Since Discovery, despite the Star Trek writers repeatedly beating us over the head with this, I still somehow didn’t catch onto the pattern. If there is a through-line to all the new shows, the notion that acknowledging one’s own vulnerability is a sign of individual strength, and that showing support when others are being vulnerable around you, is also a sign of individual strength.
This may not feel “woke” in the way it’s usually understood, but I really think it’s pushing a long overdue envelope, and one that is arguably more important to our times than a half-black half-white face representing the “illogical” nature of racism.
For example: when I read the angry tweets about the new series (ie; the “pussification of men”, etc.) I can’t even force myself to see them as coming from anything other than weak, scared people who are too afraid of what the world would think of them if they expressed their authentic selves. They want to scare the rest of us into being as scared as they are, because they believe it will make them feel less alone. But loneliness can only be fixed by showing vulnerability.
And that’s the root of the problems in our modern era, isn’t it? Deeply insecure people hurting others in a desperate effort to not be hurt themselves. They haven’t always portrayed this concept in a graceful way, but kudos to Star Trek for keeping up the tradition of asking its audience: “What is it you’re so afraid of?”
Agreed. DSC was filled with superficial Mary Sue slop. All anyone ever needed to overcome their problem was a cookie-cutter motivational speech from Burnham, while inspirational music played and the camera slowly panned across every crew members face as they smiled and gave a nod of approval.
It is cringy because it’s like a virtue signaling characature of “wokeness” along the same vein as “after-school TV specials” or Christian evangelist movies of decades past. There’s no depth or substance just endless variations of “there’s no problem that can’t be solved with a hug.”
I believe that dismissing something or someone because you personally find them uncomfortable (ie “cringe”) is ultimately a sign of weakness, and that’s what the writers are trying to tell us. It takes a very strong person to stand up and simply accept without judgement.
Well I never said anything about dismissing someone or something just that I found this behavior to be cringe due to it being superficial and inauthentic much like after-school specials or Christian evangelist films. Another example would be corporations who change their logo to a pride flag during pride month but then later suspend this or donate to anti-LGBT causes because they think it’s more advantageous to do so.
Sure in the right circumstances, but as you judge me here, let’s not forget that this is a fictional television show put out for entertainment purposes by a multinational corporation not a friend or confidant telling me an uncomfortable truth about themselves.
Labeling someone’s expression as “cringey” is dismissive in any context. It takes real strength to listen.