Angel

Angelsilhouette

Re: JJ Abrams on Gays in Star Trek

August 08 2011
Quote by chemkarate
Quote by NicholasJohn16
We could go full blown out and have Star Trek meet Brokeback Mountain. Two lone ensigns, stranded on a planet, they must cling to each other to survive. In the cold night, infront of a warm fire, they embrace each other . . .

Will Starfleet be able to save them . . . do they even want to be saved . . . from each other?


Well, that's it. I'm now going to change the plot of the new Stonewall story completely. Time for some hot ensign-on-ensign action.


NO!!!!


That's not dramatic enough...

Hot Ensign on Captain action! Then after they're rescued, there are the awkward gazes, the stilted conversations, the terrible secret that they must both keep... A romance spanning so many pay grades! Scandalous!

If you're gonna go, go large! :3
Eric

chemkarate

Re: JJ Abrams on Gays in Star Trek

August 08 2011
Quote by NicholasJohn16
We could go full blown out and have Star Trek meet Brokeback Mountain. Two lone ensigns, stranded on a planet, they must cling to each other to survive. In the cold night, infront of a warm fire, they embrace each other . . .

Will Starfleet be able to save them . . . do they even want to be saved . . . from each other?


Well, that's it. I'm now going to change the plot of the new Stonewall story completely. Time for some hot ensign-on-ensign action.
Unknown Person liked this
Jay Eudy

Six-of-Nine

Re: JJ Abrams on Gays in Star Trek

August 08 2011
Nick, I love you.
nicholasjohn16 liked this

Re: JJ Abrams on Gays in Star Trek

August 08 2011
I agree with a lot of the people that something subtle would be nice; just like the men in skirts in the first three seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

OR...

We could go full blown out and have Star Trek meet Brokeback Mountain. Two lone ensigns, stranded on a planet, they must cling to each other to survive. In the cold night, infront of a warm fire, they embrace each other . . .

Will Starfleet be able to save them . . . do they even want to be saved . . . from each other?
Unknown Person liked this
Angel

Angelsilhouette

Re: JJ Abrams on Gays in Star Trek

August 08 2011
I almost agree with Abrams. Usually I'm fairly lukewarm towards him, because he's done a lot I've liked and a lot I've disliked, and I feel sort of the same about his statement. Yes, bringing focus to a gay couple in a Star Trek film is like unnecessarily bringing focus to a heterosexual couple.

However... It doesn't have to be focus. Simply having two crewmen in the background holding hands, an affectionate smile between main or supporting actors or even (if it was felt necessary) a surreptitious lustful look shared between them would do. Even sharing quarters, like Chief O'Brien and Keiko, with (perhaps) an adopted son or daughter. There doesn't have to be any love scenes or even obvious lovy dovy behaviour or chit chat; just the normal affectionate behaviour one might expect to be shared between spouses. It doesn't necessarily need ten minutes devoted to it; in a film, all that would be required would be a two minute exchange to establish the characters' orientation.

Though... As I think of it, I would prefer it to be more subtle. The occasional couple holding hands or meeting and hugging in the background. Just enough for the subconscious to see it and (hopefully) accept it as something normal. If that happened more often, when it was seen in the foreground, it would not be seen to be something different, daring and bold; it wouldn't be shocking, it wouldn't be something out of the ordinary, it would be something we've subconsciously seen many many times before.
Edited August 08 2011 by Angelsilhouette
Steven Skeffington

Rasilek

Re: JJ Abrams on Gays in Star Trek

August 07 2011
I don't read too much into this...I really just think Abrams is simply saying he'd like to find an effective way to show that love is universal in the 23rd century. Period.

Unfortunately, in the gay-hating world of the present, it's just not easy to strike that balance when telling a story to such a massive audience, and he doesn't want to make it a part of the movie that people will undoubtedly talk about. I mean honestly, I really wonder if it's even avoidable without the Bullshit hollywood gossip that would come to follow.

I can see it now on all the news shows:
"Gay romance in the latest Star Trek installment?? I'll have the details!!"

