WE HAVE MET THE STAR TREK ALIENS by

187 Pages·2015·2.55 MB·English

WE HAVE MET THE STAR TREK ALIENS
AND THEY ARE US

by

Pamela JG Boyer

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree

of

Master of Arts

in

American Studies

MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bozeman, Montana

May 2015
©COPYRIGHT

by

Pamela JG Boyer

2015

All Rights Reserved
ii

DEDICATION

This is dedicated to Jesus, the Nazarene, who was, is, and always will be
the lover of my soul, and who set my feet on this road.
iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank the best committee a master's degree student could
have. From Montana State University, the committee chair, Dr. Sara Waller of
the philosophy department; Dr. Danielle Hidalgo of the sociology department;
and Professor James Joyce of the film and photography department. From the
College of Lake County, Grayslake, Illinois, Professor John Tenuto of the
sociology department and Star Trek lecturer extraordinaire. They all let me take
my brain out and play with it, which is what, I believe, a committee should do. To
Dr. Leah Schmalzbauer, who was the first professor to allow me to write about
Star Trek for her class, and who has always been encouraging. Jan Zauha, Greg
Notess, and James Thull of the Montana State University Renne Library who
helped when my brain was mush and I could not think of the proper way to
search for or document items. My many editors, Kathi Gregoire, Carol Daily, and
Maria Madruga; and my formatter/editor, Suzanne G. Fox. Mostly to my
children, without whose support I might have given up. Also, to my sisters,
nieces, and nephews, and my “Montana Family”—you all know who you are. You
have been sounding boards on all matters Star Trek within this thesis. Finally to
Barb Smith and Francis Carter who helped me see the correct fork in the road to
take.
iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. .. PREFACE: AMERICAN STUDIES....................................................................1

The Metaphor .................................................................................................. 3
A Match Made in American Studies? .............................................................. 8
So What? ......................................................................................................... 11

2. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 12

Why Mead and Goffman? ............................................................................... 16
Why Star Trek? .............................................................................................. 23
Why Deep Space Nine?...................................................................................24

3. GEORGE H. MEAD...........................................................................................29

Language, Memory, Imagination....................................................................33
I and Me...........................................................................................................34
Other Ways to the Self.....................................................................................35
Odo ..................................................................................................................37
Understanding Mead's Self, I, and Me......................................................46
Stimulation and Imagery...........................................................................50
Kira Nerys........................................................................................................66
Language ................................................................................................... 71
Memory .................................................................................................... 74
Imagination .............................................................................................. 78
Resistance Fighter or Apologist ............................................................... 90
Mead’s National and International Self ...................................................... 100

4. ERVING GOFFMAN ...................................................................................... 110

Cynical versus Sincere .................................................................................. 113
Supportive Interchange Ritual .................................................................... 130
Focused Interactions .................................................................................... 142
Allocation of Time......................................................................................... 146
Discredited or Discreditable ......................................................................... 153

5. THAT'S A WRAP .......................................................................................... 165

BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................ 169

APPENDIX A: Permission ................................................................................. 173
v

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page

1. "The Begotten" Capture 1.........................................................................40
2. "The Begotten" Capture 2........................................................................41
3. "The Begotten" Capture 3........................................................................42
4. "The Begotten" Capture 4........................................................................42
5. "The Begotten" Capture 5........................................................................43
6. "Heart of Stone" Capture 1......................................................................45
7. "Heart of Stone" Capture 2......................................................................46
8. "The Begotten" Capture 6........................................................................48
9. "The Search II" Capture 1........................................................................52
10. "The Search II" Capture 2......................................................................52
11. "Behind the Lines" Capture 1.................................................................55
12. "Behind the Lines" Capture 2................................................................56
13. "Behind the Lines" Capture 3................................................................57
14. "Behind the Lines" Capture 4................................................................58
15. "Behind the Lines" Capture 5.................................................................59
16. "Behind the Lines" Capture 6................................................................60
17. "Behind the Lines" Capture 7.................................................................61
18. "Favor the Bold" Capture 1....................................................................63
19. "Favor the Bold" Capture 2....................................................................64
20. "Duet" Capture 1....................................................................................73
21. "Duet" Capture 2....................................................................................73
vi

