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Snarky Commentary 2:

Star TrekInto Darkness and Brown face

Or, you can say Im in too deep (not unlike#Scandalfans).

Quoting MckenzieM from the online forumBlack Science Fiction Society:

Star Trek: Into Darkness opened this week. My review in a nutshell is that its essentially

alternate timeline Wrath of Khan for anyone who has seen it and is familiar with the character

of Khan from the Star Trek universe. The main villain is a mysterious super man named John

Harrison, portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch, who then reveals himself to be Khan.

If he really is Khan Noonien Singh, then I am not laughing. Khan, the Khan is of Sikh/East

Indian heritage. In Star Trek: the original series (1966 1969), hes portrayed by Ricardo

Montalban, a Spanish-Mexican actor, who also portrayed him in Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan.

Montalban, as talented as he was, was a white actor in brownface.

Observation: Star Trek was a bold move in Sci-Fi, as since H.G. Wells, speculative fiction had a

noticeable lackof diversity. Especially in the 60s, during the height of the Civil Rights struggle,

it may have been difficult to find a Sikh/Indian actor that wanted to leave Bollywood or be

bothered. After all, the first interracial kiss on television was between Captain Kirk and

Lieutenant Uhura, and was banned from showing in several southern markets. At about this time,

Richard and Mildred Loving becamethe first interracial married couplein the US. Ricardo (Mr.

Roarke, Fantasy Island) with a suntan was probably as close as they were going to get!

Admittance: I enjoyed Cumberbatch for two reasons: 1. He portrays Sherlock Holmes, a favorite

fictional character of mine, on the BBC, 2. I personally know an African-American family by the

same name in Austin, Texas. Im sure they got a kick out of the movie as well.

In defense of this analysis: brownface, or brown face is the portrayal of story characters by actors

that originally [the characters] had other than European ethnic features (or accents). Blackface

was the admittedly xenophobic, racist portrayal of African Americans in minstrel shows as

Step-n-Fetch; singing/dancing; shucking/jiving and simple minded: not unlike in my opinion

so-called Hip-Hop videos today.

Similarly, certain groups had a problem with Idris Elba portraying Heimdall guardian of

Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge, and Hogarth the Grim as Asian. Yes, I read a lot of comic books as

a kid (passed a high school Norse mythology test on what Marvel taught me!). A natural result of

redefining Thor et al from Norse gods to benevolent aliens and Arthur C. Clarkes quote

becomes prophesy: any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23scandalhttps://twitter.com/search?q=%23scandalhttps://twitter.com/search?q=%23scandalhttp://blacksciencefictionsociety.com/profiles/blogs/star-trek-into-darkness-and-brownfacehttp://blacksciencefictionsociety.com/profiles/blogs/star-trek-into-darkness-and-brownfacehttp://blacksciencefictionsociety.com/profiles/blogs/star-trek-into-darkness-and-brownfacehttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Plato's_Stepchildren_(episode)http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Plato's_Stepchildren_(episode)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/the-loving-story-takes-intimate-look-at-first-legal-interracial-marriage_n_1213451.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/the-loving-story-takes-intimate-look-at-first-legal-interracial-marriage_n_1213451.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/the-loving-story-takes-intimate-look-at-first-legal-interracial-marriage_n_1213451.htmlhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077008/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077008/http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/12/16/racists-thor-idris-ebla-racism/http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/12/16/racists-thor-idris-ebla-racism/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bifr%C3%B6sthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bifr%C3%B6sthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bifr%C3%B6sthttp://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/12/16/racists-thor-idris-ebla-racism/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077008/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/the-loving-story-takes-intimate-look-at-first-legal-interracial-marriage_n_1213451.htmlhttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Plato's_Stepchildren_(episode)http://blacksciencefictionsociety.com/profiles/blogs/star-trek-into-darkness-and-brownfacehttps://twitter.com/search?q=%23scandal

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Star TrekThe Eugenics Wars: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh was an excellent

two-part novelized series by Greg Cox that took you from Khan as precocious six-year-old

genius, the influence and genius of his genetic engineering mega-maniacal mother Dr. Sarina

