Name: Ty Sealy
Date: 7/1/15

Star Trek

Specific Purpose Statement: To inform my audience about the history of the television show Star Trek.

Central Idea: The history of Star Trek, the meaning behind Star Trek and the impact left behind by Star Trek

Organizational Pattern: Topical Order

Introduction

I. Star Trek, which originally ran from 1966-1969, and has spawned as least 5 spin off television shows, eleven motion pictures, and billions of dollars worth of revenue, is a “cultural phenomenon,” which has made an extreme impact on the world.

II. I will be talking today about the history of the television show Star Trek, the meaning behind Star Trek, and the impact left behind by Star Trek.

A. Star Trek is one of the most culturally-influential television shows, and is often regarded as the most influential science fiction TV series in history.

B. In addition to watching the entire Star Trek series, and most of Next Generation, I have done research into the science and physics behind Star Trek, as well as history behind the show.

III. Today I will be going over 3 factors that made the show a huge success…

A. How Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry in 1966 had an interesting and unusual history towards its success.

B. How Star Trek alluded to the Vietnam War and communism.

C. How Star Trek left a lasting impact on our culture.

(Unless you have been living underneath a rock, in a dark cave, millions of miles away from a single other living being for the entirety of your life, I am sure that each and every one of you have at least heard the name Star Trek, but how many of you actually know the history behind the franchise?)

Body

I. The original Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry in 1966 had an interesting and unusual history towards its success.

A. Star Trek was created and produced during the height of the cold war and the middle of the Russia-United States race to put man in space.

1. Cold War Facts (Support Material begins here)

2. Russia United states space race B. Star Trek lasted 3 seasons, and starred William Shatener as Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as the logical First Officer Commander Spock, DeForest Kelley as Chief Medical Officer Dr. McCoy, Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura, George Takei as Lt. Sulu, and Walter Koenig as Ensign Chekov. 1. Major Shows actors starred in (Support Material begins here)

2. How successful movie was (Next, I will be talking about the meaning behind Star Trek…)

II. Since Star Trek was an American television show during the Cold War era, there were often storylines which alluded to the Vietnam War or Communism in the guise of other worlds.

A. Star Trek was a sci-fi series set 300 years in the future, in a “postcapitalist social and technical utopia,” as according to Professor Robert Kozinets.

1. Setting of star trek (Support Material begins here)

2. Describe “Utopia” B. According to Larry Kreitzer in his paper The Cultural Veneer of Star Trek, Star Trek borrowed influences freely and shamelessly from literary