77: Matters of Perspective?

Primitive Culture: A Star Trek History and Culture Podcast

Star Trek and Sexual Assault, Part 2.

Over its long history, Star Trek has not shied away from dealing with the impact of sexual assault. In its many incarnations, the franchise has offered a number of storylines—some more successful than others—that shine a light on this important issue. And it has always done so through the lens of the current moment. Sometimes the shows have employed classic Trek allegory, with violations of the mind by aliens as a clear stand-in for real-world assault. At other times, sexual assault and harassment have been dealt with more directly.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, the second of a two part discussion inspired by the #MeToo movement, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Clara Cook to consider how Star Trek’s sexual assault storylines have played out on screen. Looking at examples from The Original Series through Discovery, they consider issues such as believable consent, response to trauma, and the relationship between sexual violence and other forms of assault in wartime. We also consider what role the #MeToo movement may ultimately play in shaping the narratives of sexual violence that we consume in the future—in Star Trek and beyond.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Violations (00:02:26) Retrospect (00:12:45) Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night (00:28:03) A New Normal (00:55:30) Final Thoughts (01:05:30)

Host Duncan Barrett Guest Clara Cook Production Duncan Barrett (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Clara Cook (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)