• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Chase Masterson speaks candidly about DS9 and Catsuits

Okay, gang.

In an effort to keep this thread open, this is what I think needs to happen.

1. Jammer will moderate this thread. I have already contacted him, and he will no doubt be along sometime in the next several hours to act as moderator in this situation.

2. In the meantime, I ask everyone to play nice. If this disagreement continues to escalate, then I will close the thread temporarily until Jammer has a chance to review it. It will then be at his discretion as to whether or not it can be re-opened.

3. I myself will no longer participate in this thread as a regular poster. My only participation after this, until Jammer begins moderating, is to close this thread pursuant to item #2, should it become necessary.

I may or may not re-enter the discussion as a regular poster after Jammer begins moderating. But as the fun of debate is pretty much sucked out of the thing now, I am inclined to pass.

So don't necessarily expect me to respond to any further comments that were made to me as a regular poster.

In closing, I would like to express my profound disappointment with this situation. In my 4 1/2 years as moderator of this forum, this is only the second time this has occurred....and it's a doggone pity that a simple debate had to turn into such a big deal. :(
 
Everyone take a deep breath. PKTrekVash ;), I don't think they were intending to imply that you are using your moderator position to affect the argument. I think they were just using moderator as another form of pronoun -- you know, like The Man.

And I think we can do debate without putting in labels of "offensive and rude" or "precious Seven."

Think happy thoughts. And then have spirited debate. But let's not take it all too personally.

By the way, what's the deal with Ovaltine? The jar is round, the cup is round. Why don't they call it Roundtine?

I see no reason for this thread to be closed at this time.
 
Jammer said:
Everyone take a deep breath. PKTrekVash ;), I don't think they were intending to imply that you are using your moderator position to affect the argument. I think they were just using moderator as another form of pronoun -- you know, like The Man.

Thank you, Jammer.

And I think we can do debate without putting in labels of "offensive and rude" or "precious Seven."

Thank you, Jammer.


Good day to you all.
 
Has Jeri Ryan ever commented on the "catsuit controversy"? I remember that Jolene Blalock once screamed in an interview that Berman was substituting tits and ass for good writing. She also called Berman an old crony out of touch with reality or something.

edit: found it:

"You can’t substitute tits and ass for good storytelling. You can have both, but you can't substitute one for the other, because the audience is not stupid. You can’t just throw in frivolous, uncharacteristic... well, bull and think it's gonna help the ratings!"

Jolene replies with what appears to be remarks about Enterprise Executive Producer, Rick Berman:

"Because it’s the same in any industry... You have this head guy who's some kind of ancient old croaker with no concept of the real world outside, with his fine wine and his, er, crumpets. And what are ya gonna tell them? ‘Give it up’? ‘Go home, be with your wife, go play golf’? No - then ya got no job! A powerful job is your identity. Give that up, and who are you? What the hell are you gonna do with all that time? You can’t tell people what to do anymore!"

The full interview can be located in Issue 125 of SFX Magazine
 
Jeri's commented many times. This from a 1999 interview in Bikini:

The outfit was actually indicative on what could've been a larger problem. The producers of Voyager have always been rather open about the fact that her character Seven of Nine was written into the show, in large part, as an object of sexual desire. This had some people -- including Jeri -- worried that Seven was going to be a space slut, with Voyager mutating into an intergalactic Danielle Steel novel. Which is why Jeri almost didn't audition.

"I was very ambivalent about taking this role," she reveals. "I didn't want to read for it originally, and I didn't know much about Star Trek, so I didn't know what the writing was going to be like. I had no problem with the overtly sexual/physical appearance of this character, that honestly didn't bother me in the character was intelligent and written well, but given that she was being added for sex appeal, it would've been real easy that, by episode two, she's totally human and in bed with this character, and then she's in bed with this other character. I was very nervous about that.

