Podcast Transcript

What do you think of when you hear the words “science fiction”? Personally, I find myself thinking of powerful warriors and futuristic gear, typically with some sort of helmet or mask. It may seem like a small topic for a whole podcast episode, but I believe this theme occurs so often that it’s hard to ignore. Every franchise that I’ve covered on this podcast so far has featured someone fitting this description. Helldivers, RoboCop, arguably Transformers, and Warhammer have all matched this.

It may seem like a dumb topic or something that’s not worth covering, but I think there’s a reason it’s featured in so much media. I’m Connor, and you’re listening to Shortwave Sci-Fi. And—uh—I’m sorry my voice sounds kind of bad. I’m recovering from a cold, and I’ve had to re-record this a few times because my cat would not leave me alone, and I had to shut him out. So yeah, that was not very fun.

Anyway, like I said, there are many instances where the soldiers of a powerful force wear masks or helmets. Even Star Wars, which is, you know, the textbook science fiction franchise, has multiple variations of this. Clone troopers wear helmets; so do stormtroopers and many bounty hunters. In this case, I believe these masks are meant to intimidate the person who opposes these fighters. The fearless look of a helmet is often complemented by a voice changer or something to further intimidate the enemy.

All of that can be said for many franchises, but I was trying to apply it to Star Wars specifically. I think it works the best in that context. I mean, what other reason could these helmets have other than a tactical advantage? Well, I like to think that it’s very marketable—because, let’s be honest, they look really cool and appealing most of the time.

But going a bit deeper, maybe the troops typically portrayed as the “good guys” are masked so that people, especially children, can see themselves reflected in the hero without having to look past physical differences. It may allow people to see a hero with a mask as a role model, no matter how the real person may appear. For example, Master Chief from Halo is seen as a fierce warrior while also being a good person with morals, despite his constant time in combat. It makes the ideals of the character more relatable to different people of all backgrounds, and I think that’s an optimistic way to think about it.

On that same topic, I believe that superheroes go for the same goal. Sure, their masks are to hide their identities from the public, but since the beginning of comics, the writers have often wanted kids—and people in general—to be inspired by the heroic actions of the characters.

But maybe that’s not what was intended at all. Oftentimes, these characters who don masks are violent and ruthless. As previously mentioned, Master Chief is a role model of bravery and courage for many, but he shouldn’t be fully idolized because, at the end of the day, he still kills. The Space Marines and Stormtroopers of Warhammer and Star Wars, respectively, are meant to portray a brutal military force that will stop at nothing to reach their goal. By having masks while doing this, it erases the fact that the people behind them are still human and could be just like any of us. Honestly, I think that could serve as a cautionary tale for some people.

You may not like the Star Wars sequel films, but I recently rewatched The Force Awakens, and I think one thing they did really well is the transition from deploying cloned people as stormtroopers to recruiting normal humans into the army and brainwashing them. It puts a more sinister tone behind the First Order when compared to the Empire and makes them feel even more realistic as an authoritarian government. It allows for characters like Finn to defect, and we can finally see the other side of these troops. For decades, stormtroopers were seen as clones of each other—because they were—but making them individual people allows for so much better storytelling and character development that I think it is a very good trade-off.

Now, I know this was a semi-short episode. I have a pretty limited recording space right now just because—you know—split houses. But I just wanted to say, to summarize things: helmets and masks are a powerful tool to represent both heroic actions and violence. In the script, I said “dehumanizing,” but I don’t know if that’s the right word. I guess it’s more like taking away the human element from characters so they can be seen as more two-dimensional, for the audience to maybe look past the violent acts they commit. But maybe I’m wrong, and it’s simply a choice because they look cool.

But no matter which way you see it, thank you for listening. I’m Connor with Shortwave Sci-Fi, and I’ll see you all next semester.