Star Trek: Deep Space 9 - Far Beyond the Stars & Whitewashing

Captain Sisko: “What if this, all of this, is the illusion?”

Mr. Sisko: “That’s a scary thought.”

I’m not sure Star Trek: Deep Space 9 ever really got the praise it should have considering it’s poignant social commentary that seemed to crop up periodically throughout the series.  This time around I was watching the series having seen what went down in Ferguson as well as all the unfortunate events that dotted the timeline that was 2014.  When it came to the end of the episode and the scene with Sisko and his father I couldn’t help but cry-laugh at the irony of the scene.

The episode involves Sisko being given visions of 1950s America and he experiences the world as Benny Russell, an African-American speculative fiction writer who must be absent on picture days because it would hurt the publication he wrote for if the public found out that he was a person of color.  Taken as a standalone short film, critiqued in a vacuum, it is poignant all by itself, but when you consider the broader cultural context, current and historical contexts, and the nature of metafiction, this episode stands out as a fantastic piece of writing and storytelling.

The fact that Star Trek is fiction and they are lamenting the past or, rather, recognizing how terrifying it would be to live in a period of time when systemic racism was so prevalent really stands out because the time in which we live is not so far removed from the 1950s reality presented in this episode.  Direct, overt, acts of racism like not showing up for staff photo day or rewriting your main character (as Benny is asked told to do) are not as wide spread, but the systemic racism in pop culture is still just as prevalent as it was in 1950s, it only manifests in much more subtle ways.  Consider the outrage that came out of white critics when Quvenzhané Wallis was cast as Annie in the 2014 remake of the film of the same name or the conservative nail-biting that popped up around the holidays when an example of a black santa claus was brought up.  What about the panic that was induced in white people when a rumor made it through the internet that Idris Elba was being considered as the next actor to play James Bond.

Meanwhile, Exodus: Gods and Kings is cast with principle characters all being Caucasian and the director of said film fervently defending his choice because he felt he couldn’t market a film that starred people of color.  Avatar: the Last Airbender, a beloved show that featured, and was celebrated for, a multi-racial cast of characters was rereleased as a feature length film with Caucasian actors being cast in all the main roles.  Finally, in recent weeks we’ve got word that Scarlett Johansson has signed on to star in a Hollywood version of Ghost in the Shell; a Japanese Anime/Manga that takes place in Japan, features a group of people who are all Japanese, and has critical political commentary on the United States (they are presented as the American Empire in the story).

Furthermore, you have to consider the fact that when it comes to POC telling their own stories they must be stories that match up to the current stereotypical views of POC; look no further than The Help and 12 Years a Slave. If POC are to tell their own stories they must do so in a way that does not make white people feel uncomfortable, guilty, or upset.

In each of the three examples of movies I’ve mentioned in this post there was a plethora of social commentary as fans of each story listed the various people of color that could have starred in each of the movies.  The critiques also explored why whitewashing was so damaging to the people who enjoyed the source material as well as why representation is so important.

Again, the racism presented in “Far Beyond the Stars” doesn’t manifest so bluntly in our modern times, but it is no less present and no less harmful. Our only notions of a world without violence come from a fictional universe, this is how much work is ahead of us.

Captain Sisko: “What if this, all of this, is the illusion?”

Mr. Sisko: “That’s a scary thought.”

It is the illusion, Captain, and it is a very scary thought Mr. Sisko.

"Man of the People" - Star Trek: TNG, Season 6 Ep. 03

Some thoughts as I watch.

This isn’t the first time the show has crafted an episode around Deanna Troi and in most of the narratives she is at the mercy of the storyline; an otherworldly being uses her to experience the human life cycle (Anita Sarkeesian has a breakdown of this trope here), an episode involving an arranged marriage, and, in this episode, an empath exploits her own empathic abilities for his own purposes.  There are more examples and I realize the show was coming out of a different era (late 80s, early 90s) but there is a troubling treatment of Deanna Troi’s character and she is rarely given an opportunity to explore her own storyline on her own terms.  Even in “Face of the Enemy” where she plays a critical role in infiltrating the Romulan Empire and aiding some defectors, she is still kidnapped and forced into the role.

But ultimately, I’m not writing this to discuss the treatment of Deanna Troi’s character in the show.  As I watch “Man of the People,” I am noticing a aspect of the narrative where Troi experiences a kind of hyper-sexuality which ultimately turns into jealousy towards the empath who has exploited her ability for his own purposes.  What I noticed is that the apparent “hyper-sexuality” of Troi is used to portray a negative symptom of the psychological invasion; ultimately painting the narrative as: “there is something wrong with Troi because she is hyper-sexual and jealous.”  When I consider other speculative fiction, whether it’s historical, contemporary, or futuristic, I can think of other instances where a female character is shown to be “not right” by behaving in a way that is being show to us as “hyper-sexual.”  However, the way they show this is by having the character initiate romantic encounters, have visible sexual attraction to whomever the character is attracted to, and have a character who is only interested in the sexual gratification of the encounter (in most narratives they “use” men and “discard” them afterward).

Meanwhile, the same behavior for male characters is usually seen as par-for-the-course and never amounts to anything beyond defining an aspect of that character: James T. Kirk and William T. Riker behave in similar ways but it’s never defined as a negative trait, nearly every Sitcom has a male character who’s promiscuity is used as a running joke, and for a lot of stories involving adolescent males have “getting laid” as a core narrative.  Within the Star Trek universe, the Vulcan’s are given a biological condition known as Pon Farr.  While it effects both male and female Vulcans, it is typically portrayed in different ways.  When Tuvoc and Spock experience the condition the narrative revolves around how does the crew of their respective ships save their lives; ultimately going down a road of treating it as a medical condition with respect and seriousness.  For T’Pol and Torres, the narrative moves more towards a hyper-sexualization (T’Pol) and gives an excuse for sexualization of the particular character or the narrative moves down the road of the “animalistic” portrayal (Torres).

Ultimately, the Pon Farr is a source of concern and is taken seriously if the characters are male, while the Pon Farr is an opportunity to sexualize female characters who experience the condition.
Regardless of the situation, a female character taking control of her sexuality and initiating sexual/romantic encounters is seen as a point of concern, whereas male characters easily incorporate such behavior and it is never a focal point for a narrative.  I haven’t really given it voice until now and I know others have noticed this in mainstream media, but it is extremely apparent in “Man of the People” and I would suggest this is one of the subtle ways in which Gender Roles, the Gender Binary, and Gender Binary Sexual Scripts are reinforced in our society.