I/O
‘Star Wars’ Is Weird About Sex. It Could Learn Something From ‘Star Trek.’
These two deeply divergent attitudes towards sex and romance could be seen as symbolic of a real-world schism
A few years back, I fell really hard for one of my friends. Though we never quite reached a level of intimacy that one might call dating, on more than one occasion an evening of drinking would land the two of us in bed together, and my passions for him would be newly inflamed. In the morning, however, I’d always want to acknowledge what had happened, he’d respond with clear discomfort, and we’d be back to being just friends.
Eventually, he moved thousands of miles away from me, putting the whole sordid affair to rest. I was heartbroken, but at the same time, a part of me had always known that things were destined to end this way. After all, he was a fan of Star Wars, and I was a fan of Star Trek.
For decades, sci-fi fans have debated the merits of these two long-running franchises, arguing over the various intricacies of their characters, storylines, and moral frameworks. But one distinction remains shockingly underdiscussed: Star Wars and Star Trek have wildly different takes on sex and romance.
