#RAND

[1shirt2shirtredshirtdeadshirt]

Sexism in TOS: Worst Offender, or Progressive in Retrospect in Comparison?

I see a lot of folks claim that TOS was the most sexist of the Star Trek shows by a landslide -- and while I agree that it definitely suffered from the sexism of the times, I also have other perspectives to share to give some food for thought.

I am of course not insinuating that TOS isn't sexist -- it is, but I have to ask folks to consider the breadth and depth of Berman's sexism in his run and ask yourself: Was Gene Roddenberry genuinely more sexist in his storytelling and delivery than Rick Berman?

I'm not telling you to feel one way or the other, but all I ask is that you hear me out and consider some perspectives and make your own balanced assessments. Nobody is obligated to share my opinion, but it means a lot just to have folks hear it and see their thoughts on the subject. So here is what I was originally responding to:

Someone's response to this photo:

"Devil's advocate. This was a part of the popular form of cardio during the production time of TNG. Yes, it was heavily sexualised by men, but so is literally every other way women work out. Men have been caught taking pictures of women while trying to do dead lifts, running on tracks and working on sled machines. They post them online to share too. The fact is, there is no way a woman can be shown working out without it going there. And yeah,t hat includes the combat forms of workout they do in Star Trek. Just look at how Dax dresses when she spars with Worf. Yes, they're dating, but still, same goes when 7 does and any other female.

Aerobics routines like this were made dirty and cringy. This was what women wore then by and large. This is how the workout was done. We make it cringy."

My response to them:

"I respect your take, but I disagree on a few fronts.

The miniskirt was chosen by the TOS female cast, not the male cast, specifically requested by Grace LW and affirmed by Nichelle and Majel who would go on to vehemently defend the miniskirt over the years as comfortable and embraced by them.

Grace said it was comfortable and seen as a symbol of female sexual empowerment during the 60s and thought it would be a progressive garment (and turns out that it was, as it was later adapted and worn by male crew as a skant on TNG) -- FYI those were designed by a gay man and Gene approved them.

This was also supposed to be Spock's TMP outfit:

Literally lingerie.

We saw both Uhura (who saves Kirk in from Marlena Mirror Mirror) and Yeoman Landon (the first to initiate combat with a classic Kirk-esque kick to help the Captain being attacked in The Apple) carry out their combat training in their Starfleet uniforms without ever being made to change into any ridiculous workout gear.

In fact, I'd argue Jim Kirk was sexualized even more than the ladies of the week on the show and I saw his naked body more than anyone else's on a fairly regular basis. He wore red yoga tights while topless in Charlie X while the women wore full length gymnastic suits that covered their entire body. If anything, it went out of its way to avoid sexualizing women practicing fitness in those scenes and instead focused on Kirk.

Gene confessed that he asked to have Shatner filmed in suggestive/provocative ways to "give something to the ladies", so he -- as he said -- liked to "film him walking away" or have him conveniently busting out of his shirts in just about every episode as it were, because Shatner apparently had great assets. LOL

Gene made an effort to at least sexualize both if he was going to sexualize one, and he carried that attitude forward in wanting the m/m and f/f scenes in the background on Risa for TNG. He also insisted that the men and women wear skimpy outfits on THAT TNG planet. You know the one. LOL I mean the dudes even had on less than the women:

Gene also gave permission to K/S shippers to have their conventions back in the 70s when he was asked for permission. Gene and Nimoy felt with all the skimpy outfits they had the ladies wear, why not let the ladies and gay men have their fun, too? It's how we ended up with moments like this:

Yes, those are two people dressed up as Kirk and Spock's penises doing interpretive dance. Gene didn't give two damns. LOL

In my eyes, that was a very progressive take on Gene's part for the 60s. It was actually PARAMOUNT STUDIOS who had the big problem with K/S stories and vehemently tried to shut them down. Gene literally hired slash authors on his payroll and even had several slash stories/writers published in his official Star Trek books (The New Voyages & The New Voyages II).

I feel I saw Uhura and women in TOS engaged in more physical combat/altercations defending themselves that Troi or Bev were shown holding their own.

