this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2024
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Drag is worried about "no gods, no masters". It fucking slaps, it sounds great. There's a lot of emotion in it that's perfectly communicated.
But... Gods being oppressors is a very European view. Do you think Navajo are oppressed by Coyote? Do you think Yindjibarndi view the Rainbow Serpent as a tyrant? What about Maui, is he exacting tithes from the Maori like the Vatican do? Is Anansi hurting the Akan?
Odin and Zeus were pieces of shit, but the idea of gods as tyrants is a view almost exclusive to the areas of the world that had humans as tyrants; the old world. And not even all of it even, the Buddha never ruled over anyone.
Drag worries that "no gods no masters" is pushing an overwhelmingly white stereotype of religion and harming members of religions that don't have oppressive gods.
Well specifically in Stargate the "gods" were literal aliens that actually treated humans as sort of cattle to host their young, mine their ore, serve as their armies. All that said they do end up visiting places with NA indigenous people and they do actually have a good relationship with their "gods" which staying in line with the theme of the show were a different set of advanced aliens.
Yeah, and there's the Asgard, and Oma Desala. Stargate doesn't unilaterally dismiss the concept of good gods at all. Teal'c might have some baggage about respecting any kind of god, but the rest of the team only cares about the "no masters" part.