Slog Comments
Geek Girls Doin' It For Themselves
1
I would love to see a girl or woman dress up as Capt. Kirk, replete with the paunch, over-the-top acting style, and (if it's a grown woman) overactive sex drive.
3
@1 There is an amateur theater troupe who performs episodes of the original Star Trek outdoors. Both Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock are played by women.
http://www.helloearthproductions.org/
http://www.helloearthproductions.org/
4
I loved reading that Google's Android phone response to Apple's Siri voice command agent is going to be named Majel, after the originally planned Number One actress Majel Barrett (later Roddenberry).
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-573…
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-573…
5
@4 That's what my boyfriend calls his car's GPS! Don't know if he'd give up his iPhone though, even for Majel.
6
Tiny detail here, it's not exactly that Spock's character was female, but rather, the details that made up Spock's character originally belonged to the female lead. The use of logic and the detachment from emotion, these were originally ascribed to the character of "Number 1". She was the second-in-command after Kirk, and she was quite human (and played by Majel Barrett).
Spock was Vulcan, and while Vulcans were aliens, they were not originally devoted to logic and suppression of emotions. He was the science officer, but was not also second-in-command in that original pilot.
The original pilot episode with these characters was not well received. In 1966, a female second-in-command, even in the future, was not something studio execs thought was believable. A different pilot was re-shot and the cast was juggled around. Spock became second-in-command (as well as being the science officer) and acquired the emotional detachment of the original Number 1 character. Majel Barrett was relegated to a minor role.
The original pilot was later edited into the series as a two-part episode, with the original pilot scenes as 'flashbacks' of a sort. Watch Nimoy's acting in that original pilot, and you see he raises his voice at times, and otherwise expresses emotions. Although they are still somewhat muted.
So no, Spock wasn't originally a girl. The character that was second-in-command of the Enterprise was originally a woman, but she was written out and her character became an emotionless, male alien.
Spock was Vulcan, and while Vulcans were aliens, they were not originally devoted to logic and suppression of emotions. He was the science officer, but was not also second-in-command in that original pilot.
The original pilot episode with these characters was not well received. In 1966, a female second-in-command, even in the future, was not something studio execs thought was believable. A different pilot was re-shot and the cast was juggled around. Spock became second-in-command (as well as being the science officer) and acquired the emotional detachment of the original Number 1 character. Majel Barrett was relegated to a minor role.
The original pilot was later edited into the series as a two-part episode, with the original pilot scenes as 'flashbacks' of a sort. Watch Nimoy's acting in that original pilot, and you see he raises his voice at times, and otherwise expresses emotions. Although they are still somewhat muted.
So no, Spock wasn't originally a girl. The character that was second-in-command of the Enterprise was originally a woman, but she was written out and her character became an emotionless, male alien.
7
Jesus, if Share/Wear were really important to you, don't you think you should have mentioned it before we all got dressed and got our asses to work?
Dr_ Awesome gets it correct in a totally non-revisionist short-cutty way. Dr_Awesome is an awesome person.
Dr_ Awesome gets it correct in a totally non-revisionist short-cutty way. Dr_Awesome is an awesome person.
10
@9 lots of hungry nerds died in the farms those few short years.
And then they learned to shop online ...
And then they learned to shop online ...
11
If I had a little girl and she told me she wanted to dress up as anyone from Star Trek I'd probably have a glee-induced aneurysm.
12
@6:
Minor correction: Number One was Capt. Pike's (Jeffrey Hunter, who was cast as the lead in the first pilot) second-in-command. By the time the second pilot was shot with Shatner replacing Hunter, Number One's character had been dropped and, as you say, many of her personality traits transferred to Spock, although you can still see flashes of the "old Spock" in some of the early first season episodes, before the logical/emotionless side of the character had been fully developed.
For example, Nimoy runs through a fairly obvious gamut of emotions in the episode "Charlie X": ranging from surprise and annoyance to outright smugness; and he uses the shouty "command voice" delivery from the first pilot several times early on in "The Corbomite Maneuver" (I just watched these eps a couple of days ago, so no I would not normally be retaining this uber-nerd level of information in my head.)
Minor correction: Number One was Capt. Pike's (Jeffrey Hunter, who was cast as the lead in the first pilot) second-in-command. By the time the second pilot was shot with Shatner replacing Hunter, Number One's character had been dropped and, as you say, many of her personality traits transferred to Spock, although you can still see flashes of the "old Spock" in some of the early first season episodes, before the logical/emotionless side of the character had been fully developed.
For example, Nimoy runs through a fairly obvious gamut of emotions in the episode "Charlie X": ranging from surprise and annoyance to outright smugness; and he uses the shouty "command voice" delivery from the first pilot several times early on in "The Corbomite Maneuver" (I just watched these eps a couple of days ago, so no I would not normally be retaining this uber-nerd level of information in my head.)
13
I loved the costumes in the original show. If we ever get to the point of space travel, ala Star Trek, I hope they have the wisdom to put the women in mini-skirts and go-go boots, and the men in tight pants with no pockets.
14
"I even overheard one of the teachers saying she looked 'weird' in her costume."
She probably did if you also thought deliberately naming your child "Bryden" was a good idea
She probably did if you also thought deliberately naming your child "Bryden" was a good idea
15
Comte, yes. The "Shouty Command Voice" is the one trait that sticks in my memory after all these years. And it has been years since I've seen the original series. I wouldn't mind seeing them again (if my TeeVee received whatever channel they are on).
Mrs. Vel-DuRay, I agree completely. And blinking colored lights are ALWAYS cool.
Mrs. Vel-DuRay, I agree completely. And blinking colored lights are ALWAYS cool.
16
@13, I've been waiting a long time for space travel go-go boots. I will be terribly disapointed if I have to travel through space and time without them.
17
Catballou dear, I'm not ashamed to admit (well, actually, I am, but I'll admit it anyway) that I went through a phase in college where I read literally hundreds of Star Trek paperback novels. I think the literati call them "fan fiction"?
Needless to say, there was a lot of bad writing and stupid plots. I seem to remember one novel had the artificial gravity failing, and the skirts floating up so one could see the Starfleet issued panties.
Needless to say, there was a lot of bad writing and stupid plots. I seem to remember one novel had the artificial gravity failing, and the skirts floating up so one could see the Starfleet issued panties.
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