Stargate for Guys & Girls

[Aurora]

This is a really interesting question, and I believe the reason Stargate is popular across a wide demographic is because it's based now, not in the future. It's set in 2001, and although there is the obvious sci-fi aspect of aliens, technology etc... the main characters, with the exception of Teal'c, are humans from our time, and we can associate with that.

I've thought about this a lot, coz I used to be a huge Star Trek TNG fan, many years ago, but now when I watch it, I can't believe how morally superior the show tried to be. Stargate isn't like that, generally. It has a moral side to it, sure, but not in a high and mighty way. It shows real people dealing with both real and unreal situations, and I think we can all see parts of ourselves in one or other of the characters, or at least in their reactions to situations.

It shows that people make mistakes, and have to deal with those mistakes as they happen, unlike a lot of other sci-fi shows. I don't mean to sound like I'm knocking other shows, but at the moment, Stargate is the only sci-fi type show that I watch regularly. I still try to keep up with others, but none of them really 'touch' me anymore. Stargate has a real human quality - or maybe that's just my perception of it.

 

[skydiver]

that's a good way to put it aurora, a human quality. our heroes aren't always looking down at everyone from their moral high ground(though they may act like it once and a while)

and lmao is laughing my (tush) off just substitute the synonym you know belongs in there.

 

[Slater]

I like it because it's got a cool concept, pretty good plots, and (not to be sexist) there's some really attractive women on the show. I also tend to critique the wear of uniforms, haircuts, military courtesy etc. ( all those years in the military have thoroughly warped me).

 

[jsc]

It is a well woven universe of humans, goa'ulds and surprises not all of them nice. The characters are believeble and grow and change. We identify with them and their problems and wonder what makes them tick. We hope they are heroes but the best of them is not always (just as we are). The programs offers hope, conspiracy, action, good writing (for the most part) interesting full dementional characters with lives we participate in. Did I mention Teal'c yet? And eye candy gorgeous male eye candy. Even the Aliens are believable and have their own struggles~ from Apophis,
the Tok'Ra, the Tollans, the Unas, and et cetera. Did I mention Teal'c yet? Well, there is this strong believable BLACK male, getting more and more empowered and we are seeing more of Teal'c and his problems ~ love, family, revenge, freedom~ many of the things that motivate us in the real world. Again they have picked the actors very well from RDA (Jack) on down. And the women are so strong and interesting (Sam and Janet ).

 

[JAD]

Originally posted by carkedit

Carter is cool...she's a strong woman with a feminine side. The ultimate female warrior!!

i agree

 

[Corzafa]

of course you would jad

 

[JAD]

im not sure how to take that one

 

[spookypumpkin]

go cat!!

even for me, a 15 y/o GIRL i agree with the cat!!!

it is the sense of humour, the sly sarcasm,

and constantly wanting jack to pinch sam's arse!

 

[Cat]

Re: go cat!!

Originally posted by spookypumpkin
even for me, a 15 y/o GIRL i agree with the cat!!!

it is the sense of humour, the sly sarcasm,

and constantly wanting jack to pinch sam's arse!

Whoa, wait a minute, you make me sound like I'm over the hill! I know I'm older but........

I have to take point on Jack pinching Sam - I'm not a shipper.

If anyone's arse is to be pinched, it's Jack's.....BY ME!!!!!!!!!

 

[gfps]

Tapping a male point of view.

I may get in trouble for this post but I've been following this thread and noticed that most of the posts so far are from females. There are many mentions about how the "mighty grey haired Jack is so sexy" etc... I just figured I'd give an opinion from a male perspective. I agree that Stargate is very popular with both sexes - but for a different reason. I'm a guy and I like science fiction shows - most other guys I know do too. I like Star Trek (all versions), First Wave, Babylon 5 etc... but most women I know don't like those shows nearly as much as Stargate SG1.

The reason for this, in my opinion, is NOT Richard Dean Anderson but Amanda Tapping. All of the other sci-fi programs I watch feature frequent appearances by ultra-sexy, provocatively dressed women who are either regular cast members or play heavily in the storylines. Now, these shows also feature handsome men as well, but I don't think male viewers feel nearly as threatened by male "competition", for lack of a better word, than women do. In general, I believe women are more self conscious and vain than men are. I've observed groups of couples watching TV programs and movies on several occaisions. Without fail, when there is a scene featuring sexy women, many of the wives/girlfriends spend more time observing the reactions of their husbands/boyfriends than they do watching the show. Some women even "smack" their men if they appear to be paying too much attention or enjoying the scene too much! I've rarely observed men reacting remotely this way. For this reason alone, Stargate is one of the best TV shows for a couple to watch without the man getting in any trouble.

