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[lellenator]

Dear New Trek Fic Writers,

No, Spock/Uhura wasn't canon of any sort until this summer. Yes, Uhura had terrible characterization in the movie. Yes, Uhura from TOS is a million times more badass.

THESE FACTORS DO NOT GIVE YOU THE OKAY TO COMPLETELY IGNORE CANON PAIRINGS YOU DON'T LIKE.It's called dealing with the source material, people. I love

Comments

[soda_and_capes]

Yes, Uhura had terrible characterization in the movie. Yes, Uhura from TOS is a million times more badass.
WHAT. I disagree!

[ninaleigh615]

Now I'm half tempted to write a fic, where Uhura is less of a....plot device.... Though she was at least assertive in her role in the movie (i had to watch it a second time to realize that)

[lellenator]

Well all right then!!!! (omg I haven't seen you in forever)

Are you disagreeing with Uhura's characterization in New Trek or that TOS!Uhura is better? To clarify, I like Uhura in New Trek, but it just really pissed me off the way the writers handled her. (Or studios, or whoever makes that ultimate decision.) She seemed really flat compared to the rest of the crew and like she was just there to be the token chick. I disapprove because I think there's so much they could have done with her (so much I hope they will do with her).

Mostly I made this post not to bash Uhura, but to go "auuugh" at the way she's being portrayed now in fandom. I think there's a lot you can do with her, and a lot of writers can expand on that the movie didn't touch. (Understandably, you've got a huge cast and can't give everyone everything.) From what I've read, writers aren't taking this opportunity and instead are pushing her out of the story in a sentence or two. Granted, I've only started to skim the surface of fic (omg there is so much), but I've read

[soda_and_capes]

(I KNOOOOW, I MISS YOUR FACE!)

I disagree with both, but especially the second. I think movie!Uhura was great, because she actually got to be a woman with desires and skills and snappy comebacks. She got to make the first move with Spock, and stand up for herself re: getting assigned to the ship she deserved, and her language skills saved their asses a couple times.

The reason I think she was better than TOS!Uhura is that TOS!Uhura was huuuugely a product of the time in which the show was made. Sure, Trek was way ahead of a lot of shows on racial and gender politics, but Uhura was still massively marginalized and basically, yeah, the token female who only ever got to tell them they were being hailed by Kingons or whatever. She didn't get to be her own person, and she really wasn't allowed a sexuality beyond some mind-controlled makeouts with Kirk or whatever.

But no, I am totally there with you on people pretending it doesn't exist! THOSE PEOPLE SUCK. Mostly I just like arguing discussing shit on the internet!

[next_muffin]

My first introduction to Star Trek was the new movie, and I hated Uhura. She was just there. For Kirk to hit on, for Spock to snog, just the requisite female.

TOS Uhura, though, is amazing. She had personality! She stood up for herself! She was her own character and was one of my favorites!

I ignore Spock/Uhura as canon because it doesn't really make sense to me. Spock working so hard to suppress his emotions and seem more Vulcan, just all of a sudden hooking up with a human...

I think that the different time periods play a lot into it. In the 60s, not everything was about sex, y'know? Now, in 2009, it is. Which gets me pretty angry. I guess I see Spock/Uhura as the movie fulfilling its relationship/sex quota, because of course this movie won't sell if it doesn't have a relationship in it!

[lunabird]

For not everything being about sex in the '60s Kirk sure was getting a lot of alien lovins.

[next_muffin]

I meant American culture in general, not specifically Star Trek (which was considered extremely progressive, for its time. Huge debate over whether it has the first interracial kiss on TV, etc). At any rate, the treatment of the relationships was completely different; most of the actual sex and non-hitting-on was off-screen. How many of Kirk's relationships involved the couple making out on-screen in front of other people? (When Spock/Uhura make out right before the "So her first name's Nyota, huh?" "I have no comment on the matter." part)

Yay TV tropes, though!

[lunabird]

Even though it was predominantly part of the counterculture of the time I must remind you the 60s were when the sexual revolution took place, the hippies advocated free love, and our parents got laid more then they will ever admit to our faces. Admittedly the treatment of it was different, but, sex was a huge part of the culture if not necessarily the media. But, well, I mean, Woodstock.

The way sex appears today has a lot to do with the 80s, which, in turn have a lot to do with the 70s*, which only came about because of the revolution in the 60s. I'd argue that the 60s are when the modern media portrayals of sex really started, and that culturally sex has always been a huge part of human society, whether we like to try and hide it or not**. I mean, if you want to roll it back a bit, in Pompeii the ancient Romans were into sticking penises on anything they could to the point it got (NSFW) really, really freaky.

(And even though it's from the 1500s I gotta link this NSFW like the link above but... just... It's like something from

[una__sola]

I hate to ask, but where (and what) have you been reading?

I've seen a lot of "Spock and Uhura just don't work out" fic and some "Uhura bitchslaps Spock/Kirk and tells him he's gay" and a bunch of "Spock and Uhura just aren't together any longer, details are not relevant" but WTF is this "Die for our Ship" nonsense? Uhura is too awesome for that.

Could maybe let it slide if the resulting issues were interestingly and realistically handled. That would be okay.

If you haven't found it yet, check out the kink meme. There's actually a fair volume of not-really-kink and a fair amount of Uhura love. Even if she's not a main character in the fic.

(Also, am I the only one who thinks that Uhura/Zoe or Uhura/Inara would be hot? Because that's why I'm using that icon. And what would happen if you put Spock and River in the same room? *ponders*)