"Boldly going where no ma...." etc etc, you get the idea.

If i were him, i'd make couples appear in the film as couples, like say during a social scene where everyone co-mingles with signifigant others. Straight couples and gay couples altogether...that would be the only way to convey the true idea of equality as we all would envision it 300 years from now.

Just my 2 pence of course,

Steve
2 people liked this

Unknown Person

Re: JJ Abrams on Gays in Star Trek

August 07 2011
I just want something small, as for it being a distraction so was the wedding in Nemesis, so was Scottys nephew in the Wrath of Khan. There are tons of other movies that have a bit of back story. really its as simple as this
crewmen:Have you seen my phaser
crewman2: Yeah, here
crewman: thanks, you know I'll come back to you. I always have :::hug/ kiss on the cheek:::
C2: I know ::::sniff:::
Then crewman walks out to his random red shirt death
Pete Spreadborough

Pete_jhS

Re: =*=*=*Fleet Achievements Board*=*=*=

August 07 2011
Quote by bfelczer
Congrats to Leon (NanoLion), Christian (Zeryon), Lance (Colivia) and myself for a 59 minute Cure run tonight! WAY TO GO GUYS!!!

We also did Infected right before it in 35 min B)
:blink: Awesomeness! Congratulations to you all. I can't wait for the new STF versions to come out. Straight on to the Elite versions! :lol:
Pete Spreadborough

Pete_jhS

Re: JJ Abrams on Gays in Star Trek

August 07 2011
I'm sympathetic to the problem; bear in mind that Keiko et al appeared in the television show, which had considerably more time to expend on personal relationship stuff. We've all been let down by Trek never having had gay characters featured in the series.

But in the movies, time is a lot more restricted. Only the main (hence mostly pre-established) characters get screen-time devoted to relationship stuff. I don't recall much of
partners kiss, the person picking up says "Hi *insert name*", the partner says "Bring him/her back in one piece."
happening in the movies with any incidental, heterosexual characters either.

The problem stems from the fact that yes, we want it to be presented that in the future there are gay people and everyone's cool with that. But if it were such a non-issue in the future, then if a character explicitly referred to another's homosexuality it would be as strange as someone today making a point of someone's heterosexuality. With time at such a premium in a motion picture, it's very difficult to include any meaningful scenes or exposition that could establish a character as gay without it seeming forced.

Here's an idea... Maybe they could make the JJ-verse's Sulu gay? He could just murmur a little "Oh my..." as a buff topless male ensign walked past.
Seannewboy

Seannewboy

Re: JJ Abrams on Gays in Star Trek

August 07 2011
Thats like saying that having Mrs Keiko O Brien in DS9 was distracting. Having a gay person in the show/movie does not require any dialog. You can have one in their quarters, another crewmember comes to go with them somewhere. The partners kiss, the person picking up says "Hi *insert name*", the partner says "Bring him/her back in one piece.". Scene ends, plot continues. Homosexuality enters ST in a casual manner and only the conservatives are upset.
Chris Power

scoobs

Re: JJ Abrams on Gays in Star Trek

August 07 2011
I find this a form of soft cowardice because, although the series is set in the 23/24/25th centuries where presumably this sort of prejudice has long been forgotten, the fact is the audience is still in an era where this remains a big concern, so they should bite the bullet and damn well do it. They don't have to be desperately unsubtle about it, nor do they have to bang on and on about it, but a very loud, clear "there are gay people in the future, it's okay and nobody cares about that stuff", is LONG overdue in the franchise.
Vincenzo

forza1400

Re: JJ Abrams on Gays in Star Trek

August 07 2011
I don't know anything about Star Trek really but agree with him also. The same issue has arisen in the SW expanded universe also. There have been minor gay characters but no major ones just because of the overemphasis.
Brandon Felczer

CapnBranFlakes

Re: =*=*=*Fleet Achievements Board*=*=*=

August 07 2011
Congrats to Leon (NanoLion), Christian (Zeryon), Lance (Colivia) and myself for a 59 minute Cure run tonight! WAY TO GO GUYS!!!

