This is a pretty big weekend for fanboys (and girls): Free Comic Book day is tomorrow, and Star Wars Day is Sunday. Well, Star Trek fans decided to participate in Geek Weekend early, by using and promoting the hashtag #StopOrci2014 to complain about the potential of Bob Orci to direct the next Trek film.
I have my own history with Mr. Orci (detailed here), so I am definitely participating in this conversation… and I think the comments that are being made are a very direct and raw representation of how Into Darkness betrayed the promise of Trek for many fans. Here’s a sample of the comments:
@thingslucyreads: #StopOrci2014 coz there are hundreds of terrible fanfiction authors who also do Orci’s job a thousand times better than him w/o getting paid
@squidnado: #StopOrci2014 “hmmm THE WHITE GUY CAN BE KHAN AND THE LADYGIRL CAN BE CAROL MARCUS, A WEAPONS TECH, SOMEHOW.”
@muumipeikkonen: Star Trek deserves someone better. Someone who understands it. Someone who treats the fans with more respect. #StopOrci2014
@gretathegr8: And yeah I guess he already has the writing gig but seriously?! A first time director should not be in charge of Star Trek 3 #StopOrci2014
@deasuluna: I want to see the accepting nature of Star Trek be proven right with progressive storylines not immature frat boys in space! #StopOrci2014
@AdmrlJaneway: 21st century Star Trek films shouldn’t be less progressive than the 60s tv shows they’re based on! #StopOrci2014
@squidnado: #StopOrci2014 because the morals and philosophies of Star Trek do not need to fundamentally changed to appeal to a younger generation.
@lilywinterwood: because he’s a dick to the fans and the characters of star trek and basically everything star trek ever stood for #stoporci2014
@MooreEsMas: A woman doesn’t have to be in her underwear to make an impact #stoporci2014
@BrendaJaneF: #stoporci2014 because Kirk should not be turned into a sexist disrespectful womanizer
@spock_ebooks: That amount of pompous condescension and unprofessional interactions with fans should not be rewarded. #stoporci2014
@intelligentairs: #StopOrci2014 is pretty important if you want to keep the characterisation of characters intact alongside recognition of women as people
@japangela3: #stoporci2014 because writers/directors shouldn’t openly talk shit to those that criticise their work and it not be an issue
@Winkey67: Kirk was not Bush-like ffs, and he wasn’t immature womanizer either. Stop mischaracterization of our beloved characters. #StopOrci2014
@almosthumans: #stoporci2014 because majel barret deserved more than having her character be a throw away line and reduced to a one night stand for kirk
There is no doubt that Into Darkness was a divisive film, and these comments show one side of that conversation. My personal opinion is the movie, while moderately successful and well-reviewed, has not aged well… and these comments reflect the new conventional wisdom building about the film. I am particularly… “fascinated” that so many comments are from women commenting on the sexism of the latest film. What Paramount may have forgotten is Trek has a large and significant female fandom, and the treatment of women in STID infuriated many of them.
The fact that this conversation is happening on the day that Orci’s latest film, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, is released in theaters? Coincidence, probably, but if Mr. Orci (who closed his twitter account last year) wants to check in to see what people are saying about that movie he may want to wait until tomorrow, because some of these tweets are pretty harsh, and as we’ve seen… he’s somewhat thin skinned.