LIST OF FIGURES – CONTINUED

Figure Page

22. "Return to Grace" Capture 1..................................................................77
23. "Return to Grace" Capture 2..................................................................77
24. "Return to Grace" Capture 3..................................................................77
25. "The Way of the Warrior" Capture 1.....................................................79
26. "The Way of the Warrior" Capture 2.....................................................80
27. "The Way of the Warrior" Capture 3.....................................................80
28. "Second Skin" Capture 1........................................................................85
29. "Second Skin" Capture 2.......................................................................86
30. "Second Skin" Capture 3.......................................................................86
31. "Second Skin" Capture 4........................................................................87
32. "Second Skin" Capture 5.......................................................................89
33. "Rocks and Shoals" Capture 1...............................................................95
34. "Rocks and Shoals" Capture 2...............................................................95
35. "Rocks and Shoals" Capture 3...............................................................96
36. "Rocks and Shoals" Capture 4...............................................................96
37. Kira before Yassim’s suicide..................................................................97
38. Kira after Yassim’s suicide....................................................................97
39. "Rocks and Shoals" Capture 5...............................................................98
40. "Rocks and Shoals" Capture 6...............................................................98
41. "The Search I" Capture 1......................................................................103
42. "The Search I" Capture 2.....................................................................103
vii

LIST OF FIGURES – CONTINUED

Figure Page

43. "The Search II" Capture 3...................................................................104
44. "The Search II" Capture 4....................................................................104
45. "The Search II" Capture 5....................................................................109
46. "Past Prologue" Capture 1....................................................................115
47. "Past Prologue" Capture 2....................................................................122
48. "Past Prologue" Capture 3...................................................................124
49. "Past Prologue" Capture 4...................................................................125
50. "Past Prologue" Capture 5...................................................................125
51. "Past Prologue" Capture 6....................................................................126
52. "Past Prologue" Capture 7....................................................................127
53. "Past Prologue" Capture 8...................................................................129
54. "The Forsaken" Capture 1....................................................................133
55. "The Forsaken" Capture 2....................................................................133
56. "The Forsaken" Capture 3....................................................................135
57. "The Forsaken" Capture 4....................................................................135
58. "The Forsaken" Capture 5....................................................................137
59. "The Forsaken" Capture 6....................................................................138
60. "The Forsaken" Capture 7....................................................................138
61. "The Forsaken" Capture 8....................................................................139
62. "The Circle" Capture 1..........................................................................144
viii

LIST OF FIGURES – CONTINUED

Figure Page

63. "The Circle" Capture 2.........................................................................145
64. "Rocks and Shoals" Capture 7.............................................................147
65. "Take Me Out to the Holosuite" Capture 1..........................................148
66. "The Changing Face of Evil" Capture 1................................................150
67. "The Changing Face of Evil" Capture 2................................................150
68. "The Changing Face of Evil" Capture 3...............................................151
69. "The Changing Face of Evil" Capture 4...............................................152
70. "Heart of Stone" Capture 3..................................................................159
71. "Heart of Stone" Capture 4...................................................................160
72. "Heart of Stone" Capture 5..................................................................160
73. "It's Only a Paper Moon" Capture 1.....................................................162
ix

GLOSSARY

Abbreviations for non-animated Star Trek series

TOS (Star Trek: The Original Series)
TNG (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
DS9 (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
VOY (Star Trek: Voyager)
ENT (Star Trek: Enterprise)

DS9: The name of the space station.

Camera phrases (video and still)

Angle: A shot where the camera is above or below the person or object
indicating an intimidating or intimate.

Background Lighting: Illumination of the set and backdrops.

Backlight: Illumination of a subject from behind, opposite the camera.

Close-up: Shot that tightly frames the subject at close range.

Cover shot: Wide-angle shot giving basic orientation to place and/or
action.

Cross-shooting: Positioning of the cameras so that the camera on the left
shoots the person on the right, while the camera on the right shoots the
person on the left.

Cut: Instantaneous change from one video source to another. Also used to
stop action.

Cutaway: Shot of non-continuous action, such as someone listening or
watching, or a shot of the object being talked about.

Dead Roll: To roll music source before fading it out.

Depth-of-field: Deep—all in the frame is in focus. Shallow—that which is
focused on is clear, but the surrounding area is blurred.

Dissolve: Gradual transition between two video sources (except black)
during which they temporarily overlap on the screen.