[*FSFFU*] Black Klingons, Green Hornets, Earthy Catwomen (Re: FEMINISTSF Digest - 10 Nov 1997 to 11 Nov 1997)

From: Susan Armstrong (anariska@MORTIMER.COM)
Date: Wed Nov 12 1997 - 02:28:03 PST


>NH: Amen! My impression (and I'm quite prepared to be found wrong on
>this) is that for awhile, TNG Klingons were largely played by black
>people. Hmm. Apparently, we make it into the future, but we're still
>cast as the universe's rude boys.

I never saw it that way. On the contrary, I thought it was incredibly
exciting the first time I saw them clearly showing us both "white" Klingons
and "black" Klingons. Wow, finally TV showed us an alien species with more
than one ethnicity!

OTOH, what's your take on a very early TNG episode which had a bunch of
black aliens visit the ship dressed in stereotypical African costumes. It
makes me squirm with embarrassment just remembering it. (if I remember it
right -- it must be, what, 11 years ago now?)

>promo spot for re-runs of Green Hornet. The voice-over
>said, "Starring Bruce Lee in one of his first roles." Didn't realise
>that had been Bruce Lee. Made me wonder if part of the reason he got the
>role was because his Asianness could be largely disguised by the mask he
>wore.

He was unambiguously Asian, but that was okay, because his role was
secondary, a sort of Man Friday to the thoroughly Anglo-Saxon Green Hornet.
(The difference being that the actor who played Green Hornet has since been
forgotten).

>Remember Eartha Kitt as catwoman? Didn't she also start out
>masked and with her body and hair covered?

LOL, for an instant I read that as "with her body hair covered"!
I'm afraid I can't remember Eartha as Catwoman -- just Julie Newmar.

>-nalo

-- Susan A.

Susan Armstrong * Vancouver, Canada * anariska@mortimer.com



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