Okay, I have to admit it
As a woman, I have had to live in this world and endure man's idea of a woman's place in it for almost 40 years. It has been both painful and frustrating. Like many women, I have learned to capitulate a lot, sometimes without my notice. So, after a couple of days thinking upon it, and after reading the Husband's review of the same showing of Trek I saw, I have to admit this one thing that is bugging the shit out of me.
If this had been a true reboot (as in throw away the manual, folks, a new sheriff's in town), Uhura would have been given a role more significant than as ponytail-flouncing eye candy. Instead, Abrams chose to ignore everything he tricked us into believing about him via Felicity and Alias to deliver a made for panting fanboys stereotype.
1. I understand the short skirts are an homage to the original show. But it is almost laughable to think of any military more then a hundred years after today requiring women to wear them while on duty. In fact, I can pretty much assume it's frowned upon. They didn't know this in the sixties. We know this now. Pay your homage and then find some way around it.
2. I suppose I should be grateful that, when they did (unsurprisingly) show her in her underwear, she was at least wearing something reasonable, and not purposefully titillating.
3. Her role as chief comforter and girlfriend supersedes her actions as an officer.
Now I understand this is Kirk and Spock's movie. But that doesn't mean it's purely a "Boy's" movie. Except, of course, when I have no choice but to see it as such.
Look, I enjoyed Trek immensely despite this. Perhaps that is part of my conditioning. Perhaps I needed to get out of the house so badly it didn't matter what I watched. Perhaps it is that fun a movie. And as it is, it is no worse than any other Star Trek movie ever made as far as it's treatment of female characters. But it is nagging me. And, well, I can't ever keep my fucking mouth shut.
So take it or leave it. Let your brain shut itself off and enjoy. The nagging questions may come later, but don't let it ruin your enjoyment of the pretty.