Sci-Fi Shenanigans

Gender Considerations, Part 1

I've noticed a couple things over the past couple years. First, I keep stumbling upon sci-fi fandoms filled with vocal women. Second, whenever I'm in these fandoms, the discussions about women in the TV show/movie/whatever always seem to find me. I never go actively looking for them. I'm thankful I haven't heard about it as much with Star Trek. With all that said, I think it's time for me to admit something. One of the reasons I gravitate to sci-fi shows is because it's mostly men. If that actually surprises any of you, first off I'd be amazed. Second, well, let's take a look at all the factors.

For starters, most female characters written for the screen don't translate on the screen. Why's that? Well, as I said in my For Authors newsletter a month or so ago, it's a combination of audience perception and the writer's depiction of female characters. The problem with something the screen, though, is that the actor has a lot to do with it. Actors of both sexes get typecast, but it's trickier for women to overcome that. I'm not saying it's impossible. It's just that women don't get as many chances to break molds that might be made for them earlier in their careers. I'm really tempted to use Megan Fox as an example, although calling her an actress seems a bit insulting to thespians across the globe, both alive and dead. It's also tempting to use Zoe Saldana as an example, but I don't think Ribit would let me hear the end of it if I did. Anyway, the typecasting can come about in myriad ways, but the biggest blow is rendered when a young actress gets cast in a badly written role that she can't make work to her advantage. If word of that gets out, you might as well pack it up and call it a day. When female characters are not written well, it takes a confident and skilled actress to make it work. That sort...is hard to find (especially these days). It doesn't help that this problem comes up pretty often in sci-fi. It certainly doesn't appear in all of it, to be sure, but it seems to stick out a lot more in sci-fi, from what I've seen.

What else? Obviously, I like men. By like, I mean I would kill myself if I was thrown into a sorority house. Anytime I hear about a study that suggests the Y chromosome is fading away, I am thankful I will be dead and gone long before men could possibly become extinct. And since sci-fi tends to feature a lot of guys, well, I'm a happy camper. It certainly doesn't hurt that sci-fi these days has plenty of males that are very easy on the eyes (but are a little more taxing on the salivary glands). It sounds shallow (and is, in some ways). However, I much prefer male characters, as they're much more fascinating to watch unfold on the screen. I wouldn't say they're more emotionally layered or more complicated than women. I just prefer the approach in exploring male characters in TV shows and movies. It feels less obvious, since female characters are expected to be more demonstrative in many ways. There also tends to be more restraint in the storytelling when more male characters are involved, at least from my observation. I sometimes struggle with this sense of restraint, and as someone who is not always outwardly emotional I adore seeing it in my entertainment.

So what does any of this have to do with Star Trek? Well, I saw someone post the other day that (s)he'd like to see more female characters and have them get a decent chunk of screentime in future movies. I have to admit I'd rather not see that. Though I wouldn't call myself a well-versed fan in the shows' many universes, what I've seen leads me to believe that too many female characters would overpower the men. I think the female characters that have been presented have held their own against the many men. I also think that this call for more female characters is a projection of feminist values that may not be true to the timeframe in which the story is set. It could be that there aren't more women showcased in Starfleet because they have powerful positions on Earth or their respective planets (such as T'Pau). I'm just sayin'. On top of that, the men on that show/movie (this is hard to keep organized) have a surprisingly strong tendency to be emotionally demonstrative, albeit in a variety of ways. Bones is the most obvious example of this, and I think this aspect of his personality is the reason a good number of female fans gravitate to him. That's not to say the others aren't emotional. They just express it in less overt ways (which appeals to my inner emotional detective). I think adding more women to the cast would diminish this experience by a lot, and only one (maybe two) of the men would ultimately be spared. I wish I could articulate this better. I really do. I just think that feminists tend to miss the point in these matters. Representation does NOT equal realistic depiction. You better recognize. And in something like Star Trek that is so rooted in character development, adding more women in prominent roles would be more of a risk than it's worth.

Which reminds me. Claire is gonna make me wanna vomit this season. I got a spoiler that really grossed me out, but I'll save it for later. And why did I jump from Star Trek to Heroes? You'll see later.