Aug
19
Normally, I try to restrict my opinion columns on this website to developments in film or television, or at least blend them with news stories. But if there’s one word that annoys me more than any, including ‘fail’, ‘win’, ‘sleeps’ and ‘internets’, it’s ‘hottie’.
Twitter’s more or less ablaze in geek circles at the moment for Caprica’s Alessandra Torresani being crowned the ‘Ultimate Sci-Fi Hottie Of 2010′. Similar competitions, you may recall, adorn the covers of lads’ mags the world over, celebrating women not for their talent or accomplishments, but because of their collection of genes.
It’s not just the EW thing that’s annoyed me to the point of speaking about it though, it’s been a building trend for a while, as science fiction becomes more mainstream and the sci-fi press begins chasing page impressions as opposed to decent stories or insightful commentary. Certain outlets, which I’ll refrain from naming here, seem to have rebranded wholesale from respectable news wires to do with all things genre into sites that specialise in titillating images and naughty stories.
It’s their business, of course. If websites want to do that, they can, it’s their own corner of cyberspace. My problem isn’t with their specific changes of direction or the mild hypocrisy that comes about when they criticise clearly satirical videos about carnal relations with science fiction authors, but in the image of the genre it presents to the wider world.
Without meaning to sound too self-righteous (which I undoubtedly will, now I’ve said that), the last thing that science fiction needs is a propagation of our negative stereotypes and stigma in the wider world. You know the one that I’m talking about; the popular image that just because you can distinguish between a GM Daewoo and a dilithium matrix chamber, you’re most likely some sort of itinerant, socially awkward cave dweller, one that subsides on junk food and spends the vast majority of your time ogling people in that bloody metal bikini.
Science fiction is a genre of ideas, one that has influenced and continues to influence the wider world. It incisively blends politics with humanism, science with the supernatural and many other forms of thought, and gives expression to them through imagination and creativity. I don’t know about you, but in my frame of reference from conventions, friends, event goers or the absurdly kind people I’ve met within the science fiction fan community, I’ve never been in a wider group of people that more completely embraces tolerance, equality and respect for one another. Internet trolls aside.
This growing sense of perversion and mindless pandering that I’ve witnessed recently through plaudits such as ‘Ultimate Sci-Fi Hottie’ is unsettling to me, as a life long fan of science fiction. It runs contrary to my own personal opinions of objectification, and particularly, respect. It’s entirely possible that I’m being too highly strung about this, but I don’t believe that I am. It’s embarrassing and vaguely upsetting when I check my RSS feeds every morning and can’t go five minutes without seeing a headline that refers to ‘sexy pictures’ or ‘Comic-Con hotties’, or something of an equally unpleasant phrasing. Objectification from both sides doesn’t get off either, how many times recently have you seen films marketed based on the abs of their supporting male actors, or columns defending said advertising? It’s an intellectual low point, at the very least. Incidentally, EW is also running a similar contest for the men of sci-fi.
The image that we put out to the wider world is crucial for maintaining interest and investment in science fiction. One that I personally don’t think we need is being material, narcissistic and shallow.
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Great article but you have to admit Alessandra Torresani is a bit of a babe! :)
I diasagree with this column. We don’t need to get rid of the stereotype, but embrace it. Every subgroup suffers from it’s stereotypes(horror buffs, book readers, musicians, etc.), the science-fiction crowd is no different than anyone of those groups. But it appears that Mr. Rundle is exactly part of the stereotype that he wishes to oppose(And that’s fine by the way, it’s not an attack..), he feels misunderstood, like many of us do. And that’s part of that stereotype. Ironic, really.
Everyone I know who’s into science-fiction totally embraces the stereoptype, joke about it, use terms like “nerd-out” or “nerd-gasm” and often do live up to the stereotype, or at least one or two of the elements that make up that stereotype(Living at home, overweight, etc.). The only way to beat the stereotpye is embrace it and joke about it. Taking this sort of thing so heavy-handed will never do ‘our’ cause any good. Humor is always the best answer.
