racial/american bias in Stargate Atlantis?

[tielan]

It's recently come to my notice that the manner in which 'native races' are portrayed on Stargate is, if not racist, then certainly strongly jingoistic.

This is going to focus on the broader perception of races and how they get portrayed in the show - mostly Atlantis, although SG-1 will be in there, too.

Basically, it seems that the native races of Pegasus are either technologically inept (primitive) or 'the bad guys'.

We have societies like the Athosians, who are still in the 'hunter-gatherer' stage of civilisation, who are on the side of the Atlantis expedition but primitive; and at the other end of the scale, we have societies like the Gennii, who are close to the 'information revolution' stage of civilisation, but are at best wary allies, and at worst, frank enemies.

Then there are the Satedans, who must have had a pretty technologically advanced civilisation before the Wraith took them out - Ronon's weaponry speaks to that - but who don't even get a mention on the 'we could pick over their bones and see if they developed something we haven't' scale. Hell, I don't think anyone's mentioned even asking Ronon if they can take apart his weapons to see how they tick.

Granted, Ronon's likely to look at them and say flatly, 'No,' but the man came from a world that nearly fought back against the Wraith! Just because he doesn't speak much doesn't mean he's a savage. He's probably no more of a savage than any man who comes home from his work, sits down in his lounge chair and can't be prevailed on for more than a grunt or a dozen before dinner, let alone bed.

The episode that's supposed to deal with Ronon's background will be interesting: if only because it took them about 30 episodes to even revisit Teyla's background with the Athosians, and they were relegated to a side plot, a funeral, and some very lovely singing by Rachel Luttrell that had almost no relevance to the plot.

The race issue is another thing that's slowly been coming upon me.

SG1 - Teal'c is the 'native guide' - black, primitive people.
SGA - Teyla is the 'native guide' - mixed race, primitive people.
SGA - Aiden is the 'yes, man' - black
SGA - Ronon is the 'grunt and muscle' - with a polynesian background (? I think - but even if not, the point with Teal'c, Teyla and Aiden still stands)

You know, I'm waiting for the episode where they come across an Asiatic civilisation that's either run like the Japanese samurai or full of Asian crime gangs.

It's a bit worrying, not that there are characters who are relegated to the background and they're non-white(other characters are background, too: Janet, Carson, Zelenka, etc), but that the non-white characters seem to be inevitably relegated to the background in the Stargate universe.

To some degree, I'm sure it's symptomatic of TV shows: white people want to watch white people. Still, I find it disturbing that the nominated 'leaders' of the primitive peoples - and therefore their representatives - are almost always non-white. (Plus, the leaders of the 'white people with civilisation' are evil if their cultures aren't.)

Finally, I'm curious about the fact that the 'jumper driver seat is on the left. Not all civilisations drive on the right-hand side of the road. It's like the assumption that people in the Northern Hemisphere have that birds fly south for the winter, and that things get warmer the further south you go.

Atlantis does not necessarily have to be in the northern hemisphere of its planet. I mean, it very well may be - I haven't studied the shots of the planet all that well. But, coming from the other half of the planet (where Christmas is in summer and we build our houses facing north for the best sun) I think it would be cool to have all the people from up north completely turned around by the fact that the sun's path lies northwards and not south, while the people from the southern hemisphere are all "what are you guys going on about?" While secretly snickering behind their hands.

The idea of a culture that influenced Earth (instead of American-Earth influencing it) is intriguing: but it would have been nice to see some of the standards turned upside down - perceptions changed and rearranged - to make people think.

And if you can sandwich some perception adjustment in between entertainment, I don't think that's entirely a bad thing.

Comments

[kalikahuntress.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry but how is Beyonce whitened? Explain please.

[saeva.livejournal.com]

Okay. Take Luttrell and her off-screen interviews. The woman is about as "white bread American" as a Canadian can be. There's nothing exotic about her in particular.

Then you take Beyonce Knowles and progress through her career and see how traits that are ethnically associated -- her gospel (traditionally associated with Southern US blacks) background, her way of speaking, the pitch of her voice, her clothing even -- is slowly but certainly phased out until you get the 'Just black enough to be black for white America' position you have now. She's black enough to be "exotic" but she's "white" enough -- the way she speaks, the preppier clothing she wears, the new values she's expressing -- to sell on a mass market just like Britney Spears.

You see that with many, many black singers and actresses because if you don't see it they can't get mainstream acceptance.

It's like this: name a black actor or actress on SG1/SGA and then count how many are actually fully black descended. Not biracial with a Caucasian parent, not actually (half)Pacific Islander, not anything like that. Do that for most of the shows you see and you'll see exactly how many "black" actors/actresses are biracial and primarily half-white. Because, you know, full black doesn't sell unless it's for a full black audience on a full black network about blacks. Or so television networks believe (and perhaps they're not wrong).

- Andrea.

[ladyjax.livejournal.com]

Then you take Beyonce Knowles and progress through her career and see how traits that are ethnically associated -- her gospel (traditionally associated with Southern US blacks) background, her way of speaking, the pitch of her voice, her clothing even -- is slowly but certainly phased out until you get the 'Just black enough to be black for white America' position you have now. She's black enough to be "exotic" but she's "white" enough -- the way she speaks, the preppier clothing she wears, the new values she's expressing -- to sell on a mass market just like Britney Spears.

Well, this opens up a whole 'nother kettle of fish because we'd have to get into the range of skin colors that exists within the Black community within the US. Beyonce is someone that a lot of folk would consider having "good" hair (i.e. straight and not nappy). My grandmother and folk of her generation would have referred to her as "light and bright." On the other hand, I have had people tell me I sounded white on the phone and then be shocked when I turned out to be Black.

On one of the Stargate specials, Chris Judge talked about the fact that when he grew in his hair the producers had him change it because it looked too "afrocentric." In other words, it was nappy and didn't look "alien" enough. Check out the texture of his hair from when he first started growing it in and then look at it now. He's definitely got some relaxer going on up in there.

THEY DID WHAT!?!

[ayodele.livejournal.com]

Chris Judge talked about the fact that when he grew in his hair the producers had him change it because it looked too "afrocentric."

THEY TOLD THE BLACK MAN HIS HAIR LOOKED TOO BLACK?

I need to CUT A BITCH!

[ayodele.livejournal.com]

Beyonce is also often *literally* whitened in marketing collateral to make her look paler and more white. Really. And then there's the whole blonde straightened hair thing.