You're right, I was thinking of the majority of USN flag officers being line officers, which they are, but there are enough of the others to fairly use the word "common."
Should they have had a female Commodore in TOS?
- Thread starter Lance
- Start date
You're right, I was thinking of the majority of USN flag officers being line officers, which they are, but there are enough of the others to fairly use the word "common."
Stocker I think is a total no go, but those other characters would only be perceived badly because of all the other poor women characters that had been on the show. If you show you can have strong women then you can show weak ones with no problem. Unfortunately TOS was only interested in the latter. Seeing a female Merrick sandwiched between a number of Mata Hari and damsel tropes and compounded by the space hooker Kirk accepts as tribute in the very same episode would have been problematic. But no worse than the rest of the show.
I, for one, would have LOVED to see Matt Decker as a woman if play exactly the way it was as aired. Someone weary, disheveled, yet filled with rage. Insisting Spock walk over to the con to speak to Kirk. Having actual bloodlust. Beating the shit out of a younger man. Sacrificing herself heroically and having that sacrifice pay off. That would have been the female role to rule the 60's, boy. There actually would have been nothing like it for 10 more years.
fuckyeahladydecker!
But that role would have portrayed a (1960's) female character in a bad light in a way that a male character wouldn't have been. Male Decker was pushed past the breaking point, female Decker would have been perceived as a "weak little girl." Similar with Stocker, clueless solely because she's a woman.
IrishNero
Commodore
We need to be careful to keep things in context with the times. Star Trek began nearly 50 years ago, and the roles of women in our society have drastically changed since it went on the air. My opinion is that, as progressive as GR was, his views of women still reflected the times in which he lived to a large extent. The women's uniforms on the show were primarily short skirts, which would be offensive to many today. It's an oversimplification to believe the world was simply full of sexists at that time. It's societal. Keep in mind that there are still places in this world today where women are not allowed to vote, or even drive a car.
Male Decker was pushed past the breaking point, female Decker would have been perceived as a "weak little girl." Similar with Stocker, clueless solely because she's a woman.
I disagree and I gave my reasons already. Decker is too fleshed out to be considered a trope no matter what the gender. There is not real comparison to Stocker who is a stock (punny) character who's just there to get in the way.
Even in the 70s, you didn't see any female Commodores.
[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5EmnQp3V48[/yt]
[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5EmnQp3V48[/yt]
It would be rare in the 1960s to not use "man" rather than person. I don't think that became the normal thing to say unit....maybe the 90s. I remember it becoming an issue with some people in High School and that was in the mid-90s. When Political Correctness was a big thing.
Or course the 60s was also a time before the large push in the Navy to put more women on ships.
Or course the 60s was also a time before the large push in the Navy to put more women on ships.
He might be referring to Commodore Stone talking to Kirk in "Courtmartial." Stone says something like, "Only one man in a million can command a starship."
It would've been nice to have female captains, commodores, etc. on TOS, just like it would've been nice to have episodes that focused on Sulu, Chekov, Uhura or Chapel more. Or another Mudd episode, or another Pike episode.
But I forgive TOS because I think it would've gotten there eventually. I see Star Trek as a series that ended prematurely. In a sense, it's an unfinished story.
Who knows what Year 4 and 5 would've brought? If quality and creative control had been what it was in Seasons 1 and 2, I think we would've eventually seen a female commodore or an Uhura episode or two.
But I forgive TOS because I think it would've gotten there eventually. I see Star Trek as a series that ended prematurely. In a sense, it's an unfinished story.
Who knows what Year 4 and 5 would've brought? If quality and creative control had been what it was in Seasons 1 and 2, I think we would've eventually seen a female commodore or an Uhura episode or two.
I don't think that's meant to be taken literally.
Agreed.
Similar threads
