Fandom and the Real World: Star Trek and the Feminist Movement

When the original Star Trek television series aired in 1966, the world was in the midst of political upheaval. The civil rights movement was in full swing, America and Russia were in the midst of the Cold War, and mankind was rapidly discovering viable ways to explore space. Star Trek’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, strove to mirror current events in the show, while demonstrating ways in which he hoped humanity would learn to solve problems. Throughout Star Trek’s three-season run, it addressed topics such as racial prejudice and warfare. The show also exhibited a diverse cast, including the African-American Nichelle Nichols, Japanese-American George Takei, and several women in positions of authority. In particular, the original Star Trek television show was revolutionary in regards to the way that it showed women in the workforce, actively making their own decisions in opposition to their male counterparts. When the original series was rebooted as a movie in 2009, many fans were disappointed to find this early brand of feminism had been rehashed in the continued relegation of women to the positions of love interests or mere sexual objects. Although the Star Trek franchise has played a significant part in civil rights movements since it was first created in 1966, the sexualizing of women in both the original series and the 2009 movie only serves to negate the otherwise utopian society represented by the United Federation of Planets.

In the 1960s, miniskirts came to represent a liberal, second-wave feminist ideology. Many women began wearing them as a way to express their autonomy, as well as demonstrate their strength and confidence when contrasted with earlier generations’ modesty. Second-wave feminism, which was at its strongest during the 1960s, focused on subjects such as sexuality, the workplace, and de facto inequalities. Aboard the Enterprise, the miniskirt became an iconic aspect of the female officer’s uniform. One exemplary demonstration of this early movement can be seen in the character of Uhura, played by African-American actress Nichelle Nichols. Uhura was the communications officer and fourth in command of the U.S.S. Enterprise. In the 1960s, her character was revolutionary because she was an African-American woman in a position of power. The character of Uhura was seen working in a technical position and, in some cases, taking active part in combat situations. Throughout the series, she was also seen wearing a miniskirted uniform or other revealing attire. In line with the social reform taking place at the time that Star Trek was being aired, this choice of costume would have alerted the viewer to the fact that not only was Uhura a Starfleet officer--she was also an independent woman.

In the episode “Mirror, Mirror,” Uhura, along with the rest of the command team, was transported to an alternate universe featuring their “evil” counterparts. In order to demonstrate the moral dissent of these doppelgangers, the alternate Starfleet uniforms are no longer identical. Uhura’s, in particular, reveals her midriff while still maintaining the miniskirt property. In Steffen Hantke’s article “Star Trek’s Mirror Universe Episodes and US Military Culture Through The Eyes Of The Other,” explores this idea, writing that “Sexuality, announced in the costuming of (primarily) female bodies, also serves as a means of advancing personal interests; sexuality is the common coin of advancement across gender lines, and commanding officers are entitled to sexual companions who share in their power but pursue interests beyond personal loyalty” (Hantke 567). The idea of women utilizing their sexuality to broaden their autonomy was an idea that became prolific in the 1960s. Within the episode, this is shown when Officer Hikaru Sulu’s evil counterpart repeatedly attacks or flirts with Uhura; she initially refuses, but eventually does manipulate Sulu by applying her feminine wiles. Later in the episode, Uhura demonstrates her physical capability by disarming another officer who is threatening Kirk. These actions, as well as others throughout the series, mark Nichols’ character as a classic example of second-wave feminist influence, which manifested itself in pop culture through the creation of “positive” and physically “strong” female characters.

In the year 2009, the original Star Trek series was rebooted in the form of a blockbuster film. In this version of the television show, Uhura was again portrayed as a strong female character, played by African-American and Latina actress Zoe Saldana. The viewer was shown that Uhura knew how to handle a weapon and that she would not take any nonsense from Captain Jim Kirk. However, the majority of her character arc was focused around her romantic involvement with Commander Spock. Several times, Uhura’s character is seen physically comforting the notoriously stoic Vulcan by kissing him. She is also seen gazing at him in a concerned manner, or discussing his well being with James Kirk. Her abilities as a linguistic genius and trained communications expert are demonstrated infrequently, and when they are, her screen time is brief. While the 1960s Star Trek put forth effort to represent women in positions of authority, and as capable people, all three prominent female characters in the 2009 film were relegated to one or two easily defined stereotypes. The first, Uhura, has already been discussed. The remaining two major female characters are both mothers. Winona Kirk, played by Jennifer Morrison, is only on screen as long as it takes her to give birth to James T. Kirk; she then conveniently abandons him to a troubled childhood. Her total screentime averages out to about forty seconds in the two hour long film. The third woman is Spock’s mother, Amanda. Played by actress Winona Ryder, Amanda is only present in order to provide Spock with a reason to display emotion, and thus his humanity, upon her untimely death. Neither women are given the opportunity to appear as more than parental figures on screen.

