It's funny, science fiction TV fandom is the only place you'll find the use of the term "juvenile" whenever sex is mentioned in passing. It happens with Star Trek too, and nuBattlestar Galactica. Almost as if the viewership is uncomfortable with the topic and would rather their favorite shows remain asexual. I saw nothing in that first season - or any other season - of Torchwood that I would define as "juvenile" and I would be interested in seeing what people's definitions of the term were. There was a love scene in Out of Time. Another episode revealed that Tosh was bisexual. Big deal. The Orgasm Monster from episode 2? I see it as a mix of "let's get this out of our system" and "let's poke fun at the whole 'this is Doctor Who for grown-ups' business".
The only juvenile moment I can identify in Series 1 is there was a meeting scene where Jack suddenly announces "I have to go pee" or something like that. Because of course in real life no one urinates.
The argument that the gay relationships in the series is juvenile comes off as ridiculous if you do a little research into a certain series Russell T Davies created before taking on Doctor Who.
There are those who feel more comfortable if science fiction and sex were kept separate. Certainly with Torchwood there are those who feel the show should be as asexual and pure as the parent series. My evidence being all those breathing audible sighs of relief that Matt Smith and Steven Moffat have made the decision to make the Eleventh Doctor more or less asexual (except where River Song is concerned). I seem to recall the "J-card" was being played throughout the Rose-Martha eras too.
Question: exactly how does one approach sexual topics in a science fiction venue without being called juvenile. I think it's physically impossible based on the last decade or so of fandom attitudes towards sex.
Unless, of course, Joss Whedon is involved. That guy got away with murder when it came to dealing with sex; he did far worse than RTD (and added the neon sign THIS CHARACTER IS GAY in the case of certain characters in Buffy, to boot) yet because he has respect - something RTD sadly appears not to have in many quarters - he could get away with a lot.
Alex
The only juvenile moment I can identify in Series 1 is there was a meeting scene where Jack suddenly announces "I have to go pee" or something like that. Because of course in real life no one urinates.
The argument that the gay relationships in the series is juvenile comes off as ridiculous if you do a little research into a certain series Russell T Davies created before taking on Doctor Who.
There are those who feel more comfortable if science fiction and sex were kept separate. Certainly with Torchwood there are those who feel the show should be as asexual and pure as the parent series. My evidence being all those breathing audible sighs of relief that Matt Smith and Steven Moffat have made the decision to make the Eleventh Doctor more or less asexual (except where River Song is concerned). I seem to recall the "J-card" was being played throughout the Rose-Martha eras too.
Question: exactly how does one approach sexual topics in a science fiction venue without being called juvenile. I think it's physically impossible based on the last decade or so of fandom attitudes towards sex.
Unless, of course, Joss Whedon is involved. That guy got away with murder when it came to dealing with sex; he did far worse than RTD (and added the neon sign THIS CHARACTER IS GAY in the case of certain characters in Buffy, to boot) yet because he has respect - something RTD sadly appears not to have in many quarters - he could get away with a lot.
Alex
