FREMDENFEINDLICHKEIT UND MEDIEN Christina Niculescu / Yonit Nemtzeanu Star Trek Voyager – PC or non PC? – an odyssey through the universe of political correctness or a return to the land of racial prejudice? Since Voyager has been praised as the most politically correct series ever produ- ced, we have been tempted to question this statement. Not surprisingly we have fo- und that this fame for political correctness was reached by connecting all non politi- cally correct ideology to alien races only. In this article we have analysed the way this is being achieved in the case of one particular alien race. We have also discus- sed the implications of racist ideology in such a widely spread and highly praised se- ries. in the series requires closer scru- tiny concerning whether and how far Voyager conforms to or devi- ates from the former Star Trek ideology. Whilst viewing Voyager, we have discovered this depiction to conceal non-PC ideas, some less well and some more so. The- se are most striking in the presen- tation of the Kazon, an alien race encountered by Voyager on their way home from the other side of the galaxy, in contrast to the Na- tive Americans from our own planet. The Kazon are the only ali- en race depicted in detail and are therefore prominently featured. The Federation Starship Voyager has been taken to the other side of the galaxy, the Delta Quadrant, by 1.Introduction table within our societies. Films,an alien entity called the Caretak- then, both as systems of repre-er. This has also happened to a Voyager is a recent spin-off of thesentation and as narrative structu-Maqui ship. The Maqui are a well-known Star Trek series, re-res, are rich sites for ideologicalgroup of rebels who fight both the leased in 1995, and has beenanalysis.” (Turner: 1992, p. 132)Federation and the Cardassians, praised as the most politically cor- Even before Voyager, Star because they disagree with the rect (hereafter PC) of all Star Trek Trekwas known as a series go-border decided on in a peace trea- series and films. To test this claim,verned by humanist ideals: “[…]ty between the two. In the Delta we thought it useful to analyze itswe can celebrate the kind of tele-Quadrant the two ships are fored discourse, broadly understood tovision programming which willby circumstances to join forces include all communicative acts,help ensure that future generati-and become one crew. From then utterances, gestures, images,ons will not have to carry the me-on, the bridge crew of Voyager decor, and so on. Discourse ana-mories of persecution, trial, andcomprises the following officers: lysis can in turn assist us in explo-subjugation within them all their li-Captain Cathryn Janeway, Fede- ring its underlying ideology, asves. We can celebrate televisionration, female, Caucasian; Com- proposed by Turner. that is so inherently humanist.”mander Chakotay, Maqui, male, “If our narratives do work to re-(Roddenberry: 1995, p. 10) Native American (the actor is solve social contradictions symbo- Voyager topped this by havingHispanic); Lieutenant Tuvok, Fe- lically, what they must deal withall American minorities represen-deration, male, Vulcan (actor Af- are those existing political divisi-ted on the bridge in some incarna-rican American); Lieutenant ons or inequities between groups,tion or other and by casting theB’Elanna Torres, Maqui, female, classes, or gender which have be-first female captain ever. How-half Human/half Klingon (actor en constructed as natural or inevi-ever, the depiction of alien racesHispanic); Lieutenant Tom Paris, Juni ’97 MEDIEN•IMPULSE 37 FREMDENFEINDLICHKEIT UND MEDIEN Maqui, male, Caucasian; Ensignthey appear in the side story. Al- The category of “Facts” com- Harry Kim, Federation, male, Asi-though the series features oneprises all statements about a char- an-American. An important role inNative American main characteracter made by someone who, due the depiction of the Kazon is play-in all episodes we have chosento the story line, appears to hold ed by Neelix, a Talaxian, who is atonly the episodes in which thisexpert authority for the viewer. home in the Delta Quadrant andcharacter and/or others refer toThis is actually a sub-category of therefore considered an expert onNative American issues and disre-Language; however, we decided the cultures of the area. The Kaz-garded all episodes in which histo treat it separately because it on encountered by Voyager be-ethnicity is not stressed. comprises most explicit state- long to three different sects: the After a detailed analysis of thements about the groups in ques- Nistrim, the Relora, and the Ogla,transcripts we identified and clas-tion, and what is being said carries and the leaders of all Kazon fac-sified the characteristics attributedmore weight for the viewer, due to tions are called Majes. One mem-to each group. We divided thethe