I’d always hoped to one day have a child who would enjoy Star Trek as much as I do (or at least not hate it completely). And I’ll freely admit that I’m a totally biased daddy who is super-proud of his Trekkie son. But Jayden recently did his first-ever Star Trek podcast, discussing the TOS episode “Mirror, Mirror.” And he just blew me away with one of the most priceless and hysterical interviews I could have ever imagined.
The podcast that Jayden (and I) appear on is called ENTERPRISING INDIVIDUALS, and it’s an interesting concept. Each week, the show features a different guest from the world of Star Trek—authors, screenwriters, experts, and superfans—and they discuss their favorite episode (from any of the series) along with providing information and insight about themselves and their experiences with Star Trek.
It’s a fun way to do an interview, with just enough banter about the featured Star Trek episode to keep the interview from getting too monotonous…and just enough interview that it doesn’t feel like yet another “discuss-an-episode-for-an-hour” podcast.
When the Minnesota-based host, who goes by the handle of Ka1iban of Just Enough Trope Studios, first reached out and asked me which episode was my favorite, I’d actually said “The Doomsday Machine.” But that one had already been taken by a previous guest. So I suggested “Mirror, Mirror,” which Jayden and I had just finished watching as we make our way through TOS episodes each night while I exercise. And then I suggested that it might be fun to include Jayden for part of the interview, as he’s a real fan…and the host agreed.
And Jayden didn’t let me down. His 17-minute segment is PRICELESS! The rest of the podcast with me is also a lot of fun, but yeah, Jayden’s segment is a MUST-HEAR and leaves my interview in the dust!
The full interview can be linked to here, and Jayden’s segment begins at about the 39:35 minute mark. But to save you from having to scroll to the good part, I’ve created a version with just Jayden’s portion below…
(Oh, and that beard is water-soluble magic marker. It washed off completely in 20 seconds.)
Jayden reminds me so much of my own kids when they were little! My oldest at that age once got so engrossed by a video game demo in a shopping-mall Electronics Boutique that he lost track of where Mom & Dad were and wandered off (he was mortified when mall security reunited him with his “lost parents”!). When he got to grade school, he was a very strong reader for his age, and managed to read the first 3 Harry Potter novels while he was in 3rd grade. (He tired of reading “hard books” for a while after that, though, so his teacher let him do book reports on Asterix comic books instead.)
Jayden reads easily at a second grade level right now (brag, brag), but he’s begun playing video games on his iPad rather obsessively lately. So I do expect some similar experience at a store at some point soon! 🙂
Jonathan, it’s actually called a Van Dyke, not a Fu Manchu!
Oh, well…too late to re-do the podcast! But Fu Manchu had that kind of a beard. Dick Van Dyke’s was different:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kJi887pPrSQ/VoS9yxQPGuI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/KmwGgxwjEdM/s1600/dick-van-dyke-640.gif
Hello again.
Re: ‘Enterprising Individuals: Mirror, Mirror’ with guests Jayden & Jonathan Lane
(please do forgive spelling and grammatical error I may have made. No matter how many times I check something(s) always seem to slip past me)
I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you better through this podcast episode, Mr. Lane.
Your Star Trek work history – That menu: the Borger, Bar-b-q Continuum Pizza, Pizza The Action
1999 Voyage of the USS Angeles fan film
After 50 years each episode is still like the layers of an onion, you just keep pealing back, pealing back, pealing back
The back history on how you came to be the devoted advocate you are now.
The best, I think it was you said Kirk speech(?) was the last speech Good Kirk made to Evil Spock
Then my heart started sinking when I began to hear what I’ve heard a hundred times before from those dissatisfied with the Kelvin timeline. Which to me is so intensely and dearly Star Trek, and the very Star Trek I fell in love with the night of September 8, 1966. Yes, Sir, I was there that night. And I recognized my life was about change because of this TV show I never heard of and accidentally discovered less than a minute after it had started.
