William Shatner’s latest documentary was recently released, William Shatner’s Get a Life!. The title comes from the (in)famous Saturday Night Live episode in 1986 where Shatner poked fun at Star Trek fans and their devotion to the series and Trek universe. Yet with the passing of years the actors seems to not only have come to grips with his identification with Captain Kirk and the Star Trek series, but also that the fans and conventions represent something far more significant as well.
In a piece in Spinoff Online on the new documentary, Shatner reflects on his understanding of the meaning of conventions for fans, and shares the shift in his own assumptions on the subject. In his view, beyond friendships and community, something deeper is at work: “In fact, there is something very mystical, ritualistic, sociological about these conventions. They have a far deeper meaning then even the people themselves know.”
In my view this demonstrates an important insight on the part of Shatner that dovetails with the conclusion of my own research over the years on science fiction and related fandom and conventions. It may be that for many science fiction is understood as a new sacred mythology, and conventions function as transformational festivals that provide spiritual community.
William Shatner’s Get a Life! is currently available on Epix.
Related posts:
“Star Trek Fandom as a Religious Phenomenon?”
“Star Trek Conventions as Sacred Pilgrimage”
“Fan Culture Documentaries: Back to Space-Con and Four Days at Dragon*Con”
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