Is Uhura's uniform sexist?

[DevilEyes]

I suppose mini-skirts are impractical if you're climbing trees and something, especially if you have stockings underneath (pretty much guaranteed they'll get torn)... otherwise, they're very comfortable and easy to move around in. As for sitting in them, it all depends on your own and society's attitudes over revealing parts of one's body. Some societies demand for a woman to cover almost everything, while in others it's normal to walk around with very little covering (look at the clothing of some African tribes, for instance).

It's the one-piece costumes like Seven's catsuit or the TNG season 1 pyjama uniforms that would be really impractical. You'd have to take them off every time you go to the toilet! Also, clothes that are too tight and cover the whole body can be very uncomfortable, but that depends largely on the material: whether it's soft or crude, and whether it's too warm in it in high temperatures.

It wasn't "Uhura's uniform", but the standard unifotrm for all female members of Starfleet. A better argument could be made for the "one off" uniforms worn by Troi, Kira, Seven and T'Pol. Even the Ilia-Probe spends most of TMP wandering the ship in her micro-bathrobe.

Kira's uniform is a Bajoran Militia uniform. How is that a "one-off"? Just because there's no other prominent Bajoran command officer in the main cast?

 

[Therin of Andor]

by the time of TMP they were gone.

You forget Ilia's white leisure robe, Starfleet-issue casual wear. Saavik wore a version over pants in ST II.

 

[Shatnertage]

Is Uhura's uniform sexist?

I don't know...how do we ask it if it's in favor of gender inequality?

 

[DevilEyes]

Is Uhura's uniform sexist?

I don't know...how do we ask it if it's in favor of gender inequality?

Have a guy wear it and see if it self-destructs in protest!

 

[Nerys Myk]

I suppose mini-skirts are impractical if you're climbing trees and something, especially if you have stockings underneath (pretty much guaranteed they'll get torn)... otherwise, they're very comfortable and easy to move around in. As for sitting in them, it all depends on your own and society's attitudes over revealing parts of one's body. Some societies demand for a woman to cover almost everything, while in others it's normal to walk around with very little covering (look at the clothing of some African tribes, for instance).

It's the one-piece costumes like Seven's catsuit or the TNG season 1 pyjama uniforms that would be really impractical. You'd have to take them off every time you go to the toilet! Also, clothes that are too tight and cover the whole body can be very uncomfortable, but that depends largely on the material: whether it's soft or crude, and whether it's too warm in it in high temperatures.

It wasn't "Uhura's uniform", but the standard unifotrm for all female members of Starfleet. A better argument could be made for the "one off" uniforms worn by Troi, Kira, Seven and T'Pol. Even the Ilia-Probe spends most of TMP wandering the ship in her micro-bathrobe.

Kira's uniform is a Bajoran Militia uniform. How is that a "one-off"? Just because there's no other prominent Bajoran command officer in the main cast?

Seemed a bit more snug than the other Bajor uniforms we saw.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Is Uhura's uniform sexist?

I don't know...how do we ask it if it's in favor of gender inequality?

 

[T'Girl]

by the time of TMP they were gone.

You forget Ilia's white leisure robe, Starfleet-issue casual wear. Saavik wore a version over pants in ST II.

My impression was that neither of those were duty uniforms, instead simply personal casual wear.

 

[Cheapjack]

If it's sexist for women to wear revealing clothing, and it isn't, I think, in a free society, howcome women went along with it in the 60's and didn't get verbally or visually or physically raped, en masse?

Some vast male mysoginist conspiracy? Or a general air of increased freedom?

To draw the line upwards, nowadays, women on a night out could/should be able to go out topless and be appreciated, by males and other females ????????

Maybe we'll have to wait 300 years.

And, ST generally has a U rating!

 

[Nightdiamond]

There were also quite a few underwear shots here and there from various episodes with that uniform, not jut Uhura but some other female crew members.

In TNG, during the first season, we actually see men wearing a similar type of skirt.

 

[Nerys Myk]

by the time of TMP they were gone.

You forget Ilia's white leisure robe, Starfleet-issue casual wear. Saavik wore a version over pants in ST II.

My impression was that neither of those were duty uniforms, instead simply personal casual wear.

Saavik's had a Starfleet pin on it, so it might have been a uniform.

 

[Willieck]

There were also quite a few underwear shots here and there from various episodes with that uniform, not jut Uhura but some other female crew members.

In TNG, during the first season, we actually see men wearing a similar type of skirt.

And bl__dy silly they looked too!

 

[Shatnertage]

The men-in-skirts thing wasn't unique to TNG. I watched an episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century yesterday, and Dr. Huer, who's supposedly the president of the directorate, or the federation, or whatever they call it in that show, wears a dashing short white man-dress, though he's got pants on under it.

 

[BooThePun]

It is rather silly when television shows try to preach "equality" by putting men in skirts. At least where I grew up, it was fairly uncommon to see any women in skirts unless they were "dressing up" and even then, it was hardly mandatory. Yeah, i know, we can't predict the future and they're trying to make a point.

My money for future clothing--blue jeans. And those are only sexist if you want them to be.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Putting them in pants, like in the two pilots, was probably the correct call when predicting the future

 

[Cheapjack]

If they could go topless in past times, in some cultures and they can wear miniskirts today and even the most self-centered and egotistic of men just look and appreciate, why can't they do that 300-400 years from now?

Unless it's a dystopian future you see.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

I don't really get why the idea of men wearing skirts is considered so preposterous around here. It's far from uncommon for men to wear skirt-like garments in many parts of the world.

 

[Willieck]

I don't really get why the idea of men wearing skirts is considered so preposterous around here. It's far from uncommon for men to wear skirt-like garments in many parts of the world.

Well kilts for instance look alright if you like that sort of thing and in some cultures men do wear skirts which look OK in their place. (Greece for instance) I still maintain that the guys in TNG looked pretty silly.

 

[Cheapjack]

I once exposed my lemon-yellow underwear, unintentionally, to a woman, with effect. I haven't got the footballer or gladiator legs for a skirt.

And, I don't think women would be able to go topless past young adulthood, though they do in Africa, any more than we would want to see a 90 year old man in a skirt, though I suppose we could allow it. Oh, the sixties!

 

[Orcus]

It's not sexist - it's sexy. There is a difference - and it's been explained already in this thread.

And, this being the case, I've just realised this is a bit of a pointless relpy. Oh, well...

Ok, this has nothing to do with the discussion, but I just love your avatar of the bunny with a pancake on its head - that is the most amazing thing ever.

Cheers. I don't know if you can read the caption on it but it helps explain the photo:

"I have no idea what you're talking about... ...so here's a bunny with a pancake on its head."

I've always liked the random banality of it.

 

[DevilEyes]

I once exposed my lemon-yellow underwear, unintentionally, to a woman, with effect. I haven't got the footballer or gladiator legs for a skirt.

And, I don't think women would be able to go topless past young adulthood, though they do in Africa, any more than we would want to see a 90 year old man in a skirt, though I suppose we could allow it. Oh, the sixties!

I don't particularly want to see fat men shirtless, but I still see quite lots of them on the beach and in swimming pools, and even in the streets in summer. There are also those guys who like to wear tiny undershirts with their big bellies hanging out. Is it pretty? Nope. But guess what, they are able to dress like that. Nothing is stopping them, unless they're self-conscious about it, which many obviously aren't. So I'm pretty sure that women of any age would be able to go topless as well.