I really respect the way Deep Space 9 goes out of its way to give characters depth and dimensionality, and I know part of that involves giving characters negative qualities to engender interpersonal conflict, give opportunities for growth, and so on. But all the same, I find Miles O'Brien's space racism really grating.
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in reply to @nex3's post:
There's so much on Star Trek that's just straightforwardly "anachronistic" (so to speak, given the premise of a post-scarcity utopia) - e.g. very traditional attitudes to family and dating - but the racism really sticks out in this regard. It's as though Miles somehow hails not just from Ireland but like, 20th century Ireland
DS9 more than any other series walks such a fine line between insightfully highlighting the way the imperialism baked into the Star Trek premise conflicts with the optimism on its surface, and just uncritically reiterating that conflict.
Yeah, the only truly depressing part of the otherwise excellent documentary they made about it was the part where the actors talk proudly about how many people come up to them and say “you inspired me to join the military”
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