Primitive Culture: A Star Trek History and Culture Podcast

Star Trek and Sexual Assault, Part 2.

Over its long history, Star Trek has not shied away from dealing with the impact of sexual assault. In its many incarnations, the franchise has offered a number of storylines—some more successful than others—that shine a light on this important issue. And it has always done so through the lens of the current moment. Sometimes the shows have employed classic Trek allegory, with violations of the mind by aliens as a clear stand-in for real-world assault. At other times, sexual assault and harassment have been dealt with more directly.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, the second of a two part discussion inspired by the #MeToo movement, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Clara Cook to consider how Star Trek’s sexual assault storylines have played out on screen. Looking at examples from The Original Series through Discovery, they consider issues such as believable consent, response to trauma, and the relationship between sexual violence and other forms of assault in wartime. We also consider what role the #MeToo movement may ultimately play in shaping the narratives of sexual violence that we consume in the future—in Star Trek and beyond.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Violations (00:02:26) Retrospect (00:12:45) Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night (00:28:03) A New Normal (00:55:30) Final Thoughts (01:05:30)

Host Duncan Barrett Guest Clara Cook Production Duncan Barrett (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Clara Cook (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Star Trek and Sexual Assault, Part 1.

In 2017, the #MeToo movement brought stories of sexual assault and harassment to the forefront of public consciousness. Some of the key figures in the campaign are part of the Star Trek family—most notably Ashley Judd and Anthony Rapp. Their willingness to share their stories played a major role in bringing many uncomfortable truths to light, particularly in relation to appalling behavior in the entertainment industry. But Star Trek is not itself immune from such shocking stories, as anyone who has read Grace Lee Whitney’s autobiography will know. The circumstances surrounding Janice Rand’s disappearance from The Original Series more than 50 years ago offer a sobering glimpse at the treatment of women by powerful men in Hollywood.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, the first of a two-part discussion of sexual assault in Star Trek, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Clara Cook for a look at some of the links between the franchise and the #MeToo movement. We also speak to Marina Sirtis about her own experiences as a young actress working in Hollywood in the 1980s, and some of the difficult storylines she performed as Deanna Troi. Tune in next week for Part 2 of the conversation as we explore the various ways—some literal and some allegorical—in which Star Trek has presented these important issues on screen.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) The #MeToo Movement (00:04:06) Grace Lee Whitney and the Physiology of Trauma (00:27:05) Marina Sirtis Interview (00:54:00) Nana Visitor, Kate Mulgrew, and Anthony Rapp (01:09:05) Sexual Assault in Star Trek: Discovery (01:22:25)

Host Duncan Barrett Guest Clara Cook Production Duncan Barrett (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Talking Treknology with Ethan Siegel. At times, life in 2020 can feel very much like the future we see in Star Trek. We read the latest news on portable tablets and ask our digital assistants to play music or dim the lights. We have instant access to a vast library of collected knowledge and can track our friends and family through their devices. With 3D printing, we can replicate complex designs at the touch of a button. Painless hyposprays have even replaced needles, a relief for those of us who need them.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Dr. Ethan Siegel, author of the book Treknology: The Science of Star Trek from Tricorders to Warp Drive, for a look at how Star Trek’s imagined technologies have influenced the development of real-world counterparts. We consider the huge advances seen in the 30 years since Star Trek: Next Generation premiered—not to mention the half century since the launch of the original Star Trek—as well as contemplate some of the ethical quandaries that go along with such rapid technological change.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Ethical Subroutines (00:09:15) Treknophobia (00:23:50) It’s a (Deep) Fake! (00:34:00) Trek Tech Today (00:40:32) Host Duncan Barrett Guest Dr. Ethan Siegel Production Duncan Barrett (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Clara Cook (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

Looking back on 25 years of Star Trek: Voyager.

On January 16, 1995, Star Trek got lost in space. The premiere of the fourth live-action Star Trek series offered not just the franchise’s much-anticipated first female captain (something explicitly ruled out in the final episode of The Original Series) but a strong science fiction premise: a ship stranded on the far side of the galaxy and crewed by a mixture of by-the-book Starfleet officers and reckless Maquis renegades. It was a bold new approach, brimful of opportunity. And yet, somehow, the show—hampered, in part, by meddlesome corporate oversight—became one of Star Trek’s least adventurous outings, retreading familiar ground rather than truly venturing into the unknown. To its detractors, Voyager was little more than a lite version of The Next Generation. But its devoted fan base found much to love in the franchise’s most cozy and comfortable show. Some 25 years on, is it time for a reassessment of Voyager’s strengths and weaknesses?

