Social Relevance

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

When BSG was first aired, it was starkly relevant to the events of 9/11 and the disturbing themes of the early 2000's. It's many years later (and many years after the finale) and I am wondering what kinds of themes would make BSG relevant today and how pilots might be influenced by those themes.

Describe some current social/political themes that you'd like to see in a Kara/Lee fic. How would they contribute to expressing these themes? How do you envision each of their perspectives? What kinds of adventures can you envision pilots undertaking that include the themes?

If you are inspired, maybe write a drabble that shows pilots invested in a socio-political theme. :)

Comments

[lizziec]

Hello. I'm the poster formerly known as trappermcintyre, in case any of you are confused ;)

Drive by comment:
I would love to see some more fic about the inequalities in the fleet. I think that theme is very pertinent to the current political situation pretty much all across the world - widening inequality etc.

In some ways, pilots (and other people on Galactica [specifically the military] and Colonial One) are very much more pampered than the rest of the fleet. I realise that the Galactica crew, and pilots in particular, face death on a more regular basis than the rest of the fleet (see Final Cut), but they have a huge amount more space available to them. It's not exactly huge, but pilots quarters affords rather more privacy than the arrangements we see in say The Woman King.

We see tantalising glimpses of the inequality in some episodes (I'm thinking largely of Dirty Hands here), but you never really see pilots dealing with it, which I think you would see if one or both of them mustered out of the military and lodged on one of the other ships (NOT Colonial One).

Unfortunately my brain is not co-operating and telling me how pilots would deal with it - especially if they were on the worse end of the equality gap. I suspect that Kara would get her head down and try to get out of that situation - find a way to get to a better position (I always see her joining the fleet as a pilot as being an example of this - I know she wants praise from her mother, but she also clearly uses it as an escape - a way to get away from her roots and make life better for herself). Lee I think would probably become a union organiser. I could see him in a role as a ring leader for Dirty Hands-like trouble making to try and make things better. I find it much harder to imagine Lee as being one of the "rest" of the fleet than I do Kara though.

It would also be interesting to see more of what happened to ordinary citizens after the attacks. There would be a huge amount of joblessness at least initially as many people would not necessarily have transferable skills. I think if Kara had been in that position after the attacks she would have joined up anyway because she is a natural fighter and would see revenge very much as her thing. Lee I'm not so sure about. I don't think he would cope well with suddenly being adrift and useless. He would need some sort of outside catalyst to get him to a place where he could retrain for a job that would be useful in the post-apocalyptic world.

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

Hey Lizzie! I like the idea of changing Kara and Lee's roles to something else and having them struggle with the inequities. I always thought that Dirty Hands would have benefited from Lee instead of Helo standing up for the union workers and I wonder what it would have been like if Kara had been one of the union workers? Maybe hadn't been a pilot and just got a job where she could? I wonder what would have happened if she'd been the one to reach out to Tyrol somehow and she and Lee met? That's a pretty exciting story to think about. *plots*

Good to see you! <3

[kdbleu.livejournal.com]

One of the glaring ommissions for me in BSG is the lack of ordinary citizens in the show. Although I think that taking Lee out of the military (or at least out of the cockpit) from near the beginning and making him more of an activist would have been really interesting.

[damao2010.livejournal.com]

Yes, I would have liked to see more about the lives of ordinary citzens after the attacks. The show focused a lot on the politics and power struggle in that post-apocalyptic scenario, and we all rooted for Roslin instead of Baltar or Zarek, but, aside from the war on terror cylons, the blaket market ban, the abortion thing, what do we really know about the policies that were implemented or part of their respective campaigns? Listening to those politicians and to the press conferences that were eventually held, one would think life was going on pretty much as before, and that is not realistic at all. The hardships faced by people confined in tiny spaceships, constantly on the run, with limited supplies of food, water, medicine etc would be enourmous. The living conditions varied a lot from ship to ship, as well, since some of them were luxurious transatlantic "transplanetary" vessels, while others were essentially adapted space buses. Resources (including human resources)would have to be redistributed and we cannot think of the existence of a job market and of economic growth in the way we normally do. Equality/inequality would become a serious social/political issue that could erupt in serious social upheaval and radical political moviments. This sort of concern is particularly relevant nowadays when the world is facing such a serious economic crisis and the role of the state in dealing with it , who is going to pay the bill , how the costs are going to be shared among the population as well as the rise of extremist groups are major international issues.

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

I'm not very politically minded honestly, but I can't miss this opportunity to pimp my favorite K/L fic in ages: embolalia's amazing The Way It Should Be (http://pilots-presents.livejournal.com/30640.html), where Kara and Lee meet during an Occupy Caprica movement. It's just brilliant. He's a college student with all these ideals on changing the world, who hasn't quite considered the reality of people's lives who aren't quite as privileged as he, and Kara's cynical about her own future and the worlds because she's hardly had any advantages or opportunity in life. But they meet and fall in love and open each other's eyes, giving each other balance and grounding to go on and be more in the future, together. <3 <3 <3

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

Yes! I was thinking about her fic in part when I made this post. It's brilliant. I'd love to see more in that style!

[embolalia.livejournal.com]

Aww, you're both awesome! <3

[embolalia.livejournal.com]

Thanks!!! :)

[embolalia.livejournal.com]

Missing scene from Captain’s Hand, lifted flagrantly from my notes for a longer canon-based piece that’s been on hold for ages :)

***

Kara sits on the edge of her bunk, watching Lee pack his things for the Beast. On the wireless Roslin is answering press questions about the need to procreate and her firm stance on making abortion illegal. Kara gets up and switches it off. Lee’s leaving and they haven’t made up yet; she’s in no mood for politics.

