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I hadn't thought about this, but this letter writer to the SciFi Letters column made a good point:
Battlestar's Shackles Offend Viewer I was appalled and disgusted by a scene in the Nov. 10 episode of Battlestar Galactica. [Warning: Spoiler ahead.] I could not believe my eyes as a captured Cylon, an African-American man, was escorted to face the humans in chains and poles! As an African-American, I found this scene racist and extremely insensitive. It is bad enough that African-Americans have minor roles in the show as it is—in the original show, the roles of Col. Tigh and Boomer were played by African-Americans. But even if the show had many more people of color portraying main characters, it is unacceptable to show us in a manner reminiscent of runaway slaves being brought back in shackles to face their white masters. What were the writers and producers thinking? I was a fan of Battlestar Gallactica, but this was too much. Needless to say, I will find something else to watch Friday nights. |  |
| Toni Reynolds [address withheld by request] |
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Toni Reynolds has a point, of course. And I think she's right. But she's failed to note that other Cylon characters (one, an Asian Woman) had also been shown around the Galactica the same way - and I heard no protests about that portrayal: a woman in chains. How symbolic is that? How are the two instances different? And I believe that a Male Caucasion Cylon character was also a led around the Galactica in the same way. It's all in the context - or is it? Does it matter that the point is, the human "race face" of the Cylon, the enemy, doesn't matter, but that the underlying Cylon *does*?
Is it unacceptable only for the Black Cylon to be in chains like this? Or is it unacceptable for all? Where do you draw the line?
