What are your controversial Star Trek opinions?

[AresB]

When it comes to Harry Kim... I'm now convinced they were just being an asshole to Garrett Wang. There's a story there we're not being told about.

That's how he felt in a 2011 interview.

Another odd turn, in my opinion, was the non-promotion of Ensign Kim. I mean, come on people! Kim was probed, beaten, tortured and held the distinction of being the first Voyager crew member to die and come back to life. What more does a guy have to do to get promoted to Lieutenant for frak’s sake? To add further insult to injury, other crew members such as Tuvok (Russ) and Paris were being promoted, demoted and then re-promoted throughout the seven-year run of Voyager.

I'm not trying to be negative here; just saying it like it is. During the fourth season, I called writer/producer Brannon Braga and asked him why my character hadn't received a promotion yet. His response? “Well, somebody's gotta be the ensign.” Geez, thanks. Thanks for nothing. At some point, I even approached Kate Mulgrew and frustratedly asked her why I wasn't promoted yet. In hindsight, this action on my part was hilarious because Kate Mulgrew had no more influence in promoting my character than a random person on the street. I would like to take the time to say that I had no influence on these Kim developments.

 

[tomalak301]

I had another opinion that is very controversial I would think. My opinion on Doctor McCoy has diminished over the years, mainly because I find his racism towards Spock cringeworthy. People seem to love it in a joking matter, but McCoy was a bit of a racist and it hasn’t aged well. He was still a decent character but Phlox and Bashir are my two favorite Doctors in Star Trek and Culber is quickly gaining on them.

 

[FormerLurker]

McCoy was both a product of his time, and a product of his upbringing. I think it's fair to say that McCoy being raised in Georgia accounts for a lot of his overt racist behavior, especially toward Spock. Couple this with the fact that the show aired in the 1960's, and there is an argument that McCoy was shortchanged as a character following the run of the Original Series. Imagine a character arc for McCoy in one of the films, showing him obviously calling himself up short in an exchange with Spock, and when asked, he admits he's realized that what he had viewed as jokes at the time were closer to the racism of his ancestors from the 20th century, and offering an apology to Spock for them. That would have been profound.

 

[tomalak301]

McCoy was both a product of his time, and a product of his upbringing. I think it's fair to say that McCoy being raised in Georgia accounts for a lot of his overt racist behavior, especially toward Spock. Couple this with the fact that the show aired in the 1960's, and there is an argument that McCoy was shortchanged as a character following the run of the Original Series. Imagine a character arc for McCoy in one of the films, showing him obviously calling himself up short in an exchange with Spock, and when asked, he admits he's realized that what he had viewed as jokes at the time were closer to the racism of his ancestors from the 20th century, and offering an apology to Spock for them. That would have been profound.

I think that would have saved his character for me. I can rewatch the series knowing that yes McCoy was racist towards Spock, but in the end he realized the errors of his ways, apologized and both grew closer together because of it. It would have been a very Star Trek thing to end his character arc with.

 

[Lord Garth]

It's one of those things where if Kirk said something sexist or McCoy said something racist, to quote T'Bonz, you have to pretend they didn't say that. I have a different standard in general for shows and films made before the '90s, or it would be impossible (or at least a lot harder) to enjoy them.

Those types of attitudes in "The Cage" are something I didn't mind seeing retconned out of Discovery and I hope they stay retconned out in Strange New Worlds.

 

[Farscape One]

Thank you, Lord Garth.

I do the same thing. I keep in mind the era something is produced, and base my enjoyment on those standards. I can easily separate a 60s show from 21st century mindsets. This is why I can enjoy stuff from virtually any era.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

I do the same thing. I keep in mind the era something is produced, and base my enjoyment on those standards. I can easily separate a 60s show from 21st century mindsets. This is why I can enjoy stuff from virtually any era

I do that for all shows, it makes no sense to judge old media by contemporary standards, especially standards that are constantly changing.

 

[scotpens]

I never thought of McCoy's occasional gibes about Spock's pointed ears or his Vulcan physiology as "racist." In return, Spock would taunt McCoy about his emotionalism and his supposedly primitive medical skills. They could both get away with the superficial feuding because at heart they were good friends who respected one another.

