Sensuality and Star Trek

Sensuality is defined as: 1. Sensual nature.  2. Unrestrained indulgence in sensual pleasures.   3.  Lewdness, unchastity.   Sensual is defined as: 1. Pertaining to, inclined to or preoccupied with the gratification of the senses or appetites: carnal: fleshly.  2. Lacking in moral restraints; lewd or unchaste.  3. Arousing or exciting the senses or appetites.  4. Worldly; materialistic; irreligious.  5. Of or pertaining to the senses or physical sensation; sensory.  6. Pertaining to the philosophical doctrine of sensationalism.

The dictionary goes on to say that “SENSUAL refers, often unfavorably, to the enjoyments derived from the senses especially from the gratification or indulgence of physical appetites……SENSUOUS refers, favorably or literally, to what is experienced through the senses.”  Roget’s International Thesaurus, 5th Edition, connects sensuality to words and phrases such as self-indulgence, hedonism, seize the day, and live for the moment.  Roget’s prides itself on describing the contemporaneous usage of vocabulary, so perhaps it should not surprise us that sensuality and sensual have definitions and connotations that are not terribly flattering.  Yet this need not be case.

Sensuality and sensuous pertain to the senses, through which we experience our world.   One dimension of this experience is our response to that world, specifically to other humans.  Without a doubt, that response is a factor in the relationships we form with other humans.  We process the information we receive from our senses through the cultural filters we are inculcated with.  Depending on our access to education and personal growth, we may modify those filters, or reject and replace them with new ones.  All this to say that how we perceive and process sensual experiences can be either limited, or filled with shades of meaning.

One of the challenges in theatrical productions, including television and movies, is to portray human experience honestly.  The dimensions of human experience are by turns humorous, tragic, uplifting, demoralizing, and so forth.  Sensuality is one dimension that is associated with human sexuality, and can be portrayed coarsely, or with great subtlety.  It is a dimension often tied to female characters.  I would argue that the producers of “Enterprise” are limited to portraying sensuality in a rather heavy-handed, coarse manner.  Rather than pursue a course that would enhance our perceptions of sensuality, the producers appear to have adopted a course that is focused on a narrow aspect of sensuality.  What follows is my analysis and basis for my argument.

The history of Star Trek has not been overly favorable to women, for reasons that reflect the culture of the times, and the cultural orientation of the production staff and leadership.  Captain Kirk was the sort of captain we could expect for the time period that marked the beginning of Star Trek.  He was not only intelligent and courageous; he was virile and interested in many of the females who crossed his path.  The female characters provided support for the male trio that dominated the show, and female guest characters often served the same purpose.

In “The Next Generation” the women were treated as equals, although Deanna Troi initially appeared to be present as much for her visual appeal as for her character’s capabilities.  Her mode of dress included a miniskirt, a blue dress with a plunging neckline, a variation of the standard uniform with a plunging neckline, and, finally, a standard uniform.  The change to a standard uniform reflected a slow growing maturity about the portrayal of women and, by extension, sensuality.  Sensuality, as a dimension of human sexuality, made many appearances on the show.  Sometimes it was blatant, and sometimes not

“Deep Space Nine” featured many female characters, both continuing and guest.  Relationships between characters were a feature of this series.  Quark’s casino aside, the portrayal of sensuality was not dependent on plunging necklines or extremely tight costumes.  What we got instead was strong-minded men and women (including aliens), who exuded their inner strength and attractiveness as a natural part of their being.  Sensuality was not usually treated as some sensational moment of titillation (although trailers often suggested otherwise).  Even the Intendant, as openly carnal a female as Star Trek has ever seen, is seriously interested in her own needs and pleasures.  She is the ultimate ‘bad girl’ but without the coarseness often attributed to such women.   Powerful, beautiful, and selfish to the core, she does what she wants, and gets away with it.  She uses her sensual attractiveness as a vehicle to achieve her ends and pleasures.

