T'Pau's Wife

[Neopeius]

I was listening to Leonard Nimoy's first album today (came out at the end of the first season, in early '67), and when we got to Twinkle Twinkle Little Earth, I noted this remarkable stanza:

Now, as to the matter of space sanitation, will you take a moment to consider all the littering and debris my planet has to contend with? Old nose cones, cameras, and even a corned-beef sandwich. And those rocket fumes. On Vulcan, our leader's wife has started a "Let's Keep Space Beautiful Campaign"

So, going on these highly logical premises:

1) The song clearly is Word of God canon, since it is Spock singing explicitly about Vulcan, and the album itself is called Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock’s Music from Outer Space (emphasis added); and,

2) Vulcan's leader, as we will find out in just a few weeks, is T'Pau, a woman; therefore,

T'Pau has a wife, and gay marriage is legal on Vulcan. Talk about progressive for 1967!

(of course, forbidding gay marriage would be highly illogical, so I'm not surprised that it flourishes on Vulcan, the most logical of planets)

((I look forward to a long argument on what is and isn't canon from folks who take this post too seriously))

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I don't recall any evidence that T'Pau was leader of all of Vulcan.

She was clearly an important person, to be sure, but there's nothing to suggest that she was the leader of their entire society.

 

[J.T.B.]

I don't think there's anything to indicate T'pau is the leader of the planet, just a Vulcan bigwig who's officiating the ceremony.

I doubt any more thought went into what was on the record than to make a throwaway reference to Lady Bird Johnson.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

T’Pau may not be the leader…but she clearly has Heart and Soul.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I have the Varese CD edition of Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space, the one that adds seven bonus tracks from Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy. I'll have to revisit it when I get a chance. I'll also have to play my CD of William Shatner's The Transformed Man. There's no point in owning these things if you never play them.

For any young fans who might be reading, Nimoy's line "our leader's wife has started a 'Let's Keep Space Beautiful Campaign'" was a direct reference to Lady Bird Johnson and her public efforts to clean up litter and get flowers planted. Today, hearing Nimoy sing about it as a current, topical joke kind of spotlights how old Star Trek is. Today it's a historical reference.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

T’Pau may not be the leader…but she clearly has Heart and Soul.

The band was asked about their name, and they admitted they got it from channel surfing a Star Trek rerun.

And may I say, what a fantastic song "Heart and Soul" is (link to Youtube). It's still on my iPod.

 

[Neopeius]

I don't think there's anything to indicate T'pau is the leader of the planet, just a Vulcan bigwig who's officiating the ceremony.

I doubt any more thought went into what was on the record than to make a throwaway reference to Lady Bird Johnson.

Nuh uh!!!!

I have the Varese CD edition of Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space, the one that adds seven bonus tracks from Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy. I'll have to revisit it when I get a chance. I'll also have to play my CD of William Shatner's The Transformed Man. There's no point in owning these things if you never play them.

For any young fans who might be reading, Nimoy's line "our leader's wife has started a 'Let's Keep Space Beautiful Campaign'" was a direct reference to Lady Bird Johnson and her public efforts to clean up litter and get flowers planted. Today, hearing Nimoy sing about it as a current, topical joke kind of spotlights how old Star Trek is. Today it's a historical reference.

The reference to the corned beef sandwich is topical, too (Gemini 3) Good catch on the Lady Bird reference!

So, you think T'Pau makes all her family have her initials? They're all TPs?

 

[PCz911]

The script implies she was a person of great political importance, but it never said “Vulcans leader”
….
KIRK: Bones, you know who that is? T'Pau. The only person to ever turn down a seat on the Federation Council.
…
KIRK: Well, a little late, but I'm glad they're seeing it our way. How about that T'Pau? They couldn't turn her down. Mister Chekov, lay in a course for Altair Six. Leave orbit when ready. Kirk out.
….
Her Kung fu is very good, but is she Vulcans leader? Doesn’t say one way or the other.

 

[Neopeius]

The script implies she was a person of great political importance, but it never said “Vulcans leader”
….
KIRK: Bones, you know who that is? T'Pau. The only person to ever turn down a seat on the Federation Council.
…
KIRK: Well, a little late, but I'm glad they're seeing it our way. How about that T'Pau? They couldn't turn her down. Mister Chekov, lay in a course for Altair Six. Leave orbit when ready. Kirk out.
….
Her Kung fu is very good, but is she Vulcans leader? Doesn’t say one way or the other.

Occam's Razor. T'Pau is the leader, and her wife, Tady Pird, runs the Vulcanian Beautification Project.

<folds arms>

 

[Doug Otte]

I always inferred from Amok Time that T'Pau is Vulcan's leader, even if that phrase was never uttered.
I feel rather that Nimoy didn't know about Amok Time when he recorded the song, and he assumed the leader was a man.

 

[Dukhat]

If T’Pau was Vulcan’s leader, she would have been referred to as such. She was not.

 

[PCz911]

Occam's Razor. T'Pau is the leader, and her wife, Tady Pird, runs the Vulcanian Beautification Project.

<folds arms>

Wow. I had to look up Occam’s razor. Look, I’m just a simple minded marketer, philosophy was not part of the mba curriculum.

In my opinion, given the script , we would be extrapolating the facts rather loosely into her being THE Vulcan leader.

In TOS , the form of government has not been established on Vulcan so for all we know it could be a logical collective vs a single leader.

What we do know, for sure, is that she has some serious clout.

And, no, I refuse to quote the C word (canon) … since it’s used and abused so much. Besides, my personal head canon is so messed up.

