Monday, January 20, 2020

Extrathreadestrials

What is with all the nudist aliens in SciFi movies?

I mean, sure, the suspiciously humanoid ones played by actors with pointy ears wear standard-issue Starfleet onesies (or loincloths in the case of space injuns) but any species lacking mammalian genitalia can never seem to wrap its head(s) around either diapers or diamond studs. Although they may lack the prudish or prurient motivations of covering / emphasizing their reproductive organs, may lack external genitalia altogether, they probably still have a social structure. A quick glance at human culture shows clothing, jewelry, perfume and various body paints more frequently serve as status symbols instead of any practical use or even strictly reproductive symbolism. Granted, our recent evolutionary history has instilled in us a peculiar dependence on and keen awareness of social rank... but then again most SF extraterrestrials are modeled on us and share the same tribal structures.

Even if they weren't such peacocks as us, all those space squids, space whales, space lizards and space ants would very likely decorate themselves with artificial reinforcers of their status. Dangly, clinking bits of rare metals, cloth in their particular tribe's fashion draped over various appendages, fragrant scale oils and horn polish, clitellum fixative, tentacle extensions... whatever flavor of space monstrosity you dream up, you can bet your sweet monkey ass it'd be stylin' either some threads or some ink or some bling or all of the above.

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