TheBoost said:There is a lot of racism shown from the sides of Klingons, Ferangi and other species, but I have always felt Star Trek has done a good job of painting racism as a negative thing, and shown the Federation to meet all alien races with open arms. Perhaps I am wrong on this. Mind citing a few examples of aliens needing to act more human in order to become better?In a broad manner Trek does (the white/black vs. black/white aliens) but when you really look at HOW these races/cultures are written I think you see a lot of racist ideas. Notably, how species and culture are the same thing, unless your human. Only humans can have variety.
I think Spock's long term arc of being more human and embracing his friends is portrayed as a positive (this is strongest in the movies). Spock's influence never influences a human to become more logical and less friendly.
The Ferengi teenage on DS9 had to learn to be more human (less greedy, brave). Cisco's kid was never shown to learn to be more like a Ferengi (and if he had, it would have been seen as a bad thing).
Worf needed to learn to be more human to deal with his spinal injury on TNG. A Klingon would have just killed himself. And Picard TOOK WORF'S SIDE, insisting that no Klingon could adapt to what he'd expect a human to adapt to, even a Klingon raised and living among humans.
Im not sure, but I think the half-Klingon on Voyagers second line ever was "I'm sorry, but my Klingon half is forever warring with me!"
Given that we have had zero known contact with extra terrestrial lifeforms, I just don't think the science is there to prove this. Yes, it is true with earth species, a dog can't mate with a cat. But I am more than willing to suspend disbelief and go along with the idea that various alien species in the galaxy have evolved so closely along the same lines that they are able to produce viable offspring with one another. Ultimately, it is pretty ridiculous that all these different aliens look so much alike. At the end of the day, you could peg the "bad science!" label on every single sci-fi and fantasy story ever told.
I'm not attacking that they all look human. That's a reality of TV/Film production. But if Vulcans and Romulans have a common ancestor and can breed, they are the same species. That's what 'species' means.
Really, I've always hated the 'Star Trek has real science' argument. Of 'Star Trek is for grown ups.'
Star Trek wraps itself in nonsense technobabble, but has NO more science in it that Star Wars. Star Trek even spends half their time dealing with various 'omnipotent aliens' who for all intents and purposes are evil gods. And just because the chick in the leotard on the Enterprise says she's an alien telepath, as far as I'm concerned she's a Force User, with as much science as that contains. The Genesis Device has no more merit than the Death Star.
And if every sentient species in the galaxy can mate, that's just magic.
Except Star Trek is set in our own primary universe and in the future. And star wars is set long ago in a galaxy far far away, or once upon a time. One is clearly intended to be science fiction and the other pure make believe fantasy. Star Trek is made up to, but it has humans from Earth in it. Star Trek is more relatable to the real world sciences except where they constantly remain inconsistent with real science. And It is supposed to follow our own known physics but often denies the implied laws.
Star Wars and Star Trek cannot be any more opposite in my opinion. In wars the only people of any subtance are elites who decide how the rest of everybody should live. In Star Trek its supposed to be every race and people being equal and working together at least in the federation. But the TV show and movies did not reflect this for a long time. The Captain James T Kirk being a heterosexual white male. And everyone else his subordinate and beneath him.
I'm not so sure people want a gay or transgendered captain. Though they did do the interspecies thing in star trek it was almost always looked upon negatively. And later on we got a black captain and a female captain.
Even in the real world of television and movie production Star Trek has had a problem with diversity. But has made some strides. At the end of the day though it was created by a White Man who supposedly was a womanizer, And more concerned with making a living as a writer than in changing the world.
Created by a deeply flawed and imperfect man that had a "vision". Though his stories entertained generations of people. Though his anti religious and anti democratic stance is called into question by people. Is Star Trek communist and star wars democratic?
I personally don't care because they are both make believe. Though next generation has that socialist/communist slant to it with their being no money and everybody equal. In fact perfect cummunism without all the flaws in real life, an idealist view.
I don't know if it is fair to say that star trek regards the community ideal in the highest regard, instead of the achievements of the individual.
Which Star Wars was about like THX 1138 about the individual. Until that is that intead of being a common farmboy who through his own heroic and individual actions saved the galaxy with the help of friends.
Until he bacame the offspring of an elite dictator who previously belonged to an elite reliegious sect that determined how common folk where to lead their lives. Until he was only a hero because of the bacteria in his blood midi chlorians.lol.