Space Hookers: Prostitution and Pornography in the Final Fronteir

Prostitution is one of those forbidden subjects in science fiction. No sixties show really got close to the issue, except perhaps for the trophy wives of "Mudd's women". Clearly, however, the Orionian slave girls in the series were meant as a rather unfortunately positive comment on sexual slavery. Even Gene Rodenberry admitted that that characterization was sexist. The first official space hooker that I know about, in tv sci-fi, was Cassiopiea in the original BSG, who was a socialator, a kind of high price Geisha. Cassi' space hooker origins were quickly dropped however, when the network felt that she was simply too controversial and sexual a character (Remembering Battlestar Galactica).

Inara (pictured above), from Firefly, was the most impressive depiction of prostitution in science fiction television, being neither sexually exploitive, nor morally condemning, but just realistic about how prostitution would evolve in a future society. In Firefly society, Companions (the Firefly equivalent of prostitutes) have in some ways turned the tables on the pimps of previous eras, and serve as a kind of space age geisha or courtesan, with corresponding rank and privilege. Companions provide psychotherapy, choose their own clients, and are viewed as a form of nobility in Firefly society. Wheddon's ability to critique prostitution's many negatives, while still providing an interesting analysis of how the practice might change, is one of the truly innovative aspects of Firefly. Wheddon's series Dollhouse also imagines how prostitution might be used in the future. Both Dollhouse and Caprica warn of the potential problems of "futureporn", that is virtual pornography that condemns A.I. life to sexual servitude. I think this is an important issue that badly needs addressing, and not in the underused way that it was done in STNG episodes.. Unfortunately, modern sci-fi series seem reluctant, in general, to tackle the issue of sexual exploitation through pornography (I hail more from the anti-porn aspects of feminism, rather than the pro). Therefore, it seems of prime importance to me that future series deal with this issue, whether positvely or negatively. I think Dollhouse got close, but it's a major issue that science fiction television still has not adequately explored.