Nichelle Nichols Interview

Discussion in 'Star Trek - The Original & Animated Series' started by Smellincoffee, Aug 12, 2011.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Smellincoffee

    Smellincoffee Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    May 20, 2005
    Location:
    Heart of Dixie
    While trying to find a podcast featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson, I found out that he hosts a show called "Star Talk", and that he's recently (10, 17 July) interviewed Nichelle Nichols about her role in Star Trek and its influence on society. I've not yet listened, but Tyson is a fairly popular and enthusiastic science advocate who is currently producing a new series inspired by Cosmos. Planning on listening myself tomorrow.
     
  2. Winterwind

    Winterwind Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2007
    Location:
    London, Canada
    Hmm. I wonder if the MLK story has been revised again.
     
  3. Mr Silver

    Mr Silver Commodore Newbie

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2010
    Location:
    UK
    :lol:

    That was the first thought I had when I saw the thread title!
     
  4. Captain Robert April

    Captain Robert April Vice Admiral Admiral

    I'm still waiting for someone to dig up a clip from back when the chat with MLK was just a hypothetical "What would Dr. King say?" kind of mind game.
     
  5. Mysterion

    Mysterion Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2001
    Location:
    Suburban Mos Eisley
    Fun Fact: MLK suggested Star Trek to Gene Roddenberry specifically to get Nicelle Nichols on television.
     
  6. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2001
    Location:
    AI Generated Madness
    Fun Fact: MLK was rooming with Nichelle when she came home after a bad day at work ready to quit. He talked her out of it.
     
  7. Jonas Grumby

    Jonas Grumby Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2002
    Location:
    Somewhere in the South Pacific
    That's the old version. Her new version is: MLK was rooming with Nichelle when he came home after a bad day working for justice and equality ready to quit. She talked him out of it. :D
     
  8. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2001
    Location:
    AI Generated Madness
    Well the version I just heard is that MLK was rooming with Nichelle when she suggested he quit his job and begin working for justice and equality.
     
  9. Captain Robert April

    Captain Robert April Vice Admiral Admiral

    MLK's FBI file cites "Justice" and "Equality" as two strippers in a Birmingham strip club in the late 50's...
     
  10. Winterwind

    Winterwind Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2007
    Location:
    London, Canada
    :guffaw:

    That's just brilliant!
     
  11. T'Girl

    T'Girl Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2009
    Location:
    T'Girl
    Roddenberry: So, make Nichelle Nichols the captain? I like the idea.
    Rev. King: No, make Nichelle the switchboard operator.
    Roddenberry: Okay. But we'll have Nichelle lead landing parties and carry a laser pistol.
    Rev. King: No, no, no. Have Nichelle sit in the back of the room and repeat the same line in every episode.
    Roddenberry: That would be a funny bit, I'll get to screw Nichelle, right?
    Rev. King: Solid.

    :)
     
  12. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2001
    Location:
    AI Generated Madness
    Nichelle danced under the name "Freedom".
     
  13. Smellincoffee

    Smellincoffee Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    May 20, 2005
    Location:
    Heart of Dixie
    I listened to the interviews last night. The first is the MLK story. She said that she joined Star Trek as resume-filler for her hoped-for theatrical aspirations, and after the first season she'd been offered a promising role in a theatre production and decided to leave to follow that. However, while attending a NAACP meeting MLK asked to meet her and stressed the importance of her role as Uhura, after which point she went back.

    The second interview is about her work with NASA, including recruiting women and "people of color".
     
  14. Jonas Grumby

    Jonas Grumby Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2002
    Location:
    Somewhere in the South Pacific
    Finally, Nichelle's MLK story gets interesting.

    I wish she would start embellishing her NASA stories. There's some real potential there! ;)
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2011
  15. Joker

    Joker Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2005
    Location:
    The North
    "Influence on society".

    The usual circle-jerk crap, in other words.
     
  16. Admiral James Kirk

    Admiral James Kirk Writer Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2001
    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    If I were Greg Morris I'd be sticking pins in an Uhura doll every time she talked about her sweeping influence on the American civil rights movement. I still maintain that placing a black man in an important position on a primarily white team set in then contemporary America was far more groundbreaking and important than having a beautiful black woman pushing buttons on a spaceship in the far future.
     
  17. Noname Given

    Noname Given Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 22, 2001
    Location:
    Noname Given
    Yep, that's 'official version 3'.

    Version 1: She received a letter from MLK.
    Version 2: She received phone call from MLK.
     
  18. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    I believe Version 0 was "I asked myself what Reverend King would say."
     
  19. Mysterion

    Mysterion Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2001
    Location:
    Suburban Mos Eisley
    Weren't Bill Cosby and Robert Culp doing their thing on I Spy before Mission: Impossible came along (yes, according to wikipedia: I Spy was on the air a year before M:I was)? If anyone should be plunging pins into to their Nichelle doll, I think it should be the Cos. Kelly Robinson and Alexander Scott were portrayed as being about as equal as anyone could be, with neither one being subordinate to the other.
     
  20. Admiral James Kirk

    Admiral James Kirk Writer Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2001
    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    Oh, I thought I, Spy came later. You're right. Cos should be sticking pins in an Uhura doll. :D
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.