Newsweek Writer Calls Star Trek Fans "Weird" While Interviewing Patrick Stewart

Do you like it when your buddies are called weird? If like minded people who love the same thing can be called friends, then Star Trek fans should be more than a little peeved over a recent Newsweek interview with Patrick Stewart - Royal Shakespeare Company trained British actor and Captain Jean-Luc Picard on television show Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Stewart was asked how he felt about "weird" fans of the Star Trek persuasion. When Stewart protested the ill informed journalist's less than flattering description of Star Trek fans, the writer insisted again that people who watch Star Trek are weird: Mr. Stewart Loves His Trekkies.

The actor heartily defended those who helped give him a superbly rewarding career. It also behooves those who respect Star Trek to add their own voices to a chorus in bringing back respect to Star Trek fans when they're maligned. Listing full all the famous types would fill a large book, so here are only a few internationally known people who love Star Trek.

Bill Gates

Often listed as the wealthiest man in the world - depending on his present interest rate or level of current charitable gift giving, Gates is one of those Star Trek fans the Newsweek writer called weird. If everyone who loved Star Trek was as "weird" as Mr. Bill Gates, I think it's safe to say the world would be a much more intelligent and prosperous place. Perhaps Gates could send an email to the Newsweek writer reminding the guy that a good reason why receives email in the first place is because of Bill Gates and Microsoft. How weird is that?

Tom Hanks

Forrest Gump is a Star Trek fan. Hanks has been a box-office favorite for decades now and is so much of a Star Trek fan, he was considered for a role in Star Trek: First Contact as warp drive creator Zephram Cochrane. Hanks of course was one of the leads in Apollo 13 directed by Ron Howard. In the spirit of that historical film, when I heard about the Newsweek writer bashing Star Trek fans, I couldn't help but think: "Houston, we have a problem."

Stephen Hawking

Would you call the smartest man in the world - weird? I sure wouldn't.