implied expertise of the spea- ber of the Voyager crew, a Maquicharacteristics of the Kazon intoker. One of these “experts” is woman called Seska, defects tothree main categories that see-Neelix who repeatedly makes sta- med suitable for the data: primiti-tements about the Kazon, for ex- ve – inferior, savage, and crimi-ample: nal. The Native American don’t worry captain / you can characteristics constitute onecount on me to keep those nefa- main category: primitive – super-rious kazon at bay (Initiations) ior. Visual Means includes charac- In the course of the analysis weterization through body language, found that what is explicitly saidgestures, mimic, appearance, about the Kazon does not justifyimages of a character’s environ- the extremely negative impressionment, tools, weapons, etc. By the the viewer is likely to receive. Thenature of film, this category often characterstics themselves areexerts the most influence upon the hardly ever explicitly named butviewer. Unfortunately, it is also the still they are vividly present. category most difficult to describe We therefore found it neces-with precision. The producers of sary to distinguish four methodsVoyager employ this method to of portrayal,namely, Language,create a contrast between the Ka- Action, “Facts”,andVisual Me-zon and the Native Americans. ans. While the Native Americans are Portrayal through Language isshown in peaceful and idyllic natu- any direct or indirect characteriza-re settings with abundant vegetati- Foto: Byron C. Cohan tion by the use of words. An ex-on, the Kazon’s environment is aus „Star Trek Voyager“, No. 10, Feb. 1997 ample of how the Kazon are cha-barren, desert, and unfriendly. racterized by their own words:1 the Kazon Nistrim in the course ofMaje Culluh (addressing other3.The Kazon the series an henceforth plays anKazon Majes): important role in their fight with today is the day kazon childrenFrom a close analysis of the pre- Voyager. will remember for generations / to-sentation of the Kazon in Voyager day is the day we put aside our dif-we were able to determine just 2.Methods of Analysis ferences and join forces to defeathow they are pressed into the role voyager // today is the day thatof general scapegoat of the se- In order to get a detailed and ac-marks the end of the supremacyries. The categories named above curate picture of the portrayal ofof the relora (hateful) and the oglashall serve as a guide through the both the Kazon and the Nativebecause after today / we will havediverse methods used to Americans, we transcribed all dis-the federation technology and thecharacterize the Kazon. course produced by and/or refer-other sects / will run / when they ring to the Kazon and to Nativesee us (Maneuvres) 3.1.Primitive/Inferior Americans. Of the 40 episodes ofAction is composed of all char-The viewer’s first impression of the first two seasons, the Kazonsacterization achieved by showingthe Kazon is determined by their appear in seven episodes and thea protagonist’s actions and behav-looks. They are dressed like gue- Native Americans in five. Where-ior. For example the Kazon re-rilla warriors,their hair is wild as the Kazon feature prominentlypeatedly fail to answer hails, orand their faces are threatening. in all the episodes, only one epi-end transmissions in the middle ofNot once in the course of the se- sode is dedicated entirely the Na-utterances, or even open fire with-ries is a Kazon seen to smile, and tive Americans; in the other fourout reason. their body language as well as 38 MEDIEN•IMPULSE Juni ’97 FREMDENFEINDLICHKEIT UND MEDIEN their tone are always extremelyfinds out that: vice transports two rival Majes of aggressive and arrogant. In con- kazon sects control this part ofanother sect into space and there- trast, all the positive alien racesthe quadrant / some have food /by kills them because they did not are white, which lends a racistsome have ore / some have waterwant to join the Nistrim in their connotation to the dark comple-/ they all trade and they all killfight against Voyager. xion. each other for it (The Caretaker II) Although the Kazon do not have an army in the traditional sense, their society is presented as militaristic simply because every Kazon male appearing in the series is a warrior; and the vie- wer never sees the Kazon in a domestic environment. Moreover, the language used by the Kazon is filled with word referring to death and killing. A quantitative analy- sis2of such words in the episode Initiations found significant lexical choices in Kazon discourse: “exe- cutioner” (2 times), “die”/ “death” (12), “kill” (16), “enemy” (4), “destroy” (3), “warrior”/ “figh- ter” (2), “battle” (9), “war” (2), Under Taylor’s guiding hand, Chakotay has shown that he’s not all mysti- “fight” (2). In the discourse of the cism and medicine pouches – he can be tough as nails too.