Code of Honor - Racist or Not?

[Boy Wonder]

(Title edited by mod to reflect actual OP question)


Code of Honour.

I recently watched the episode and for the life of me tried to work out how it can be construed as racist.

Yes Lutan and his people were all black, but where is the problem in that? Many Star Trek races have featured only Anglo Saxon characters and I actually applaud the director for only choosing African Americans in the roles as it created a much more plausible alien planet. Not every race is going to be open to cross breeding.

Why can't a whole planet feature African Americans? I'm just sorry Asian Americans could not be featured more in the series or Native Americans.

As for the negative characteristics bestowed upon them, not every race is going to be likable in Star Trek and to me they presented as a race with strong codes and principles, if a little arrogant and demanding. I actually thought them pretty realistic.

So if you happen to think this episode is racist, can you please tell me why you happen to think so.

 

[JustKate]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

I don't think it's racist. I think it's an incredibly stupid episode - one of my least favorites, actually - but that's not the same as racist.

 

[Boy Wonder]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

Why stupid?

I actually enjoyed it more on a repeat viewing.

The camera angles in the town square were very effective, especially the away team looking down at Yareena training.

The matte drawing with a moving Yareena was great when the fighting arena was activated.

 

[john titor]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

It could be construed as racist as they are portrayed as spear chuckers with balloon pants essentially. They look like something out of the colonial era. Theres a lot of historical baggage there. Tbh it has the same racism level as the bringlodi episode which portrayed Irish people as potato eating leprechauns from the 19th century.

 

[Michael]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

So if you happen to think this episode is racist, can you please tell me why you happen to think so.

It's racist because of the African stereotypes that are attributed to the Ligonians. Their portrayal is very reminiscent of the archaic view of blacks as 'tribal Africans'. Yeah, you will argue that they aren't humans, but why then does the script point out that they are nearly identical to humans and that their history is so similar to ours? The episode is also embarrassingly sexist in some moments.

As for why this episode is boring: For one thing, it is extremely talky and has an incredibly slow pace. Even the 'action sequences' are very dull.

Needless to say, I hate this episode. Really, the only thing not ill-coneived about it is Fred Steiner's score.

By the way, what with this stupid thread title?

 

[Boy Wonder]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

Parachute pants thank you. Vanilla Ice would be rolling around in his grave!

That's a pretty simplistic view of them, Lutan was more than a 'spear chucker' he was a cuckold.

Though I particularly liked how at first it seemed that it was a patriarchial society, though we we learned it was more complex.

John there is historical baggage everywhere that is usually brought to the fore by simple minded Politically Correct people with an axe to grind, especially about race.

Instead of seeing an Alien society with African Americans with a highly structured society they see it as blacks with spears being savages and brutal. RACIST! RACIST! RACIST!

The Irish episode was different, it was Human Irish, not alien African Americans. The African Americans were portrying a different race, the Irish were just human Irish.

Judging by the logic that the Code of Honour is racist, what about Worf? An African American playing a vicious thug warrior? PC patrol where are you?

 

[Boy Wonder]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

So if you happen to think this episode is racist, can you please tell me why you happen to think so.

It's racist because of the African stereotypes that are attributed to the Ligonians. Their portrayal is very reminiscent of the archaic view of blacks as 'tribal Africans'. Yeah, you will argue that they aren't humans, but why then does the script point out that they are nearly identical to humans and that their history is so similar to ours? The episode is also embarrassingly sexist in some moments.

As for why this episode is boring: For one thing, it is extremely talky and has an incredibly slow pace. Even the 'action sequences' are very dull.

Needless to say, I hate this episode. Really, the only thing not ill-coneived about it is Fred Steiner's score.

By the way, what with this stupid thread title?

Unfortunately stereotypes exist because they have some basis on reality and are founded. Not all stereotypes, but some.

I'm not discussing sexist tones, all of Star Trek is sexist, every single episode, so let's not open that can of worms.

The Ligonians aren't living like 'Tribal Africans', their brutality shares parallels with African history, but also many other races.

