Redefining the scientist
Fox 2000’s Hidden Figures is the latest in popular media aimed at portraying scientists as people as diverse as the world is. As I watched the film, I didn’t see the characters through the lens of race or gender. Rather, I saw them as brilliant people, held back by society’s misaligned standards. It was a tried-and-trued story of underdogs being recognized for their talents and rising above what anyone expected of them.
And then I watched Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
It’s was a heck of a ride, and seemed to fall in a completely different genre than Hidden Figures exists in. The science itself is different- fiction and reality- but the scientists themselves aren’t so different.
The science-y part of S.H.I.E.L.D. is embodied by lead researcher Jemma Simmons, played by the brilliant Elizabeth Henstridge. Opposite her, Iain De Caestecker plays the brilliant-yet-caring Leo Fitzgerald. Both are the cream of the crop, at the top of their academy, yet, similar to Katherine, Mary, and Dorothy, both are redefining what it means to be a scientist.
At the risk of over-generalizing, the nerds who grew up to be engineers, scientists, and mathematicians were predominantly white males.
At least, that’s the stereotype being challenged by modern media such as Hidden Figures and S.H.I.E.L.D. The three women at Langley directly challenged pre-existing protocols and standards for women in the workplace. It also propelled powerful role models into the public eye: driven women who fight for their rights, showing that it’s possible for girls and non-white individuals to excel in STEM fields, even when it feels overwhelmingly unlikely.
“Jemma is a compelling character, who shows that women can achieve excellence in STEM, yet still maintain feminine characteristics.”
Jemma does this, and much more. In a setting where her team continually has to discover and control alien (literally and figuratively) concepts of physics, biology, and chemistry, she consistently invents creative solutions to their problems. Yet, her role isn’t strictly relegated to the laboratory. Instead, she has capabilities as a field agent and high-ranking team leader and appears to have the greatest ability to emotionally connect with others (her relationship with now-partner Leo has developed over four seasons of death and danger and is quite a sight to behold). Jemma is a compelling character, who shows that women can achieve excellence and leadership in STEM, yet still maintain feminine characteristics, should they desire.
Yet in both cases, the role of men cannot be understated. Men in both the movie and TV show are noted for their role in recognizing the important contributions of Jemma, Katherine, Dorothy, and Mary. The “good” men in Hidden Figures gave the latter three the chance to succeed, seeing that they were the best in their fields. Likewise, Leo and Jemma spend a lot of time bouncing ideas off of each other, and while the latter technically ranks higher, De Caestecker’s character provides an important emotional ground.
This isn’t to say the women are reliant on the men, rather, that the success of one group absolutely does not mean that the other will be defeated, in any sense of the term. Men and women of all ethnicities can thrive together in STEM if we recognize the value of each’s potential contributions to our fields and push each other towards excellence.
