I must confess, of all the things I enjoy about watching old Star Trek episodes (via our PS3, which streams movies and television programs over our wireless network via our Netflix account–for the nerd in you) my guiltiest pleasure is watching the picture fade out where the commercial break would have been– and then watching it fade right back in without the commercial. I say “guilty pleasure” because the watching of truly commercial free television reminds me of playing an arcade game that keeps giving free credits–without requiring another quarter. That is, I’m so accustomed to “paying” to play, it’s just pure pleasure when I’m not required to.
Guilty pleasures aside, my favorite thing about Star Trek is its originality. After watching the first episode of Star Trek again last week after 30+ years, I finally understood why the show has such an enormous and resilient cult following. From the score to the costumes, Star Trek is a unique work of art in every sense of the word, and unique works of art (as well as unique people, in the case of Jesus, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, et al) generally have “cult” followings. It seems the greater the original symbolism, the greater the following. As crazy as it sounds, this is why Chuck Norris has such a massive following now; that is, there is no one like him.
Of course I believe this is all by design. Man has been in awe of symbolism and art and one another (as works of art–take Marilyn Monroe, for example) since the beginning of time. From Times Square to the jungles of the Amazon, a human being is at this moment looking upon an artifact of some sort appreciatively. In my estimation, our appreciation, our fond and nostalgic admiration and respect for things, is one of the virtues that set us apart from the beasts [for me this natural and irresistible compulsion to worship points to the existence of God, but that is another book].
That innate spirit of respect for things and people was demonstratively apparent at all times in the altruistic and culture-observant dispositions of the SS Enterprise’s crew members. Wherever the crew went, they were always seeking to understand before they sought to be understood. They were always looking for ways to lend a helping hand to our galactic neighbors. In many episodes, many crew members risk their lives for extraterrestrials.
In stark contrast, the humans in the blockbuster smash film Avatar have no such universal respect for things or people–accept those which offer personal gain. They are all about pillaging and profiteering. Where the crew of the SS Enterprise was committed to going where no man had gone before to extend an olive branch, the humans in Avatar are committed to going where no man has gone before in an act of allegorical rape. That may sound harsh, but it is the truth.
Conservative critics are calling Avatar’s mastermind, James Cameron, a pinko. Ross Douthat of the New York times says the film is “..a long apologia for pantheism – a faith that equates God with Nature, and calls humanity into religious communion with the natural world.” He goes on to say, “Like the holiday season itself, the science fiction epic is a crass embodiment of capitalistic excess wrapped around a deeply felt religious message..”
But is this fair criticism ? Is Cameron’s portrayal of human beings as power-mad monsters bent on steamrolling the customs, traditions, and culture of those inhabiting Pandora that far removed from reality? Seems to me humans have been raping and pillaging since the beginning of time. Even here in peace-lovin’ America our early settlers raped and pillaged Africa so we could then rape and pillage Native Americans. Sure, we can sit around and sing the Star Spangled Banner together and tear up as our favorite athletes reflect on their freedom momentarily before the big game, but under all that pomp and circumstance is centuries of war, blood, pain and yes, barbarism. How quickly we forget.
Not that I wish to dwell on the harsh reality of this country’s genesis. I do not. My days of pessimism are by and large behind me, thank God. What I wish to point out is that while Star Trek is arguably my favorite show of all time, and while I adore the portrayal of human beings as philanthropic peacemakers who would nobly take a bullet for an extraterrestrial friend at the drop of a hat, the truth is, James Cameron’s portrayal of the human spirit is far more accurate than Gene Rodenberry’s (particularly from the standpoint of the Bible, that clearly states man is deceitful and selfish by his very nature). I suspect that is partly why many capitalist conservatives are decrying Avatar.. perhaps it hits too close to home.
So will Avatar become a cult classic like Star Wars and Star Trek? It’s hard to say. But one thing’s for sure: if FANTASY is a major criteria for cult status, Avatar will not make the cut. Cameron’s portrayal of humans as greedy, pride drunk, barbaric soldiers bent on achieving their material objectives at any cost (as opposed to philanthropic starship captains and jedi knights bent on saving the universe from the forces of evil) is anything but fantasy.
In closing, I would be remiss if I didn’t address a statement about the film made by director James Cameron. He recently described the film to Good Morning America: “The movie is about how greed and imperialism tend to destroy the environment, in this case the “pristine” environs of Pandora.. it’s a way of looking back at ourselves from this other world, seeing what we’re doing here.”
Wow! Here Cameron is readily admitting to doing the same exact thing his greedy humans do in his film. But instead of pillaging a planet to achieve corporate and political objectives, Cameron has pillaged a movie genre (science fiction fantasy) to achieve his corporate and political objectives, and that will surely be perceived as an act of artistic treason in the minds of many.. this artist included.