In fact, Kirk used to get furious when someone would "dress up" his female crew members without their consent (Trelane episode, Shore Leave episode) because like his male crew members, he wanted them to be treated professionally and to also have his male crew act professionally.

Berman brought some of his own personal biases into Star Trek that in some ways regressed it. While TOS had blatant sexism and was called on it time and again, that show was made in the 60s -- a solid 21 years before TNG. We as a modern audience understood why some of it was cringe/sexist due to the time period -- look at any other media coming out in the 60s and Star Trek was miles ahead of what other shows were doing.

Compare that to Berman who was churning sexist stuff out when women like Starbuck and Scully were simultaneously on screen on other programs airing, and we had already had Sigourney Weaver and other strong women in Holywood playing respectful roles.

In my eyes, there was no need of the sexism seen in TNG but especially VOY and ENT. There was no excuse for it when other shows were writing women far better and a number of those weren't even set in the future like Trek was, making it age even faster due to having those dated perspectives frequently highlighted.

In the Center Seat documentary as well as "The Fifty Year Mission" book you will find cast members, writers and other studio alumni who attest to this. Some discussions from "The Fifty Year Mission":

"First, Berman was supposed to have been a real sleaze ball . . . According to Terry Farrel, he would go on constantly about how her breasts weren't big enough, how she should do something about it, and how his secretary was a good example to follow as she had huge breasts. She even had to have fittings to get larger bras, and that was all done at his behest.

Later Berman and Braga developed a name for Jeri Ryan's character prior Seven of Nine. They originally called the character "perineum" which if you look it up it is the area between the anus and the scrotum. Later they floated the name "6 of 9". I mean, what does it tell you about where these two were coming from in the development of this character if they had names like that put forward in all seriousness for her?"

Gene Roddenberry also had some of his own more progressive ideas for TNG cut or watered down by Berman. Roddenberry agreed TNG should have homosexual relationships and representation at a con in the 80s and insisted on it in a meeting with his writers -- something Berman later would not honor. Gene wanted the AIDS episode, showing m/m and f/f in the Riza scenes -- these were some of Roddenberry's requests to include in TNG that Berman later stonewalled.

Berman's era was sadly dated by his own misogynist bias, IMO, to the point that it can somewhat hurt the shows he worked on through his cringe egoism and blatant disrespect toward his female cast.

There is a reason why Gene could keep female actresses working with him and Berman had a revolving door of women that he couldn't seem to keep working for him -- he was abhorrent to women, on and off set. Gene wasn't perfect at all, he had a lot of issues himself -- but Berman was a whole other level. Just look at what he did to poor Jolene Blalock, Marina Sirtis and his toxic commenting on her body weight which exacerbated her struggles with eating disorders, or how he treated and talked to Terry Farrell.

Anyway, just some food for thought. I'm not saying anyone is wrong regarding a take like that, but there are a variety of ways to look at this. Gene Roddenberry isn't a saint by any means, but it definitely bothers me how folks will tote the Berman era as if it were the lesser of two evils or the more progressive depiction of women when I felt there were far more concerning portrayals of women in his era with far less justification.

(P.S: I don't event want to go near the sheer amount of "creepy old dude/villain preys on innocent/naïve/scared young woman or little girl" stories there were in Berman's era, either. But that's a whole other can of worms I can write about in a part 2.)

#star trek #star trek tos #star trek tng #star trek voy #star trek ent #star trek ds9 was the one show that went above and beyond #1shirt2shirtredshirtdeadshirt #oc #octrekmeta #octrek #gene roddenberry #rick berman #brannon braga #kirk #spock #uhura #rand #nichelle nichols #majel barrett #grace lee whitney #tos #tng #voy #ent #marina sirtis #jolene blalock #terry farrell

[probablyasocialecologist]

Despite the popular “deep state” characterization of the intelligence community as a rogue army running roughshod over elected leaders, the study concludes the exact opposite. It portrays an intelligence community that naturally tilts its reports and forecasts to curry favor with presidents and their high-level policymakers in Washington, regardless of party or issue. 

