"Plato's Stepchildren:" Kirk-Uhura Rape Scene?

[Danger Ace]

From the The 14th Annual NAACP Image Awards:

In 1967 the Beverly Hills-Hollywood Branch of the NAACP created annual “Image Awards” to recognize those individuals and groups who present positive images of blacks or improve their opportunity for employment in the motion picture, television, and recording industries. The first Image Awards were presented to the producers of “Hogan’s Heroes,” “I Spy,” “Mission Impossible,” “Star Trek,” and other television shows. Since then the Image Awards program has evolved to include other people of color and the field of literature as a category.

Though the Meyer Dolinsky's episode was broadcast November 22, 1968, I can only surmise his intent was to write with the spirit of this award in mind.

Why would you or anyone surmise that? The meaning you seem to attache to your supplied quote is an ill-considered stretch as I doubt the spirit of any NAACP award is to reinforce the imagery of an african-american woman "to kiss/be kissed" by anyone against her will.

The only thing we can "surmise' is that Dolinsky accepted a commission to write a script for "Star Trek" that would please the producers and make himself some money - and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. He was a fine writer who specialised in the science fiction genre.

The clear purpose of any NAACP award or positive mention would be in recognition and positive affirmation of Nichelle's continued presence on the series overall.

 

[not]

From the The 14th Annual NAACP Image Awards:

In 1967 the Beverly Hills-Hollywood Branch of the NAACP created annual “Image Awards” to recognize those individuals and groups who present positive images of blacks or improve their opportunity for employment in the motion picture, television, and recording industries. The first Image Awards were presented to the producers of “Hogan’s Heroes,” “I Spy,” “Mission Impossible,” “Star Trek,” and other television shows. Since then the Image Awards program has evolved to include other people of color and the field of literature as a category.

Though the Meyer Dolinsky's episode was broadcast November 22, 1968, I can only surmise his intent was to write with the spirit of this award in mind.

Why would you or anyone surmise that? The meaning you seem to attache to your supplied quote is an ill-considered stretch as I doubt the spirit of any NAACP award is to reinforce the imagery of an african-american woman "to kiss/be kissed" by anyone against her will.

You are forgetting that Kirk was forced to kiss too. Yes, James Tiberius proved his sexuality but think of the telekinetic assault from the perspective of a gay man –both equally unwilling

The only thing we can "surmise' is that Dolinsky accepted a commission to write a script for "Star Trek" that would please the producers and make himself some money - and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. He was a fine writer who specialised in the science fiction genre.

I don’t really don’t know his work –I am not that type of fan but I found this article interesting that refers to his “misogynistic, another recurring undercurrent in Dolinsky's work” but is that fair?

The clear purpose of any NAACP award or positive mention would be in recognition and positive affirmation of Nichelle's continued presence on the series overall

.
Hmm, I believe the award was to acknowledge that black men and women were breaking out of stereotypical performances and to further encourage the dismantling of limiting characters based on societal rules. Uhura kissing a white man would have met that definition

 

[Shaka Zulu]

Networks were subject to Broadcast Standards and Practices and I've come to realize the "rape" aspect was just the writer's attempt to appease and avoid censorship of an interracial relationship. After all, these popular characters were not going against 60's societal norms, they were being forced against their own wills


Ergo, the "rape" responsibility was never theirs but their mind controllers

I stated that in my post. I said Kirk was just as much a victim as Uhura thereby placing the full responsibility on the Platonions.

And in skirting Standards & Practices those in-charge undermined their own efforts. "Free will" is everything in something like this and without it you cannot claim any social victory. Did african-americans sit at home and view that scene as a sign of social progress? Did african-american women? Did women in general? Whose cause was forwarded by that? It sure wasn't any civil-rights victory.

The meaning attached to the Kirk-Uhura kiss was always and will always be a sad grab for PR and contrived relevance. Which is shame because of all the other real contributions it gave us.

I mean: Uhura's presence was a positive for millions, no-doubt about that. As was George Takei's appearances. TOS championed a lot of progressive ideas, but let us be honest about it so as not to diminish them is my point.

IMHO, the best kiss was not that event, but the kiss in the 2009 movie between Uhura and Spock. Other better moments are the kiss between Odo & Kira, the emotional moment when Trip acknowledges that his beloved sister is dead on Enterprise, and a whole host of others I can't remember now. All of what I've mentioned are way, way better than some forced S&M game concocted by Meyer Dolinsky.