In her article “Space and the Single Girl,” Patricia Vettel-Becker states that “Roddenberry’s attempts to promote gender equality have not been widely celebrated...later detractors have focused on how the female regulars played secondary roles to the male leads; on how the women guest stars functioned primarily as sexual playthings for these same male leads, particularly Captain Kirk” (145). Star Trek was considered feminist in the 1960s, when shows where women were placed in positions of power were not often seen and women who owned their sexuality via revealing clothing were increasingly becoming the norm. However, according to the article “Demoting Women on the Screen and in the Boardroom,” the “new Star Trek franchise exemplifies the textual operations of gender in neoliberal, postfeminist media, which frequently make the female roles seem more feminist than they are” (Tudor and Meehan 131). The 2009 film’s continued exploitation of women by placing them in submissive or sexual roles as they compare to their assertive male counterparts causes the viewer to wonder if the utopian Federation is really all that it seems.

In the original Star Trek series episode “Tomorrow Is Yesterday,” the crew of the Enterprise is sent back in time to the 1960s, where they encounter an astronaut. In a scene that has been lauded as simple and straightforward in its message, the astronaut ogles a female officer who passes him in her miniskirt uniform. When he exclaims that there is a woman on the spaceship, Captain Kirk states that the officer is “not a woman, a crewman.” Kirk himself does become romantically involved with women on a regular basis. Throughout the series, although Kirk has implied relationships with an approximate twenty-seven women, they are usually women that he has had a previous relationship with, or in many cases are Starfleet officers in their own right (Christopher).

The other female characters in the 2009 Star Trek movie are present only as background. Most are seen in various states of undress, or are wearing the classic miniskirt Starfleet uniform that is reminiscent of the 1960s version. The 2009 Star Trek film does pass the Bechdel test, a system that gauges movies on the active presence of female characters by determining if there are two named characters that, at one point, speak to each other about something other than a man. However, the conversation that takes place between Uhura and her roommate takes place while Kirk is hiding in the room, and Uhura strips down to her underwear on-camera. While the original Star Trek series only passes the Bechdel test 7.5% of the time--six episodes out of the 79 that aired--it appealed to many feminists of the day, and continually represented women as officers, doctors, or diplomats (Trekkiefeminist). The fact that the 2009 film only managed to pass the test on a technicality is nothing short of disappointing, particularly from a franchise that had been so inclusive in the past. The disregard for female characters that has become so prominent in the twenty-first century only emphasizes the problem that plagues the film industry. The lack of female interaction that are not centered around a man--whether he is a love interest, a brother, son, or husband--is a problem in the Star Trek franchise.

The original Star Trek series and the 2009 film attempt to present a utopian world in the United Federation of Planets, and do succeed in terms of diversity. Roddenberry made a point to include African-American characters, Asian characters, and characters of various other cultural backgrounds. He also made a point to include women in positions of authority on the Enterprise and throughout the show, despite its outdated form of feminism. However, the sheer number of instances in the 2009 Star Trek film where female characters are put in positions that appeal to the male gaze, or positions in which traditional gendered stereotypes are reinforced, only serves to negate the equalist society meant to be represented to the viewers.

Works Cited

Hantke, Steffen. "Star Trek's Mirror Universe Episodes And US Military Culture Through The

Eyes Of The Other." Science Fiction Studies 41.3 (2014): 562-578. Academic Search

Premier. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

Palumbo, Donald. "The Monomyth In Star Trek (2009): Kirk & Spock Together Again For The

First Time." Journal Of Popular Culture 46.1 (2013): 143-172. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

Vettel-Becker, Patricia. "Space And The Single Girl." Frontiers: A Journal Of Women Studies

35.2 (2014): 143-178. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

Tudor, Deborah, and Eileen R. Meehan. "Demoting Women On The Screen And In The Board

Room." Cinema Journal 53.1 (2013): 130-136. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

Christopher [Christopher L. Bennett]. “Re: How many women has Kirk kissed/slept with?” The

Trek BBS. 1 Apr. 2010. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

Trekkiefeminist [Jarrah Hodge]. “Star Trek: The Original Series Bechdel Tested!” Tumblr.

Tumblr, 7 Nov. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.

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