I've got two weeks to rethink my babyproofing strategy of relegating the TV to the closet, because the new season of Battlestar Galactica starts up on April 4. Even if, like me, you aren't much of a sci-fi fan, BSG is worth watching for its complex storylines, shades-of-gray take on morality, and especially for its unspoken feminist agenda in which gender is largely irrelevant. Yes, there's a sexy female Cylon who slinks around in tiny dresses and all the couples are resolutely heterosexual, but there are also female fighter pilots, legislators, priests, mechanics -- and that is considered normal and thoroughly unexceptional within the BSG universe. (The female president, for instance, faces a whole host of complicated, thorny conundrums, but her gender is not one of them.) Really, it's an awesome show on many levels, and you should totally check it out (a handful of past episodes can be viewed in full online).
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6 Comments Have Been Posted
Firefly
Briar Levit replied on
Seems like a good alternative for those of us who were sad for the early demise of Joss Whedon's 'Firefly'.
so much love for BSG
Ann Branson replied on
I LOVE <i>Battlestar Galactica</i>, and one of the many reasons are the many complex female characters. I love how women are represented on that show. Characters like Kara, President Roslin, and even some of the cylon women are allowed to be multidimensional (example: on season three, the cylon played by Lucy Lawless searched for spiritual enlightenment). I can't wait for the new season.
That is one hell of a preview
Colin Sagan replied on
That is one hell of a "preview" on the home page of their site! I think I need to take a nap after watching that.
so obsessed with BSG
srcnyc replied on
You really should watch from the beginning if you haven't already started watching it. The pilot is so intense. I'm still catching up via Netflix ... right now in season 2.5 ... it sucks that NBC/Universal removed all their shows from iTunes ... I might just have to cave and buy season 3 on DVD, getting them via Netflix takes too long!
Gender really is an amazing thing on BSG, as mentioned above. Quarters for all of the soldiers are co-ed. The one thing that has bothered me gender-wise so far is that Admiral Cain (played by Michelle Forbes) was such a psychotic ball-buster. But I haven't seen Razor yet, so maybe there's more to her. She's been the one female character that's seemed to fall into one of the common stereotypes for women in positions of power.
BSG does exhibit, however, one stereotype in terms of women of color, especially common in sci-fi ... portraying women of color as counselors ... as evident with Dee and the cleric who frequently counsels Adama and Roslin.
Razor will disappoint
woodstock replied on
Sadly, I think Razor will disappoint if you haven't seen it yet. It explains some of Cain's hatred for the cylons but provides no where near what you'd expect in terms of coherent character development. And, most disappointingly, the fell into the most common stereotype of women in power that the media have.
Fraking A
QuietRebelWriter replied on
First off - I am SO excited to have a fully functioning Bitch online. I've been a subscriber forever, and so glad to have another method of getting my bitch on :)
And dear gods, I'm so happy my Bitch loves BSG. How fraking cool is the show? It seems such a niche thing, so oft-ignored, but when people do get turned on to it, they become obsessive. Just like Buffy and Angel during their runs, and other current obsession-garnering shows. The gender roles in this show are phenomenal, and so organic that you easily digest them without much thought. That's the beauty. All hail the killer writing team, and all mourn the end after this season.
So say we all.
QuietRebelWriter
www.quietrebelwriter.com
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