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Feminism and Star Trek

Those of you who know me, know that I’m kind of a raging feminist.

When did this happen, you might ask? I can trace it back to when I was 5 years old and my dad told me I couldn’t be a cub scout. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how a feminist is born.

But I digress.

So, Star Trek portrays a future in which humanity has transcended all the things that divide us and it’s just all a happy joy fest.

Or … does it?

It’s been 30 years since Star Trek TNG, and the actors seem much more willing to talk about the dirt.

Like, why did Beverly Crusher leave after the first season? Because Gates McFadden wouldn’t shut up and stay out of the writers’ room. She kept pointing out that Beverly Crusher is a doctor, a research scientist, no less. With a genius son. Which surely means that she would have intellectual discussions with her genius son. And would it kill them to put some of those intellectual discussions on screen?

Yes. Yes it would. One writer in particular issued an ultimatum to the show runners: she goes or I go. And so she went.

But the fans! The fans would not have it. She came back for season 3. And lo and behold, that writer was no longer there.

That is a principled feminist. She lost her job over it. This story has a happy-ish ending in that she did get her job back, but she had no reason to think that would be the case when she was fighting her fight.

Enter Marina Sirtis. Now, I know when actors get on stage in front of thousands of people, they put on a show. And at a Trek convention, it’s reasonable to expect representation in the crowd from the Red Pill community. So I won’t hold her to all of her words, but based on the things she said on stage … she sure didn’t sound like a friend to woman-kind. She very much sounded like she is fighting no fight, and is quite content to watch others duke it out.

Statement 1: She admitted that the TNG crew is quite clique-ish, and they don’t let new people in. Except for Karl Urban and Nathan Fillion. Because new, good-looking men are always welcome – but not new ladies.

On the surface, that does sound very feminist. Men have harems, right? So we ladies should have harems, too!

But, lets couple that with …

Statement 2: Women producers are not helping women! They rise to power, and then they aren’t any better than the men! They aren’t hiring more women.

Well, consider this: If a woman has risen to power, but has only ever surrounded herself with men in the process (which, may have even been instrumental in her success, even) then how will she hire more women? She doesn’t know any.

Feminism means different things to different people, I get that. We all have different ideas as to how we all get a seat at the table, and whose responsibility it is to make sure everyone gets an invite. And there’s certainly something to be said for not turning every moment into something combative.

But as for me, I’m tired of waiting. I’ll take a fighter. I’m happy to know there are others out there making a difference, and I’ll keep fighting my fight in my own tiny bubble of the world.

 

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