I consider Amanda Tapping to be a fairly attractive woman and I've seen her in episodes where she played a reasonably seductive role - but this is not very common. She usually dresses in fatigues or her Air Force uniform and I believe this is a carefully orchestrated plan (heaven forbid - a conspiracy?) on the part of the show's creators/writers. Now, occaisionally Stargate SG1 features sexy alien females but more often than not, they turn out to be evil enemies and are killed or at least wounded. This further reinforces my theory that the show's top brass are committed to keeping their large female audience. Overly sexy women must all be bad!!!

These views are all just my (so far) opinion and should in no way be construed as the opinion of ALL of the male species (don't smack him because of what I'm saying here) but I wouldn't mind a little supportive feedback from some other guys out there. I'm sure I'll get some negative comments from the ladies. I've been considering for a while whether I should start a discussion on why there aren't more "babes" on Stargate but I think this post may turn out to be just as effective. gfps

 

[Cat]

gfps, your opinion is always welcome

 

[jsc]

I just don't see how you can get Sam out of fatigues and into sexy dresses in a combat situation. Or Janet out of here Dr.'s clothes when she is at SGC. During the desert time in The Curse Season 4 they both looked nice in their off duty clothes!

 

[seand]

gfps,

I started this thread in the hope that there might be a conclusive answer as to why Stargate is so popular for both guys and girls....there isn't obviously just one reason why ...everyone has very similar opinions....I look at it from a guy's point of view as well...I like sci-fi, always have and always will and Stargate caters for all my needs....I see Sam, but I also like Jack, Teal'c, Daniel and lots of other characters....I was interested with what you had to say about all the beautiful women on the show were all portrayed as evil....I never really noticed.
You will probably cop some flack with what you said...especially women being vain...(whip cracks) you have guts!!.
I agree with most of the girls replying though that Stargate shows a more human side to space or should I say Stargate exploration, with real emotional interplay between them all, and if they luv RDA then so be it...he has nothing on me....(biggest smile ever).

seand.

 

[gfps]

It's not the clothes....

It's not the clothes that make the woman in this case. Seven of Nine on Star Trek, Voyager - wears a generic "jumpsuit" type uniform but you don't see me complaining - SHE IS HOT!!! As well, the women on Farscape and Dark Angel are some of the sexiest actresses on TV and they flaunt it well. I don't know any women who watch any of these shows but I know several that love watching Stargate.

Samantha and Janet just don't measure up in the seductiveness department no matter what they wear. This further supports my theory that SG1's female roles were specifically cast with actresses who wouldn't be too sexy and intimidate Stargate's women viewers. I'm personally not advocating or critisizing either method of casting (sexy ladies or not) but merely pointing out that this might be why more women by far, watch Stargate SG1 than any other sci-fi series. This is still my favorite show for many reasons unrelated to this topic string - and I'm a guy. gfps

 

[the_Brainz]

Seductive women?

I'm not quite sure how to say this. I have a bad feeling it's going to turn into my AAW (as a writer) line again, and that's getting really uppish. But here goes:

I can appreciate Jessica Alba or Jery Ryan (Max from Dark Angel and Seven of Nine from Star Trek: Voyager) as much as the next guy, but if I had to choose between them and Amanda Tapping, I would go for Amanda every day of the week. Much of this has to do with the portrayal of the actors' characters:

Seven of Nine and Max are, rather blatantly, for sex appeal. In fact, I could almost make out, AAW, that Dark Angel is watched nearly entirely for the sex appeal, because frankly there isn't a huge amount more to it -- no offense to all those DA fans out there (myself included). It's just that Max isn't a remarkably deep main character; predictable, and relatively shallow. Of course, some might disagree, and obviously I am biased by the characterisation of the protagonists in my own writing, however I feel I can relate far more to Sam than I can to 7o9 or Max.

The one thing that has been hinted at in a rather superficial way, but never really explored in this thread, is the acting itself. Amanda Tapping is not the best actor of all time, but she is good. She makes Sam believable because she knows her character, and she can relate to her. If Amanda Tapping was a complete bitch, her characterisation would suck and Stargate would suffer immensely. However, I have it on good authority that she is a very nice person indeed, and this shows in Carter. She may not be the sexiest actor around, not compared to Jessica Alba et al, but in terms of how you feel attracted to the character, I know I for one would choose her any day -- she has a beauty that isn't just external, and grows on you as you watch the show.

Now, having explained that all very badly, and kinda lost my own thread, I'd also like to comment on other reasons for Stargate being more popular among females (and males) than Star Trek etc. Probably the easiest way to do this is to compare it to other sci-fi shows, and try to determine the differences between them.

1. As mentioned previously, Stargate is set now. It is on Earth. That immediately makes it more appealing.

2. As also mentioned, the characters are very believable. They live in a place that some of us have even been to, they wear normal clothes, they carry guns we know; everything is real.

