Parallel Universe
I've always loved this ep and appreciated Angela Bruce and Suzanne Bertish's spot-on impressions of Craig and Chris. But I have to admit that the way Arlene and Deb behave casts a possibly uncomfortable light on Arnold and Dave. I asked Saylee (andimeantitosting) on Tumblr about her favourite RD things and her least favourite character was "Arlene Rimmer. She makes me very uncomfortable and I don't like the things her behaviour implies about our Rimmer".
I've tried to link to the Tumblr discussion, but my local library apparently hates Tumblr, so I've had to copy and paste.
Me:
Thanks. :) With Arlene and Deb, I think Rob and Doug fell into the classic trap of writing to suit their theme for that ep rather than staying in character.
I can’t imagine Dave being that casual about the possibility that he’d got someone pregnant either. I tend to fanwank it away when I write fic (she was in shock, she had the hangover from hell etc), so you could try doing the same for Rimmer.
Despite all that I still love the ep. The actresses are spot on with their impressions of Craig and Chris. Plus of course, Tongue-tied. :)
Kahvi (Norwegianpornfaerie):
I actually strongly disagree that Deb isn’t IC as Lister, as it were. The whole point of the episode, as I see it, is to point out that because society is sexist, sexist and horrible attitudes are evident in us even without us realizing it. So yes, I definitely think Dave would react exactly as Deb did. I mean, otherwise the ep would have been pointless. Ditto Arlene. They show some ugly truths about Rimmer and Lister, but it’s important to remember that they are their absolute worst sides. Parallel Universe is there to point out uncomfortable truths. It’s a very brave episode, and I love it.
Me:
Interesting point. I think my view is affected by Rob and Doug’s fairly low retrospective opinion of it (on The Bodysnatcher Collection) which I put down partly to them thinking it’s OOC.
Perhaps I’m being overly fannish, but I rewatched it today and the dialogue just jars with me. From Arlene as well as Deb. I think I may expand on this on LJ.
Kahvi:
Well, a couple of things: For one, it’s not so much about bad personality/behavior as it is about highlighting privilege. And Deb isn’t so much being an asshole as being in total denial of her privilege, as it were. And Arlene isn’t just dealing with privilege, but some utterly fucked up ideas about gender roles, etc. to the point where she doesn’t even think of men as human beings. After all, the whole bit with the alternates echoes the earlier “seduction” scene where Rimmer showcases his warped ideas about women. And of course, Grant/Naylor’s point is, despite Lister’s ability to see Rimmer’s blatant sexism, he’s totally blind to his own privilege. It’s an incredibly feminist episode, though possibly not entirely in the way Rob and Doug intended. The way it ended up, though… I love it, and I love Arlene and Deb. I get and I applaud the recent desire in the fandom to explore other types of female Listers and Rimmers, but I think Arlene and Deb are so important, and I’d hate to see them dismissed, for any reason.
Secondly, Deb and Arlene aren’t just reacting to a couple of men; they’re reaction to versions of themselves. They’re very much aware of and savvy to the fact that the other person is them, to the point where it has to influence their behavior. Arlene goes after Arnold so aggressively because she assumes that he is just like her - hence sexually frustrated and out to prove his/her man/womanhood, but a man - which means he’ll naturally submit to her seduction techniques. Yes, these have never worked before, but clearly, that’s been the fault of the other people involved; this is RIMMER; just as much as she is, so naturally, he’ll react like he “should.” (Tangentially, the fact that Arlene and Arn clearly didn’t have sex has always been a hint at Rimmer’s homosexuality, to me.) Likewise, Deb assumes that Dave is just like her, but also, because of her privilege, assigns a whole bunch of gender-specific attitudes to him. So, when she realizes he hasn’t used protection, she’s doubly annoyed because surely, if she was a man, she’d thought of that, wouldn’t she?
Not sure if any of that made sense. I might have to re-watch it myself, though personally, Tongue-Tied makes me cringe. :p
Me:
I find Tongue-Tied charmingly silly, but each to their own. :)
Good points. I should probably clarify that I too love Arlene and Deb and “Parallel Universe” is one of my fave eps.
I think it’s because of the very specific situation that Lister and Rimmer are in - virtually no human interaction between “The End” and Series VII - that I have problems imagining them behaving like Arlene (when she starts sexually harassing Rimmer) and Deb (everything after they wake up in Arlene’s bunk). But I get the point about ignorance of privilege.
Surely though, Rimmer should have chased Arlene to prove his “manly heterosexuality”? They’ve both had a few drinks in the disco scene but she’s the only one who starts behaving like Sid the Sexist. I know, the scene wouldn’t work if Rimmer was willing.
Source: andimeantittosting
So, what do others think? Are Deb and Arlene good reflections of Dave and Arnold in this ep, or are they exaggerated for comic effect like, for example, the Highs and Lows in "Demons And Angels"?
Perhaps I'm being fangirlish, but I have a hard time imagining Dave being so callous about a possible pregnancy and Arnold being so aggressive with anyone of either sex, but Kahvi makes some excellent points.