In this episode of Primitive Culture, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Darren Mooney, who has recently completed a set of detailed Star Trek: Voyager reviews on his website The M0vie Blog, to celebrate the show’s silver jubilee with a thorough retrospective. We consider Voyager’s merits and failings, the behind-the-scenes battles that set the template for what played out on screen, and how looking back with the benefit of hindsight offers new perspectives on familiar stories. In particular, we examine how a quarter-century of history helps us see just how quintessentially of its time Voyager was.

For Darren’s complete Voyager reviews, visit: https://them0vieblog.com/reviews-hub/79613-2/

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) DS9 vs Voyager (00:05:32) First Contact with the Delta Quadrant (00:35:38) Partying Like It’s 1995 (01:05:25) Now Voyager (01:29:00) Final Thoughts (01:41:55)

Host Duncan Barrett Guest Darren Mooney Production Duncan Barrett (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Clara Cook (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

Dante in the Delta Quadrant. Far away from home, everyone could do with a guide. That’s true whether you’re a 14th-century Italian poet embarking on an ultramundane journey through the afterlife or a Starfleet captain stranded on the far side of the galaxy. While Dante is lucky enough to be aided by the ancient Roman poet Virgil, Kathryn Janeway—who received a copy of Dante’s Divine Comedy as an engagement gift from her fiancé, Mark—must turn to Neelix to guide her through her own dark wood.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Zachary Fruhling of Meta Treks and To The Journey for a look at how Dante’s Vita Nuova and Divine Comedy are referenced in Star Trek: Voyager, in the episodes “Latent Image” and “Shattered,” respectively. More generally, we consider how well Dante’s archetypal characters—Beatrice, Virgil, and the poet himself—might map onto some of Star Trek’s own protagonists. We also ask whether the cosmology of heaven, purgatory, and hell can tell us anything about the route home from the Delta Quadrant.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Lost in Translation (00:23:05) 70,000 Light Years from Florence (00:38:24) Dante’s Cosmology (01:02:26) The (Other) Undiscovered Country (01:27:00) Final Thoughts (01:35:32)

Host Duncan Barrett Guest Zachary Fruhling Production Duncan Barrett (Editor, Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Clara Cook (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture on the big screen. Forty years ago, Star Trek boldly went where it had never gone before: the cinema. A commercial hit—thanks in large part to feverish anticipation by fans whose dedication to The Original Series that had grown steadily since the show left the airwaves 10 years earlier—The Motion Picture proved less successful with critics. Over the years, its reputation with fans sunk lower and lower. Compared with the ballsy action and emotional drama of The Wrath of Khan, the The Motion Picture came to be seen as a misstep into hard science fiction. It is too long, ponderous, and emotionally distant. many say. In recent years, however, its stock has begun to rise. Today, Star Trek’s first big-screen outing is often seen a film that, while unusual , is an absolutely crucial installment in Trek canon. Poetic and soulful in its serious attempt to conjure the truly alien and unknown, 40 years after its premiere, The Motion Picture is gaining newfound respect.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, recorded live at the Prince Charles Cinema in London’s West End, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Drew Barker, Dana Kazim, and Ben Keeling at an anniversary screening of Star Trek: The Motion Picture to reflect on our own experiences of witnessing the film on the big screen for the first time. Of the six movies featuring the cast of The Original Series, the first perhaps benefits most from a theatrical presentation—even if the old 1979 prints now show significant signs of wear and tear. In our discussion, we consider how our opinions of the movie have shifted over the years, what we look for in Star Trek at the cinema, and how The Motion Picture fits into broader Trek canon.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Cinematic First Contacts (00:15:35) The Perfect Trek Movie (00:21:00) Just Beginning? (00:29:33)

Hosts Duncan Barrett

Guests Drew Barker, Dana Kazim, and Ben Keeling

Production Duncan Barrett (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Clara Cook (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

Rick Sternbach on designing Star Trek’s future. As senior illustrator on The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager, Rick Sternbach shaped the look of Star Trek’s 24th century. He contributed to the design of the titular Cardassian space station, was responsible for the USS Voyager’s smooth cetacean styling, and worked on alien vessels such as the Borg Cube. With his iconic design for the PADD, he helped inspire real-world devices such as Apple’s iPad, which owes a lot to the futuristic tablets shown on screen throughout the 1990s. And in his work with Michael Okuda—including on the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual, published in 1991—he laid the groundwork for much of the science of Starfleet ships, developing concepts such as inertial dampeners and structural integrity fields, as well as that fan-favorite department that was, sadly, never glimpsed on screen: Cetacean Ops.

In this episode of Primitive Culture, recorded at the Destination Star Trek convention in Birmingham, England, host Duncan Barrett speaks to Sternbach as part of a roundtable press panel. They discuss what influenced him as a designer and how he started as a Hollywood illustrator, his work on Star Trek, and his thoughts on the future look of the franchise. He also answers a question that has been lingering for almost a quarter century: What happened to the whales when the Enterprise-D saucer crashed?

