Needless to say, Star Trek wasn't always that progressive of a show.
Harry Kim's rape
- Thread starter Paul Weaver
- Start date
I think they tried to be but had limitations placed on them
There's a cultural blind spot that hasn't been completely acknowledged, much less addressed, and that deals with the fact that a male can be sexually assaulted/raped and that the assault/rape is it can be just as mentally and emotionally destructive as it would be for a female victim. Of course the percentage of male victims is lower, but sexual assault on males being used as the source of humor or implied vengeance is a regrettable part of fiction (be it literature or film/TV) and Trek hopefully will handle this better in the future.
This, totally this.
It goes almost without saying we quite rightly wouldn't dream of making light of male on female sexual assault, precisely because it's a revolting, traumatising and deeply humiliating experience, one of the most personal, intrusive and degrading ways one human can harm or control another.
The reverse scenario is far less common, to the point that people (including those in law enforcement) at times scarcely believe it exists, but that does not detract from the seriousness of the subject.
It does exist, it is horrific and not remotely the stuff of comic relief.
We might even argue the devils advocate here and postulate that this was in fact (unintentional) social commentary. The doctor's response in many was is reflective of societies views, he is out of hand dismissive of something he simply doesn't see as a crime, Kim is discouraged from making an issue out of the assault in much the way real world victims find themselves ignored, disbelieved, viewed as fantasists or outright laughed at.
Why would you assume the "Klingon way" equals rape?
I don't mean to make light of what happened to Harry, but Ch'Rega didn't rape him. She bit him, yeah. But that's how Klingons "court". She was indicating her affection for Harry, as is normal in her culture.
However I see no reason to assume that flat-out rape is any less dishonorable and horrifying in Klingon culture as it is with humans.
Klingon on Klingon nonconsensual sex is probably rape, and I only say probably because most klingons would be too proud to admit that the act had been non consensual.
With aliens, and "new" aliens it'd be a case by case process as each new species tries to justify their personhood. If the empire decides that your species are talking cows, and not people at all, then you can't be raped like a person, but you can seriously annoy the "owner" by bothering their property, just like any one else having sex with a cow in a field at night when the farmer is sleeping.
Slavery is legal in the Empire.
Federation Species have unquestionable personhood, or there would be war.
With aliens, and "new" aliens it'd be a case by case process as each new species tries to justify their personhood. If the empire decides that your species are talking cows, and not people at all, then you can't be raped like a person, but you can seriously annoy the "owner" by bothering their property, just like any one else having sex with a cow in a field at night when the farmer is sleeping.
Slavery is legal in the Empire.
Federation Species have unquestionable personhood, or there would be war.
This I agree with. What's more I hate it when people project a full on rape situation to one that wasn't, then get high and mighty. There is a HUGE difference between rape and what happened to Harry. Yet the OP quite misleadingly has Harry's rape in the subject line and the hysteria follows..
Public opinion without true context.
Remember when Riker was aboard the Pagh in "A Matter of Honor?" There were a number of times when he was informed that he'd have been killed for doing this or that, seemingly harmless from a human's perspective, if he'd been a Klingon. Like "suggesting an alternate course of action" from the captain's orders. They're a very violent race at heart. So, it's only natural to presume that sexual conquest is part of their ethos as well, including rape.
Obviously Harry wasn't raped, but if things continued I expect that the Klingon woman would've eventually tried her hand at forcing Harry into a sexual encounter.
It was most definitely sexual assault, that fell short of rape.
There's also a double standard in play.
If you sexually assault a woman, shit gets real.
If you sexually assault a man, it can be funny.
There's also a double standard in play.
If you sexually assault a woman, shit gets real.
If you sexually assault a man, it can be funny.
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I think that may be stretching things just a TON.
Klingons are aggressive in their sexual encounters, true. And of course they are formidable fighters. But this does not necessarily mean they force themselves on their mates (or anyone else).
Klingon courtship rituals may be unique, but there is absolutely no evidence that rape is a common part of Klingon culture or that it is in any way condoned.
Think of it from a Klingon's perspective: a mate's affections are a prize to be won in battle. To forcibly take a prize when it hasn't been earned, would be dishonorable in the extreme.
That does beg the question though about why she thought Harry a prize. I don't know my Klingon rituals but are men who are inexperienced and reluctant, a prize? Wouldn't they be easy pickings?
The wording of the text suggests that he hadn't said "No" yet, or maybe he hadn't said "No" in a way that carried any conviction.
Harry is so polite, that he doesn't want to hurt his potential rapists feeling, by telling her that he is just not into her.
"Sigh"
Harry is so polite, that he doesn't want to hurt his potential rapists feeling, by telling her that he is just not into her.
"Sigh"
Harry broke up a fight between Ch'Rega and another Klingon. So that probably piqued her interest.
Fight? Pre-sex.
He jumped queue.
That makes him fair game.
Quite literally asking for it.
Ignorance is hardly an excuse.
He jumped queue.
That makes him fair game.
Quite literally asking for it.
Ignorance is hardly an excuse.
Dude, nice try but I don't think the moral applicability is sinking in with a few people here.
You know, the whole "this isn't about Harry Kim or Klingons, it's about the oh so humorous portrayal of sexual assault and the doctor's attitude" thing.
M
marlboro
Guest
It's threads like this that make me embarrassed to be a Trek fan.
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