3. That's the main point. Stargate has a huge amount of appeal because it could be real. If you take even a comparibly better show like Babylon 5, which has better writing, generally better characterisation, a much more complex universe, incredibly diverse character interaction and vastly more complicated and well-worked out political and cultural systems, it is still set on a space station in the future. This is necessary of course, but females, in general, aren't as imaginative as males -- at least in terms of things that aren't tangible. They like their soaps, which most guys abhor, because they are set in the real world and talk about real people and real situations. Sci-fi generally doesn't. It talks about unusual flights of fantasy, which guys enjoy but girls think simply sucks. In general, mind you. Stargate, on the other hand, is half-way between a soap (a really good soap (no such thing) -- I shouldn't really compare, but you know what I mean) and a sci-fi. Of course, it is sci-fi, but it's also drama set in the real world, and this appeals to a wide female audience as well as male. When we see starships floating about, they are a great idea, but not very tangible to us.

4. Base in history. Stargate makes exceptionally clever use of events and descriptions in ancient history that has intrigued the average layman for centuries. It explains them in terms we can understand and tie in so neatly with the show, giving us those cool tingles down our back.

I think that's going to be all for now; I am normally used to posting on private discussion forums where essays are the norm, I'm afraid, so I apologise if this seems almost like spam. No, I don't spellcheck. Yes, I preview at least twice.

 

[Cat]

Wow, I'm impressed by the sheer magnitude of your response, Brainz.

 

[jsc]

Re: Seductive women?

Hi, the_ Brainz,

There are two tings I take exception to:

Originally posted by the_Brainz


1) females, in general, aren't as imaginative as males -- at least in terms of things that aren't tangible. They like their soaps, which most guys abhor, because they are set in the real world and talk about real people and real situations. Sci-fi generally doesn't. It talks about unusual flights of fantasy, which guys enjoy but girls think simply sucks.


2) I am normally used to posting on private discussion forums where essays are the norm, I'm afraid, so I apologise if this seems almost like spam. No, I don't spellcheck. Yes, I preview at least twice.

1) Have you read Ursula K. LeGuin's "The Word for World is Forest?" She spends half the book inside an alien mind..(Humans are the opposition) Please, don't say women are less imaginative until you have the proof. Have you read any Octavia E. Butler? Get into her various universes and characters and tell me she is not imagainative. But please do not tell me they are exceptions to the rule. Too many of my friends are called 'exceptions' because they are not the 'norm' but liked by people who think they are the 'norm'.

If Sci-Fi didn't talk to recognizable issues or ideas then it would not be readable or so popular now would it? Many writers use SF to explore ideas that are different or that they want to set in a different universe so they can bend and twist and play with ideas. Writing is about the communication of one's ideas to others.



2. Why do you think an essay is like spam? Ideas and opinions based upon a specific theme in an essay don't strike me as spam, but then again perhaps you are more imaginative than I.

Granny J.

 

[skydiver]

i will respectfully disagree with you about the women being less creative than men...80% of stargate fan fic writers are female and htere are some incredibly creative and original stories out there...
as to the ladies of stargate...with the exception of hathor, anise adn to a limited extent shyla...they're there because they're good actresses not just sex on a plate...for that matter the same with the guys.
that's what makes it good, they're 'real' people in the guise of good characters.

 

[kelsi]

Well, I agree with several of the past posts:

I tried watching the first ep of Dark Angel ('cos they were advertising it in EVERY SINGLE ad break for Stargate which came on b4), and I wasn't perticularly impressed; the plot stratched on 2 long - it could have been wrapped up in half the time and was predictable. Also, the only highlight for me (other than the general sci-fi feel) was her cute ex, who was in about 5 seconds of it.

Stargate is different to this, which is why *I* think it is better - the plots are not often predictable (other than the whole SG-1-get-out-without-a-scratch-on-them), it's a normal length (on Sky DA is something like 1hr, 50 I think) and many characters are intriging (sp?) without necessarily being really goodlooking.

One of the reasons I watch Stargate, is because of the cuties that pop up occasionally - Skaara, Martouf for example, and I'm beginning to think Peter Williams isn't that bad looking, to mention just three. However, I also watch it for many other reasons - mythology, general sci-fi/action and the kewl special FX (for the child in me!)

I don't think female viewers are that put off by any women (however sexy/evil whatever) that occasionally come on, possibly 'cos they know it's only occasional, if anything, they are inspired, by Hathor's 'evilness' or whatever (may fics written about her (by female writers)focus on her evilness), with the possibl exception of Anise - I think the complaints *may* have been from both guys an gals that watched S4, that it was a little OTT.

Well, that's my views anyway!

 

[Slater]

To add my .02 from the male point of view, Teryl Rothery is the most attractive woman on Stargate (my opinion). On a different note, I've seen an episode or two where Sam expressed her viewpoint in a rather (for a USAF captain addressing a colonel) blunt and forceful way. In the real world, she probably would be handed her hat and shown the door until such time as she could address a colonel in a proper manner. Sounds kind of tacky, I know, but such things can be a fact of life in the real military. On the other hand, in such a small, specialized team (informal) it looks like it doesn't matter that much. Just thought I'd throw in the military viewpoint.