day 7: a show or a movie that has changed you, and how
This one is tough, not because there aren't shows or movies that have changed me, but because 1) choosing just one is hard and 2) admitting to it might be embarrassing.
I have enough geek in me to have obsessed over numerous shows in my 32 years. I think that media makes a huge impact on our lives whether we admit or not - that is part of why I enjoy looking at pop culture as part of my academic efforts.
Probably the easiest show to name is Star Trek - lets go with the entire franchise. Some of my earliest and fondest memories involving my Dad are about "Star Trek Sundays." They used to play classic Star Trek Sunday afternoons and I would sit in the giant blue chair with my Dad and watch Star Trek. He would tell me about the science behind Star Trek and we would just hang out. It was some of my favorite Daddy-Daughter time.
I remember when the first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation aired. Dad hated it - he thought Captain Picard was wimp. We gave it try anyhow, and the series grew on us. I grew up with the series, the final episode aired right around the end of my Freshman year in High School. Star Trek was part of how I bonded with friends from High School - how many inside jokes between Brian Leary, Christina Daves and I involved Star Trek? Heck, as I recall Brian and re-staged "As you like it" as a Star Trek episode (in paper doll form) for our Freshman English project.
Star Trek taught me optimism about the future and fueled my interest in science and math. It gave me a place to feel ambitious - it made me feel free to dream big about the future. Part of why I never fully cared for Deep Space Nine is that it lacked that intrinsic optimism about the future that made Star Trek what it is. Star Trek was also my gate-way drug into other realms of science fiction and fantasy. Those worlds have given me friends - real and imagined. They gave me hope when I was down, and worlds to escape into. They have stimulated my mind and spirit. It is weird to say, but I don't think I would be the person I am today without Star Trek.
I have enough geek in me to have obsessed over numerous shows in my 32 years. I think that media makes a huge impact on our lives whether we admit or not - that is part of why I enjoy looking at pop culture as part of my academic efforts.
Probably the easiest show to name is Star Trek - lets go with the entire franchise. Some of my earliest and fondest memories involving my Dad are about "Star Trek Sundays." They used to play classic Star Trek Sunday afternoons and I would sit in the giant blue chair with my Dad and watch Star Trek. He would tell me about the science behind Star Trek and we would just hang out. It was some of my favorite Daddy-Daughter time.
I remember when the first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation aired. Dad hated it - he thought Captain Picard was wimp. We gave it try anyhow, and the series grew on us. I grew up with the series, the final episode aired right around the end of my Freshman year in High School. Star Trek was part of how I bonded with friends from High School - how many inside jokes between Brian Leary, Christina Daves and I involved Star Trek? Heck, as I recall Brian and re-staged "As you like it" as a Star Trek episode (in paper doll form) for our Freshman English project.
Star Trek taught me optimism about the future and fueled my interest in science and math. It gave me a place to feel ambitious - it made me feel free to dream big about the future. Part of why I never fully cared for Deep Space Nine is that it lacked that intrinsic optimism about the future that made Star Trek what it is. Star Trek was also my gate-way drug into other realms of science fiction and fantasy. Those worlds have given me friends - real and imagined. They gave me hope when I was down, and worlds to escape into. They have stimulated my mind and spirit. It is weird to say, but I don't think I would be the person I am today without Star Trek.