Redshirt (character)

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Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock discover dead "redshirts" in the Star Trek episode "Obsession".

A "redshirt" is a stock character in fiction who dies soon after being introduced. The term originates with fans of the Star Trek television series (1966–69), from the red shirts worn by Starfleet security personnel who frequently die during episodes.[1] Redshirt deaths are often used to dramatize the potential peril that the main characters face.

Star Trek

In many episodes of Star Trek, red-uniformed security officers and engineers accompanying the main characters on landing parties quickly die.[2] Analysis of the original Star Trek episodes shows that of the 59 crew members killed in the series, 43 (73%) were wearing red shirts.[3] In the Pocket Books Star Trek novel Killing Time, a crew member says, "You don't want to wear a red shirt on landing-party duty".[4] The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine book Legends of the Ferengi says Starfleet security personnel "rarely survive beyond the second act break".[5] The cinematic reboot of the franchise features a character named Olson (portrayed by Greg Ellis) who dies early on during a mission; he happens to wear a red uniform as an homage to the original series.[6]

Influence

In other media, the term "redshirt" and images of characters wearing red shirts represent characters destined for suffering or death. The South Park episode "City on the Edge of Forever" (1998) appropriates its name from a Star Trek episode, and includes a direct Star Trek reference when one of the kids, wearing a red T-shirt, defies Mrs. Crabtree's instructions to remain on the bus and is immediately torn apart by a big scary monster lurking in the shadows.[7] Galaxy Quest (1999), a comedy about actors from a defunct science-fiction television series serving on a real starship, included an actor who is terrified that he's going to die on an away mission because his only appearance in the show was as an unnamed character who was killed early in the episode.[8] The only character injured in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Older and Far Away" (2002) wears a red shirt; writer Drew Greenberg confirmed that this "redshirt" reference was intentional.[9] Early scripts for Lost (ABC, 2004–2010) describe the character of Hurley as a "red shirt".[2] The term is also used in the Warehouse 13 episode "Implosion".[10] Slate's review of Prometheus describes characters who meet "grisly ends" in the film as "redshirts".[11] John Scalzi's Hugo Award-winning novel Redshirts (2012) both spoofs and pays homage to the notion of disposable low-ranking crew members on a Star Trek-style starship.

The term was used in United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II's May 2013 judgment against Prenda Law.[12][13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bly, Robert W. (1996). Why You Should Never Beam Down in a Red Shirt: And 749 More Answers to Questions About Star Trek. ISBN 0-06-273384-2. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Itzkoff, David (14 May 2006). "On 'Lost,' the Castaway Who Stands Out Without Even Trying". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-02-14. 
  3. ↑ Bailey, Matt. "Analytics According to Captain Kirk". SiteLogic Online Marketing Consultants. Retrieved 11 January 2013. 
  4. ↑ Hise, Della Van (1985). Killing Time. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-52488-7. 
  5. ↑ Behr, Ira Steven; Robert Hewitt Wolfe. Legends of the Ferengi. ISBN 0-671-00728-9. 
  6. ↑ "To Boldly Go", Star Trek (DVD release) (featurette) .
  7. ↑ Phil Dyess-Nugent (2012-10-12). "“The City On The Edge Of Forever” (season 2, episode 7; originally aired 6/17/1998)". Retrieved 2013-02-24. 
  8. ↑ "Galaxy Quest (1999) Movie Review". Beyond Hollywood. 2002-11-07. Retrieved 2011-02-14. 
  9. ↑ Buffy the Vampire Slayer Magazine (34). June 2002. "That was totally on purpose. It wasn’t just me - a group of us said, ‘Hey, a red shirt would be cool!’" 
  10. ↑ Vaux, R. (2009-08-19). "Warehouse 13: Implosion Review". Retrieved 2011-11-24. 
  11. ↑ Stevens, Dana (2012-06-07). "Prometheus". Slate. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 2012-06-07. 
  12. ↑ http://www.popehat.com/2013/05/06/does-prenda-believe-in-no-win-scenarios-because-judge-wright-just-gave-them-one/#more-18627
  13. ↑ http://www.popehat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/PendaSanctionsOrder.pdf

External links

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