This will be sort of short since I don’t have a whole lot to say on the topic.
I guess the main thing that sort of worried me in TOS is the fact that both Kirk and Spock had women with unrequited crushes on them. Kirk had Rand, while Spock had Chapel. Arguably, Spock also had Uhura (but that was seriously downplayed by the network). Kirk always seemed indifferent to Uhura, and Uhura was generally cheery to everyone.
Anyway, so why does this bug me? It was the 60’s, and unrequited love by women isn’t something unusual. The thing is: what did that bring to the story? Sexual tension? No, of course not. Kirk rebuffed Rand and Spock was too involved in trying to be emotionless than he was to notice Chapel had the hots for him. Kirk still had a lot of respect for Rand, which is obvious when she appears again in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (does anyone else find that title ridiculous?).
I guess this comes back to the fact that women are even weak and at the will of their “silly emotions” in the future. When there is equality, will this be the case? No, of course not. People will realized that women can do math and not everyone wants to push out a kid in their life. Women won’t be expected to be nurturing and they also will not have to deal with waiting forever for a man who won’t love them. Why? Because they will be able to initiate relationships without backlash and also not feel as if they have a biological imperative to fill.
Sorry I haven’t posted in a while, I’ve been busy with school. I might make another post tomorrow.
Showing posts with label sexuality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sexuality. Show all posts
9/25/09
The Abuse of Lt. Uhura
This is a short article/rant of mine. I can’t exactly be completely unbiased in a sociology blog, but whatever.
I was reading the ST Kink Meme (which really isn’t friendly to ANYONE), and I was all set to read a Spock/Uhura/Kirk fic. I actually like this OT3 in particular, but it seems the fic filler…didn’t.
Now, why am I writing about it? Well. Uhura wasn’t put into the best light, and the person that filled the fic mentioned something along the line that “Uhura needs to be punished for putting her hands on Spock!”
…excuse me?
So we’re going to go about making Uhura do terrible things (what I like to call Uhura Does Something Shitty fic) because she, a fictional character who doesn’t even exist, has a relationship with another non-existent character.
That’s totally logical, Spock would approve!
Really, people? Have women internalized misogyny so much that they decide who is and isn’t good enough for an imaginary person? It’s one thing to write break-up fic. It’s another to not exactly like Uhura (though I don’t quite understand it but whatever). It’s another to kill a character (Uhura out the airlock for grieving K/S, or Kirk dying for Bones to really acknowledge how much he loved him), or to have said character be OOC just to fulfill your ship (ie: I read a fic where Bones is a pederast in general, but focuses his attentions on Chekov to not get tossed in jail)!
What bugs me here is that said fanpeople are just being pricks here. I mean, no one deserves abuse (and I mean this in a non-consensual way, BDSM is another entire idea). But in the Kink Meme, there’s no shortage of it.
What is your kink is not mine but that is okay. However, there tends to be Unfortunate Implications with it being in regard to a Black woman in particular.
I was reading the ST Kink Meme (which really isn’t friendly to ANYONE), and I was all set to read a Spock/Uhura/Kirk fic. I actually like this OT3 in particular, but it seems the fic filler…didn’t.
Now, why am I writing about it? Well. Uhura wasn’t put into the best light, and the person that filled the fic mentioned something along the line that “Uhura needs to be punished for putting her hands on Spock!”
…excuse me?
So we’re going to go about making Uhura do terrible things (what I like to call Uhura Does Something Shitty fic) because she, a fictional character who doesn’t even exist, has a relationship with another non-existent character.
That’s totally logical, Spock would approve!
Really, people? Have women internalized misogyny so much that they decide who is and isn’t good enough for an imaginary person? It’s one thing to write break-up fic. It’s another to not exactly like Uhura (though I don’t quite understand it but whatever). It’s another to kill a character (Uhura out the airlock for grieving K/S, or Kirk dying for Bones to really acknowledge how much he loved him), or to have said character be OOC just to fulfill your ship (ie: I read a fic where Bones is a pederast in general, but focuses his attentions on Chekov to not get tossed in jail)!
What bugs me here is that said fanpeople are just being pricks here. I mean, no one deserves abuse (and I mean this in a non-consensual way, BDSM is another entire idea). But in the Kink Meme, there’s no shortage of it.
