Roasting Roddenberry
- Thread starter EnriqueH
- Start date
Bill, I admire Roddenberry’s work on Star Trek and service to our country, but I do recognize his flaws and have said so earlier in this thread. So please don’t accuse me of “Worship”. Thanks.
It has read as worship, might want to choose your words more carefully if you don't want it to come across that way.
I’d argue that the Clipper Eclipse crash was a pivotal moment in Gene’s life, but this web comic take more liberties with the actual events than Gene’s authorized biography does.
This is on my list of Fact Trek projects, hopefully next year.
When it comes to the claims about his conduct around women it boils down to one word: consent.
Without consent then any sexual behaviour or action towards a woman is harassment, assault or rape. If actresses were promised work in return for sexual favours that is not consent, it is coercion. Whilst things may have been very different in the 60s (and more so in Hollywood) it all boils down to a woman willingly getting involved with someone, not in exchange for anything, not out of obligation, nor out of fear.
Even today we have no idea how many cases of sexual assault or rape go unreported, due to the fear or stigma women feel they might face, they have been violated and may not want to go through reliving the incident in front of police or courts. The fact is most women are harassed on a daily basis and always need to have their guard up, whilst if a woman wears something "provocative" then she is often blamed as she was "asking for it"--rather than addressing the toxic masculinity that makes men think they can act however they want.
Roddenberry got lucky with his name on a franchise that has gone of for as long as it has, but he was a figurehead, he didn't do everything himself, he didn't do it in order to preach of a socialist utopia, he did it for his own legacy and profit.
Whilst there are a lot of primary sources cited in this discussion, we may never know the whole story, with time changing peoples recollections, bribes being made to keep others quiet, others not wanting to bring themselves shame or ridicule (because lets face it, if a woman emerged now with her story of abuse faced at the hands of Roddenberry there are large sways of the fandom who would hound her until her life was miserable), but its safe to say that the man did not practice what he preached and putting him on some untouchable pedestal is a little deluded.
Without consent then any sexual behaviour or action towards a woman is harassment, assault or rape. If actresses were promised work in return for sexual favours that is not consent, it is coercion. Whilst things may have been very different in the 60s (and more so in Hollywood) it all boils down to a woman willingly getting involved with someone, not in exchange for anything, not out of obligation, nor out of fear.
Even today we have no idea how many cases of sexual assault or rape go unreported, due to the fear or stigma women feel they might face, they have been violated and may not want to go through reliving the incident in front of police or courts. The fact is most women are harassed on a daily basis and always need to have their guard up, whilst if a woman wears something "provocative" then she is often blamed as she was "asking for it"--rather than addressing the toxic masculinity that makes men think they can act however they want.
Roddenberry got lucky with his name on a franchise that has gone of for as long as it has, but he was a figurehead, he didn't do everything himself, he didn't do it in order to preach of a socialist utopia, he did it for his own legacy and profit.
Whilst there are a lot of primary sources cited in this discussion, we may never know the whole story, with time changing peoples recollections, bribes being made to keep others quiet, others not wanting to bring themselves shame or ridicule (because lets face it, if a woman emerged now with her story of abuse faced at the hands of Roddenberry there are large sways of the fandom who would hound her until her life was miserable), but its safe to say that the man did not practice what he preached and putting him on some untouchable pedestal is a little deluded.
I have an interesting experience from this Spring. I was chatting with one girl through WhatsUpp and I´ve told her how man is losing illusions, how I´ve recently learrned that Star Trek´s creator probably raped an actress on set. She answered with something like: "Well, that´s disheartening, because I´ve always thought STAR TREK MUST HAVE BEEN CRATED BY TOTAL AND UTTER GENIUS!!!!"
I have hurt her fan girl feelings.
I have hurt her fan girl feelings.
Then again, if I´m getting it right, this "somebody" fired her from ST, because he felt horribly guilty whenever he saw her, so he supposedly was drunk/out of his mind when the thing happened. To continue the previous notes why most of women aren´t able to discuss their rape when it occurrs (if at all), based on my recent contacts with victims, explination is unfortunately quite simple. The trauma is too high.
You can be a genius and still be morally bankrupt.
Interesting choice of thread title. Am I the only one who wished that there could have actually been a Roast of Gene Roddenberry? 
Interesting choice of thread title. Am I the only one who wished that there could have actually been a Roast of Gene Roddenberry?
There was. A day or so after he died.
srsly, a Roddenberry roast would have been off the charts hilarious. Roasts were a thing when GR was alive, probably long before it even. And the Shatner one (the only Trek roast I'm aware of) was pretty funny, wasn't it?
I'm not sure Roddenberry was the type that would've liked having his shortcomings trotted out for an audience to laugh at.
"Hey! Remember when you raped Janice Rand? You got to her before Kirk did!" - HAHAHAHA
^ I would imagine that anybody who's being roasted learns real damn quick that they had better laugh at it.
If you're being roasted and you act offended, or take things personally or seriously, you wouldn't last ten seconds.
If you're being roasted and you act offended, or take things personally or seriously, you wouldn't last ten seconds.
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