In his first appearance, Stamets reminded me of David Marcus. "I've told you before, scientists have always been pawns to the military!" David was also the wonderkid, and that had to have given him some feeling of superiority.
Personally, yes. I am saying Star Trek doesn't NEED to have a positive male role model. Not saying it can't have one or won't have one in the future, but after 700+ episodes, I don't think it hurt things to let the girls have a season, nor would it hurt to have a female focused season in the future.
How is Saru anything but a positive male role model? He works on the exact same conceit as Spock. The fact the rubber covers his whole face instead of just his ears doesn't change that. In fact, I'd argue his triumph despite atypical appearance and his own anxieties only makes him that much more so - especially for those who typically enjoy skiffy.
Stamets, Culber and Saru were all positive male role models, imo. But, yeah, like others have pointed out, there are plenty of other series where you can get examples of that. In fact it's the norm for most Star Trek series. I don't see why that has to be a focus/requirement for DISCO as well.
Stamets quickly became a massive stoner, frequently off his face on sporestuff. Not sure that qualifies as a role model.
Come on, Stamets experienced unforeseen side effects after sacrificing himself, to work the spore drive (which was badly needed at that moment), in order to spare the Tardigrade more inhumane torture and suffering. It was meant to be interpreted as an heroic, selfless act. He wasn't being a 'stoner' or acting like a drug addict, he was transformed by the experience (remember how he was the only one able to remember the timeloop iterations) and the side effects became increasingly worse the more he plugged into and operated the device as navigator. Also we got to see him bonding with Burnham and Tilly as they worked towards solutions. His relationship with Culber was entirely positive, their love even enabling him to get them home. Also note his decision to jump one more time just to get the whole crew back safely to the starbase, even though he'd nearly died after the 133 jumps.
No, it doesn't. But Stamets was fantastic, and I think an excellent role model for any geeky teen, to show that social awkwardness and an interest in science and technology doesn't make you a loser. No, you're bothered by the fact that there were no handsome, successful, "traditional" white male heterosexual hero characters. Funny how it bothers people when they don't have someone on screen they identify with in that way. Funny how it has offended white men that the only straight white male was a villain. Makes you understand how minorities and women have felt for the past 75 years, doesn't it?
If Only, that last part were true. Statistics have shown that the type of people your comment is geared toward, are so focused internally that they usually don't (or choose not to) see the correlation. It's like talking trying to a brick wall, and having the wall turn itself around to ignore you.
None of this changes the fact that males are the majority audience and Trek has traditionally supplied a strong positive male role model, which I think Captain Pike will be. I wouldn't count Saru as a male role model because he's not human, and do we even know he's a he? Before Discovery the least liked Trek series was VOYAGER, guess what it lacked? A strong male role model.
Chakotay? Paris? Even the Doctor? Or is what you're saying, and GOD I hope it isn't, that Trek ships can only have men as the lead character?
Who over the age of - like - 16 actually looks up to fictional characters and tries to model their behavior off of them? I've never even personally identified with a fictional character - even as a kid - let alone idolized them.
They've used those pronouns with him, so I'd assume so. I thought Enterprise was the least liked? And Voyager had fine male role models. Character doesn't need to be Human to be a role model.
We are not so slightly drifting into a very misogynistic conversation here. (which is a Rabbit Hole better left for TNZ) Let's say we just agree to disagree on this particular subject? How about them Enterprise Pylons and that 'fat-lip' Tailbone, now there's something that could use a lot of improvement in Season-2!
For me, DISCOVERY was actually a pleasant surprise in this respect. I feel more or less the same way you do about how graphic TV and movies have become, but I can tolerate some of it. I didn't see DISCOVERY until the DVD set came out last month, and I was expecting it to be MUCH more graphic than it actually was. It turned out to be not bad at all.
Do you REALLY think there is a correlation? And even if there was, correlation does not equal causation. That's the most specious argument i've read in a while. Particularly because the show boasted a strong male first officer. Or did you just not notice because he wasn't white? And where is the evidence that Voyager was the least liked Trek series? Enterprise, statistically, was the least watched, and got the fewest seasons. No, you've developed a theory and are pulling disparate facts together to fit.
What bothered me most was the weird, ambiguous way they handled what may or may not have been intended to be Tyler's rape. If it wasn't intended to be that, it was cheap tawdriness of the worst sort. If it was, they dropped the ball completely on a serious issue in a really terrible way.
This series can be improved by removing Star Trek form the Title. Gene Roddenberry is sinning in his grave. What a complete rape of the spirit that is Start Trek.