B'Elanna question

[The Grim Ghost]

Okay, so for most of Voyager B'Elanna hates the fact that she is a Klingon. She is even willing to go so far as to try and genetically change her baby so it won't look Klingon.

Why then does she have a hairstyle that shows off the fact that she is Klingon? If it weren't for the ridges she would just look like any human. Why not cover them up with hair if it bug her so much? Also, why not have the Doctor just remove them? It really makes no sense.

 

[Red Ranger]

Okay, so for most of Voyager B'Elanna hates the fact that she is a Klingon. She is even willing to go so far as to try and genetically change her baby so it won't look Klingon.

Why then does she have a hairstyle that shows off the fact that she is Klingon? If it weren't for the ridges she would just look like any human. Why not cover them up with hair if it bug her so much? Also, why not have the Doctor just remove them? It really makes no sense.

Interesting question. You know, I've never seen a Klingon with bangs, but then again, a full-blooded Klingon would be proud of his/her ridges. Maybe B'Elanna asked the Doctor to perform such surgery, but he refused since there was no pressing need to remove B'Elanna's ridges. -- RR

 

[kissthestar]

B'Elanna is hair bang challeged? Here's where a tribble or two could come in handy.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

I just find it strange that the hairstyle she chose calls attention to her being a Klingon, probably more than any other would unless she shaved her head.

It would be like if you had a huge scar on your forehead that you were very self conscious about, but decided to part your hair in the middle and sweep it back so everyone could see it

 

[eepruls]

I don't think B'Elanna hated being Klingon. I think she just struggled with being different. When she wanted to alter her baby's DNA, it wasn't because she hated Klingons, but because she didn't want her daughter to have to experience the same lifelong struggle she's had. I never got the sense that she wanted to get rid of her forehead ridges or cover them up. In the episode where her Klingon and Human halves were split into two, she realized that her Klingon side was an advantage and gave her strength. Take many African Americans who may struggle with being different, but they don't necessarily hate being Black. B'Elanna was a character to explore an inner struggle between mixed cultures.

 

[JNG]

Yeah, I think that she stuck up for herself as a half-Klingon, but viewed something of that heritage as a potential burden for the child. I can easily envision that a parent would have an attitude other than "what's good for the goose is good for the gander."

 

[Obi Wana Jones]

It was just an excuse to have a crewmember with 24/7 PMS

 

[Bacl]

It was just an excuse to have a crewmember with 24/7 PMS

Ensign Ro, Major Kira...

 

[Seven of Five]

An important first season B'Elanna episode was 'Faces,' when the Vidiians split her Human and Klingon parts into two seprate people. By the end, Human-B'Elanna had realised how she can't live without the other half of her, which maybe goes someway to answering the OP's question. In reality, it would be a production choice to give B'Elanna a nice do to make her as attractive as possible for new viewers.

'Lineage' was one of the few gems in season 7; watching B'Elanna trying to change her baby to avoid the kind of life she had when she was younger was heartwrenching. A story at some point with her trying to hide her ridges because she was ashamed of her part-Klingon heritage would have been a nice precursor to that particular episode.

 

[Red Ranger]

A slight digression, but I understand that the first time Roxann Dawson saw what she looked like in her full makeup, it upset her, because the look revolted her. I found that interesting, because I thought B'Elanna was the hottest woman on the show, even with the forehead ridges. I guess it's her full, sensuous lips and hot attitude that turned me on! Oh, lucky Tom! -- RR

 

[Deks]

Be'Lanna dealt with the fact of being half-Klingon in the initial seasons.
Later when she was pregnant, her painful memories of what she had to go through herself as a child surfaced and apparently digressed once again into a protective behavior (this time taking it to the extreme and wanting to protect her daughter).

 

[2 of 10]

I don't think B'Elanna hated being Klingon. I think she just struggled with being different. When she wanted to alter her baby's DNA, it wasn't because she hated Klingons, but because she didn't want her daughter to have to experience the same lifelong struggle she's had. I never got the sense that she wanted to get rid of her forehead ridges or cover them up. In the episode where her Klingon and Human halves were split into two, she realized that her Klingon side was an advantage and gave her strength. Take many African Americans who may struggle with being different, but they don't necessarily hate being Black. B'Elanna was a character to explore an inner struggle between mixed cultures.