 

[Neopeius]

In TOS , the form of government has not been established on Vulcan so for all we know it could be a logical collective vs a single leader.

Now there's a fascinating thought. I am reading Theodore H. White's "Fire in the Ashes" about post-war Europe (1954) and it talks about why Communism fails -- because it is a logical system imposed on illogical humans, thus necessitating increased police enforcement.

Is Vulcan a Communist state? Is T'Pau "Dear Leader"? An interesting line for exploration, thank you.

 

[FederationHistorian]

She wasn’t the leader of Vulcan in Amok Time, though she clearly wields a lot of influence on Vulcan.

If she was ever a leader of Vulcan, it was during the time of Enterprise, since Archer specifically mentions that T’Pau “could have picked a better time to clean house” when he was assembling a coalition to deal with the Romulans. She was clearly in charge of Vulcan back then.

T’Pau circa TOS is supposed to be a very important person on Vulcan, important enough that she is offered a seat on the Federation Council at one point. But its never explicitly stated that she herself is the leader of Vulcan at this time. Of course, its also never explicitly stated what her orientation is in either TOS or ENT, or if she even held any attraction to any gender at all.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I was listening to Leonard Nimoy's first album today

I'm surprised your brain did not ooze out of your ears during that experience.

About the rest of your post, clearly, there was no established T'Pau at the time he recorded his candidate for The Worst Celebrity Record in Human History, so he assumed Vulcan was ruled by a male, and had a wife.

I wonder what teenage bought this back in '67 and thinking Spock was so "cool", took it to a friend's house, only to be mocked into fleeing the scene...?

 

[Neopeius]

I'm surprised your brain did not ooze out of your ears during that experience.

Philistine.

About the rest of your post, clearly, there was no established T'Pau at the time he recorded his candidate for The Worst Celebrity Record in Human History, so he assumed Vulcan was ruled by a male, and had a wife.

*sticks fingers in ears* LA LA LA LA LA LA.

Did you say something?

I wonder what teenage bought this back in '67 and thinking Spock was so "cool", took it to a friend's house, only to be mocked into fleeing the scene...?

I imagine lots and lots of teenaged girls bought it, brought it to their friend's house, and had a ball.

 

[Kor]

Was the album on the same level as Nimoy's famous video performance of The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins?

Kor

 

[dswynne1]

I was listening to Leonard Nimoy's first album today (came out at the end of the first season, in early '67), and when we got to Twinkle Twinkle Little Earth, I noted this remarkable stanza:

Now, as to the matter of space sanitation, will you take a moment to consider all the littering and debris my planet has to contend with? Old nose cones, cameras, and even a corned-beef sandwich. And those rocket fumes. On Vulcan, our leader's wife has started a "Let's Keep Space Beautiful Campaign"

So, going on these highly logical premises:

1) The song clearly is Word of God canon, since it is Spock singing explicitly about Vulcan, and the album itself is called Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock’s Music from Outer Space (emphasis added); and,

2) Vulcan's leader, as we will find out in just a few weeks, is T'Pau, a woman; therefore,

T'Pau has a wife, and gay marriage is legal on Vulcan. Talk about progressive for 1967!

(of course, forbidding gay marriage would be highly illogical, so I'm not surprised that it flourishes on Vulcan, the most logical of planets)

((I look forward to a long argument on what is and isn't canon from folks who take this post too seriously))

In regards to the "forbidding gay marriage is illogical": according to whom? If there was a species-level extinction event, forbidding ALL marriages might be the most logical thing to do, if only one percent of viable human beings are available to procreate, unless cloning was an option, and then you run into the problem of "cellular fading" (a copy of a copy, of a copy, etc.). As to T'Pau having a "wife": I don't see a problem with it, especially considering that there is not a prohibition against same-sex marriages on Vulcan, especially if arranged unions weren't key towards "social climbing".

 

[Neopeius]

Was the album on the same level as Nimoy's famous video performance of The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins?

Well, the video performance had girls in Spock ears and lots of funny buttons, so I think that wins.

(and while it looks weird to a modern audience, it fits right in with the musical shows of the mid/late 60s -- I guess you just have to be there)

In regards to the "forbidding gay marriage is illogical": according to whom? If there was a species-level extinction event, forbidding ALL marriages might be the most logical thing to do, if only one percent of viable human beings are available to procreate, unless cloning was an option, and then you run into the problem of "cellular fading"

Everyone's a contrarian...

(actually, I've always maintained the head canon that Spock is a clone of Sarek, since hybridizing Humans and Vulcans makes no biological sense. It also makes for some lovely drama.)

(a copy of a copy, of a copy, etc.).

Nine Inch Nails fan?

As to T'Pau having a "wife": I don't see a problem with it, especially considering that there is not a prohibition against same-sex marriages on Vulcan, especially if arranged unions weren't key towards "social climbing".

Hear hear! True love forever! As long as it's logical. No more than two fingers, please.

 

[Neopeius]

I don't recall any evidence that T'Pau was leader of all of Vulcan.

She was clearly an important person, to be sure, but there's nothing to suggest that she was the leader of their entire society.

Two pieces of evidence:

1) She turned down a seat on the Federation Council -- I would guess that body is a representative one, and it makes sense that the representative would be the current or prior leader of a planet.

2) This picture, from The Making of Star Trek (which, if not canon, was supposed to be authoritative at the time, plugged as such by Roddenberry in the summer of '67)

So, yes, it's never explicitly said in the show that T'Pau is Vulcan's leader. But I think it'd take a lot of fingers in the ears and nannie-nannie-boo-boo to say she can't be.

And anyone saying she isn't, well, they'll have to kalifi T'Pau's wife.