Anonymous asked:
I’ve been trying to think about how to answer this, and I want to be very clear that I’m not saying other people shouldn’t enjoy the character. I can’t believe that needs to be said, but with the way things get twisted in fandom sometimes, I just want to expressly state that. People can like whatever characters they choose; we’re not always going to agree and that’s okay.
When I was little, I think that I disliked Data because I found him annoying. Even as a tiny V, I had an intense loathing for anything that I considered to be pandering, and I saw a lot of that in Data. While he had many serious moments and episodes, he was often the comic relief as well, and I found that particular brand of humor to be off-putting.
As an adult, I still find him somewhat annoying. Not, like, Ezri Dax annoying, but annoying nonetheless. I also take issue with the idea that we see a lot in every iteration of Star Trek - but I think most obviously with Data - and that is that everyone who is not human should strive to be more human (code: everyone who does not reach the standards of classical American ideals should strive to be more normal). Yes, Data is different, but he’s also exceptional in many ways. What sense does it make for him to have such an overarching desire to become more human, and in many ways more flawed? I don’t know, that whole thing has never sat well with me.
It’s a brief answer, anon, but I hope a satisfactory one.
