Pedophilia in "Elogium"

[Timo]

Wasn't the whole point of the Elogium that there was only one specific time in an Ocampan's life when she could get pregnant?

It may have been "the point" of the episode, but it was not stated in the episode.

Which is all good and well, because species where the female in a setup of sexual reproduction only has one litter of less than three kids will quickly go extinct.

I don't know if the writers realized it, but I'm thankful they stopped short of stating that the Ocampa can only have one litter. What they did say was quite a bit more ambiguous. Here's all the relevant dialogue:

Kes: "The elogium occurs only once. If I am ever going to have a child, it has to be now!"

And, moments later,

Neelix: "Are you saying that unless you conceive now, you'll never be able to?"
Kes: "Yes. And I need you to help me decide because I would want you to mate with me."

After that, there is no mention that only one child would be produced, or that there would never be further pregnancies after the first one.

So basically we're free to interpret this as establishing that an Ocampa female has to be impregnated at the onset of her elogium, or very soon thereafter, or she will cease to be fertile. If the initial impregnation does take place, she's then free to have as many pregnancies as she likes - but if it doesn't, a biological time window closes and her reproductive system goes to early retirement.

Makes sense, in a way: if there's not going to be offspring within a certain period, there's not likely to be offspring later on, either, since the Ocampa only have nine years to play with. And if there's not going to be offspring, then the reproductive system is just needless ballast and the body should get rid of it ASAP; the remaining seven years could then be spent helping the kids of other Ocampa couples survive and carry on the genes.

As for having the pregnancy externally on one's backside, rather than internally in one's tummy, I'm sure many women here would hail such a development. Not only does it make great structural sense, it's also something that sounds almost like one of the myriad varieties of birth-giving methods here on Earth, but is subtly unlike any of them. Thus, pretty good science fiction...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Triskelion]

^ good points, except placing the fetus on the back goes against the ability to protect it. The human(oid) body places all the really necessary stuff on the inside: flexors to close your hands are on the inner arm. The outer arm houses the extensors, for opening the hands. Genitalia are located where they can be protected against temperature changes and impacts. Major arteries flow down the interiors of the limbs. Babies are in front, where a mother can see what threats may be jumping out at her. Balance is maintained on the vital inner big toes.

Putting a baby on the back may suggest that for survival on Ocampa, the life of the mother is more important than the life of the fetus. Which actually would support the "multiple birth" argument.

 

[Myasishchev]

I dunno, Timo. I can think of some serious problems arising from a feral humanoid giving birth through a gaping, easily infected wound on its back instead of a permanent birth canal--which is dangerous enough in itself.

Also there seem to be good reasons why the developing fetus is contained where it is, for its protection and a position on the process end of a digestive system.

 

[Lucky Charms]

I just lump "Elogium" in the same "episodes that are totally ridiculous and make no sense" category as "Threshold". Either Voyager had no bible for the writers to follow or they changed it as it pleased them.

I do not see Kes and Nelix's relationship containing hints of pedophilia. Matter of fact I felt they were rather ambiguous about the real nature of their relationship as Guy Gardener has already stated in his post. The fact that they did not share a cabin says a lot to me. Of course you could argue that maybe one of them comes from a race that do not participate in cohabitation. Again you have to be careful to assign human ideals/lifestyles to aliens.

I think you could flip this around and then discuss 7of9s situation. She was most definitely a grown women physically, but her emotional/sexual maturity was like a pre-teen. Just to be clear I am not implying that there was anything remotely relating to pedophilia in regards to Seven and her "relationships", I just see her as a bit opposite in Kes when comparing physical maturity with emotional maturity.