Sex (and Sexuality) in the Future
POSTED BY: BlueBomber
UPDATED: Friday, November 30, 2007 15:36
VIEWED: 9271
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I was watching "Heart of Gold" last week with some buddies when this came up.
In the scene where Mal is looking at Nandi's guns she asks if he's "sly," to which he responds "Sly? No, I lean towards womenfolk." The script refers to Mal as being "totally comfortable with the question." Also, in "War Stories" we see that although Inara's clientel is mostly male, she is known to service female clients.
So the ensuing discussion was about sexuality in the future. In these particular cases it seems almost a non-issue, but you gotta wonder how tolerant a society that would still go medieval and burn a girl at the stake really is.
Going a step further, I recall an episode of ST:TNG where Riker falls in love with a member of an androgynous species who decides to be female, but she is told that her newfound sexuality is against their culture and forcibly "cured" of it.
Outside of these episodes, I'm not sure how much sci-fi deals with homosexuality 500 years or so from now. Can y'all think of any other examples? And what are your thoughts?
"Mwah ha ha ha...mine is an evil laugh. Now die."
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Quote:
Originally posted by BlueBomber:
I was watching "Heart of Gold" last week with some buddies when this came up.
In the scene where Mal is looking at Nandi's guns she asks if he's "sly," to which he responds "Sly? No, I lean towards womenfolk." The script refers to Mal as being "totally comfortable with the question." Also, in "War Stories" we see that although Inara's clientel is mostly male, she is known to service female clients.
So the ensuing discussion was about sexuality in the future. In these particular cases it seems almost a non-issue, but you gotta wonder how tolerant a society that would still go medieval and burn a girl at the stake really is.
Well that's just a small group of outlaws hiding in the hills that like frying psychics. Other societies have other rules. The tolerance for what we would think of as alternative lifestyles is quite possible more of a core planet notion. I see it as one of the areas in which the Alliance isn't a cut and dried evil empire.
Quote:
Outside of these episodes, I'm not sure how much sci-fi deals with homosexuality 500 years or so from now. Can y'all think of any other examples? And what are your thoughts?
Written SF is more likely to deal with sexuality (of the types we would call alternative or otherwise) than the screen variety. Mostly because of the lack of a rating's board I suspect.
David
'Geeks can't admit that anything worthwhile was invented before 1981. Soon, "making cocoa" will be called "milk hacking."' - Lore Sjoberg
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Well, in War Stories, as you mentioned, we see that Inara's clientèle isn't entirely male. But I think what's more revealing about that situation is the reactions of the crew members. Mal does his "Huh." thing, as if he'd never considered that Inara might service the womenfolk.
Kaylee, if I remember correctly, has a sort of "Oh wow" reaction. I'm not sure what her feelings are based upon - e.g. it may be a "My older sister just brought home a girl" or a "Oh wow, they look so beautiful together, what a great couple" or it could be a "Oh wow, I'm not sure what to make of this, just, Oh wow" any of which give insight into the culture she was brought up in, and therefore explain "Sex (and Sexuality) in the Future"
I think the most telling though, is Book's reaction. He doesn't immediately condemn it, even though in current times most ((If not all)) preachers would be highly against this behaviour ((Sex for money, Sex outside of Marriage, and Sex between women)).
On the whole, Book's relationship with Inara was one of the most interesting throughout the series. We know that he initially has discomfort with the idea of flying with a companion, but soon he finds that she is a spiritual peer. I think that though the idea of Companionship is against that of Book's order, it would seem that the homosexual aspect is less of an issue. If that's the case for a preacher, then the general populace has probably long moved on about the whole "Ach, Gay people! Cover mine eyes!" idiocy.
And who can forget Jayne. His reaction is simple and I don't think needs explanation.
"I'll be in my bunk."
Yep, still clear I think.
"I'm not going to say Serenity is the greatest SciFi movie ever; oh wait yes I am." - Orson Scott Card
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A LOT of things got lost in the shuffle because the series was over so fast, but I think one reason that Inara is in the series* is precisely to show that sexual mores are very different. And why wouldn't they be in a society where, even though Christianity still exists and some people still believe in it, Christianity is not an official religion and isn't even a majority religion?
Another indication of changing mores is that Kaylee is both sweet and innocent AND perfectly happy to have sex with a pick-up in a semi-public place.
It's kind of inactive now, but there was a LiveJournal community called "Rutting Town Hall: Where you Get to vote on Mal's ship". The subtitle was "it's the future! everybody's bi!" which is one reading of Nandi's question. Maybe she meant "Oh, are you one of those rare people who is exclusively homosexual, unlike everybody else who's bisexual?" (I think she was trying to get his goat, though--and, as the direction says, failed.)
*apart from everybody getting a kick out saying "space!Hooker"
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The novel The Forever War (by Joe Haldeman) has Earth in the future being mostly homosexual, with the few "queer" folk who like the opposite sex in the minority.
And it's a good book Chrisisall
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The distant future of sexuality is no sexuality, or asexuality. I can envision a future society where the very thought of physical contact with another person, or either gender, is totally replusive. I've been married a while now, and I'm not too far from there now. After all, sex is smelly, disgusting and degrading...and that's only when its' done right.
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LOL Chrisisall
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Quote:I kinda like it, but that's just me.
Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
After all, sex is smelly, disgusting and degrading...and that's only when its' done right.
More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.
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I want clean sex, like in Demolition Man!
Fluids-free Chrisisall
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