Parallel Universe?

[felineranger.livejournal.com]

I know there have been many discussions and fics surrounding this episode but there's a take I don't think I've seen yet.

We've looked at Deb and Arlene, and the idea of a female version of Rimmer, but has anyone ever seen anything addressing how our Lister and Rimmer, more or less unchanged, would have fared if they'd come from the female oriented society as portrayed in the episode?

Would Rimmer be less career-focused or more so because he'd be fighting sexism to get where he wants to be? Would he stop blaming his failings on his background and start blaming them on his gender?

And what about Lister? He was raised by a strong woman, so would his outlook really be that different? Would he have insecurities about women only wanting him for his huge penis because he's been brought up in a society that's taught him that he has no other real value? Would either, or both of them, feel strongly about man's rights or is it something they'd argue about? Would Rimmer criticise Lister's desire to meet someone and have babies for example? Or with the pressure to achieve taken away from him, would Lister actually be more motivated to be more than 'just a boy?'

Discuss...

Comments

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

This is giving me a headache, but I think that gay men would be considered by the less enlightened as trying to "imitate" straight women, complete with the usual insinuations that they couldn't really hope to satisfy men as a woman would.

This would obviously mean the devaluation of the penis to the status of vaginas in our society whereas lesbians might be envied for not having to deal with those unreasonable men and their violent tendencies (as opposed to stereotypical "female" tendencies to cry and be hysterical etc).

All assuming that everything is a straightforward reversal of our society, of course, which is a big assumption.

[felineranger.livejournal.com]

Of course, if men have the babies in this universe, do they also have periods and PMS???

Also, maybe besides the point, but my firm headcanon is that in this universe the 'missionary' position means woman on top :-)