Questionnaire: A Piece of the Action. For Shatner: Where No Man...
| Fan Survey | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Questionnaire: A Piece of the Action. For Shatner: Where No Man... |
| Surveyor: | William Shatner, Sondra Marshak, and Myrna Culbreath |
| Date(s): | November 1976 |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom(s): | Star Trek: TOS |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Questionnaire: A Piece of the Action. For Shatner: Where No Man... was a fan survey/questionnaire. It was "written" by William Shatner, Sondra Marshak, and Myrna Culbreath. This most likely meant Marshak and Culbreath wrote it, and Shatner's name was added to the list of authors.
The questionnaire was a multi-page flyer to fans by hand and as an insert in zines. At the bottom of one of the pages: "I can distribute ____ copies of this flyer or print information to my fanzine, newsletter, at con or mini-con, etc. Details enclosed. Phone: ____."
The Function
The answers to this survey were to have been fodder for Shatner's book Shatner: Where No Man.... It was distributed in late 1976, three years before the book itself was published.
The Introduction
We have received many letters relating revolutions in people's own lives to STAR TREK or its characters, very often to Kirk. Changes in thought, feeling, fantasy, even changes in careers, marriages, friendships, relationships with people -- from people of all ages and walks of life. If you have such a story, STAR TREK, Kirk, Shatner, or some of the revolutions of the last decade have changed your life in any way, please send the story or your thoughts and comments on a separate sheet.
Please answer the questionnaire and add comments, if you wish. No names will be used. Answering constitutes permission to quote comments for book or other publication without use of name.
Thanks for sharing thoughts.
William Shatner, Sondra Marshak, Myrna Culbreath
The Survey
sneak peek flyer
sneak peek flyer
sneak peek flyer
The Questions
The survey had two pages of questions.
Some of these questions were fairly standard, relating to age, sex, marital status, hobbies and interests, fannish activities, and views on Star Trek in general.
A large number of the questions, however, had a much more unique focus, that of emotion, gender, and feelings.
"Do you feel that there have been revolutions in the past decade? For example, greater acceptance of diversity, different attitudes toward women, more freedom for men and women?"
"Do you think that STAR TREK may have had an effect on those changes?"
"Do you feel that the last decade has seen an increase in the acceptance of emotional openness in men -- less of the idea "Men don't cry?"
"Do you think that STAR TREK with its emphasis on emotion, the contrast between Kirk and Spock (and with McCoy and others) could have had an effect on people's attitude toward emotion?"
"Do you feel that the way Shatner played Kirk, as a strong man able and willing to express profound emotions, could have had an effect on people's acceptance of emotional openness, especially in men?"
"Did STAR TREK, Kirk, or the contrast of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, etc, make you more aware of the question of emotion and how people deal with it?"
"Which character in STAR TREK did you most identify with? Most love?"
"Has there been any change in your feeling for the characters over the years -- for example, greater appreciation of one character?"
"What do you like most in the character of Kirk?"
"Is there anything you don't like?"
"How much do you value the close relationship between Kirk and Spock?"
"What would you like to say about William Shatner?"
Fan Comments
[I] have a ‘sneak peek’ flier that was passed around at the time, previewing the new biography of Bill that was still being written at this point. Titled Shatner: Where No Man… . This was Shatner’s first foray into the printed press, and the first of his several autobiographies to plunge into the awesomeness of his legend. The flier promotes the hell out the book, as well as the accompanying LP album William Shatner LIVE, which preserved several of his college appearances. The flier even includes a “questionnaire and interest checklist’ just for Trek fans to aid and assist the authors of the book (Shatner, Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath. The survey really digs with questions about how Trek and especially Shatner affected pop culture and real attitudes, for example:
Do you feel that the way Shatner played Kirk, as a strong man able and willing to express profound emotions, could have had an effect on people’s acceptance of emotional opennness, especially in men?
Wow, that’s pretty deep! But considering at the time that American culture had been through Vietnam and was evolving from an era when men were strong and silent, (like say Don Draper of Mad Men), these were pretty radical questions! I admit, I never read Shatner, Where No Man… but now I may check eBay for a used copy, just to see how they used this info from fans to write the book. [1]