once)
The thing is that sometimes I feel like many stories try to appeal to a broad audience, but regardless of what they aim for, a lot of the time the audience ends up being (I’ll allow myself this just once) men rather than women. I’m not sure if this happens with the animated series of Avatar, but I do notice that with Star Trek, even though they try to make everyone feel represented, the reality is that the average viewer is, well, just that—the average person in the country where it’s broadcast.
In the case of Avatar, it’s criticized by some Japanese people because they associate it more with China, to the point that they label it as almost racist when it’s compared to Japanese animation (anime). What I mean is that no matter how much a series tries to appeal to a general audience or to please everyone, that’s never really going to happen; it will always end up having a group with shared characteristics that likes it.
But what do you think? Can there be stories that anyone—regardless of gender, ethnicity, or country—can enjoy? I think the closest thing to that is Harry Potter, and well, you know what the creator is like, but that’s not the point here.
It’s hard to explain, but this is more aimed at writers or any other creative producer: do you write with a specific audience in mind, or do you think that everyone will like what you create?
▲ 18·28 comments·fetched
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▲ 17·rogermccoy
the audience ends up being (I’ll allow myself this just once) men rather than women
I know Trek has a rep here for the fans all being guys—specifically guys who can't get a date—but I don't know if it holds up to much scrutiny. The campaigns to rescue TOS were spearheaded by Bjo Trimble and I believe the participants were a pretty mixed crowd, including a lot of women who appreciated good sci-fi in addition to those who thought that—in the immortal words of Isaac Asimov's daughter—"Mr. Spock is dreamy." I haven't been to a lot of cons, but the ones I've seen felt like pretty mixed crowds as well.
the average viewer is, well, just that—the average person in the country where it’s broadcast
Isn't the average in most countries a roughly equal split of men and women?
▲ 9·ValueSubtracted
Can there be stories that anyone—regardless of gender, ethnicity, or country—can enjoy?
Sure - there are plenty of global mega-hits, from the MCU to Star Wars to The Fast and the Furious.
But I don't think you can (or should, really) separate a work from the cultural context that led to its creation.
▲ 9·RIotingPacifist
I think the closest thing to that is Harry Potter
Regardless of JK's bigotry, Harry Potter just isn't that good, it's kids books that never evolve beyond that, that makes it easy reading and good for fanslop, but it's really a bunch of stories where the good guys are good because they are good and the bad guys are bad because they are bad, there is no complexity or real world morality, it's just slop of kids that people who never read books for adults like. Which makes it good to make movieslop from.
do you write with a specific audience in mind
Have we learnt nothing from the SnyderCut? imagining a fan to make your movie for makes for bad movies.
From startrek.website.
Ok, this gonna sound polemic and I'm gonna try to not use any adjectives. (Except for once)
The thing is that sometimes I feel like many stories try to appeal to a broad audience, but regardless of what they aim for, a lot of the time the audience ends up being (I’ll allow myself this just once) men rather than women. I’m not sure if this happens with the animated series of Avatar, but I do notice that with Star Trek, even though they try to make everyone feel represented, the reality is that the average viewer is, well, just that—the average person in the country where it’s broadcast.
In the case of Avatar, it’s criticized by some Japanese people because they associate it more with China, to the point that they label it as almost racist when it’s compared to Japanese animation (anime). What I mean is that no matter how much a series tries to appeal to a general audience or to please everyone, that’s never really going to happen; it will always end up having a group with shared characteristics that likes it.
But what do you think? Can there be stories that anyone—regardless of gender, ethnicity, or country—can enjoy? I think the closest thing to that is Harry Potter, and well, you know what the creator is like, but that’s not the point here.
It’s hard to explain, but this is more aimed at writers or any other creative producer: do you write with a specific audience in mind, or do you think that everyone will like what you create?
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