E.Sweet

He’s got a foot fetish. He’s one of the most beautiful men alive, but TERRIBLE with women. He loves tennis but for some reason only plays racquetball. He’s got a teddy bear named Kukalaka. He’s a genetically augmented super genius and an absolute moron. He tried to skip rocks over a sentient puddle. His best friends on the station are 1.) a Cardassian super spy and assassin who wants to fuck him 2.) an emotionally repressed Irishman and 3.) a worm. When presented with aforementioned Cardassian spy the first thing he does is form a book club. He’s obsessed with LARPing. He has a spy kink. He’s physically incapable of shutting the fuck up. Every time he tries to go to an academic conference he gets kidnapped. His job at DS9 is his first fucking job out of college. 

Star Trek has always been woke

i. the monster's body is a cultural body

ii. the monster always escapes

iii. the monster is the harbinger of category crisis

iv. the monster dwells at the gates of difference

v. the monster polices the borders of the possible

vi. fear of the monster is really a kind of desire

these are all direct quotes from jeffrey jerome cohen's "monster culture (seven theses)" (full pdf linked) i highly encourage you to read it yourself!

that said, while i think cohen's writing is evocative, it can be a little dense, so while i'm here, here's my capsule summary (you can also hear me talk about this in the first episode of my podcast) (listen to @ghostswerepeopletoo)

i. the monster's body is a cultural body - The monster is a work of fiction to be analyzed through tools of literary and sociological theory.

ii. the monster always escapes - As long as the cultural fear from which the monster stems persists, the monster will reappear in retellings, reimaginings, and sequels.

iii. the monster is the harbinger of category crisis - Monsters defy binaries and challenge easy comprehension or categorization.

iv. the monster dwells at the gates of difference - The monster represents the Other.

v. the monster polices the borders of the possible - Tales of the monster exist to discourage unacceptable or taboo behaviors.

vi. fear of the monster is really a kind of desire - Subjects can vicariously participate in the disruption of the social order through the monster.

"...Well, it's not shoes!"

compare you to a kiss from

a rose on the gray