And when you began to express you observation about the Kelvin timeline I felt like…. well, I felt like this if I may with a light hearted humor paraphrase a recent quote from you on something entirely different 🙂 : “I just don’t understand why the detractors are still making the same, old arguments they made [for eight years now]. I sorta feel like shouting [“Hey, 2009 called…they want their movie and your complaints back!” ]” 🙂
I would never wish to change your mind for I value your reception and perception just as it is. It is entirely valid for you and all who responded the same way you did. As is my own absolutely opposite reception and perception just as it is. It is entirely valid for me all those who responded the same way I did.
Plus I do completely respect your sincere feeling of something akin to sorrow that these movies will never inspire engineers and scientists like the Original Series did.
You know what I thinking as you were talking about that? Would even our own beloved aprx 2 hour TOS movies arriving as they did two and three years apart have been all that inspirational to people for become engineers and scientists? 🙂 Myself? I rather think not. I think it was that week after week year after year impact and influence of Star Trek TV combined with our ages and life stages when the show imprinted on us that gave this wonderful gift.
Comparing the impact of influencing people to become scientists and engineers of three movies spaced years apart against 76 TV shows entering our imaginations week after week, year after year, would be like comparing an apple to a wrist watch. 😆 Both are great, although cannot be compared with the same criteria.
And just as I do respect the devoted advocacy you do, I also respect your sincere and deeply felt response to the Kelvin timeline too.
Now onward to Jayden!
“I want to do a Star Wars podcast.” This is a Star Trek podcast. “I want to do a Star Wars podcast.”
😆
“This episode is a bottle episode.”
“The Good Enterprise figures out things by talking.”
“All the phasers set at Full Stunt.”
“The salt monster was scary.”
“Finnegan was the rabbit.”
“When I am in third grade I’ll be the captain.”
“Do a Star Wars podcast Daddy. Just, please, do it for your son.”
😆
It was greatly enjoyable.
Your fellow Star Trek fan!
Thanks for listening to the podcast and for saying all those nice things, TYGR. As for my feelings about the reboot, I talk about it when I’m asked about it. The difference between that and the detractors is that no one’s asking them. I see them like the guy at parades who is standing in back of the crowd with a mega-phone, shouting out religious doctrine and bible quotes while my family and I are trying to enjoy the marching bands and floats. Or sometimes it’s more like someone coming to my door holding a bible wanting to discuss the “good news.” And when I tell them I’m Jewish and my wife is Catholic, they say, “Well, there’s a lot of common ground, you know, maybe you’d like to discuss it…?” Except that the detractors don’t usually offer the option of “maybe.” They just barge into your blog or Facebook page, start insulting your religion (and sometimes even your furniture), and then they come back the next day and do it all over again. 🙂
Sorry for venting there, TYGR, but thanks for bearing with the outburst. I’m glad you enjoyed the podcast.
“Thanks for listening to the podcast and for saying all those nice things, TYGR.”
You’re very welcome!
“As for my feelings about the reboot:
-I talk about it when I’m asked about it.
-The difference between that and the detractors is that no one’s asking
-like the guy at parades …. with a mega-phone
-like someone coming to my door …. wanting to discuss the “good news.”
-And when I tell them …….. they say
-Except that the detractors don’t usually offer the option of “maybe.”
-They just barge into your blog or Facebook page, start insulting ….. then they come back the next day and do it all over again.
I understand… and empathize.
“Sorry for venting there, TYGR, but thanks for bearing with the outburst.”
It has been my privilege to have had you talk with me about this. And my honor to have listened.
As always, your Star Trek friend.
Thanks, Jonathan (and Jayden!) for being on the podcast; I’ll get working on the Star Wars show right away!
The sooner the better, Aaron…Jayden is READY! 🙂
The podcast was a lot of fun. Thanks for having us. I hope you got lots of new listeners!