For whatever reason, “Voyager” did not build on the example set by “Deep Space Nine.”  It came close with the Janeway/Chakotay relationship, which was ultimately abandoned.  Of the two principals, Chakotay was arguably the more sensual.  He was self-assured without being self-important.  His self-assurance conveyed itself through his voice, his bearing, and his eyes.  Relationships mattered to him.  The relationship with Janeway was marked by looks, comments, and physical touches that hinted at possibilities that went unrealized.   The tension peaked in “Resolutions.”  In the story, Chakotay never violates the integrity of the woman or the Captain.  He makes his point about his feelings, thereby inviting her in.  While her expression suggests otherwise, she never accepts the invitation, preferring research to relationship.  This moment is possibly the first indication that the producers of “Voyager” don’t know what to do with a relationship which has a sensual component.  The only other relationship, that of Paris and Torres, lacks the subtlety that marks Janeway and Chakotay.  Paris and Torres act more like teenagers than grownups.  Paris behaves like a closet Peter Pan, devoted to the Delta Flyer as much as to the woman in his life.

The only remaining female character, Kes, is ultimately jettisoned by the series.  The replacement is a well-built, attractive blond.  This is the point where the subtlety of Janeway and Chakotay falls to the wayside and the portrayal of sensuality is reduced to pouring a character into a catsuit and having her strut about the ship in high heels.  It does not end there.  Seven, as a woman unaware of human social conventions, is sexually unattainable.  She is the ultimate tease and the ultimate challenge.  This is a virginal woman who needs to learn how to attract and respond to male companions.  Her actual teacher is a hologram, a modern Pinocchio.  Sensuality suffers in “Voyager” as its subtle pleasures are tossed aside for a blatant appeal to the fantasies of male viewers.

With “Enterprise” we seem to come full circle.  The producers claim that the Seven character made them realize that they needed sensuality in the new series.  Since they also produced “Voyager” one can only assume that they did not fully appreciate the subtle sensuousness of Chakotay.  They prefer the explicit sensuality that is associated with Seven, and so they give us T’Pol, yet another character poured into a catsuit who is also unattainable.   Added to this is a captain who is intelligent, courageous, and who may, or may not, be interested in the females that cross his path.  We have already been treated to shaved chests, a nude captain floating in zero-G, women whose costumes consisted of latex paint, and a decontamination scene that included loving close-ups of chests, navels and nipples.  I can only presume that the producers are attempting to give equal time to male and female sexual fantasies.

A notion of sensuality that is focused on the scenes I just described from “Enterprise” does an injustice to the beauty the mind and spirit discerns through the input from the senses.  Whether that beauty takes the form of a flower, joy filled songs, the caress that conveys a loving message, or the unspoken language of the eyes; it encourages our own appreciation of sensuality.  The human body is a repository of sensual responses, and capable of instigating sensual responses.  It participates in the beauty that is discerned by others.  Yet to focus merely on the physical attributes of the body, and without a context of relationship with others, is to continue to abase the notion of sensuality and reduce it to the dictionary definition described earlier; “SENSUAL refers, often unfavorably, to the enjoyments derived from the senses especially from the gratification or indulgence of physical appetites……”  The fact that the producers fail to recognize what they are doing is not surprising.  They are the product of the culture they were raised in, never learned anything different, and obviously believe that most viewers are as ignorant as they are.

A Comment about Robert Beltran as Chakotay:
Throughout “Voyager’s” run Robert never wavered from a portrayal of Chakotay that acknowledged a complex man.  Whenever the opportunity avails itself, we see a man that is more than the sum of his experiences as a Native American, Star Fleet officer, and Maquis leader.  His eyes often registered what he wanted to convey, along with his voice.  While it is always easy to focus on his appearance alone, the passion in his voice, the intensity in his movements, and the genuine feeling he projected in many of his relationships all help define a character that many of us wanted to see more of.  Sensuality, as expressed by Chakotay, came in the subtle physical expressions, and was therefore more intriguing.  The adage of ‘less is more’ applies here.  ‘The Fight’ was one episode that fans expected would show more of Chakotay in terms of fewer clothes.  Instead, we see the love and caring he has for his grandfather, which further endeared the character to his fans.  Laying his head on his grandfather’s shoulder creates a physical connection, a sensuousness, which we can all relate to.  Its beauty is unmistakable, and is defined within the context of the relationship.  Unfortunately, it is this subtlety that is lost on Robert’s detractors, leading to claims that he is a wooden actor.  Robert Beltran’s ability to project feeling and character through sophisticated and subtle methods is wasted on those who require the obvious and direct assault on the senses, as represented by T’Pol and Seven of Nine.  However, like the poor, such fans will be with us always.