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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 31, 2023

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While I basically agree with YE_GUILTY, your trans Uhura may exist, and be on the cutting room floor of The Matrix (1999).

Folklore has it that the character "Switch" in the Matrix was written with their "residual self image" when inside the Matrix being the opposite sex to the person they are introduced as in the real world, but this was dropped from the movie out of concern that audiences would be confused and not understand that they were the same person. Worrying that the audience wouldn't make the connection suggests to me an intent to not spell it out, call attention to it, or make more of a thing of it than the alias.

Some of what the Wachowskis would later say about The Matrix feels a bit 'Dumbledore is gay', but I believe their story about Switch: the name, the androgynous look with masculine touches inside the Matrix, the Wachowskis themselves transitioning, the elegance of this version of Switch, and other nice things we couldn't have for fear of confusing the audience.

I haven't seen the new matrix, perhaps they revisited the character.

For certain definitions of trans, having a trans Uhura may just require a world which shows some kind of window inside all the characters.

and be on the cutting room floor of The Matrix

That's a shame. A !trans Switch would have to have an interesting relationship towards the Matrix, since it's the only place where she could live as the person she feels on the inside... and yet she chose to join the rebellion. It would also make a very interesting contrast to Cipher. Plus, when the studio came knocking on their doors to milk more money out of the franchise, they'd actually have story to tell, if they decided to make a prequel about her.

Worrying that the audience wouldn't make the connection is suggestive to me of an intent to not spell it out, call attention to it, or make more of a thing out of it than the alias.

Maybe it would ruin the tone of the film but you can explain it in two lines:

  • Huh?! You're Switch? You looked different inside the Matrix...

  • Yeah, imagine my surprise when I woke up on this side!

I haven't seen the new matrix, perhaps they revisited Switch.

Didn't she die in the first one?

I haven't seen the new matrix, perhaps they revisited Switch.

Didn't she die in the first one?

Well that's embarrassing, yes... I even knew this

Not like this … not like this