IDIC (1984 essay by McCutchen)

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Title:	IDIC
Creator:	Susan McCutchen
Date(s):	January 1984
Medium:	print
Fandom:	Star Trek
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IDIC is a 1984 Star Trek essay by Susan McCutchen.

McCutchen was one of the editors of WKFS Journal, and this essay was printed in the January 1984 issue.

An essay in response is IDIC Revisited by Alesia Hunley.

Some Context

McCutchen, and her fellow editors, were nearing the end of the the newsletter, and its accompanying fan club, and this essay reflects some of the weariness and reasons for this weariness.

This type of essay is also illustrates a common lifecycle of many fans and their fandoms: the initial excitement and heady enthusiasm, the up and down of energies, the eye-rolling and weariness with new fans and their perceived naivete, the impatience with things that used to be fresh and new, bitterness at not being appreciated enough and or not getting the feedback they crave, and perhaps seeing their idols a little too up close and personal. These can all add up to disillusionment and stepping either out of fandom entirely, or by moving on to new fannish pastures.

These kinds of essays can also delve into anger and blame, scolding fans as the author departs. While this essay isn't a flounce, as the editor hasn't quit....yet, it has some of the earmarks of one.

A similar, much angrier example is the 1980 essay, You are holding in your hands the final issue of DESPATCH by Gail Saville and Barbara Metzke.

Other examples of flounces are Beth Blighton's 1991 essay, All I can see of fandom is something that was once beautiful which has now become painful and almost unbearable. and the 1997 letter by [J J] called So I leave the genre, if not the APA, with no regrets to be going and a good deal of relief that I don't have to try to like this stuff any more..

From the Essay

Heavy involvement in fandom is edifying. Virginal at the outset, the naive fan is subsequently sullied, abandoned, and deeply saddened. Cliques abound in this magical, exclusive universe of fandom, ones whose members callously belittle and betray others, displaying no attempt (no matter how high-sounding the philosophical tenets expounded) to accept or to tolerate others e Cliques formed through basic ideological agreement and firm affection are misunderstood, outside forces not caring to delve beneath the appearance of exclusion to discover that a group of individuals often bands together because they feel a warmth in more intimate gatherings and are not comfortable in large social congregations. In Star Trek fandom, it appears that one is required to pay dues, exacted by a leader or leaders existent during and since the early days, entailing homage to each and every actor/god ever communing with followers of the Star Trek saga, and each and every fan who follows that saga, rather than mere acceptance. Love Star Trek, part and parcel, or leave it, and darken my doorstep no more.

Humans are fallible. Each member of this species has a level of apparent intolerance. Prejudices, whether toward other persons or inanimate objects or ideas, abound Fallible humans utter unkind words, think unkind and impure thoughts, feel jealousy, resentment, anger and despair. However, the issue is not the basic nature of the human race, but the fact that fans who do not attempt to live IDIC in a wholehearted manner should not spout it every time they come up for air as though it were the central idea inherent to their personal crusade in life. This sort of crusade, launched by an imperfect being, apes religious ones in which fervent followers of various sects have slaughtered, raped and pillaged in the name of their truth, and continue to do so today.

Branding those not addicted to science fiction and/or especially Star Trek as "mundanes" and uttering that term with contempt, unsettles the listener as it comes dangerously close to bigotry. Is the philosophy of the day to be, "I'm an individual, we'll do what I want!" Must one be rude and childish when dealing with hotel clerks at a convention, holding them in contempt because they are the representatives of a business? If that is the attitude of some, it would be wise to mature a bit, and consider that aside from the camaraderie of friends and acquaintances who gather at a convention for a good time, one of the basic precepts of many participants is that they are at a convention purely and simply to make money. Dealers are at conventions to sell their wares, even though many of them also appreciate science fiction. A convention committee not committed to paying incurred bills, break even or make money is not very realistic.

Gene Roddenberry is not a god. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, and all other actors ever involved with Star Trek are only human beings. They may appreciate the role they play or have played in the Star Trek phenomena, but it is a job they take to make money. They are not at a convention to become each fan's personal idol who fulfills his/her fantasy.

[...]

An actor need not be worshiped, should not be adored as a paragon of virtue and the ultimate sex symbol rolled into one, but respected as an individual with distinct likes and dislikes, a personality in the public eye, not an icon nor a piece of meat to be chopped into small pieces and distributed among the buyers in the marketplace.

So it should be with individual fans.. One need not love or even get along with every Star Trek fan simply because that person likes Star Trek. Does anyone like every co-worker at a place of employment? Does anyone love each and every friend or member of his/her family equally? What should be demanded is proper respect.

The same should hold true for the organizations of Star Trek fandom, ergo, fan clubs, etc. Each club is different and tries its best to fill the requirements of its particular members. Therefore, each has something unique to offer. One contributes in one's own way, each "according to his gifts."

More close assessment is in order when considering why one is involved with Star Trek fandom, indeed with the whole phenomena of Star Trek. One must scrutinize one's behavior and personal philosophy. If one is attracted to IDIC, at least try to reason more thoroughly, and more logically, and attempt to display appropriate conduct according to its tenets. One may not be entirely successful in this endeavor, as humans are naturally erratic and often unfathomable, patently inexplicable, but the reasoning and evaluation may be educational and good for the soul. One may eventually arrive at the acceptance of human nature, with valid reservations, and, ultimately, begin to understand the meaning of the Vulcan philosophy of IDIC.

Reactions and Reviews

...I feel that there indeed are many more stories out there which tell of the human spirit, stories that we should be aware of and take the time to read and understand. As Susan touched upon in IDIC, we need added stimulus in order to individually examine ourselves and what we wish to accomplish on both the personal and group levels, as seldom do we have the chance to interact with such a diverse, caring group as that contained within ST/SF fandom.