 

[JustKate]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

Why is it stupid (IMO, anyway)? Let me count the ways:
1. The pace, as NCC-1701 pointed out, is slow slow slow.
2. The plot is outlandishly contrived. Yes, I know, it's fiction, so there are going to be plot contrivances, but the whole "Tradition of fighting rivals" thing is stupid, and the whole "ruler looks on security officer and is filled with lust" thing is embarassingly stupid.
3. Most of the actors do OK, considering what they are given to work with, but Tasha...not so much. It's a shame since I like Denise Crosby and she didn't have that many opportunities to shine on TNG, but that speech where she says something like, "Well, of course when he chose me..." in a dreamy sort of voice...oh, I just writhed with shame for her.
4. The fight sequence just stank. Reeked. And those weapons? Oh, dear God.
5. The costumes were absurd. All that gold lame? Please.

I honestly can't think of a thing (aside from the mostly competant performances) that I liked about it - wish I could remember the music that NCC-1701 mentions.

Sorry to be so negative about an episode you like, BoyWonder, but yeah, it really is one of my absolute least favorites.

 

[john titor]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

Parachute pants thank you. Vanilla Ice would be rolling around in his grave!

That's a pretty simplistic view of them, Lutan was more than a 'spear chucker' he was a cuckold.

Though I particularly liked how at first it seemed that it was a patriarchial society, though we we learned it was more complex.

John there is historical baggage everywhere that is usually brought to the fore by simple minded Politically Correct people with an axe to grind, especially about race.

Instead of seeing an Alien society with African Americans with a highly structured society they see it as blacks with spears being savages and brutal. RACIST! RACIST! RACIST!

The Irish episode was different, it was Human Irish, not alien African Americans. The African Americans were portrying a different race, the Irish were just human Irish.

Judging by the logic that the Code of Honour is racist, what about Worf? An African American playing a vicious thug warrior? PC patrol where are you?

Yes there is historical baggage, and I agree there is a certain element of PC-ness in relation to it but if you've got an entire race of people that have and still are subjugated to deep seated prejudice and injustice you should be sensitive about how you represent them in fiction.

I thought the Bringlodi were aliens? If not its even more insulting. The Bringlodi epsiode engaged in shameless stereotyping and if you know any Irish star trek fans they would tell you its ridiculous, in other words Irish people would prefer not to be typecast as famine era peasants in space.

Worf is different, in this case he's playing a Viking. The Vikings didn't suffer the same discrimination as blacks or jews.

To be honest I like the episode, its the epitome of season one cheese. Its ridiculous, makes no sense and the whatever you want to call it, the colonialist aura lingering over the depiction of these aliens is funny, precisely because its so outdated and politically incorrect.

 

[TS-1838-SWATH]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

It could be construed as racist as they are portrayed as spear chuckers with balloon pants essentially. They look like something out of the colonial era. Theres a lot of historical baggage there. Tbh it has the same racism level as the bringlodi episode which portrayed Irish people as potato eating leprechauns from the 19th century.

So if you happen to think this episode is racist, can you please tell me why you happen to think so.

It's racist because of the African stereotypes that are attributed to the Ligonians. Their portrayal is very reminiscent of the archaic view of blacks as 'tribal Africans'. Yeah, you will argue that they aren't humans, but why then does the script point out that they are nearly identical to humans and that their history is so similar to ours? The episode is also embarrassingly sexist in some moments.

As for why this episode is boring: For one thing, it is extremely talky and has an incredibly slow pace. Even the 'action sequences' are very dull.

Needless to say, I hate this episode. Really, the only thing not ill-coneived about it is Fred Steiner's score.

By the way, what with this stupid thread title?

These things jumped out at me as well, sometime after J. Frakes shaid he thought it was racist as well

 

[CaptainStoner]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

If you haven't already, read this, Boy Wonder:
http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/28/star-trek-the-next-generation-code-of-honor/

 

[TS-1838-SWATH]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

If you haven't already, read this, Boy Wonder:
http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/28/star-trek-the-next-generation-code-of-honor/

So Say We ALL!!!