Maybe I just don't buy into the 21st-century mindset that wants to see racism even where it doesn't exist.

 

[Farscape One]

I never thought of McCoy's occasional gibes about Spock's pointed ears or his Vulcan physiology as "racist." In return, Spock would taunt McCoy about his emotionalism and his supposedly primitive medical skills. They could both get away with the superficial feuding because at heart they were good friends who respected one another.

Maybe I just don't buy into the 21st-century mindset that wants to see racism even where it doesn't exist.

Exactly how I feel, from start to finish on this post.

 

[Tenacity]

Never saw McCoy as racist, more he was calling out Spock on his cold bloodedness when it came to his disregard for life, his egotistical superior attitude, his ignorance of emotions.

By the third season after they later became friends it became more ribbing a friend.

 

[Tenacity]

Lincoln isn't from the 21st Century. Neither was Captain Christopher.

Ahh, but they were people from the past.

Christopher was about as far in Kirk's past as the frozen trio were in Picard's.

 

[Nyotarules]

Never saw McCoy as racist, more he was calling out Spock on his cold bloodedness when it came to his disregard for life, his egotistical superior attitude, his ignorance of emotions.

By the third season after they later became friends it became more ribbing a friend.

If TOS was rebooted, a cranky McCoy can still call out Spock's seeming coldness, extreme logic and superior attitude without the racial insults, pointy eared so and so and disparaging remarks about his green blood and heart being the in 'wrong place' is as insulting as a modern doctor in a real life armed forces or NASA insulting their non white colleagues skin colour, different hair texture or culture.
McCoy treated Spock as 'the other', from a position of Terran privilege

 

[Paul755]

If TOS was rebooted, a cranky McCoy can still call out Spock's seeming coldness, extreme logic and superior attitude without the racial insults, pointy eared so and so and disparaging remarks about his green blood and heart being the in 'wrong place' is as insulting as a modern doctor in a real life armed forces or NASA insulting their non white colleagues skin colour, different hair texture or culture.
McCoy treated Spock as 'the other', from a position of Terran privilege

I mean...we did get a rebooted TOS and I seem to recall McCoy being that way to Spock. Although it’s been a while since I watched any of Trek ‘09, Into Darkness and Beyond.

I’m in the camp that never really saw it as racist from McCoy.

 

[cooleddie74]

McCoy did use the "green-blooded" and "pointy-eared" language in the Kelvin Timeline films so the J.J. update of the character isn't much different from the TOS, TAS, TOS Movie and TNG versions of him.

 

[Farscape One]

It really is no different than two close pals insulting each other. I never saw it as racist.

 

[Tenacity]

pointy eared

McCoy continued to use this in ST2009.

McCoy treated Spock as 'the other'

Spock make it clear that he considered himself as "other" from the people around him. According to his mother he was also estranged from other Vulcans.

 

[Nyotarules]

It really is no different than two close pals insulting each other. I never saw it as racist.

The insults took place years before the the relationship developed

 

[Nyotarules]

McCoy continued to use this in ST2009. Spock make it clear that he considered himself as "other" from the people around him. According to his mother he was also estranged from other Vulcans.

So because ones live in a racist society its ok to accept their racist labels.
I'll remember that the next time someone wants to call me a black so and so, and tells me to go back where I came from.
I bet the historic Trek writers room was not diverse, including the movies. 'Soft' racism is still racism even when coming from a 'liberal' mind set

 

[JirinPanthosa]

The only standard by which McCoy is racist is the PC definition of racism that it's a litmus test of specific flags regardless of intent or context.

 

[Nyotarules]

The only standard by which McCoy is racist is the PC definition of racism that it's a litmus test of specific flags regardless of intent or context.

The character McCoy, written by white people in the 1960's. I suspect their concept of what was racially insulting would be different from the average 'colored' person back then. Sure he was not meant to be a racist character but his words were based on a prejudice attitude to Spock as an alien, like it or not. Spock was based on a racially ignorant stereotype of the 'tortured half breed'.
Replace Spock the Vulcan, as a non white human and change the words and setting to the 20th century.