Singly most hated & despised ep of the whole 79

[DevilEyes]

"Plato's Stepchildren" - For years, Trekkies pointed to Kirk and Uhura's kiss as the first ever interracial kiss in network television history. That's since been refuted, but "Plato's Stepchildren" can still lay claim to the title of first ever interracial BDSM scene in network television history.

People like to try to discredit that kiss and claim that since the actors weren't REALLY kissing on set and were only pretending to kiss, that it doesn't count as the first interracial kiss on television. This is utter nonsense; it doesn't matter whether the actors were pretending or not - that's WHAT HAPPENS IN A TV SHOW. The point is what is being represented on screen, whether the actors are actually doing it or not. In which case, the kiss in "Plato's Stepchildren" truly IS the first interracial kiss in film and TV history.

And Captain April makes a good point; if it's not the first interracial kiss on TV, then what is?

Depends on what you define as "interracial", but if you mean a black person and a white person kissing - probably Nancy Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. greeting each other with a kiss on the musical variety show Movin' with Nancy in December 1967.

Sure, it was not a romantic kiss. But then neither was the Kirk/Uhura kiss. And at least Davis and Sinatra were not telekinetically controlled.

"Plato's Stepchildren" - For years, Trekkies pointed to Kirk and Uhura's kiss as the first ever interracial kiss in network television history. That's since been refuted, but "Plato's Stepchildren" can still lay claim to the title of first ever interracial BDSM scene in network television history.

Trek writers forgot that a white man cracking a whip at a black woman could carry some non-BDSM unfortunate implications.

 

[Warped9]

I've never really grasped the dislike for "Plato's Stepchildren" and "The Alternative Factor." They're not stellar, but I actually don't mind either one.

 

[Captain Robert April]

Well, I think "Plato's Stepchildren" can still lay claim to having the first interracial kiss for a dramatic series on network television. Nancy Sinatra's show was a whole different animal.

 

[cooleddie74]

"The Alternative Factor," followed by "Catspaw."

 

[ToddPence]

"Plato's Stepchildren" - For years, Trekkies pointed to Kirk and Uhura's kiss as the first ever interracial kiss in network television history. That's since been refuted, but "Plato's Stepchildren" can still lay claim to the title of first ever interracial BDSM scene in network television history.

Care to enlighten us as to what was the first interracial kiss on network television if this wasn't it?

Sidney Portier and Anne Bancroft at the 1964 Oscar ceremony.

 

[ChristopherPike]

At risk of sounding like Chekov, but instead having us Brits lay claim to every historic landmark...

I heard the first broadcast interacial kiss happened on a BBC TV show from the late 1950's called Emergency Ward 10. Like all programmes of that time, they were performed live and so there's probably no existing recording. Somebody once told me that Medical Drama starred future Doctor Who companion William Russell (aka Ian Chesterton). However I can find no evidence of that on IMDb, but a few British actors appeared on it... so who knows?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Well, I think "Plato's Stepchildren" can still lay claim to having the first interracial kiss for a dramatic series on network television. Nancy Sinatra's show was a whole different animal.

Asians don't count? Robert Culp kissed France Nuyen back in '66.

 

[Captain Robert April]

Oh, for the love of...

 

[Nerys Myk]

Is this a black and white only thing? I thought it was "interracial". Not black and white.

 

[Chrisisall]

Is this a black and white only thing? I thought it was "interracial". Not black and white.

Asians are exempt due to their potential "Geisha" status (Females only).

 

[TOS Purist]

*sigh*

Why must the world overcomplicate matters? Why must things get so technical?

By "interracial," then yes, in this case people mean "Between two individuals, one being of African origin and the other being Northern European origin," which is particularly significant due to the past mistreatment (understatement of the century) of Africans by Northern Europeans and the cultural tensions between both ethnic groups (again, putting it mildly). A kiss between a Northern European and an Asian individual doesn't have the same "shock value" or significance, as it were. Duh.

As for "kiss," in this case people mean "A kiss whereupon both individuals press their lips together for a brief period of time." As stated before, apparently Shatner and Nichols never actually kissed each other on the lips, per se, but their characters are supposed to have done so. This type of kiss is different than the kiss on Nancy Sinatra's show, which I'm assuming was a kiss on the cheek, unless she actually kissed Sammy Davis Jr. on his lips for more than just a brief second.

To recap:

Interracial - Between a "white" individual and a "black" individual.
Kiss - Kissing on the lips (as Kirk showed Kelinda in "By Any Other Name").

"Plato's Stepchildren"'s claim to fame is still valid.

 

[Chrisisall]

A kiss between a Northern European and an Asian individual doesn't have the same "shock value" or significance, as it were. Duh.

Hence the bigotry inherent in the issue.

Whatever, I evolved beyond that in the 60's.

 

[AtoZ]

There are no episodes that I despise or hate. The weakest for me are the following three....and I still love aspects about them despite being "bad":

Plato's Stepchildren
Let that Be Your Last Battlefield
Who Mourns for Adonais

 

[Chrisisall]

Who Mourns for Adonais

I disagree with this choice, but I respect your decision as a fellow Trek fan.

 

[Nerys Myk]

*sigh*

Why must the world overcomplicate matters? Why must things get so technical?

By "interracial," then yes, in this case people mean "Between two individuals, one being of African origin and the other being Northern European origin," which is particularly significant due to the past mistreatment (understatement of the century) of Africans by Northern Europeans and the cultural tensions between both ethnic groups (again, putting it mildly). A kiss between a Northern European and an Asian individual doesn't have the same "shock value" or significance, as it were. Duh.

As for "kiss," in this case people mean "A kiss whereupon both individuals press their lips together for a brief period of time." As stated before, apparently Shatner and Nichols never actually kissed each other on the lips, per se, but their characters are supposed to have done so. This type of kiss is different than the kiss on Nancy Sinatra's show, which I'm assuming was a kiss on the cheek, unless she actually kissed Sammy Davis Jr. on his lips for more than just a brief second.

To recap:

Interracial - Between a "white" individual and a "black" individual.
Kiss - Kissing on the lips (as Kirk showed Kelinda in "By Any Other Name").

"Plato's Stepchildren"'s claim to fame is still valid.

Funny, you complain about ovecomplication and then list the qualifiers to the term "interracial".

 

[TOS Purist]

Yes, I was complaining about overcomplication and how it's practically required to explain anything to anybody these days. At the same time I was giving a preliminary complaint to the fact that I, too, would have to overcomplicate the issue by listing exacting descriptions for the various terms I was using, lol.

 

[Chrisisall]

I was giving a preliminary complaint to the fact that I, too, would have to overcomplicate the issue by listing exacting descriptions for the various terms I was using, lol.

My head hurts.

 

[TOS Purist]

My head hurts.

Sorry about that!

 

[Nerys Myk]

Think about time travel.

 

[DevilEyes]

Is this a black and white only thing? I thought it was "interracial". Not black and white.

Asians are exempt due to their potential "Geisha" status (Females only).