#usa #cia #RAND

[state-of-being]

Egwene: Survives enslavement

Egwene: Survives thirst

Egwene: Survives physical torture

Egwene: Survives mental torture

Egwene: Connives her way out of an impossible situation

Egwene: Kills her enslaver

Egwene: Frees herself

Rand: hey im here to save u

#egwene al'vere #egwene #rand al'thor #rand #wheel of time #wot #wot s2 spoilers #wot show spoilers #wot s2

[alverelover]

#no it’s for his girlish whimsy !! my babies #rand #rand al'thor #rand & perrin #perrin #perrin aybara #aybara #wheel of time series #wheel of time spoilers #the wheel of time #wheel of time #incorrect wheel of time #incorrect quotes #robert jordan #wheel of time show #wheel of time + text posts #wot #spoilers wot #wot + text posts #wot on prime

[dungeonsranddragons]

What do you mean vampires are on this app. Like the fucking fictional blood sucking guys? That’s a lie right? Like you guys are joking?

You’re joking right-

#in character #jrwi rp #jrwi bitb rp #boysarebackintown #randbles #rand

[satellitedusterart]

🎸 feeling yourself 💙

#my art #oc art #groovin #rand #jeanne #finally got a chance to redesign this poss and im glad <33

[reformedmoth]

RAND & MOIRAINE | The Wheel of Time 2x6

#the way i edited this gifset to give maximum daytime soap melodrama #i like rand shaking his head like et tu brute #rand al'thor #rand's whole arc this season is a tale of two milfs #rand #moiraine damodred #moiraine #wot show #wot show spoilers #wheel of time show #wheel of time #made by moth

[miekkamaisteri]

the horrors

the babygirl

(from this)

#wheel of time #wot tv #wot on prime spoilers #ishamael #lanfear #rand #huotrasta vedetty

[wheeloftimedevourer]

wheel of time cast * wot season two trailer

#the wheel of time #wot #moiraine damodred #siuan sanche #siuanraine #lanfear #rand #wot on prime #elayne trakand #wheel of time tv series #amyrlin seat #wheel of time

[ajcope12]

I hope WoT season 3 opens with the Far Dareis Mai shoving their way to Rand just to pick at him like a pack of aunts telling him he needs to stand up straight and he’s not eating enough

#wheel of time #wot #unreasonably attractive fandom #rand #aviendha #wheel of time tv series #wot on prime #wot book spoilers

[the-best-bibliophile]

“Duty was heavier than a mountain, death lighter than a feather.”

That is how the quote goes right

#rand al'thor #my art #wheel of time #the wheel of time #wot #wot on prime #rand #wot fanart

[munroemagic]

#magic #the wheel of time #wheel of time #wot on prime #wotedit #rand al'thor #rand #the dragon reborn #seanchan #channeling #witch #fire weaves #fire magic

[state-of-being]

Moraine: I'll watch over you in your sleep in case it sounds like she's hurting you

Sleeping Rand: Moaning loudly

Moraine, sweating: Torture or sex or torture or sex or

#rand al'thor #rand #moiraine #moiraine damodred #lanfear #wot show spoilers #wot season 2 #wot s2

[alverelover]

#made like a million of these! this is all i’m posting probably #rand #rand al'thor #twot #the wheel of time #wheel of time #lanfear #lanfear & rand #wot #wot + text posts #text posts #incorrect quotes #incorrect wheel of time #wheel of time series #spoilers wot #wheel of time spoilers #selene #selene & rand

[dungeonsranddragons]

hey timothy rand have you heard of the bite of 87

I think I’m good on you guys teaching me about the future.

Definitely good on that.

#jrwi rp #jrwi bitb rp #in character #rand #randswers

[listard]

Hi!!

Today I'd like to introduce you... Rand!

Rand is a very positive and outgoing Leader on MIRA HQ. His tasks are to keep an eye on the general condition of all crewmates, maintain order and give tasks. The leader has his own tasks: keeping in touch with other places (Polus, Skeld… and so on) and checking in with other crewmates.

And now a little bit about Rand himself! He is very fond of jokes and often no one tells him that some of his jokes might hurt, but that doesn't make him any worse! (The only one who seriously talked to him about his jokes was Purple (well… and Millie ;]).

#among us #among us art #art #among us oc #oc art #oc #Rand