Caprica, Put On Some Clothes!

After Gattaca, the re-made Battlestar Galactica was the first filmed science fiction that my wife enjoyed.  She liked that the focus wasn't on technology or aliens or the other sci-fi tropes; fundamentally, it was a drama about flawed human characters wrestling with weighty issues.  Seeing SyFy's promotional imagery for the Battlestar prequel series Caprica, she'd never guess that the show followed in its predecessor's footsteps.  In fact, she'd probably just roll her eyes before dismissing it entirely.

I've seen the Caprica pilot.  I know it deals with religious fundamentalism, parental grief at the loss of a child, the politics of racial minorities and the nature of the human soul.  But even I look at the Caprica poster and think "jail bait."  Yes, the image of a pretty, nude teenager casting a come-hither gaze over her shoulder while biting a Forbidden Fruit could have a more symbolic meaning.  In fact, for those familiar with the pilot, the symbolism is apropos; the character of Zoe Graystone does represent a forbidden fruit, though not in the sexual sense.

But come on.  Science fiction isn't a genre known for its subtlety.  It is known, however, for catering to the fantasies (sexual and otherwise) of teenage boys.  This ad campaign makes Caprica look like more of the same.  Mind you, this is certainly more of the same that worked on me -- I was a devoted follower of Catwoman, Princess Ardala and Leia's slave-girl outfit -- but my kind isn't the audience that needs winning over.  The re-done Battlestar Galactica helped break ground in casting science fiction TV as serious, character-driven adult drama, and garnered a much wider audience than the usual SyFy fare.  Along with shows like ABC's Lost, it made a compelling argument for studio investment in the genre.  This success shows that science fiction needn't be an insecure little category that needs to show skin to get attention.  Caprica has the goods; it should put on its clothes and invite audiences to take it seriously.