Fan Prose?
This essay first appeared in a zine I wrote in winter of 1997. Trick Hips #2 was the love themed issue and this was supposed to be funny/serious in the way that fan fic isn't. Should this be characterized as fan prose?
Star Trek: First Contact
Sexual Pun and the Ideological Metaphor: Late Capitalism vs. Islamic Fundamentalism
"Engage... In some sex!" -Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
I recently saw this movie and while impressed with it (i.e. not disappointed that I paid full price for it), I couldn't help but do the art student thing and look for a hidden meaning in all of it. Aside from the virginity pun in the title, there are some visual ones interspersed in this, the sexy Star Trek movie as critics have penned it. So the Borg speak as a collective through their hive queen. In the first showdown, Picard uses his big guns (i.e. penis) to target the clitoris of the Borg cube, whereupon the Borg cube explodes in orgasm/climax while the Ben Wa ball/egg/escape craft leaves the cube to create a "temporal rift" (I need space!). Picard follows it and somehow the Borg transport onto his ship the Enterprise (i.e. moneymaker) and begin "assimilating" the crew. What might be called "adding a feminine touch" to a bachelor pad now becomes the Borg controlling the most powerful ship in the universe. Star Fleet is in effect (and pardon my French) pussy-whipped. Picard holds his ground and retains part of the ship (i.e. his den/library/workshop). I'm going to stop using "i.e." now.
In the latter half of the twentieth century, capitalism has triumphed over communism (sort of). The Washington spin doctors have decided that our next enemy is fundamentalism, namely the Islamic variant. I was watching the Borg episode of Star Trek one night when I switched to a news report from Mecca where thousands of holy pilgrims marched around this giant cube. I couldn't help but think of the Borg cube and its collective. Faith (religious) is something that survives attack because those that have faith believe that they will be delivered from any sort of "evil" that comes their way. They don't mind sacrificing themselves for the good of the collective. I thought about the Enterprise and its crew of supposedly utopian citizen-soldiers who totally believe in free will and self-determination and how this is antithetically opposed to the Borgian ideal. Star Trek's entire premise is based upon the good guys being these entreprenurial explorers looking for "new life and new civilizations." For what reason? So they can trade with them most likely. we laugh at these episodes and their corny futuristic idealism. The one time that late capitalism/Star Fleet comes up against religious fundamentalism/the Borg, Star Fleet does everything in its power to stop the assimilation.
In the final showdown of the movie, Picard realizes that his way of life could be seriously in jeopardy. Picard opts to be a wolf-in-sheep's clothing in a sense. He sets the auto-destruct sequence in motion and offers himself to the Borg Queen while his crew escapes so that they can one day spread the gospel of free will and economic self-determination. I suppose that our culture will have to put up with these pitiful allegories until anyone who actually remembers the Cuban Missile Crisis dies (Baby Boomers). In the final sequence of First Contact, Picard confronts the Borg queen, offers himself up, and Data provides the last nifty plot twist. Picard struggles, the warp drive coolant tower is breached, and Picard climbs to safety as his glorious toxic chemicals eat away at the flesh of the Borg. In a sense, he lets out a big fart and everyone except he and Data perishes in the spill. They are guys, you know. They can handle the odiousness. Or is it odorousness?
--- The opinion expressed herein is mine and I don't care if you disagree. There's far too much assimilation these days, anyway. Send comments to me at address withheld.
Star Trek: First Contact
Sexual Pun and the Ideological Metaphor: Late Capitalism vs. Islamic Fundamentalism
"Engage... In some sex!" -Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
I recently saw this movie and while impressed with it (i.e. not disappointed that I paid full price for it), I couldn't help but do the art student thing and look for a hidden meaning in all of it. Aside from the virginity pun in the title, there are some visual ones interspersed in this, the sexy Star Trek movie as critics have penned it. So the Borg speak as a collective through their hive queen. In the first showdown, Picard uses his big guns (i.e. penis) to target the clitoris of the Borg cube, whereupon the Borg cube explodes in orgasm/climax while the Ben Wa ball/egg/escape craft leaves the cube to create a "temporal rift" (I need space!). Picard follows it and somehow the Borg transport onto his ship the Enterprise (i.e. moneymaker) and begin "assimilating" the crew. What might be called "adding a feminine touch" to a bachelor pad now becomes the Borg controlling the most powerful ship in the universe. Star Fleet is in effect (and pardon my French) pussy-whipped. Picard holds his ground and retains part of the ship (i.e. his den/library/workshop). I'm going to stop using "i.e." now.
In the latter half of the twentieth century, capitalism has triumphed over communism (sort of). The Washington spin doctors have decided that our next enemy is fundamentalism, namely the Islamic variant. I was watching the Borg episode of Star Trek one night when I switched to a news report from Mecca where thousands of holy pilgrims marched around this giant cube. I couldn't help but think of the Borg cube and its collective. Faith (religious) is something that survives attack because those that have faith believe that they will be delivered from any sort of "evil" that comes their way. They don't mind sacrificing themselves for the good of the collective. I thought about the Enterprise and its crew of supposedly utopian citizen-soldiers who totally believe in free will and self-determination and how this is antithetically opposed to the Borgian ideal. Star Trek's entire premise is based upon the good guys being these entreprenurial explorers looking for "new life and new civilizations." For what reason? So they can trade with them most likely. we laugh at these episodes and their corny futuristic idealism. The one time that late capitalism/Star Fleet comes up against religious fundamentalism/the Borg, Star Fleet does everything in its power to stop the assimilation.
In the final showdown of the movie, Picard realizes that his way of life could be seriously in jeopardy. Picard opts to be a wolf-in-sheep's clothing in a sense. He sets the auto-destruct sequence in motion and offers himself to the Borg Queen while his crew escapes so that they can one day spread the gospel of free will and economic self-determination. I suppose that our culture will have to put up with these pitiful allegories until anyone who actually remembers the Cuban Missile Crisis dies (Baby Boomers). In the final sequence of First Contact, Picard confronts the Borg queen, offers himself up, and Data provides the last nifty plot twist. Picard struggles, the warp drive coolant tower is breached, and Picard climbs to safety as his glorious toxic chemicals eat away at the flesh of the Borg. In a sense, he lets out a big fart and everyone except he and Data perishes in the spill. They are guys, you know. They can handle the odiousness. Or is it odorousness?
--- The opinion expressed herein is mine and I don't care if you disagree. There's far too much assimilation these days, anyway. Send comments to me at address withheld.
posted by Pat at 8:46 PM
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