Gender and Violence on Galactica

[marenfic]

I am generally flaily and squeeful about Unfinished Business,

Comments

[alizarin_nyc]

Great post!

I didn't see the man/woman dynamic either. Now that you bring it up, it does seem odd, as you rightly point out, since they are equals in violence in this instance.

Boxing as catharsis is kinda stupid -- I think inlovewithnight pointed out that letting your pilots get concussions is not a great idea -- and I want to know why they didn't set up a Pyramid court instead. Then Anders could have kicked Lee's ass!

That said, Kara's line about Lee "frakking another man's woman"? WTF? That was so out of place.

Shyeah, I know. What WAS that?

[marenfic]

I hated that line. Any of the female characters saying it would have thrown me, but Kara saying it was obnoxious.

[alizarin_nyc]

Having just rewatched it, I realized that she says "You can TRY to frak another man's woman, but you won't fight one?" and I wondered wherefor the "try" since it seemed there was no trying, there was only doing.

I also noticed how she pulls Dee away in the beginning as if they're friends (slinging her arm around Dee, etc). Which kind of irritates me, in that what she did and is now doing is so hurtful to Dee ("sloppy seconds"); where's the female solidarity, Kara?

[marenfic]

I also noticed how she pulls Dee away in the beginning as if they're friends (slinging her arm around Dee, etc).

And the look on Dee's face-- she wanted to be about anywhere other than shoulder to shoulder with the woman her boyfriend was (is) obsessed with. Plus, she looked scared *g*

[marenfic]

Yes. Totally. On the one hand, I think Kara uses Anders as a shield between she and Lee. Sometimes she even forces him in as a weapon-- I'm thinking of her making out with Anders in front of Lee way back when. But to define herself in such a one-down position along gender lines. No way. So out of character.

[pathstotread]

I agree with this entire post. I've always loved that BSG doesn't just pay lip service to gender equality, it follows through. My favorite scene possibly in the whole series is Kara and Lee punching each other in "Kobol's Last Gleaming", for precisely this reason. Kara's the one to instigate it, but Lee has no qualms about just hauling off and punching her right back. And there's no sense of "Lee hit a GIRL!" because the show's made such an effort to show men and women, particularly in the Colonial fleet, as complete equals. (I believe it was Strega on TWoP who compared that scene to Angel hitting Buffy in "Sanctuary" and appreciating that there was no "you HIT me!" response from Kara, as amusing as it might be to have Lee say "not to go all schoolyard, but you hit me first

[marenfic]

And there's no sense of "Lee hit a GIRL!" because the show's made such an effort to show men and women, particularly in the Colonial fleet, as complete equals.

Yeah, it's like business goes on as usual in the hangar bay and it's not because it's this unhealthy military environment where nasty behavior gets ignored (say, contrasted with the Pegasus) but because Kara hit him so of course he'll hit back. Well, ok, there may have been "oh shit" glances but that likely had to do with people thinking Kara was going to beat him down. *g*

Now I'm going to have to watch that again. So good!

[beck_liz]

Thank you for articulating why it's not "domestic violence". I'd seen people saying that, but it didn't ring true for me and I couldn't work out why. But it is because their society is different - not a lot, but enough. Also, everything else in and among the pilots is equal regardless of gender, why wouldn't there be equal amounts of tension-relieving boxing? Also, no one commented about domestic violence in regards what's-his-face for fighting Kara (the guy played by EJO's son), although I suppose that's because he and Kara aren't/weren't involved in any sort of romantic relationship. ... and also might be because she kicked his ass. :-)

[marenfic]

Definitely. I mean, even the purpose of the boxing wasn't completely bastardized by Kara and Lee-- it's not like Adama said the tradition was for sport and then Kara/Lee got in there and got dirty and made it personal against the rules. It was specifically designed to release personal tensions between people who are pissed at each other. Stupid idea, yes, but Kara and Lee probably had the most tension between them of anyone.

You know what would have really bothered me, but would probably have made a lot of gender traditionalists happy? If Anders and Lee fought instead. Ugh. SO GLAD that didn't happen.

[bop_radar]

I really agree with you on the gender issue. I think the show did a good job of 'equalising' them in the boxing arena and establishing that their gender was irrelevant, and therefore I had no problem with it--I loved the violence of it because it was in keeping with their characters.

The "tradition" of a rank-free fight match is pretty stupid psychologically
Yuh-huh! I agree. I'm just ignoring that to enjoy the ep! ;-)

[marenfic]

Yuh-huh! I agree. I'm just ignoring that to enjoy the ep! ;-)

I have to ignore that, and the senseless Adama speech. What did that even mean? (And that's a rhetorical question-- I really mean I have to ignore it *g*)

[bop_radar]

What speech? There was a speech? ;-)
*beams*

Oh, I meant to say I'd be interested in reading your thoughts on gender and the Cylons at some stage too.