SyFy Sistas Shuttle Pod Takeover: Black Representation in Star Trek Cinema

10/27/21 • 67 min

This week, the Shuttle Pod feed has been taken over by the SyFy Sistas: Yvette, J.D., Subrina, Fran, and Tamia. The SyFy Sistas cover Sci-fi movies, books, comics, TV series, conventions, and podcasts from a black female point of view. It’s where science fiction meets Afrofuturism! You can read more content from the Sistas on their website or listen to their podcast on the Trek Geeks network. For this takeover episode, the SyFy Sistas ask: can any Star Trek movie pass the SyFy Sistas Inclusion Checklist test? Many listeners may be aware of the Bechdel test, in which a film or television show passes the test if two female characters have at least one conversation that is not about other male characters. The test became famous because, despite the extremely low bar for female representation in film, a surprisingly large number of movies and TV shows fail. The Sy-Fy Sistas have taken a similar look at the Star Trek movie universe, but with respect to characters of color. The Sy-Fy Sistas Inclusion Checklist consists of six key points that a Star Trek film must have to pass the test: At least two named characters of color Dialog of those characters must be more than merey supportive of the white characters Characters of color must have a skill that contributes to the survival of the group Characters of color don’t have a criminal record Characters of color must have a positive relationship with another character Characters of color are not magical stock characters The first run of this podcast episode is exclusively here on The Shuttle Pod, and will be published on the SyFy Sistas podcast on TrekGeeks.com later this week.

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Shuttle Pod Supplemental: Star Trek Wines

Kayla sat down with Howard Jackowitz and Craig Spurrier of Wines That Rock, makers of officially licensed Star Trek Wines. Their team is made up of real Star Trek fans who have worked with CBS, the Klingon Language Institute, and even some Star Trek writers to create top-quality products that feel like they are taken right out of the Star Trek universe. And they don’t skimp on what’s inside the bottle. Not only is the packaging cool, but the wine is also delicious and meant to be enjoyed. The trio discusses the wines, the bottles, and the history of how these products were made. We highlight the newest wines in the Star Trek Wines lineup, a Kanar red wine blend, and a United Federation of Planets Andorian Blue Chardonnay. In particular, the story behind the making of the Kanar bottle makes you realize just how much Wines That Rock cares about authenticity. One of only a handful of original bottles still in existence plus a metal stopper prop used in TNG’s “The Wounded” were used to create 3D models. Brand new Kanar bottles were produced at a glass forge in Italy, making these really unique. You can purchase all of the Star Trek Wines and the Chateau Picard wine crate at StarTrekWines.com. GIVEAWAY: Enter to win! TrekMovie and Wines That Rock have teamed up to give away some amazing Star Trek Wines prizes, including a Chateau Picard wine crate ($199), a Kanar bottle (empty) with topper and glass stopper ($45), a Federation metal medallion wine label ($20), and a $300 Star Trek Wines gift card! Learn more about the wines, the contest, and ENTER TO WIN here.

Next Episode

Shuttle Pod 102 – What We Are Most Excited For in Star Trek In 2022

The Shuttle Pod crew is back after a brief winter hiatus and ready to ring in 2022. It can’t be understated just how much Star Trek is happening this year. With 51 new episodes of Trek on TV, documentaries, video games, comics, and much more, it’s certainly a big time for Trekkies. The full TrekMovie gang already went over some of the most anticipated items for the year, and Brian, Jared, and Kayla use this as a springboard to take a bit of a deeper dive into what we are looking forward to and why.