Also, with mainstream appeal comes more attention and more filth. But also more good stuff, like Inception. I don’t mind the filth if I have a Inception-like movies every summer.
By the way, Ellen Page is the sci-fi hottie of 2010!
One more thing. Videogames were for “nerds” a very long time, but now they’re much more popular and no one’s considered a nerd anymore for playing them. Yeah we have Wii Sports Resort and other bland mainstream games for housewives, but the stigma’s gone and we have 3 major consoles trying to win us over with awesome 100 milion dollar games. Let’s hope that’s were science-fiction will get.
I think James has a point, there is a degree of stigmatism that paints the genre and therefore those that enjoy its fruits. But i think society is moving forward quickly enough making stereotypes less absurd and more an acceptable part of our general culture. This allows for other views of the genre population to be accepted.
Sci-fi geeks are typically sexually frustrated, unless i’m falling for another stereotype, that of the sexually frustrated nerd that dreams of girls they can’t get. What do you expect them to do? Is it not better to sexualize a sci-fi actress, instead of actual porn actresses, thereby supporting that part of the entertainment industry? At least, they are giving free reign to their male sexual impulses, which is healthier than repressing it don’t you think? Female sexual objectification is a reality that goes on throughout the entertainment industry, the scifi genre is not immune from it. Do you think Torresani was hired for her acting abilities alone, or because scify’s producers knew she could set male testosterone boiling?
So they have a contest for a sci-fi hottie how shocking? You make it sound like only the new mainstream fans would do something as shallow as objectify women and label them as a hottie.
Do you know how many arguments for Dollhouse being a great show end with ‘Eliza Dushka is a babe’? A lot, and they’re right, she looks attractive but her acting was horrible.
Let them, it’s just an internet poll! if you don’t want to look at sexy pictures and sexy polls etc. etc. Just don’t!
I have no problem with referential embracing of a stereotype, and in being comfortable with being a geek. My problem is the subversion of what I typically hold to be the more important values of that in favour of something that appeals to the lowest common denominator. I’m personally of the opinion that the genre as a whole is better than that.
Good discussion though.
It’s something that I think many genre fans have in common, we spend hours digging up stuff that no one knows. The lowest common dominator will never impress us because we can name 10 better alternatives. So in a way, we’re also victim of our own obsessive fandom. We feel/get singles out because we know more than someone who’s casually going to the movies or casually reads a book. And that’s the majority of people on this earth.
But hey, we’ve got a Trekkie in the White House, so who knows what the future will bring.
I have to say now a days i don’t have a problem with it…i do have a problem with it if thats the only thing there doing but if its just a side thing while also putting the sexiest science fiction babes on. its just harmless and healthy and i’m glad that both genders are there. because in the past it used to be a very male thng which I didn’t like i’m glad the women get there articles as well.
Though can i call maybe slight hypocrisy with some of the scifinow covers i have seen which i don’t know about you but were being sold on sex appeal maybe.
It’s been a selling point for science fiction though since the pulp days, with women on the cover being menaced by an alien. Science fiction has for so much of its history been marketed to men (straight men, at that, although given the square jawed heroes depicted, it could be said there is a significant gay market being targetted also) based on the female form, and the helpless woman who needs rescuing. For every Leguin novel there are countless bargain bin genre paperbacks with some continuation of this tradition. With the rapid translation to film, television and the internet, science fiction continues to be defined and shaped by these tropes. I am greatly concerned though that the difference will be that the classics of the literary genre shone greater than any pulp – “Caves of Steel” didn’t have a woman in peril on the cover because the story could not be sold by that kind of marketing – pulp novels may have been enjoyable but memorable they were not, despite their titilation. Today’s classics that will endure shall be rife with misogynist, sexist, and exploitive imagery and ideas. I love BSG as much as the next geek, but it relies heavily on women’s naked bodies as a way of generating interest.