What is your kink is not mine but that is okay. However, there tends to be Unfortunate Implications with it being in regard to a Black woman in particular.
Appropriating GLBTQQAI Issues For Your Ship
Can I just say this is the hugest NONONO I’ve ever said in my whole life?
Please don’t try to make anything canon. Even though I love Sukov (Chekov/Sulu), I’m not going to send letters and ask they make that canon. Or Bones/Kirk.
These characters are assumed straight, and that’s how the writers will probably keep them. Until we, as a society, decide to stop being so heteronormative, there probably won’t be any legit same-sex canon couples for a long time in sci-fi (not counting Jack/Ianto in Torchwood :3). Not saying that they couldn’t come sooner, but it makes it more difficult to reach a wide audience if we’re still treating GLBTQQAI people as strange and disgusting. There needs to be a strong, confident character that represents that character and doesn’t get killed in the series (not even if they pull a resurrection like they did with Spock in the TOS films). I would be BEYOND thrilled if we had a trans character as well (actually, I’d probably have a heart attack that someone thought that transpeople exist in the future, too).
GLBTQQAI (yes, I use all the letters) issues are for them to stop being seen as the other. Just as women are the other compared to men (though XX is actually the biological default), gay and lesbian people are just trying to be seen as just that. People!
So, using the advocacy cause of “visibility in mainstream culture and not as a stereotype” to try and push any agenda in a sci-fi film with supposedly straight characters isn’t going to help anyone (not to mention the Unfortunate Implications of Spock leaving Uhura for Kirk [knocking her back to the loveless background character she was in TOS, and I feel a lot of people don’t understand HOW this is important]).
I do talk a lot about K/S, but truthfully, I don’t really care about if you ship them or not. The point I keep trying to make is the backlash against S/U (and Uhura in particular) is highly unwelcome and as a Black woman, I feel as if I have to defend a character I identify with greatly. If I had a kid, I’d want her to be just as brilliant and awesome as Uhura (either universe version). And obviously, I have no issues with gay or lesbian relationships (and I try to be active in the community and support it whenever possible as a responsible feminist).
The reason I bring up K/S is that they are the Vocal Minority. I haven’t heard about anyone trying to make the other ships I mentioned (and if they were, I’d discourage them equally). There’s a whole other group of people who love S/U, don’t really care but see the point, and people who see these characters as straight and would raise an even larger stink if any of the characters in a homosexual relationship were made canon.
Please don’t try to make anything canon. Even though I love Sukov (Chekov/Sulu), I’m not going to send letters and ask they make that canon. Or Bones/Kirk.
These characters are assumed straight, and that’s how the writers will probably keep them. Until we, as a society, decide to stop being so heteronormative, there probably won’t be any legit same-sex canon couples for a long time in sci-fi (not counting Jack/Ianto in Torchwood :3). Not saying that they couldn’t come sooner, but it makes it more difficult to reach a wide audience if we’re still treating GLBTQQAI people as strange and disgusting. There needs to be a strong, confident character that represents that character and doesn’t get killed in the series (not even if they pull a resurrection like they did with Spock in the TOS films). I would be BEYOND thrilled if we had a trans character as well (actually, I’d probably have a heart attack that someone thought that transpeople exist in the future, too).
GLBTQQAI (yes, I use all the letters) issues are for them to stop being seen as the other. Just as women are the other compared to men (though XX is actually the biological default), gay and lesbian people are just trying to be seen as just that. People!
So, using the advocacy cause of “visibility in mainstream culture and not as a stereotype” to try and push any agenda in a sci-fi film with supposedly straight characters isn’t going to help anyone (not to mention the Unfortunate Implications of Spock leaving Uhura for Kirk [knocking her back to the loveless background character she was in TOS, and I feel a lot of people don’t understand HOW this is important]).
I do talk a lot about K/S, but truthfully, I don’t really care about if you ship them or not. The point I keep trying to make is the backlash against S/U (and Uhura in particular) is highly unwelcome and as a Black woman, I feel as if I have to defend a character I identify with greatly. If I had a kid, I’d want her to be just as brilliant and awesome as Uhura (either universe version). And obviously, I have no issues with gay or lesbian relationships (and I try to be active in the community and support it whenever possible as a responsible feminist).