Kaur, who had engineered a strain of Ebola that would wipe out inferior humanity except her

super children (presumably herself as well); Gary Seven the ever-present Aegis agent, his

black cat familiar, and his blond assistant Roberta Lincoln, the Sikh martial art Gatka and its

weaponry, theEugenics Wars, up to getting the supermen on the SS Botany Bay launched from

Area 51. In TOS, the Eugenics Wars were essentially WWIII; in Coxs telling they were largely

fought in secret amongst Khans people since mega-maniacal supermen couldnt agree who

should be in charge of the new world they were destined to rule (Khan had an excellent idea: a

Khanate, his idea of a Caliphate under him!). That took cross-referencing TOS, ENT, DS9,

actual world events and following the rules. Cox took painstaking steps to create a world that

could possibly happen.

Star Trek: Federation involved the life (and, remarkable life span) ofZephram Cochrane, his

creation of warp drive and the authoritarian forces that opposed its creation The Optimum

Movement, inspired by Khan and his supermen that chose less-than-optimum humanity for

containment/extermination like a bacterial infection, catalysts for the third world war; inspiring

in kind Colonel Green (TOS, ENT) and the post-apocalyptic atomic horrors/genocide of WWIII.

Even on Kindle/Nook it is an expansive novel, concluding 1,000 years beyond Picards

existence. This notably had no mention of an Enterprise NX-01or Jonathan Archer. Enjoyable

read, but not cinematic: it would take several seasons, and an attention span with the patience of

Job to tell the tale. Cumberbatchs presence is evidence J.J. Abrams chose not to research or

exploit that fictional history at all.

Or, since the timeline as once known is quite screwed and/or rebooted, and John Harrison/Khan

and his peeps are on cryogenic lockdown, we can see how the next director after Abrams jells

this and pending hostilities with the Klingons all together (John Harrison/Khan could be found

lyingnot above megalomania). If anything, the Star Trek universe is a pliable as play dough.

**********

Uhura and Spock as an inter-species couple had its hilarious moments:

Kirk: You two are arguing. How is that? (As in inconceivable)

When Uhura and Spock get into an argument that Kirk found himself the reluctant referee, I

thought maybe should have picked others for the away team? I guess that was the point.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eugenics_Wars:_The_Rise_and_Fall_of_Khan_Noonien_Singhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eugenics_Wars:_The_Rise_and_Fall_of_Khan_Noonien_Singhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eugenics_Wars:_The_Rise_and_Fall_of_Khan_Noonien_Singhhttp://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Sarina_Kaurhttp://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Sarina_Kaurhttp://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Sarina_Kaurhttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Gary_Sevenhttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Gary_Sevenhttp://sikhism.about.com/od/commemorativecelebrations/ig/Hola-Mohalla--Gatka-Exhibition/Hola-Mohalla-Chakar-.htmhttp://sikhism.about.com/od/commemorativecelebrations/ig/Hola-Mohalla--Gatka-Exhibition/Hola-Mohalla-Chakar-.htmhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15480741http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15480741http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15480741http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Eugenics_Warshttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Eugenics_Warshttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Eugenics_Warshttp://www.amazon.com/Federation-Star-Trek-Unnumbered-Paperback/dp/1416530991/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1369068798&sr=8-2&keywords=star+trek+federationhttp://www.amazon.com/Federation-Star-Trek-Unnumbered-Paperback/dp/1416530991/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1369068798&sr=8-2&keywords=star+trek+federationhttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Zefram_Cochranehttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Zefram_Cochranehttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Zefram_Cochranehttp://www.trekunited.com/community/index.php?showtopic=9864http://www.trekunited.com/community/index.php?showtopic=9864http://www.trekunited.com/community/index.php?showtopic=9864http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Zefram_Cochranehttp://www.amazon.com/Federation-Star-Trek-Unnumbered-Paperback/dp/1416530991/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1369068798&sr=8-2&keywords=star+trek+federationhttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Eugenics_Warshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15480741http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15480741http://sikhism.about.com/od/commemorativecelebrations/ig/Hola-Mohalla--Gatka-Exhibition/Hola-Mohalla-Chakar-.htmhttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Gary_Sevenhttp://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Sarina_Kaurhttp://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Sarina_Kaurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eugenics_Wars:_The_Rise_and_Fall_of_Khan_Noonien_Singh

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When Uhura said you brought me on this mission because I speak Klingonlet me speak

Klingon. That was brave, bold and written for the next dramatic scene, but negates the universal

translator tech. Guess it went the way of the seven yearPon Farr ritual.

