Wesley Crusher: Racist

Trekker4747 · August 7 2012, 02:22 AM

"A Matter of Honor"

The new crew members and a part of an exchange program, a Benzite, beam aboard.

Wesley: Mordock! You couldn't have graduated from the academy already!

Mendon: Mordock? I am Mendon.

Wesley: Oh, sorry, I though you were a friend of mine.

Mendon: We are from the same geostructure, naturally we all look alike.

Wesley: How do you tell each other apart?

Mendon: ... We just do.

Yes, Wesley, I'm sure all Benzites look alike to you!

Ar-Pharazon · August 7 2012, 02:33 AM

Yeah, that's exactly what Wesley is

If anything, Mendon is the racist.

But considering the same actor played both characters, they really do look alike to me.

Cyke101 · August 7 2012, 02:37 AM

Ar-Pharazon wrote:

Yeah, that's exactly what Wesley is

I'm pretty sure the OP is only having a little bit of fun. After all, both Mordock and Mendon were played by John Patch, perhaps as a way to subtly and humorously further Wesley's faux pas.

SchwEnt · August 7 2012, 03:32 AM

Aw, lots of people in ST were racist, or specie-ist.
How many times does someone remark "Typical Klingon, always yadda yadda yadda" or "That would be the Romulan way of..." or "Leave it to the Ferengi to..." or "Only a Vulcan would do something something".

No one seems to mind generalizing entire races. But use that same language when talking about Irish or Japanese or Jews or Africans or French or Hindus or any other human group...

Tosk · August 7 2012, 05:25 AM

Cyke101 wrote:

After all, both Mordock and Mendon were played by John Patch, perhaps as a way to subtly and humorously further Wesley's faux pas.

Putch.

And didn't they write the dialogue to cover the fact that they were using the same guy, as opposed to casting him again due to the dialogue?

sbk1234 · August 7 2012, 05:37 AM

It's strange that they would write anything to cover using the same actor buried in makeup, since they often cast human actors whose faces were clearly shown playing different characters.

Tosk · August 7 2012, 05:48 AM

Found on Memory Alpha:

Of returning to play Mendon, Putch recalled; "I was all very impressed by that. I thought, 'Ah, they love me, they love me.' What they really loved was that it was me, because they'd spent all that money on making that blue head and it was form fitted to me...I don't fault them for that. I would have done the same thing, but it's funny how you are naive about these things when you're just an actor."

Timewalker · August 7 2012, 05:50 AM

I don't blame Wesley. Benzites all look alike to me, too. I'm sure if Wesley had known his friend longer than a few days (to be physically around him), he'd have picked up on specific nuances and body language and that would have clued him in that the other Benzite was a different person.

It's when we're not used to specific groups of people that we have trouble differentiating them. Even cats - somebody once asked me how I could tell my two tuxedo cats apart. Well, considering one was bigger than the other (and male, vs the smaller female), and their markings were noticeably different, plus the fact I'd raised both of them from kittenhood, their voices and body language were very different, the female was the mother of the male, etc....

But to somebody who knows very little about cats, they all tend to look alike.

R. Star · August 7 2012, 06:17 AM

You know, you can blame Wesley for a lot of things, chief among them being an annoying ass, but rascist? That's stretching things to the point of absurdity or just plain trolling.

Roger Wilco · August 7 2012, 06:25 AM

SchwEnt wrote:

Aw, lots of people in ST were racist, or specie-ist.
How many times does someone remark "Typical Klingon, always yadda yadda yadda" or "That would be the Romulan way of..." or "Leave it to the Ferengi to..." or "Only a Vulcan would do something something".

No one seems to mind generalizing entire races. But use that same language when talking about Irish or Japanese or Jews or Africans or French or Hindus or any other human group...

True, but in the Star Trek world contrary to our real world, those generalisations appear to be based on fact. It's not prejudice if it's true. (which is actually even worse than if just some of the characters were racist)

Trekker4747 · August 7 2012, 09:26 AM

Calling Wesley "racist" was a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it just comes across as odd to me that he would see a Benzite step off the transporter pad, someone who he was just told was not a new officer but part of the exchange program and immediately assume that he's his friend simply because they happen to be of the same species.

They had different names and, honestly, it never even dawned on me that it was the same actor. Hell, I think the two had somewhat different personalities.

I think any confusion for the audience could have been better cleared up than having Wesley pretty much wondering how Benzites can tell one another apart. Mendon should have responded with, "How do you humans tell one another apart? You all look alike to me!"

Tosk · August 7 2012, 11:18 AM

But it's not about Wesley's inability to tell them apart. Mendon specifically says that they do all look the same. It has nothing to do with the fallacy that not being able to tell one stranger from another makes you a racist if they are from the same ethnic group.

Trekker4747 · August 7 2012, 04:11 PM

Tosk wrote:

But it's not about Wesley's inability to tell them apart. Mendon specifically says that they do all look the same. It has nothing to do with the fallacy that not being able to tell one stranger from another makes you a racist if they are from the same ethnic group.

Mendon says "we're from the same geostructure, naturally we all look alike." Which, pretty much, is saying "we're all from the same planet, you idiot, of COURSE we all look alike!"

