Star Trek permeates everything
So, Lt. Sulu came out as a big flaming intergalactic queer this week. Kudos to gramps. It must have been quite the challenge to be a limp-wristed Asian in 1960s Hollywood, or anywhere else, really.
It is interesting to note that in the 60s there was a homo to be found on Earth, on the show's set but in Star Trek's year 2583 or whatever there isn't a single fag character cavorting through space. And I mean none of the 5 series in the franchise. Could it be that Klingons, transporters and warp drive are more plausible than a gay astroboy? Or did genticists get rid of us? Either way, that version of the future is pretty dull and sexless and therefore, useless.
Somewhat related to this is a disturbing ad I saw on TV. While I was ill last week, I watched about 937 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' episodes on SpikeTV- The First Network for "Men" (the quotation marks are mine). During a commercial break, there was a promo for one of their more manly shows, 'The Ultimate Fighter'. From what I gathered, it's brutal and 'no-holds-barred'. And it is "brought to you by the US Army". Is that normal? I suppose you could argue that brutal and lawless may reflect a segment of the US Army, so perhaps. Plus, when you factor in the homoeroticism it makes even more sense. But really, should an institution that proclaims to be spreading the values of "freedom" and "justice" but which also is developing a bad rep be sponsoring a barbaric "show"? I guess it's a recruitment tactic, which makes it even more fucked up.
posted by Genet @ 12:29 PM
4 come-on(s)
4 Comments:
Are you serious about the whole "brought to you by the US Army"?
Why Am I even asking you if you're serious. Now that i've let the thought merinade for a second, i'm not suprised at all.
And I think you are spot on about it being a recruitment tactic. It makes the most sense coming from America - The home of the brave, and frightening land for the homos.
Roddenberry fully intended to make his future all gay and whatnot, being the liberal, progressive sort of sci-fi geek he was. And though there were a few little gestures in that direction in later series (esp. DS9, with that transmigration of the worm from one gendered body into another), it mostly got nixed. My understanding is that this was not a Roddenberry nix, but a US network TV nix. Sad, though, because if we can get our cellphones and laptops and PDA's from Star Trek, it makes you wonder what sort of cool futuro-fag ideas we might have got from them too. It would have involved skintight neoprene suits, obviously, but where would it have gone from there?
To heaven, free of neoprene suits.
The only thing I got about homos from Star Trek: they are either gender neutral, or they're trill.
F that noise. Riker and Ensign Crusher, I'm telling you.
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