We also did Infected right before it in 35 min B)
Unknown Person liked this
Edited August 07 2011 by CapnBranFlakes
Kahless 2001

Kahless2001

Re: JJ Abrams on Gays in Star Trek

August 07 2011
I actually completely agree with him on this topic.
Unknown Person liked this
Brandon Felczer

CapnBranFlakes

Re: Star Trek: The Journey

August 07 2011
:ds9:


Episode 346 - Deep Space Nine - "Destiny" - 02/13/1995

http://www.allstepisodes.com/megvid.php?n=3315

Despite a Bajoran prophecy of destruction, Sisko assists in a joint scientific venture with the Cardassians to open communications through the wormhole.


Enjoy!

Unknown Person

Re: JJ Abrams on Gays in Star Trek

August 07 2011
Just more reason to dislike Abrams other the his movies. Anyway hasn't Star Trek had an agenda from its start.JJ Abrams is a lier and a cowered. He just should say I dont want to do it and I'm to afraid to say it.

JJ Abrams on Gays in Star Trek

August 07 2011
AfterElton.com’s Michael Jensen had a chance to interview JJ Abrams about the lack of queer folk in Star Trek. This is what he had to say:

I just wouldn’t want the agenda to be… whether it’s a heterosexual relationship or a homosexual relationship, to tell a story that was, that felt distracting from the purpose of the story. So I’m complete[ly] open-minded, you know—I’m interested in finding a way to do that but it’s almost like it’s a tricky thing. Because it’s the right thing to do… but [you want to] do it in a way that doesn’t feel like you’re [just] doing it in order to make that point. Because then it’s almost a disservice. Because then it feels like, “Oh that stupid distracting subplot about you know, you know, that minority. Or those people."

So the question is how do you do it where it doesn’t feel like, ‘Why am I getting into that kind of detail about the character’s life if not just to make a point of it?’ So the answer is, I think it should be done and I’d love to be able to do it…once we get through the bigger issues of certain structural things that are really the key to the show or the movie being done well.

Evidently, the only way to show that a character is gay is to have them fuck on stage. Hopefully though, we'll eventually get some family portrayed in Star Trek; lets just pray they don't turn out to be evil or cannon fodder.

Source: Queerty
Full Interview: AfterElton
Related: Braga on Gays in Star Trek
Edited August 08 2011 by nicholasjohn16
Nic

nniicc

Re: What's up with troopers?

August 06 2011
Quote by Headlockman
I wonder if the ranged dps trooper could be as powerful as a ranged dps consular ??

If a trooper commando with maxed out gunnery is almost always less strong than a consular sage with maxed out telekinetics, then nobody would play a trooper commando for the ranged dps. As far as i've understood all the info that's out there, not choosing one skill tree makes you inefficient. No doubt, they will have balanced it out. I assume that the commando will be more powerful in one situation and the sage in another situation. Purely speculative: it would not surprise me if the commando deals more damage but only to targets in line of sight and the sage deals a little less damage but 360 degrees.

On the other hand, the telekenetics is throwing a water heater around... Imagine telling your friends about this game: "I play this really cool jedi consular sage, i specialized in telekenitics." "Telekenetics?" "Yeah, it's like, uhm..., you know, i get to throw things at enemies, like... uhm, water heaters ..."
Edited August 06 2011 by nniicc
Brandon Felczer

CapnBranFlakes

Re: Star Trek: The Journey

August 06 2011
:ds9:


Episode 345 - Deep Space Nine - "Heart of Stone" - 02/06/1995

http://www.allstepisodes.com/megvid.php?n=3314

When Kira's life is put in jeopardy Odo realizes the depth of his feelings for her.


Enjoy!
Brandon Felczer

CapnBranFlakes

Re: Star Trek: The Journey

August 06 2011
Threads back up on the STO forums!!! I put in a community support ticket to see if we could reopen if we remove all the links and they went through and removed for me :D ALL 331 POSTS. Love them!!!