 

[Danger Ace]

Hmm, I believe the award was to acknowledge that black men and women were breaking out of stereotypical performances...

I agree with the above. Now explain again how an african-american woman being forced to kiss a white man is breaking out of a stereotype? <-- brilliant use of an emoticon.

 

[Marsden]

Nimoy wasn't involved in the incident. Whitney told him about it after the fact, and they were in the room together when the "executive" came by with a polished stone to apologize. That's why he knows the man's identity.

Didn't mean to imply otherwise.

I'm sorry, Harvey, you didn't imply that, but I came to the wrong conclusion. I've read the sample text available to the book on amazon and it explained very well that Mr. Nimoy is a caring man and she confided in him. Sorry I thought something else might have been the case.



Maybe this is too off the subject of the OP but I think a better demenstration of racial equality and breaking of stereotypes in Star Trek is in Court Martial when Commodore Stone was bossing Capt. Kirk around as his clear superior. But maybe that isn't dramatic enough.

 

[Shaka Zulu]

Maybe this is too off the subject of the OP but I think a better demonstration of racial equality and breaking of stereotypes in Star Trek is in Court Martial when Commodore Stone was bossing Capt. Kirk around as his clear superior. But maybe that isn't dramatic enough.

That's one of the best ones ever, and really shows what racial equality in an idealized future could be like.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

That's one of the best ones ever, and really shows what racial equality in an idealized future could be like.

I also shows what every police procedural I ever saw after 1990 looked like. The gruff, no-nonsense chief of detectives, who has to yell at the white stars a lot, is black, almost as reliably as long-tailed tabbies tend to be cats.

 

[not]

Hmm, I believe the award was to acknowledge that black men and women were breaking out of stereotypical performances...

I agree with the above. Now explain again how an african-american woman being forced to kiss a white man is breaking out of a stereotype? <-- brilliant use of an emoticon.

Interesting, your lack of understanding is based on what I think is the only clarion response I gave!

In retrospect, it is man’s nature to analyze history with an emphasis on 'perfection' but it is just messy. People desiring the purity of change make compromises that are later deemed ‘just wrong’.

On the face of it “…how an african-american woman being forced to kiss a white man is breaking out of a stereotype?” is such a paradox. Enslavement in the US includes a history of sexual assault against Black women (and likely men too). In my opinion, the forced kiss between Kirk and Uhura was a subtle introduction to the African-American experience.

 

[Pauln6]

I think that the stronger message of the episode is about disability discrimination, a message that Trek has approached rather limply in recent years. Keenser is treated like a skivvy, because of his comic potential, despite being an officer in NuTrek. Rather ironic.

 

[scotpens]

I think that the stronger message of the episode is about disability discrimination, a message that Trek has approached rather limply in recent years.

I see what you did there.

 

[Danger Ace]

Maybe this is too off the subject of the OP but I think a better demenstration of racial equality and breaking of stereotypes in Star Trek is in Court Martial when Commodore Stone was bossing Capt. Kirk around as his clear superior. But maybe that isn't dramatic enough.

You're close enough as one of my points has always been that "Star Trek: TOS" is filled with many examples such as the one you put out there, therefore, why propagandize "the kiss?"

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

You're close enough as one of my points has always been that "Star Trek: TOS" is filled with many examples such as the one you put out there, therefore, why propagandize "the kiss?"

Because at the time, it was one thing to see Stone act as Kirk's superior, or Cosby's I Spy character Alexander Scott be the equal of Culp's Kelly Robinson, but romance of any kind between a man and woman of different racial backgrounds was not going to happen anywhere else, particularly since that was (for many Americans) the "forbidden" relation dating back to the slave era.

Making the kiss the "big, groundbreaking deal" was possible for the reasons posted above, and as long as other series of the period were not going to take that step (ex. The Mod Squad, where the Julie and Linc characters were never written to have romanitc feeling for the other), Star Trek could trumpet their episode forever.

Pretty close to what happened during the syndication years.

 

[Danger Ace]

... but romance of any kind between a man and woman of different racial backgrounds was not going to happen anywhere else, particularly since that was (for many Americans) the "forbidden" relation dating back to the slave era.

Except there simply was no "romance" involved in "the kiss." Both Kirk and Uhura were visibly fighting it. No "free will," no credit.

Also there have always been inter-racial relationships and marriages throughout the US and world history. Sometimes there were problems because of it, sometimes there weren't. Some folks actually didn't care. Then again, even today some can get hard looks.

