Return of the Rant Meme

[sarolynne]

It's been a while, so I have lots of ranting built up, probably.

Same as before. You provide the topic, I provide the rant.

ETA: And I might as well add these, since I'm posting.

Comments

[sarolynne]

This is an interesting topic, seriously. I tend not to read as much sci-fi as I do fantasy-ish things, and a big part of that has to do with how you end up with these authors who are very caught up in progressive science, and would love nothing more than to ramble on about their theoretical futures, while at the same time being socially very... status quo.

While this is just a very informal survey based on my own experience with the genre and the fans of the genre who I talk to the most often, the impression I end up getting is that the future is very white, very straight, and very, very, very male. There are exceptions, without a doubt. I can think of a few right off the top of my head. So this is by no means meant to tar the whole genre, all of its authors and fans, but more about a specific sort of annoying trend of being science geeks, but no more thoughtful in any other regard than your average big budget action movie, where the female characters are there for the pleasure of the male hero.

Sexual mores tend to be very... hm. Patriarchal. If the attitudes themselves aren't, then how they're treated by the narrative will be. Or maybe not patriarchal even so much as just male driven and viewed from a male perspective.

Really, it gets sad.

[ellenel13]

I was thinking about "mainstream" Sci Fi. To an extent, most fiction genres have this attitude that the only thing needed to make a story "mature" is some explicit sex, but it feels like Sci Fi is the worst offender. Maybe it's because the genre is still trying to be recognized as legitimate.

I was thinking of this because I started watching Torchwood, which has been advertised as a darker and more mature spin off of Doctor Who. I've watched the first five episodes of the season, and every single one of them had iffy moments with sex. Even the episode with fairies stalking a little girl involved a close call with a freaking child molester.

[sarolynne]

Oh, the whole "sex/violence makes something more mature!" thing could be four or five whole rants on it's own. Or more. Probably more.

I think you're right that it's worse in fields struggling to be seen as adult or legitimate--I have heard comic books have a similar problem with thinking sex will make them seem edgier and more adult, and video games certainly do.

Of course, the actual effect more often than not makes them seem juvenile, because only teenagers think that throwing in sex and violence for no reason makes something mature. Actual mature people tend to understand that it's things like plot and character growth and development, or dealing with things in a mature way that makes them adult.

And by "mature way" I don't mean, "totally jaded."

[ellenel13]

I've gotten so tolerant with the genre that I've started to wave it all off unless it involves questionable consent. To keep with the Torchwood example, the very first episode had a scene with one of the main characters attempting to date rape a random couple he met it in a nightclub with alien roofies. Like, that's not even a fucking exaggeration. It's literally what happened. This is one of the characters that the show is trying to portray as a hero.

The worst part is that I'm otherwise enjoying the show. The actors are all doing a good job, the characterization is understated and relatively original, the settings and atmosphere are generally engaging, and there are few plotholes and absurdities (for a sci fi show). Even the attempted rapist is a great character in all his scenes not involving sex.

It's baffling how people can produce something that's actually good in almost every aspect and the totally lose their shit when it comes to sex.