The reason I bring up K/S is that they are the Vocal Minority. I haven’t heard about anyone trying to make the other ships I mentioned (and if they were, I’d discourage them equally). There’s a whole other group of people who love S/U, don’t really care but see the point, and people who see these characters as straight and would raise an even larger stink if any of the characters in a homosexual relationship were made canon.
9/6/09
Spock/Uhura: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (Part 1: The Good)
Spock/Uhura: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
Part 1: The Good.
As you’ve noticed, I am kind of an S/U shipper and unabashedly so. To be honest, I don’t care too much about fanon breakups and whatever one needs to make Kirk/Spock (or Kirk/Uhura or McCoy/Spock) to happen. Hell, I've written McCoy/Uhura, so I have no room to speak (I must admit it's because I haven't gotten my head around Spock as a character yet). I should clarify that my only beef with K/S is in regard to it being made canon in the Reboot universe, because it epically bugged me with the tension between the two and how big of a screw-up they would likely have trying to explain how Uhura deals with it.
Anyway.
I like S/U because, though student/teacher, it isn’t “ick nast” like many others are. It’s pretty obvious that they see each other as intellectual equals and they enjoy each others company. And the way Zoe Saldana and Zachary Quinto play the two has chemistry all over the place (if you see any premiere pics of them together, this is soooo obvious). The kisses in the film weren’t wooden, and “I’ll be monitoring your frequency” became a pretty heartfelt line.
I guess we can start with that as the beginning of The Good. However surprising that was (though if you thought it was surprising I’m surprised at you) for you, it was nice to see Nyota Uhura have someone appreciate how awesome she is. And being the equally awesome Mr. Spock is really something.
If you are unfamiliar, Spock/Uhura was what people in TOS wanted to make actual canon, but it was the 60’s and there was no way anyone was trying to do an interracial couple then. There’s a few cute stories about it floating around the intertubes, but I won’t be using them for this.
Continuing with the good, there’s been plenty of good fan response (I’ll get to the bad fan response later). Especially with women of color and well…some women in general. To be honest, I don’t hang around a lot of circles with ST fanboys. I’m sure they don’t really care. I was of course happy because…
Excuse my capslock…
OH MY GOD THERE’S A BLACK WOMAN IN A MOVIE DATING SOMEONE WHO ISN’T BLACK AND THERE ISN’T AN “OMG GUURRRLLLL YOU’RE DATING THAT WHITE BOY” SUBTEXT.
Praise the Lord (Raptor Jesus, Cthulu, whathaveyou).
I consider this a pretty big step, especially since Uhura is A: From Africa (Kenya, to clarify) and B: Not a “racially ambiguous” character. Yes, she has bone straight hair, but who knows what kind of hair treatments are available in the 23rd century. Zoe is about my complexion as well, so there’s also that sort of “YAY” moment about it. There are very few minorities in sci-fi, and when one is portrayed in a way that doesn’t make the populace gouge their eyes out, I think we’ve made some progress.
So, the good?
-Uhura isn’t just someone who sits and hails frequency, also bagged the finest Vulcan in Starfleet (yeah he’s the only one, but he’s still smoking)
-Spock is given a love interest that won’t die (she better not |:<)
-A Black female character is portrayed in a non-stereotypical way (though the miniskirt is a bit of a peeve)
…there’s more but I can’t put it in neat little bullet points.
The next part of this will be The Bad, in which we delve a little in S/U backlash before we go deep into the quicksand with The Ugly, where the racism and sexism of fandom shows itself quite happily.
Thanks for reading!
Part 1: The Good.
As you’ve noticed, I am kind of an S/U shipper and unabashedly so. To be honest, I don’t care too much about fanon breakups and whatever one needs to make Kirk/Spock (or Kirk/Uhura or McCoy/Spock) to happen. Hell, I've written McCoy/Uhura, so I have no room to speak (I must admit it's because I haven't gotten my head around Spock as a character yet). I should clarify that my only beef with K/S is in regard to it being made canon in the Reboot universe, because it epically bugged me with the tension between the two and how big of a screw-up they would likely have trying to explain how Uhura deals with it.
Anyway.
