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From: rafe@reed.UUCP (Rafe Needleman)
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: Are female characters in tv series ST blurry?
Message-ID: <1138@reed.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 21-Mar-85 21:56:09 EST
Article-I.D.: reed.1138
Posted: Thu Mar 21 21:56:09 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 26-Mar-85 06:33:28 EST
References: <522@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Reply-To: rafe@reed.UUCP (Rafe Needleman)
Distribution: net
Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon
Lines: 21
Summary: 

[*** LINE THE MESSAGE WITH YOUR BUG ***]

>A friend of mine is wondering if any one else thinks that the female
>characters are blurry in the tv series?  If so, does any one have any
>ideas why?

I have noticed this too.  When I'm watching Trek with friends, someone
always says, "Smear that lens with Vaseline!" when they show a closeup
of a female.  

(Putting Vaseline on a lens "softens" the focus, and is *supposed*
to make subjects look "soft" and "feminine".  Of course, it can be 
overdone.  When this happens, subjects just look blurry and stupid.)

They didn't only do this on women.  In "The Enemy Within", where Kirk
splits into a good and evil half, they used a soft-focus lens on the
"good" Kirk, to emphasize sensitivity and weakness, and harsh light
and a hard focus on the "evil" Kirk, to play up nastiness and fear.

-Rafe
 (rafe@reed)