Brown face observation: When the lead Klingon takes off his helmet facing Uhurabrown face

to brown face, he is BIG, brown and dangerous looking, the others complexions are ambiguousand fried under Khan Cumberbatchs phaser blasts, or otherwise guillotined by sword. That

might be homage to Michael Dorns Worf in TNG, but if Tuvok and Spock are of Vulcan, it

would be logical that Klingons have diversity on QonoS/Kronos. In ENT, the ridge was

explained as the Klingons deliberately introduced the supermen DNA into their gene pool: this

guys forehead waskind a smoothjust saying.

**********

Kirk (TOS): serial playboy monogamist. Yes, its a complete contradiction in terms, but that was

the best description of William Shatners portrayal of the character. Remember, it was the 60s.

Kirk (reboot): hedonist. Yes, hes got the serial playboy down, but Chris Pike went from the

green alien in bikini homage to Captain Pike from TOS to two lion chicks (with tails) in a

mnage e trois (pushing the limits of PG-13)! How are he and Carol Marcus now a weapons

expert supposed to get together and birth David? She obviously knows his rep, seeing TOS

flame-for-Spock favorite Nurse Chapel transferred to another starship! It would seem FB and

Twitter survived into the 23rd

Century. I can only imagine postings on Kirk are legendary.

Lastly, the 23rd

Century: Gene Roddenberrys vision was three centuries past the madness of the

1960s, the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X

and Martin Luther King (he was instrumental in convincing Nichelle Nichols to stay in the role

of Uhura).Eternal Optimism(versus fascist Optimum): Wed reach maturity as a species and

accept diversity. The sets were cheap and cheesy, because most Sci-Fi sets were cheap and

cheesy! There wasnt a huge budget for Sci-Fi then, and arguably not much of one now. But,

the future looked perfect, neat and clean, wed solve all the problems that are intractable to us

now: war, racism, sexism, poverty, wardrobe malfunctions, bad hair days, garbage.

The reboot set looked plausible, the tech was more realistic that idealistic/cheesy (except the

floating cars); more mechanized and industrial than utopian. The political intrigue suggested

seems we survive only to fight wars on larger battlefields (the galaxy); the fact we hopefully

achieve peace on earth doesnt exclude other areas of strife as resulting from authoritarians

that ultimately want to call the shots for everyone.

http://youtu.be/03zrxTiWzN4http://youtu.be/03zrxTiWzN4http://youtu.be/03zrxTiWzN4http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Qo'noShttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Qo'noShttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Qo'noShttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Qo'noShttp://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Affliction_(episode)http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Affliction_(episode)http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Affliction_(episode)http://www.futuredude.com/eric-stillwell-co-creator-of-yesterdays-enterprise/http://www.futuredude.com/eric-stillwell-co-creator-of-yesterdays-enterprise/http://www.futuredude.com/eric-stillwell-co-creator-of-yesterdays-enterprise/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Phillip_Greenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Phillip_Greenhttp://www.futuredude.com/eric-stillwell-co-creator-of-yesterdays-enterprise/http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Affliction_(episode)http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Qo'noShttp://youtu.be/03zrxTiWzN4

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There have been a number of reboots: Avengers, Batman, Captain America, Iron

Man,Thor; soon Man of Steel. We are recreating our mythologies after our own modern

image, that I completely understand, and J.J. Abrams et al have rights to creative license. Im

particularly sensitive to this retelling because of the comments and vision that made me and

others like me think of careers in science and science fiction as, wellcool: