BSG does fall into a few gender stereotypes, such as male=thinker and woman=empath, and obviously in the realm of procreation.
Aw, man, I knew I forgot to say something I wanted to and I thank you for sparking that :)
One thing I think really highlights the differences between humanity's treatment of women and the Cylon gender dynamics is that it is the Cylons who bring "women as baby machines" into the mix, not the humans. Roslin says people need to make babies, but she's not the one telling Kara she's more needed as a fertile womb than as a fighter pilot-- that's Simon. Clearly there are humans who have "Earth" gender roles- I'm thinking of the Geminons of course. But they are seen as sort of nutty. And Roslin's decision to outlaw abortions is a pragmatic one, not an emotional one. I like that it goes against her own personal, emotional convictions.
I'd be interested to hear more about your prototypes for "male=thinker" and "female=empath", if you feel so inclined. Off the cuff, I see it a little differently. Roslin, for instance, is the ultimate "thinker" on the show in my opinion. Adama, in comparison to her, is much more ruled by his emotions. Lee is a thinker, but he also displays a lot of traditionally feminine characteristics, particularly when it comes to sex and love. Kara is. . . an interesting mix. I used to think of her as androgynous but now, I see her with a very masculine shell and a gooey, "feminine" core. (And I'm using Bem definitions for masculinity and femininity here, rather than equating it to male/female sex just to be clear).
BTW, I loved when someone yelled out a warning to "Watch that pretty face!" at the end... because I couldn't tell if they meant Kara or Lee. ;)
Ha! That is exactly what southernbangel said as we watched. It was clearly a toss-up *g*
I've noticed that too. Though you didn't mention it, now I wonder if religion plays a part in that.
That's fascinating-- I hadn't explicitly articulated that in my mind. I think you're right-- it shapes their world view to a large degree. Hmmm. I'm going to have to think about that some more. Great insight.
Aw, man, I knew I forgot to say something I wanted to and I thank you for sparking that :)
One thing I think really highlights the differences between humanity's treatment of women and the Cylon gender dynamics is that it is the Cylons who bring "women as baby machines" into the mix, not the humans. Roslin says people need to make babies, but she's not the one telling Kara she's more needed as a fertile womb than as a fighter pilot-- that's Simon. Clearly there are humans who have "Earth" gender roles- I'm thinking of the Geminons of course. But they are seen as sort of nutty. And Roslin's decision to outlaw abortions is a pragmatic one, not an emotional one. I like that it goes against her own personal, emotional convictions.
I'd be interested to hear more about your prototypes for "male=thinker" and "female=empath", if you feel so inclined. Off the cuff, I see it a little differently. Roslin, for instance, is the ultimate "thinker" on the show in my opinion. Adama, in comparison to her, is much more ruled by his emotions. Lee is a thinker, but he also displays a lot of traditionally feminine characteristics, particularly when it comes to sex and love. Kara is. . . an interesting mix. I used to think of her as androgynous but now, I see her with a very masculine shell and a gooey, "feminine" core. (And I'm using Bem definitions for masculinity and femininity here, rather than equating it to male/female sex just to be clear).
BTW, I loved when someone yelled out a warning to "Watch that pretty face!" at the end... because I couldn't tell if they meant Kara or Lee. ;)
Ha! That is exactly what southernbangel said as we watched. It was clearly a toss-up *g*
I've noticed that too. Though you didn't mention it, now I wonder if religion plays a part in that.
That's fascinating-- I hadn't explicitly articulated that in my mind. I think you're right-- it shapes their world view to a large degree. Hmmm. I'm going to have to think about that some more. Great insight.
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