I like S/U because, though student/teacher, it isn’t “ick nast” like many others are. It’s pretty obvious that they see each other as intellectual equals and they enjoy each others company. And the way Zoe Saldana and Zachary Quinto play the two has chemistry all over the place (if you see any premiere pics of them together, this is soooo obvious). The kisses in the film weren’t wooden, and “I’ll be monitoring your frequency” became a pretty heartfelt line.
I guess we can start with that as the beginning of The Good. However surprising that was (though if you thought it was surprising I’m surprised at you) for you, it was nice to see Nyota Uhura have someone appreciate how awesome she is. And being the equally awesome Mr. Spock is really something.
If you are unfamiliar, Spock/Uhura was what people in TOS wanted to make actual canon, but it was the 60’s and there was no way anyone was trying to do an interracial couple then. There’s a few cute stories about it floating around the intertubes, but I won’t be using them for this.
Continuing with the good, there’s been plenty of good fan response (I’ll get to the bad fan response later). Especially with women of color and well…some women in general. To be honest, I don’t hang around a lot of circles with ST fanboys. I’m sure they don’t really care. I was of course happy because…
Excuse my capslock…
OH MY GOD THERE’S A BLACK WOMAN IN A MOVIE DATING SOMEONE WHO ISN’T BLACK AND THERE ISN’T AN “OMG GUURRRLLLL YOU’RE DATING THAT WHITE BOY” SUBTEXT.
Praise the Lord (Raptor Jesus, Cthulu, whathaveyou).
I consider this a pretty big step, especially since Uhura is A: From Africa (Kenya, to clarify) and B: Not a “racially ambiguous” character. Yes, she has bone straight hair, but who knows what kind of hair treatments are available in the 23rd century. Zoe is about my complexion as well, so there’s also that sort of “YAY” moment about it. There are very few minorities in sci-fi, and when one is portrayed in a way that doesn’t make the populace gouge their eyes out, I think we’ve made some progress.
So, the good?
-Uhura isn’t just someone who sits and hails frequency, also bagged the finest Vulcan in Starfleet (yeah he’s the only one, but he’s still smoking)
-Spock is given a love interest that won’t die (she better not |:<)
-A Black female character is portrayed in a non-stereotypical way (though the miniskirt is a bit of a peeve)
…there’s more but I can’t put it in neat little bullet points.
The next part of this will be The Bad, in which we delve a little in S/U backlash before we go deep into the quicksand with The Ugly, where the racism and sexism of fandom shows itself quite happily.
Thanks for reading!
8/17/09
Can Kirk/Spock even be shipped now?
If you are unawares, there is a current campaign going on to make Kirk/Spock canon.
Yeah, even though Spock is with Uhura. That’s another topic entirely.
However, this leaves a question hanging: Can Kirk/Spock even be shipped in this universe?
The homosexual undertones (otherwise known as Homo Yay) in the original series are painfully obvious (Kirk thinks Spock is giving him a back rub, but once he realizes that it isn’t Spock, he tells the actual masseuse [female] to leave. Yeah). But are there any in the 2009 movie?
Some could argue yes. A friend’s argument is after being dropped on Delta Vega (and nearly being killed by a monster that borders between looking like a pissed off orchid [some would say “angry vulva”] on the body of a prehistoric abomination), he stops hitting on Uhura and makes googly eyes at Spock the entire time.
…doesn’t that bring a whole new icky set of problems?
Spock is not the same totally logical guy we know and love. Spock had his mother killed by some psychotic (or “deeply troubled”, as Spock Prime would say) Romulan.
Kirk was strangled, Vulcan pinched, and shot to a deserted ice planet to be left for (what expectedly should be) dead. Even though Kirk was saved by Spock Prine and he and Spock saved Earth (and Spock nearly made a Heroic Sacrifice) and now work on the same ship, they are still not exactly buddies.
So what gives?
Let us dissect this to separate the two parties.
Kirk is a part of a bad homelife. Abusive stepdad, dead father, absentee mother (or at least, alluded to being so). He’s a criminal (only genius repeat offender in the Midwest), and has probably gotten into barfights before he ever uttered the word “cupcake”. He’s a playboy, but it’s more likely that it isn’t so much “sex because I can” and more “sex because it distracts me from my issues” (like with booze). You could infer he’s an borderline alcoholic, and one also wonders how, precisely, he got that snazzy bike.
