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Oftentimes, conspiracy theorists such as Flat Earthers resort to mental gymnastics that transcend the realm of reality, undermining the feats and potential of human grit. Interestingly, Gene Roddenberry, who crafted one of the most iconic sci-fi IPs in fiction, was having none of it.
Even though theStar TrekIP ticked all the boxes that make a sci-fi brand work, and the accomplishments in that universe don’t exactly translate to the real world, per Roddenberry, the show spoke to some basic human needs.
Gene Roddenberry had nothing but hope for humankind
While certain conspiracy theorists tend to undermine the potential of humans, whether it be building pyramids, the moon landing, or even the Earth being a globe,Gene Roddenberrycontinued to embrace our abilities as a species.
Star Trek Theory: The Watcher Inspired Gene Roddenberry’s Prime Directive
Considering how many impressive feats humankind has achieved so far, withStar Trek, Roddenberry aimed to speak to basic human needs,adding“There is a tomorrow”(viaBig Think).
Star Trek speaks to some basic human needs: that there is a tomorrow — it’s not all going to be over with a big flash and a bomb; that the human race is improving; that we have things to be proud of as humans. No, ancient astronauts did not build the pyramids — human beings built them, because they’re clever and they work hard. And Star Trek is about those things.
On the flip side, as opposed to theStar Trekcreator’s more insightful perspective on the potential of humankind,William Shatneropted to have a little fun at the expense of Flat Earthers.
William Shatner ate and left no crumbs with one response to Flat Earthers
In 2021, William Shatner becamethe first man to travel to outer space, and upon landing back on Earth, the Flat Earth community, which surprisingly still exists, bombarded him with the question,“Whether the Earth was flat”.
Not William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy, Gene Roddenberry Reportedly Begged 1 Star Trek Actor to Not Leave the Show for Broadway
But instead of giving them a straightforward answer, which is available at the click of a button, in true Shatner fashion, he toned up the absurdity of their discussion to 100. On a sarcastic note, he added (viaThe Other Side Of Midnight):
I was asked by the Flat Earth group to say something about whether the Earth was flat. And I have been around it, and my opinion is that the Earth is flat. Just so few people want to believe it. It’s flat. I’ve been there…They wanted to know whether the sun was a planet and if anyone was living there. There are things, entities living on the sun, sending out rays that warm our planet…I better not go any further.
At the end of the day, no matter what humankind achieves, such conspiracy theorists would still exist, as being different for the sake of being different becomes their whole identity at one point.
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2539
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
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gene roddenberryWilliam Shatner
