Odo and *his* gender

[BlueCrystal 0]

I've been giving thought to these questions for sometime and I can't help but wonder why Odo the shape shifter represented itself as a male humanoid. I did watch the DS9 series and I often wondered if Odo *tried on* other genders and species? Was there actually genders at Odo's home world and is gender some chemical compound in Odo's natural state or is it what Odo forms itself to be between its knees when it decides to take on a humanoid form? :blink: :VBGal: Edited April 30, 2005 by BlueCrystal

[Theunicornhunter 2]

I've been giving thought to these questions for sometime and I can't help but wonder why Odo the shape shifter represented itself as a male humanoid.

 

Because that is how the writer's wrote it. There's just some places Star Trek was not ready to boldly go

 

Conversely - why did the "female" founder represent herself as "female?"

 

Click For Spoiler

Well, I think Odo and the Female Founder did "interact" once and it apparently beat human "interacting" but I don't think it involved having body parts.

[Esther 0]

Odo modeled himself after the Bajoran scientist who found and studied him. Most Founders appear largely androgynous.

 

Who knows about the female.

[Odo 0]

Could it be that he liked a certain Major in the Bajorian

military?

 

Click For Spoiler

He likes girls.

[ARMS 0]

The scientist that studied him was male! He was trying to emulate him.

[Esther 0]

Odo already had his appearance mapped out by the time he met Kira.

[LoveMalePecs1 0]

I agree with Arms on that Odo copied himself after the Scientist who found him.

 

 

:blink:

[Korthedaharmaster 0]

The Founders really don't have a sex they are just goo Odo though only had Contact with huminoids so he picked a sex most defenitly from the scientist who found him and he went with it.

[Stephen of Borg 2]

I 100% agree with the scientist theory

[Matt 0]

Well of course he emulated the scientist who studied him, he says it in more than one episode, it's not a theory, it's a fact. However I believe that yes they do have genders, every appearance of a founder has been easily distinguishable as either male or female, the creators wouldn't have made it so easy to disecern a gender if they didn't want them to have two genders.

[Stephen of Borg 2]

^very true now that I think about it

[Spike The Trill 0]

Maybe the foundres are liek that race form an episode of TNG, who's name I can't seem to recall. Anyway, maybe Odo was "born" with the urge to be male?

[Matt 0]

Which race do you mean Spike? Can you describe them? Or do you know the episode?

[prometheus 0]

Odo must inherently have an inclination towards one side over the other - like a fine tipping of the scales left or right. Maybe it just wants to be a he as that is how it feels more comfortable. Maybe being raised a he made Odo become a he and the female shapeshifter onlt became 'female' in order to woo 'him' into joining the link to what would be acceptable practise to him... :/

[Spike The Trill 0]

Which race do you mean Spike? Can you describe them? Or do you know the episode?

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I don't have that season on DVD, so I'm not sure if I the title right, but, I think it was called "The Outcast"?

[A l t e r E g o 9]

Which race do you mean Spike? Can you describe them? Or do you know the episode?

325608[/snapback]

I don't have that season on DVD, so I'm not sure if I the title right, but, I think it was called "The Outcast"?

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I think Spike is talking about "The Chase", Odo does bear a striking resemblance to the holographic Being and to the Female shape shifter in that episode. When I first saw her, Odo and the Female Changeling sprung instantly to mind but whether there is a direct connection, I doubt it. Those Ancients (claim they) seeded the galaxy with Humanoid Beings but the Changelings don't like solids so why would they spread them everywhere?

 

(side note: The Chase first aired the week Jem was born )

Edited May 24, 2005 by Alterego

[VaBeachGuy 12]

Yes, Odo was emulating Dr. Mora Pol but you also have to take into consideration the time period and setting in which Odo "grew up". It was during the Cardassian occupation of Bajor and he was raised in an environment that was controlled by the Cardassians.

 

The Cardassians are a male dominated society where most if not all authority figures are male. It would be only natural for a being that has the ability to emulate another race to emulate the dominate gender.

 

It's reasonable to assume that if there had been no occupation and Odo was "raised" on Bajor that he would have emulated a female because the Bajorans tend to me more female dominated, at least in their religious leadership (Kai Opaca and Winn)

[ddillard 2]

It is very possible that the founders have two sexes in their society, but I believe that it is more likely that the choice of gender for Odo was due to his emulation of the scientist that "raised" him.

[Spike The Trill 0]

Yes, Odo was emulating Dr. Mora Pol but you also have to take into consideration the time period and setting in which Odo "grew up". It was during the Cardassian occupation of Bajor and he was raised in an environment that was controlled by the Cardassians.

 

The Cardassians are a male dominated society where most if not all authority figures are male. It would be only natural for a being that has the ability to emulate another race to emulate the dominate gender.

 

It's reasonable to assume that if there had been no occupation and Odo was "raised" on Bajor that he would have emulated a female because the Bajorans tend to me more female dominated, at least in their religious leadership (Kai Opaca and Winn)

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That's the best theroy on this topic I've heard yet.

[prometheus 0]

Im still inclined to go with the argument that whether or not a founder will turn out to be male or female in their appearance and charcteristics will be a finely balanced tipping of the scales.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I don't think there's that much that goes into whether or not the shape shifter is male or female in their solid, humanoid form. It's just a matter of their choice at the moment that they take that shape. Just like if they become an Eagle in order to fly high into the sky, it was just a choice of the moment.

 

I also think it would have to do with what impression or effect they wish to have on the life forms that they are to interact with. The female shape shifter may have take the female form because she wanted to seem less threatening to the humans and also wanted to gain Odo's trust more easily.

 

You also have to remember that the Founders shape shifting ability was far above Odo's abilities. Odo looked the way he did because he wasn't able to emulate all of the fine details of the Bajoran or Human face. So the Founders took the same form as Odo in order to make him (Odo) feel more comfortable and by making Odo more comfortable they would gain his trust and through that they would gain the "Solids" trust.

 

To the Founders gender is a useless thing that is trivial to the point of being silly. BUt they understood that they needed to take on those characteristics in order to gain trust and eventually enslave the humanoid races.