Lee looks at her as she returns to her bunk. “Shouldn't you be worried about that?” he asks snarkily.

Kara grins, pats her abdomen. “Oh, the fleet doesn't want me pregnant--I've still got my implant. As long as she doesn't forbid birth control, I'm fine.”

He snorts, returns to folding his BDUs. “Would you do it?”

Her eyes widen in surprise at the question. “I don’t know.”

“Because of the gods?” There’s a bite behind the words. He's always been perplexed by this side of her.

She shrugs. “Well that's the argument against it.”

“But you’re not?” he presses, glancing sideways at her.

Kara folds her hands together, stares at them in her lap. “I might be like my mom.”

Lee’s breath stills in his chest. She mentions this so rarely he forgets. Her bent head suddenly reminds him of earlier, of the way she withdrew when he snapped at her, not in their usual bickering way, but in anger and spite. He remembers the hint of tears in her eyes when she turned back from the locker. He feels a little sick.

“What about you?” Kara prompts, shutting down discussion of her parentage.

Lee frowns in remembered shame. “About a year and a half after Zak died--”

Kara looks up in surprise.

“I was seeing a girl. Gianne. She got pregnant.”

Kara gasps.

He wraps the shirt he's packing into a tighter and tighter ball. “And I’d just watched my mother try to deal with losing Zak--there was just no way I could be a parent.”

“She got an abortion?” Kara says the word so he doesn't have to.

“No.” Lee shakes his head. “I don't think she did.”

Her eyes flare in sudden understanding. “I'm sorry, Lee.”

He nods once. “Well, I don’t agree with Roslin.” He zips his duffle, and starts to grin. “But at least I finally got you to apologize.”

Kara laughs. “Yeah, sure, think that if you want.”

He can’t help laughing with her.

“And don’t worry,” Kara adds, “everyone on the Beast will be under your command, so if you knock anyone up breaking the law will be the least of your worries.”

His stomach flips. He hasn’t told her yet that she’ll be his CAG. “Don’t you worry,” Lee assures her, not meeting her eyes, “I’m waiting for everything to be bright and shiny first.” Kara doesn’t answer, and when he turns she’s staring at her hands again. “You’ll be a good mom, Kara,” he says impulsively. “When you want to be.”

She nods, a shy hint of a smile crossing her face. Then she shakes it off, and stands, holding out her hand to him. “Anyway. Congratulations.”

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

WOW! There's so much story packed in here from concerns about their fight, Kara talking about her mom and Lee's references to Gianne. It feels spot on pilots and I can't help but love that he says she'll be a good mom when she wants to be. I feel like she'd remember that for a very long time.

*happy sigh* Just lovely. Thank you!

[embolalia.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It's always easier to write when I just have to go through and capitalize the appropriate words :) Glad you liked it!

[kdbleu.livejournal.com]

This is great. It feels so real. The confessions and apprehesions are spot on. Love it.


(And you should totally go back to this bigger piece. ;)

[embolalia.livejournal.com]

Thank you! (I have about 50K words worth of notes. It does need to happen...)

[word-vomity.livejournal.com]

Wow. This is so very interesting and well done. So underplayed and them. I want the rest please! ;)

[embolalia.livejournal.com]

So glad you liked it! One of these days... :)

[damao2010.livejournal.com]

Wow! That's so good! So spot-on. MOst of their most meaningful conversations seem to take place like - almost like an afterthought, understated and mingled with something else. Perfect timing for the introduction of all those hot issues.

Did I read right and this is part of a longer to-be-written story? From this tiny bit I already know it's going to be just great. :)

[embolalia.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Yes, it will be written someday when challenges and swaps and RL stop distracting me :)

[mserrada.livejournal.com]

This must happen. Just saying...

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Oh interesting! A whole different slant/take from canon, I love missing moments! <3

[embolalia.livejournal.com]

With the Lee stuff? Yeah, I need *some* better explanation for it :) Thanks!

[onlyariana.livejournal.com]

This is my favorite scene in canon and you just went and made it SO MUCH BETTER. I loved the feel of this. It was like their fighting and desire to not be fighting left them so open and vulnerable. Wonderful!!

[embolalia.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks! :)

[damao2010.livejournal.com]

If I can go a little AU here, I'd take Kara and Lee to our planet in the 21st century and have them deal with the issue of sustainable economic growth. I can just see them meeting here in Rio as both would be participating in the Rio+20 Summit.

Lee would be there as a politician, of course. He might be a diplomat, participating in the official negotiations for an agreement that actually means something and being extremely frustrated because most of the international leaders, especially in the leading world economies, are very shortsighted and refuse to compromise. Corporate and individual, short-term, political interests overcoming global interesting. Lee, of course, would be passionately trying to do the right thing. :)

Or he could be one of the mayors that participated in the mayors's conference. He would be a more hand-on politician, an example to other cities but he would still be very frustrated to see how the summit's final document is nothing more than a letter of vague intentions when the world needs pragmatic actions. Beliefs and pragmatism. That's Lee, right?

Either way, he would meet Kara, this fiery activist leading a demonstration in the Peoples' Summit. And she would mistrust him at first because he is a politician, but ... Well, we all know how it would end. LOL. ;)