No, I don’t think he stole it, I was questioning if the guy has a job. I mean, he just sort of up and leaves for Starfleet, so someone would expect that James T. Kirk is more of an army brat than anything.
So he meets Spock when Spock believes that he cheated the test he has been coding for four years. Not exactly a good way to be acquainted. Spock makes a mention of Kirk’s dad (who actually made a Heroic Sacrifice), and Kirk isn’t exactly happy about that (or being called out on using Gaila’s computer smarts to his own benefit to start). Then the distress signal from Vulcan, etc.
Now, not sure about you, but I wouldn’t start a relationship with someone who was pretty crappy with me from the beginning (and brought up my dead dad, burn). With all the violent or unsavory interactions Spock had with Kirk, why would they start a relationship? Would you wanna date Spock after you basically saw your life flash before your eyes and were basically thinking you were going to die on top of a ship console?
Didn’t think so. So, why would Kirk?
Let’s put it out there: Kirk, by this writer’s perception, is trysexual, if not bisexual. It would surprise no one if he had sex with a guy. Or guys. Or Leonard McCoy (Kirk/Bones OTP). So him having the hots for Spock? Not out of the question. Spock is flawless (I hear his hair is insured for $10,000). But how much of a glutton for punishment is he to want to date him?
Spock (making girls and women all wibbly since 1966) is always a slightly complex character, and with the limited amount we have on him from this universe, we know a few things for sure (in no particular order):
1. He loves his parents (don’t call his dad a traitor or say he didn’t love his mom or he will make you regret it).
2. He hates when people associate his humanity for weakness.
3. …along with that, isn’t fond of being half-human (but he’s coming to terms with it, which is good).
4. He is dating Uhura (and obviously cares for her deeply).
5. He enjoys being in Starfleet.
6. He’s brilliant.
Now, there hasn’t ever been a discussion on Vulcan sexuality, but they go through pon farr and have “mates”, so one thinks that the Heterosexual Norm leaked into Roddenberry’s idea of humanoid aliens on other planets. Spock (the original), in regards to Star Trek literature, was to marry Saavik, the woman who looked after his reborn self (as a pre-teen/teenager) in Star Trek III. He was coded pretty much as straight, but of course, he could very well be Gay for Kirk.
Spock, in the STXI Universe, is most definitely not Gay for Kirk. Possibly Gay for Bones. He also firmly straddles the “asexual alien” position (pun not intended) until we see his interactions with Uhura. And them making out (the situations of them making out are enough for another blog).
While Kirk and Spock were total yin and yang in TOS, it’s not so much the case in regards to the Laurel and Hardy dynamic of Bones/Kirk in the new movie. Kirk’s the funny one while Bones is the constant straight man. Spock Prime doesn’t even mention McCoy (which is somewhat concerning). Or that Kirk in his universe died a while ago.
To summarize (if I even can), it isn’t logical for K/S to happen in this universe.
I do think, however, Star Trek should definitely have some gay, lesbian, bi, and definitely characters that are trans (pre or post op). I am a pretty big fan of Sulu/Chekov (check out the glances between them. They’re filled with admiration and love) as well as Kirk/Bones. So, this is not someone trying to trample down the push for some same-sex relationships.
It’s just simply Kirk/Spock shouldn’t be one of them. If it was made canon (it probably won’t), it would bring one huge topic: how the abuse of men and boys isn’t as seriously taken as it against girls and women.
Yeah, even though Spock is with Uhura. That’s another topic entirely.
However, this leaves a question hanging: Can Kirk/Spock even be shipped in this universe?
The homosexual undertones (otherwise known as Homo Yay) in the original series are painfully obvious (Kirk thinks Spock is giving him a back rub, but once he realizes that it isn’t Spock, he tells the actual masseuse [female] to leave. Yeah). But are there any in the 2009 movie?
Some could argue yes. A friend’s argument is after being dropped on Delta Vega (and nearly being killed by a monster that borders between looking like a pissed off orchid [some would say “angry vulva”] on the body of a prehistoric abomination), he stops hitting on Uhura and makes googly eyes at Spock the entire time.
…doesn’t that bring a whole new icky set of problems?
Spock is not the same totally logical guy we know and love. Spock had his mother killed by some psychotic (or “deeply troubled”, as Spock Prime would say) Romulan.