From That Page:

Behind the Scenes Memory: The sad truth is that I don't recall much of anything about this episode, other than how unhappy everyone was to be doing it. In fact, until I watched it for the first time in twenty-one years for this review, I'd completely forgotten that I was even in it.

I've read that the Ligonians were not explicitly described as entirely African American in the script, but were cast that way at the behest of director Russ Mayberry, who apparently went on to be so offensively racist and treated the actors so poorly that Gene fired him before the episode was completed and handed the directing responsibilities over to then – First AD Les Landau. [Citation Needed] (Ironically, Mayberry went on to direct quite a few episodes of "In the Heat of the Night," which proves either that he learned something from this experience or that he's really good at directing stories about racists.)

 

[Red Ranger]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

Boy Wonder: I think now you have a good idea why this ep was vilified. When I first saw it, I didn't pick up on how racist it was, either, but then I realized why. It was like a poor combo of Coming To America, The Wiz, and old Tarzan movies, with silly Earth Wind & Fire costumes. The only thing I liked was the actress who played Yareena -- she was cute! If they had made the Ligonians more modern and less tribal, with just a regular hand-to-hand contest between Yar and Yareena, without the bizarre weapons, it might have worked a little better. -- RR

 

[JustKate]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

I have difficulty perceiving it as racist. I'm not saying it's not, I'm just saying that I never perceived it that way. And the reason is that for me, the plot is so offensively stupid - offensive in that "They honestly think this will entertain me?" way - that that obscures whatever other offenses it may commit. Course, I'm not black...

Not that its portrayal of women is all that great, now that I think about it. Oh, well - let's just say it's generally offensive!

 

[Ro_Laren]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

I can understand why people think that the episode is racist, but was that really what the writer of the episode was trying to convey? What if he was just trying to look at an Earth culture for inspiration for the alien race? Maybe people wouldn't have said the episode was racist if they had worn prosthetic makeup and/or the actors playing the aliens weren't all African-American.

 

[RAMA]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

I can understand why people think that the episode is racist, but was that really what the writer of the episode was trying to convey? What if he was just trying to look at an Earth culture for inspiration for the alien race? Maybe people wouldn't have said the episode was racist if they had worn prosthetic makeup and/or the actors playing the aliens weren't all African-American.

Its not a racist episode at all. There are other ST episodes where aliens were all white. If anything the culture presented is NOT one of black tribal culture, but Middle Eastern or Japanese at various points. The episode makes a point and if people don't understand it then its probably not the best (and I agree its not), but at least they tried to make an issue about possessions and extreme capitalism, plus some themes on how humanity can improve by letting go of some of our older, baser habits...including how we treat women...the episode wasn't anti-feminism it was PRO feminism. How LITTLE people really understand this episode.

RAMA

 

[JustKate]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

Honestly, I think part of the reason why they have problems is because it's just sooooooo baaaaaaaad.

Edit: How does it make statements about "extreme capitalism"?

 

[RAMA]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

Honestly, I think part of the reason why they have problems is because it's just sooooooo baaaaaaaad.

Edit: How does it make statements about "extreme capitalism"?

Because of the runaway aspects of it...for example the valuing and acquiring of possessions to get ahead of the "Joneses", or leading to extreme measures such as what Lutan attempted to gain land. In the end his plans backfired and led to his downfall.

RAMA

 

[JustKate]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

^ I'd say it was more about power than possessions, myself - remember, the land really follows the female line, so Lutan didn't actually own anything.

But it's so badly written and plotted that it's really vague and you could very well be right. I think you're reading a lot more into it than is actually there, but I admit that I could be wrong.

 

[RAMA]

Re: Obama's Favourite Episode

^ I'd say it was more about power than possessions, myself - remember, the land really follows the female line, so Lutan didn't actually own anything.

But it's so badly written and plotted that it's really vague and you could very well be right. I think you're reading a lot more into it than is actually there, but I admit that I could be wrong.

They all were fighting for wealth, in fact, they all dressed in fancy, gold trimmed clothing, and were proud to show off their possessions to outworlders much like an avg American likes showing off his/her leaf blower or new car to the neighbor.

RAMA