"But I have to say," she adds, "they have exceeded my best expectations. She's really been a tremendous treat to play because she's really well-written and well-developed and very strong and very smart, but still very Borg-like, which is what I like about her: that conflict that she brings to the show and to the other relationships. I love that I get to go nose-to-nose with the captain and tell her she's making stupid decisions. I love that."

And from a scifi.com chat:

*DR* Do you have any resentments with the skin-tight costume?

JeriRyan: None at all. I think Bob Blackman out-did himself with that costume. It would be a different story if it was Baywatch. If the character wasn't as well-written, and as strong and as smart as she is. But given the reality of the character, I think it's very positive female portayal.
 
I wouldn't imagine Ryan herself would have many resentments. Barring some extraordinary future opportunity (which is not impossible, by any means, but still highly unlikely), Seven of Nine is her breakout and signature role. She should be profoundly grateful, even considering the costume into which she was crammed. Most people make compromises to achieve their goals, and Jeri Ryan is clearly far too intelligent and savvy to disparage her vehicle to genuine stardom---even if that vehicle was constructed in part of second-skin spandex.
 
I think Jeri has left Seven long behind. She's a working actress and a working owner of a successful restaurant. It's us Trek fans who keep the "controversy" going. ;)
 
:lol:

Bikini.com asks, "How do you feel about the objectification of women! Exclusive interviews with Pamela Anderson and Jenna Jameson!" Dear Jenna, did you ever feel like you were perpetuating male perceptions of "disposable female whores"?
 
:lol: Okay, probably not the best choice,unfortunately, TVGuide and other entertainment sites have pruned their archives of interviews from the late 90s.

And in recent interviews, no one asks Jeri about the catsuit. Because, well, there are other things to talk about these days. Like what she's doing in her careers *now*.
 
KitchenWitch said:
:lol: Okay, probably not the best choice,unfortunately, TVGuide and other entertainment sites have pruned their archives of interviews from the late 90s.

And in recent interviews, no one asks Jeri about the catsuit. Because, well, there are other things to talk about these days. Like what she's doing in her careers *now*.

Okay, then I won't cancel my subscription to the New York Times.

She's very talented and I hope she gets something that has better traction for her career.
 
According to TPTB her role on Shark will be expanded this fall.

Her restaurant is quite successful, considered by many to be the best French restaurant in Southern California and one of the best in the country. Jeri is a working owner and when not filming can be found there quite often, acting as hostess, planning events, bussing tables, acting as sommelier, polishing glassware, and cleaning the restrooms. She's no dilletante--she's put in her time behind the scenes, even moonlighting as a line chef on weekends during her Boston Public years.

And she's getting married shortly and they hope to have another co-production as soon as they can.

I think her traction is just fine.
 
KitchenWitch said:
According to TPTB her role on Shark will be expanded this fall.

Her restaurant is quite successful, considered by many to be the best French restaurant in Southern California and one of the best in the country. Jeri is a working owner and when not filming can be found there quite often, acting as hostess, planning events, bussing tables, acting as sommelier, polishing glassware, and cleaning the restrooms. She's no dilletante--she's put in her time behind the scenes, even moonlighting as a line chef on weekends during her Boston Public years.

And she's getting married shortly and they hope to have another co-production as soon as they can.

I think her traction is just fine.
Jeri Lynn Zimmerman did graduate as valedictorian of her high school. Going back and looking at her high school and university yearbooks, you can totally tell that she was a combination of both beauty and brains. :thumbsup:
 
Sorry, TrekGirl... the remarks I was responding to that I thought were yours actually came from "JM1776". I have certain concentration problems caused by a neurological problem (short simplified version of story), and I consider it a sort of miracle that I don't make bigger slip-ups than this one, on a regular basis. Sorry about any bad feelings this may have caused.

Someone said I shouldn't say that this person was being rude to me.... I'm not sure how one is supposed to respond, to try to get people to be fair in conversation. A laughing emoticon as a response isn't really fair. Just pointing that out.
 