Agreed, I really don't think that she hated her heritige, it was being different from most of the crew. Not a self hatred but a way of coping, with her situation of Voyager...

 

[spoonunseptium]

I agree with the fact that she just struggled alot.

Or, I could throw in the token behind-the-scenes practicality excuse: in the show, it needed to be obvious that B'elanna was indeed half klingon.


or... maybe klingon hair only grows in one direction. :-P

 

[Spock-2012]

I don't think B'Elanna hated being Klingon. I think she just struggled with being different. When she wanted to alter her baby's DNA, it wasn't because she hated Klingons, but because she didn't want her daughter to have to experience the same lifelong struggle she's had. I never got the sense that she wanted to get rid of her forehead ridges or cover them up. In the episode where her Klingon and Human halves were split into two, she realized that her Klingon side was an advantage and gave her strength. Take many African Americans who may struggle with being different, but they don't necessarily hate being Black. B'Elanna was a character to explore an inner struggle between mixed cultures.

Yes, definately agreed. It was just because of the fact she was always tormented by her cousins as a child, and she found it hard to control her temper, even when she grew older. I think she hated the fact that sometimes she can appear frightening to people she knows. And the thing about her daughter, she was afraid she'd go through the childhood torment she herself had endured, as well as the arch in her back that would have made her slightly hunch-backed, although the Doctor assured her that it could be altered.

 

[jamestyler]

A slight digression, but I understand that the first time Roxann Dawson saw what she looked like in her full makeup, it upset her, because the look revolted her.

Dawson is quite an attactive woman... but for some reason the ridges make her just a little bit hotter.

I always find it odd when actors don't take to their makeup though, surely she'd have known what she was in for before taking the role an come to terms with the ridges.

 

[Spock-2012]

A slight digression, but I understand that the first time Roxann Dawson saw what she looked like in her full makeup, it upset her, because the look revolted her.

Dawson is quite an attactive woman... but for some reason the ridges make her just a little bit hotter.

I always find it odd when actors don't take to their makeup though, surely she'd have known what she was in for before taking the role an come to terms with the ridges.

Unless of course, on the off chance, that she never watched ST or didn't know what a Klingon was and just applied for the role...

 

[jamestyler]

Unless of course, on the off chance, that she never watched ST or didn't know what a Klingon was and just applied for the role...

It's highly unlikely, or downright odd, that between auditioning and being offered/accepting the role they wouldn't mention anything about the character being only half human or hinting at the makeup.

Unless they make a habbit of telling them they'll need to come onto set a few hours early after the actors sign the contract. That could make for an amusing scenario

 

[Red Ranger]

A slight digression, but I understand that the first time Roxann Dawson saw what she looked like in her full makeup, it upset her, because the look revolted her.

Dawson is quite an attactive woman... but for some reason the ridges make her just a little bit hotter.

I always find it odd when actors don't take to their makeup though, surely she'd have known what she was in for before taking the role an come to terms with the ridges.

Jamestyler:

I agree! I am warm for B'Elanna's form! Or like that Rolling Stones song, I'm so hot for her, I'm so hot for her, I'm so hot for her (she's so cold)!

As for the makeup, she might have known what it looked like, but it probably looks different through one's own eyes after the first makeup job!

Red Ranger

 

[VulcanGuy]

Okay, so for most of Voyager B'Elanna hates the fact that she is a Klingon. She is even willing to go so far as to try and genetically change her baby so it won't look Klingon.

Why then does she have a hairstyle that shows off the fact that she is Klingon? If it weren't for the ridges she would just look like any human. Why not cover them up with hair if it bug her so much? Also, why not have the Doctor just remove them? It really makes no sense.

i've noticed this happens with people who are of a mixed race background as well. they always seem to feel very insecure and out of place and have no heritage to cling to.

 

[Boy Wonder]

Well people should be happy to be half breeds.

As for Belanna's hair, it should have been longer. Why do all the assertive women have to look butch on Star Trek, which means short hair, buzzcut, bob or in the case of Seven up.