JRoss · August 7 2012, 05:18 PM

SchwEnt wrote:

Aw, lots of people in ST were racist, or specie-ist.
How many times does someone remark "Typical Klingon, always yadda yadda yadda" or "That would be the Romulan way of..." or "Leave it to the Ferengi to..." or "Only a Vulcan would do something something".

No one seems to mind generalizing entire races. But use that same language when talking about Irish or Japanese or Jews or Africans or French or Hindus or any other human group...

Humans are better than the aliens, so it's okay.

JRoss · August 7 2012, 05:22 PM

Some of us do have trouble telling people apart and we are not racists. I'm in customer service and I have a hard time. One blonde white woman from another? Not easy. One Shaven-headed square-jawed black man from another? Not easy. Yeah, I can't always tell black people apart, but it's also white people, latino, etc.

August 7 2012, 02:33 AM	#2
Ar-Pharazon Admiral of the Rear	Re: Wesley Crusher: Racist Yeah, that's exactly what Wesley is If anything, Mendon is the racist. But considering the same actor played both characters, they really do look alike to me. __________________ Rimmer, on what period of history to live in- “Well, It’d be the 19th century for me, one of Napoleon’s marshals. The chance to march across Europe with the greatest general of all time and kill Belgians” - (White Hole).

August 7 2012, 03:32 AM	#4
SchwEnt Fleet Captain	Re: Wesley Crusher: Racist Aw, lots of people in ST were racist, or specie-ist. How many times does someone remark "Typical Klingon, always yadda yadda yadda" or "That would be the Romulan way of..." or "Leave it to the Ferengi to..." or "Only a Vulcan would do something something". No one seems to mind generalizing entire races. But use that same language when talking about Irish or Japanese or Jews or Africans or French or Hindus or any other human group...

August 7 2012, 05:37 AM	#6
sbk1234 Rear Admiral Location: Los Angeles	Re: Wesley Crusher: Racist It's strange that they would write anything to cover using the same actor buried in makeup, since they often cast human actors whose faces were clearly shown playing different characters. __________________ In all the history of the world, a riot has NEVER broken out at a Sci-Fi convention. "It's a fucking TV show!" - Gary Lockwood

August 7 2012, 05:48 AM	#7
Tosk Rear Admiral Location: On the run.	Re: Wesley Crusher: Racist Found on Memory Alpha: Of returning to play Mendon, Putch recalled; "I was all very impressed by that. I thought, 'Ah, they love me, they love me.' What they really loved was that it was me, because they'd spent all that money on making that blue head and it was form fitted to me...I don't fault them for that. I would have done the same thing, but it's funny how you are naive about these things when you're just an actor."

August 7 2012, 05:50 AM	#8
Timewalker Commodore Location: In many different universes, simultaneously.	Re: Wesley Crusher: Racist I don't blame Wesley. Benzites all look alike to me, too. I'm sure if Wesley had known his friend longer than a few days (to be physically around him), he'd have picked up on specific nuances and body language and that would have clued him in that the other Benzite was a different person. It's when we're not used to specific groups of people that we have trouble differentiating them. Even cats - somebody once asked me how I could tell my two tuxedo cats apart. Well, considering one was bigger than the other (and male, vs the smaller female), and their markings were noticeably different, plus the fact I'd raised both of them from kittenhood, their voices and body language were very different, the female was the mother of the male, etc.... But to somebody who knows very little about cats, they all tend to look alike. __________________ "Let's give it to Riker. He'll eat anything!"

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August 7 2012, 06:17 AM	#9
R. Star Rear Admiral Location: Terra 3	Re: Wesley Crusher: Racist You know, you can blame Wesley for a lot of things, chief among them being an annoying ass, but rascist? That's stretching things to the point of absurdity or just plain trolling. __________________ "I was never a Star Trek fan." J.J. Abrams

August 7 2012, 09:26 AM	#11
Trekker4747 To boldly go... Location: Kansas City	Re: Wesley Crusher: Racist Calling Wesley "racist" was a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it just comes across as odd to me that he would see a Benzite step off the transporter pad, someone who he was just told was not a new officer but part of the exchange program and immediately assume that he's his friend simply because they happen to be of the same species. They had different names and, honestly, it never even dawned on me that it was the same actor. Hell, I think the two had somewhat different personalities. I think any confusion for the audience could have been better cleared up than having Wesley pretty much wondering how Benzites can tell one another apart. Mendon should have responded with, "How do you humans tell one another apart? You all look alike to me!" __________________ Just because it's futuristic doesn't mean it's practical.

August 7 2012, 11:18 AM	#12
Tosk Rear Admiral Location: On the run.	Re: Wesley Crusher: Racist But it's not about Wesley's inability to tell them apart. Mendon specifically says that they do all look the same. It has nothing to do with the fallacy that not being able to tell one stranger from another makes you a racist if they are from the same ethnic group.

August 7 2012, 05:22 PM	#15
JRoss Captain Location: Stain'd-by-the-Sea	Re: Wesley Crusher: Racist Some of us do have trouble telling people apart and we are not racists. I'm in customer service and I have a hard time. One blonde white woman from another? Not easy. One Shaven-headed square-jawed black man from another? Not easy. Yeah, I can't always tell black people apart, but it's also white people, latino, etc. __________________ I am a leaf on the wind. Fun times.