Posted in: Star Trek, TV | Tagged: Gul Dukat, Ira Steven Behr, Marc Alaimo, star trek, star trek: deep space nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Showrunner on That Gul Dukat/PragerU Meme

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine showrunner Ira Steven Behr was straight and to the point about a revisionist meme regarding Marc Alaimo's Dukat.

Published Sat, 16 Sep 2023 09:05:10 -0500

by Tom Chang

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There's no shortage of controversy regarding the ongoing culture wars largely engaged by the right in the country. Among them is the curriculum used by PragerU in some red states like Florida, which is engaging in what many rightfully call revisionist history. One Star Trek fan created a meme with Deep Space Nine's Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo), the primary Cardassian villain of the series, who tries to rewrite his narrative when it comes to the occupation of Bajor. The Photoshopped meme shows a picture of the one-time leader with the caption, "Why Gul Dukat Deserves a Statue," with the PragerU logo in the upper left corner. The caption of the meme reads, "New video up at PragerU #StarTrek"

Star Trek DS9's Ira Steven Behr's Thoughts on a Gul Dukat Statue

It caught the eye of DS9 showrunner Ira Steven Behr, who wrote, "No. He doesn't." A commenter explained how the meme parodies PragerU's revisionism on slavery and the controversy surrounding its presentation of slavery. Several Confederate statues that were raised throughout the country were taken down following public outcry and faced subsequent backlash from conservatives who claimed they shouldn't be removed because of their claim it honors their heritage.

Alaimo appeared in all seven seasons over 35 of the 173 episodes of the Star Trek spinoff that ran in syndication from 1993-1999. Created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, who also worked on Star Trek: The Next Generation, the series focused on an outpost formerly run by the Cardassians but reclaimed by Bajor with Federation help. Starfleet swore to protect Bajor from the Cardassians and other threats as it contemplated its admission to the Federation with Deep Space Nine service as the gateway from the Alpha Quadrant to the Gamma Quadrant. Dukat served as the primary nemesis for Starfleet's Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Bajor's Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) as their once-uneasy relationship turned to full-blown antagonism as Dukat's attempt to justify his actions and the loss of his daughter, drives him to seek the evil Pah-wraiths to crush his enemies toward the end of the series. His most terrible act: killing Terry Farrell's Jadzia Dax when he was possessed by the Pah-wraiths.