Gang, this thread is not about Jeri Ryan's career.

If you want to talk about Jeri's career, please do it in the VOY forum, or if she has been in other things, I guess General Media would be the place for that.

The topic of this thread is Chase Masterson's comments - about catsuits and anything else in her interview article.

Thanks.
 
UnknownSample said: Sorry, [PK]TrekGirl... the remarks I was responding to that I thought were yours actually came from JM1776.

Ironically enough, I'd thought this was the case, but didn't believe I had the right to mention it, for fear of stirring up even more trouble.

A laughing emoticon as a response isn't really fair.

Since so far as I know, UnknownSample, you're not the arbiter of fairness, either in general or this forum specifically, I'll take that comment for what it's worth and give it its due consideration.

You essayed a number of oblique insults at my thought processes and perspective earlier in the thread, implying that because I don't share your opinion, I am somehow less discerning than you are; and when I gave a measured response, you took exception. I strongly suggest you reconsider your attitude---which, whether you wish to acknowledge it or not, inspired this unpleasantness.

Now may we move on, or do you feel the need to dig yourself a deeper hole?
 
She really was gorgeous on DS9, always wore far more attractive attire than Seven too! I wished they developed her character a bit more though. She never got beyond being the pretty-but-dim dabo girl when Chase had the talent to have a more deeper character. Dare I say it but Chase was a better actor than some of the regular cast members, and should have got more screen time!
 
Hmm….I never understood the ‘controversy’ over the supposed catsuits…skants….etc.

It’s not like Seven of Nine was wearing a PVC bodysuit or anything, although I DO recall an alien female on DS9 wearing a shiny spanex outfit…(an alien who had some dealings with Quark).

I think some people are still living in the Victorian age. :lol:

Come to think of it, weren’t the men wearing ‘catsuits’ in Season 1 of TNG?

Anywho, here is my take:

-Seven: Shoved in our face, while other characters were shoved back.(I think that was due to some off-screen politics as well).

I though of her just out of uniform, and I think the male fantasies played more on the character than anything; as I found the character a bit annoying, as she stole some of Janeway’s thunder.

-T’Pol: A cool character, but wrongly executed.

Blalock I’m sure knew her character was only based on the actresses looks, and that’s as far as she went in terms of character.

In shiny spandex, decon gel scenes; along with other characters (a younger, prettier, hip crew) they seemed to have been going for a WB-like take on Trek with more emphasis on teen, male fantasies than a mature take on sci-fi…even if it wanted to go a little further with the sexual ‘stuff’ on Trek.

nuBSG at least balanced sex, drama, and violence together…(and even LEXX handled the sex, comedy (or black humor, rather), and sci-fi pretty well…although, I don’t think it was to everyone’s tastes).

-Leeta: Fortunate to be on DS9 (a bit more well-written and organized than ENT and VOY), where she was an obvious character created for her assets, but grew into a woman that could hold her own, and had some depth.

***

Women are always depicted in a sexual manner in sci-fi, I think, (even in ‘Doctor Who’ one of the coolest shows going on now). Sometimes that is due to not having much female input on the characters…or ‘girl power’ on the show, so to speak.

As for Trek, I think it became a bit sexist that in order for women to be on equal terms wit the males, they had to be ‘in uniform’ (pun intended)….

The women should have been shown to have a choice on what to wear, be it catsuits/jumpsuits, modest skants, tunic/trousers…etc…

Janeway could have been the character to show that, I think…(and, in a way, Dax and Kira were portrayed as such).

And I think Roddenberry, as much as a horndog he was :p would approve in depicting a more ‘libral’ future(sexual, or otherwise)…of sexy, independent women that wore outfits—not so much revealing—that could be sexy as well as professional. And even if they weren’t worn on duty, it was shown that women can be women without conforming to what they are ‘supposed’ to be, according to puritan standards.
 
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top