Sexism In The Film 'Forbidden Planet'

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Recommended: Women in the media 1950-1960s essay

Intellect, sexuality, and pride

Forbidden Planet (1956), directed by Fred Wilcox, is the first science fiction film to take place on an exoplanet. The film is about a military class vessel and crew dispatched to investigate the status of a scientific exploration team on a planet in the Altair system. The captain and crew of the investigating team is surprised to find only one original crew member remaining on the planet; furthermore, the investigators find out that all the other crewmembers of the science team were viciously attacked and killed by a mysterious, unseen entity. Many elements present in the film inspired later films and shows that were of a space exploration, science fiction type. The inspiration is strongly visible in Roddenberry’s Star Trek series. One of the most interesting facets …show more content…

Sexism began earlier and continues on to this day to varying degrees. During this decade, the typical subservient views of females held strong; however, if I look at the film as a view of how the future would evolve, it becomes more interesting. In the film, Robbie the robot performs all the actions traditionally (in the 50s) done by women. A quick look at sitcoms produced in the 60s to 70s (think of The Brady Bunch), shows that the idea that the woman’s role in the house should be augmented by some form of help (Alice, the housekeeper). Wilcox had an Alice named Robbie in the Forbidden Planet. But if a woman’s traditional roles are to be filled by a robot in the future, what is a woman to do? Sex. The character of Altaira is easy on the eyes and does not have to do anything. Her sexual character role compels me ask the question: Is this the way they saw society evolving? Women will be liberated from their household duties in order to fully “serve” men? I apologize. It is easy in hindsight to mock the degree of sexism that was socially norm in the past. We still have sexism, and I am sure another half century from now, we too will be

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