Making the kiss the "big, groundbreaking deal" was possible for the reasons posted above, and as long as other series of the period were not going to take that step ...

Except by making it a forced kiss "Star Trek" didn't truly break any ground or take that step either. It's a case of "The Emperor's New Clothes" with most everyone standing around applauding the non-existent splendorous dressings of a naked man.

 

[Nerys Myk]

... but romance of any kind between a man and woman of different racial backgrounds was not going to happen anywhere else, particularly since that was (for many Americans) the "forbidden" relation dating back to the slave era.

Except there simply was no "romance" involved in "the kiss." Both Kirk and Uhura were visibly fighting it. No "free will," no credit.

Also there have always been inter-racial relationships and marriages throughout the US and world history. Sometimes there were problems because of it, sometimes there weren't. Some folks actually didn't care. Then again, even today some can get hard looks.

The time and place of the kiss (the US in the 1960s) is what made it "controversial". While there were interracial marriages and relationships, it was also a time of segregation with things like white only water fountains. So a white man and a black woman kissing under any circumstance could be looked upon with disfavor in many circles.

Making the kiss the "big, groundbreaking deal" was possible for the reasons posted above, and as long as other series of the period were not going to take that step ...

Except by making it a forced kiss "Star Trek" didn't truly break any ground or take that step either. It's a case of "The Emperor's New Clothes" with most everyone standing around applauding the non-existent splendorous dressings of a naked man.

As I said a above, the image of a white man and a black woman kissing, under any circumstances was seen as controversial. Though, I agree the circumstances aren't as groundbreaking as Kirk and Uhura being romantically involved or if one Kirk's love interests have been played by a black actress.

 

[Maurice]

But was it actually controversial or was it greeted with indifference? I suspect this might be another case of print the myth.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

But was it actually controversial or was it greeted with indifference? I suspect this might be another case of print the myth.

When "Plato's Stepchildren" first aired, I think Star Trek was on at 10 pm on Friday night. That's a graveyard shift for TV because the desired demographic goes out to movies, parties, bars, etc. Children were in bed and that left older folks, many of whom were already asleep as well.

That, plus the blink-and-you-missed-it kiss duration, and the fact that many viewers who did tune in probably considered it a deeply lousy episode and didn't stick with it that far into the timeslot, and I would bet that The Kiss didn't cause any stir at all in 1968. The nation was reeling from actual events and would hardly be on pins and needles to see what went down on Star Trek -- in a silly, frequently embarrassing episode, no less.

Even today, I notice that none of the shows I give a damn about are shown on Friday night.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Yeah, way more things in 1968 than a bad Trek episode for folks to get up in the air about. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968

 

[Nerys Myk]

But was it actually controversial or was it greeted with indifference? I suspect this might be another case of print the myth.

That would depend on who you were and where you lived, which is why I said "controversial".
Personally I think it's a bit overblown. Though civil rights and segregation were still an issue in 1968 as the February 8 entry in Gov. Kodos' list shows. Was a show like Star Trek even a blip on the racist radar? Hard to say. But if say, Diahann Carroll had been cast as Elaan or as Helen Noel back in 1966, the blip might have been bigger.

 

[Gov Kodos]

But was it actually controversial or was it greeted with indifference? I suspect this might be another case of print the myth.

That would depend on who you were and where you lived, which is why I said "controversial".
Personally I think it's a bit overblown. Though civil rights and segregation were still an issue in 1968 as the February 8 entry in Gov. Kodos' list shows. Was a show like Star Trek even a blip on the racist radar? Hard to say. But if say, Diahann Carroll had been cast as Elaan or as Helen Noel back in 1966, the blip might have been bigger.

Or had Uhura been regularly left in command as senior officer of the deck when Spock and Kirk went planet side there might have been more notice taken.

 

[not]

But was it actually controversial or was it greeted with indifference? I suspect this might be another case of print the myth.

That would depend on who you were and where you lived, which is why I said "controversial".
Personally I think it's a bit overblown. Though civil rights and segregation were still an issue in 1968 as the February 8 entry in Gov. Kodos' list shows. Was a show like Star Trek even a blip on the racist radar? Hard to say. But if say, Diahann Carroll had been cast as Elaan or as Helen Noel back in 1966, the blip might have been bigger.

Or had Uhura been regularly left in command as senior officer of the deck when Spock and Kirk went planet side there might have been more notice taken.

More so because Uhura was female and an African-American?