DAE think Janeway was incredibly condescending?

AgentConundrum · 1 year

I think it was difficult (and still is) to make a believable, strong female character in a position of power. Would her behavior be considered as condescending if she were male? I'm genuinely curious. I thought the writers did a great job of giving Janeway a commanding personality as well as retaining her femininity.

mrfurious2k · 1 year

I think writers still have a hard time realizing that strong female characters don't have to eliminate female characteristics to be strong. It should be obvious to most that men and women are different. Women don't have to exude male characteristics to be strong. The show's writers seemed to strip Janeway of her femininity, then realize that they were doing it, and then overcompensate for it. It made Janeway seem "fake."

Let's take a "girlie girl" from classic cinema. If you'll remember Scarlett O'Hara from "Gone With the Wind", you'll recall she challenged the perception people had of women because she was so strong. She never lost her femininity but there is no way you could argue she wasn't a tough cookie.

Today, we seem to be fixated on the idea that strong women have to be a bitch. Being "strong" isn't about just getting your way. It's seeing what needs to be done and doing it. Donning a "fake" captain's persona just doesn't cut it. In Janeway's case, I always felt like she wasn't sure who she was and I don't think the writers did either. It made her seem preachy, inconsistent, and at times fake.

Willravel · 1 year

She seemed to model her character on Kirk, and that translates poorly in her case. Emulating pure, real swagger can often leave people with the impression you're a condescending, self-righteous asshole. Kate Mulgrew lacks that je ne sais quoi Shatner had and still has in spades.

devgeek0 · 1 year

Not really. I mean, she's a hard-ass, she's a bit arrogant, but "incredibly condescending" is a bit much..

lukjad007 · 1 year

I can't say I noticed that over other people in the Trek universe since the whole point of the show is pretty much about us humans sharing our infinite gut-instinct-wisdom with everyone else.

I really find the first few seasons especially annoying because of how she always smiles for no reason. I mean, they have just been launched 75 years away from home and she's all smiles at everything.

"Captain! We just lost a warp core!"

Smiles "Well, I always found it hard to dispose of old apple cores when I finished the apple, at least we won't have to worry about this one."

bimbambaby · 1 year

Rick Berman installed a rod up her ass. True story.

StochasticOoze · 1 year

Yeah, that was a fairly common trait of hers. It's hard to pin down anything about her character, though, since the writers were never consistent about anything regarding her.

RobotBuddha · 1 year

[deleted]

you'll need to login or register to do that

create a new account

login