Pictured here is Edmund Gwynn, who plays a scientist in the fifties giant ants classic. The fifties are famous for their division of the world into science vs. military, a kind of substitute for science versus religion. Gwynn represents one of the rare portrayals where the scientist is clearly in charge. At the opposite end of the spectrum was 1951's The Thing, in which scientists' attempts to make peace with the alien, only ends in disaster. Science fiction television series, as a rule, have followed a mad scientist versus wise military in most series. Star Trek had several notable mad scientists, most notably Richard Daystorm, who had to be handled with kid gloves by the compassionate Star Fleet. BSG (the original) followed in this tradition, as did the new BSG, whose chief villain is the scientist Gaius Baltar. Doctor Who had many mad scientists: Davros, the Master (argueably), and Dr. Kettlewell (from Giant Robot), Tobias Vaughn, among many others. What is left us, then, is a tendency in modern science fiction to reject the mental for the physical, the intellectual for the jingoistic warrior. I find this trend deeply troubling, for what it says about American (and British) nationalism. Clearly, we need series that are much more critical of the military, not knockoffs of Stargate SG-1.
SGU went that direction too. While you will find many noble men in the military, ultimately they take their orders from a government. Adama was a dictator, he just wasn't evil. Buffy was anti-government. There is lots of written scifi that go all over the map on this.
ReplyDeleteYea, the whole SG-1 universe is militaristic tripe. I don't think I'm going to even include it in my encylopedia, even though its the longest running U.S. series, because it is so ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteAmerica has a very strong anti-intellectual and thus anti-scientist stream in its culture. The anti-intellectuals also tend to be jingoistic, religious, blindly patriotic and old school macho.
ReplyDeleteIn other words there is a lot of proto-fascist culture in America worshipping the strong, cunning, but not too smart manly man of action.
You must remember a decent percentage of America is still angry at Darwin and those atheistic communist scientists who keep contradicting the Bible as literal truth.
Dear Nick,
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with your analysis. That the reboot BSG resorted to this tired caricature incenses me. That's why I love Blake's 7. The intellectual - Avon - has all the best lines, constantly undermines the protagonists, and in general derisively critiques the cult of the military, if only implicitly. And there's no sanctimonious sentimentality about these "few good men."