Will the new Trek series end the one planet, one race, one culture Trek nonsense?

[The Romulan Republic]

In my experience, complaints that something is "preachy" are often code for "It has a message I don't agree with."

Of course any creator's views are going to show through in their work. Its not a big problem (provided those views aren't something truly repulsive) as long as it doesn't disrupt continuity or logical plot/character development.

[Fixer]

In my experience, complaints that something is "preachy" are often code for "It has a message I don't agree with."

Of course any creator's views are going to show through in their work. Its not a big problem (provided those views aren't something truly repulsive) as long as it doesn't disrupt continuity or logical plot/character development.

Like TNG season 1.


youtu.be/ZltSUBw_hW0

[ChiggyvonRichthofen]

In my experience, complaints that something is "preachy" are often code for "It has a message I don't agree with."

Of course any creator's views are going to show through in their work. Its not a big problem (provided those views aren't something truly repulsive) as long as it doesn't disrupt continuity or logical plot/character development.

That may be so in some cases, but there's definitely cases when writers get on a soapbox and ram their point down people's throats in an obnoxious way. Like the clip above, calling a military uniform a "costume" . There's a myriad of legitimate ways to criticize jingoistic attitudes or debate patriotism, but early TNG did it in the smarmiest way possible.

At times it did disrupt the plot. Like the ridiculously out-of-the-blue moment when Riker unceremoniously kills his clone in Up the Long Ladder. A moment that's out of place and mostly ignored, and is only there because the writer wanted to get on her soapbox about an issue that wasn't even relevant to the episode.

I'd say that preachy is a sign of poor writing. The Ferengi are a prime example of preachy writing gone awry. A writer is entitled to his opinion, obviously, but too often characters didactically lecture on issues rather than actually struggling with them.

With all that said, there's no doubt that fans don't handle things well when a writer tells them something they don't like.

[Nessus]

Preachy IMO doesn't mean simply that work has a political (or other) thrust to it. It's basically a subset of "show, don't tell" mishandling. It means the writer basically took a moment out of the story to talk too explicitly/directly about a theme.


youtu.be/sFBhR4QcBtE

It doesn't even have to be a wrong or ill thought out position, either, it just has to be awkwardly blunt and direct. I've had plenty of times where a movie/show/book made me cringe by getting preachy about something I actually agree with it about. "Preachy" is bad because it's the writer condescending to the audience.

And naturally if a part of the audience disagrees with the theme/point, condescending to them isn't going to help convince them. Instead it's just going to offend them, and convince them that the writer's a fool, making it that much more inviting to write off that theme/point as the thoughts of a fool. Which in turn makes it that much easier for them to dismiss any others who might make similar points as fools without hearing them out.

So being "preachy" carries a high risk of poisoning the well regardless of whether you're tying to cheerlead or debate, and regardless of the merit of your ideas.

You can have themes or messages in a work without it being preachy. The way to do is to make the story itself a case study in the thing you're tying to say, but without explicit commentary. Just let events speak for themselves.

That said, "preachy" has indeed joined the ranks of "pretentious" and "trolling" as words that are often misused to mean "says things I don't agree with (and therefore needs to STFU)".

[Karha of Honor]

Preachy IMO doesn't mean simply that work has a political (or other) thrust to it. It's basically a subset of "show, don't tell" mishandling. It means the writer basically took a moment out of the story to talk too explicitly/directly about a theme.


youtu.be/sFBhR4QcBtE

It doesn't even have to be a wrong or ill thought out position, either, it just has to be awkwardly blunt and direct. I've had plenty of times where a movie/show/book made me cringe by getting preachy about something I actually agree with it about. "Preachy" is bad because it's the writer condescending to the audience.

And naturally if a part of the audience disagrees with the theme/point, condescending to them isn't going to help convince them. Instead it's just going to offend them, and convince them that the writer's a fool, making it that much more inviting to write off that theme/point as the thoughts of a fool. Which in turn makes it that much easier for them to dismiss any others who might make similar points as fools without hearing them out.

So being "preachy" carries a high risk of poisoning the well regardless of whether you're tying to cheerlead or debate, and regardless of the merit of your ideas.

You can have themes or messages in a work without it being preachy. The way to do is to make the story itself a case study in the thing you're tying to say, but without explicit commentary. Just let events speak for themselves.

That said, "preachy" has indeed joined the ranks of "pretentious" and "trolling" as words that are often misused to mean "says things I don't agree with (and therefore needs to STFU)".

Any prominent examples of people misusing the word preachy?