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) First Steps (00:04:05) Artistic Influences (00:09:25) Designing the Future (00:14:25) Cetacean Ops (00:20:15) Worlds Elsewhere (00:25:05) Host Duncan Barrett Guest Rick Sternbach Production Duncan Barrett (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Clara Cook (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

Star Trek and Theatre. As Q told Picard, all the galaxy’s a stage. Both the Bard-bothering captain and his real-world alter ego, Patrick Stewart, who was famously dubbed “unknown British Shakespearean actor” by the Los Angeles Times when he first took on the role—are better placed than most to appreciate the wisdom of these words. And Star Trek has always had one foot in the old-school theatrical tradition as much as it has been defined by the almost magical possibilities of television. Not for nothing do we refer to some of the best Trek episodes as “morality plays.”

In this episode of Primitive Culture, recorded live at the Destination Star Trek convention in Birmingham, England, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Tony Black for a look at the debt Star Trek owes to the theatre. Whether in the casting of Shakespearean heavyweights such as Stewart, David Warner, and Christopher Plummer, or in the presence of companies of players—both amateur and professional—aboard the starships of the future, Star Trek consistently maintains a link to its theatrical roots. Indeed, some popular episodes, such as Deep Space Nine’s “Waltz” and Enterprise’s “Shuttlepod One” are structured as near-one-act plays in their own right. Join us as we raise the curtain and take a look at Star Trek on the stage.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Arise, Gul Madred (00:07:55) Black Box, Yellow Stripes (00:16:25) Up Close and Personal (00:26:05) Five-Act Mission (00:40:55)

Host Duncan Barrett Guest Tony Black Production Duncan Barrett (Producer, Editor) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Clara Cook (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)

Fan encounters in Star Trek and beyond.

For Star Trek fans, conventions offer a rare chance to get up close and personal with their heroes—whether that means snapping a selfie, getting an autograph, or buying them a drink at the bar. But Star Trek’s characters aren’t immune to the power of celebrity themselves. Many, in fact, find themselves distinctly star-struck in the presence of their own role models. Sometimes the experience can be disillusioning, as in the case of Zefram Cochrane in First Contact. The legendary inventor warp drive turned out to be less the bold pioneer of an enlightened age and more a lecherous drunk with a bad attitude. On the Holodeck, however, such encounters can be managed with less risk of disappointment, hence the appearances of such real-life luminaries as Leonardo Da Vinci, Isaac Newton, and even Stephen Hawking.

In this special episode of Primitive Culture, recorded live at the Destination Star Trek convention in Birmingham, England, host Duncan Barrett is joined by five fellow Trekkies for a look at Star Trek’s fan encounters. We consider how our heroes’ own fanboy and fangirl moments offer a glimpse into their personalities, why Star Trek invests so much time in historical figures—real and fictitious—and how our expectations of the actors we encounter at conventions are colored by the characters they portray on screen.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Heroes on the Holodeck (00:09:02) Lower Decks (00:17:15) Celebrity Cameos (00:23:43) Host Duncan Barrett Guests Drew Barker, Murray Christison, Dana Kazim, Ben Keeling, and Terry Parsons

Production Duncan Barrett (Producer, Editor) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Clara Cook (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Phobias in Star Trek. Killer clowns! Crashing planes! Confined spaces! Crumpets? When our most deep-seated fears hold us hostage, our ability to make rational decisions flies out the airlock. What hope, then, for the transporter-phobic officer serving on a Federation starship, or the claustrophobic Cardassian living in exile on an overcrowded space station?

In this episode of Primitive Culture, host Duncan Barrett is joined by Brandi Jackola of Live from The Edge to discuss the phobias of some of Star Trek’s characters, as well as our own irrational terrors. We look at transporter phobia as an analog for fear of flying in TNG’s “Realm of Fear”, claustrophobia triggered by “misplaced guilt” in DS9’s “Afterimage”, and—worst of all for a crew of intrepid spacefarers—the “nihilophobia” (fear of nothingness) in Voyager’s “Night.” In space, there are plenty of reasons to be scared … even if no one can hear you scream.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Our Worst Nightmares (00:04:30) Hostage to terror (00:09:40) Trapped in the Closet? (00:20:15) Federation Health and Safety (00:36:00) The Sum of All Fears (00:43:50) Saru and Barclay (01:11:20)

Host Duncan Barrett Guest Brandi Jackola Production Duncan Barrett (Producer, Editor) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Tony Black (Associate Producer) Clara Cook (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Amy Nelson (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)