Kirk was strangled, Vulcan pinched, and shot to a deserted ice planet to be left for (what expectedly should be) dead. Even though Kirk was saved by Spock Prine and he and Spock saved Earth (and Spock nearly made a Heroic Sacrifice) and now work on the same ship, they are still not exactly buddies.
So what gives?
Let us dissect this to separate the two parties.
Kirk is a part of a bad homelife. Abusive stepdad, dead father, absentee mother (or at least, alluded to being so). He’s a criminal (only genius repeat offender in the Midwest), and has probably gotten into barfights before he ever uttered the word “cupcake”. He’s a playboy, but it’s more likely that it isn’t so much “sex because I can” and more “sex because it distracts me from my issues” (like with booze). You could infer he’s an borderline alcoholic, and one also wonders how, precisely, he got that snazzy bike.
No, I don’t think he stole it, I was questioning if the guy has a job. I mean, he just sort of up and leaves for Starfleet, so someone would expect that James T. Kirk is more of an army brat than anything.
So he meets Spock when Spock believes that he cheated the test he has been coding for four years. Not exactly a good way to be acquainted. Spock makes a mention of Kirk’s dad (who actually made a Heroic Sacrifice), and Kirk isn’t exactly happy about that (or being called out on using Gaila’s computer smarts to his own benefit to start). Then the distress signal from Vulcan, etc.
Now, not sure about you, but I wouldn’t start a relationship with someone who was pretty crappy with me from the beginning (and brought up my dead dad, burn). With all the violent or unsavory interactions Spock had with Kirk, why would they start a relationship? Would you wanna date Spock after you basically saw your life flash before your eyes and were basically thinking you were going to die on top of a ship console?
Didn’t think so. So, why would Kirk?
Let’s put it out there: Kirk, by this writer’s perception, is trysexual, if not bisexual. It would surprise no one if he had sex with a guy. Or guys. Or Leonard McCoy (Kirk/Bones OTP). So him having the hots for Spock? Not out of the question. Spock is flawless (I hear his hair is insured for $10,000). But how much of a glutton for punishment is he to want to date him?
Spock (making girls and women all wibbly since 1966) is always a slightly complex character, and with the limited amount we have on him from this universe, we know a few things for sure (in no particular order):
1. He loves his parents (don’t call his dad a traitor or say he didn’t love his mom or he will make you regret it).
2. He hates when people associate his humanity for weakness.
3. …along with that, isn’t fond of being half-human (but he’s coming to terms with it, which is good).
4. He is dating Uhura (and obviously cares for her deeply).
5. He enjoys being in Starfleet.
6. He’s brilliant.
Now, there hasn’t ever been a discussion on Vulcan sexuality, but they go through pon farr and have “mates”, so one thinks that the Heterosexual Norm leaked into Roddenberry’s idea of humanoid aliens on other planets. Spock (the original), in regards to Star Trek literature, was to marry Saavik, the woman who looked after his reborn self (as a pre-teen/teenager) in Star Trek III. He was coded pretty much as straight, but of course, he could very well be Gay for Kirk.
Spock, in the STXI Universe, is most definitely not Gay for Kirk. Possibly Gay for Bones. He also firmly straddles the “asexual alien” position (pun not intended) until we see his interactions with Uhura. And them making out (the situations of them making out are enough for another blog).
While Kirk and Spock were total yin and yang in TOS, it’s not so much the case in regards to the Laurel and Hardy dynamic of Bones/Kirk in the new movie. Kirk’s the funny one while Bones is the constant straight man. Spock Prime doesn’t even mention McCoy (which is somewhat concerning). Or that Kirk in his universe died a while ago.
To summarize (if I even can), it isn’t logical for K/S to happen in this universe.
I do think, however, Star Trek should definitely have some gay, lesbian, bi, and definitely characters that are trans (pre or post op). I am a pretty big fan of Sulu/Chekov (check out the glances between them. They’re filled with admiration and love) as well as Kirk/Bones. So, this is not someone trying to trample down the push for some same-sex relationships.
It’s just simply Kirk/Spock shouldn’t be one of them. If it was made canon (it probably won’t), it would bring one huge topic: how the abuse of men and boys isn’t as seriously taken as it against girls and women.
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