which is funny, because there was a time when romances *were* tales of action and adventure and derring-do (with a sprinkling of, oh my lady love).
What do you think about people "Shipping" Kirk and Spock?
- Thread starter ILoveVoyager
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And there are times it works well but for science fiction that's less my interest.
You have to have a good writer that has a clear sense of what the relationship means within the greater context of the story.
Indeed yes, there should always be a story purpose behind it and not just romantic interest because romantic interest check box.
That's why I'll say that Trek occasionally does romance well. But, it's not the chief reason I go to Trek, and it needs a driver behind it. It's why Kelvin Trek does a little bit better here because it uses it to show character development.
TOS is profoundly hit and miss and that's unfortunate.
Fanlore has some quotes from Roddenberry and prominent K/S fans from back in the day.
T'hy'la (Vulcan term) - Fanlore
I remember somewhere hearing that William Shatner said that as he had no best friends, he drew on his feelings of being a spouse/lover/husband in how he fashioned his reactions to Spock. So it doesn't seem odd to me that people react to that. Look at what Spock says to Kirk in Star Trek V, when they tease the audience that Kirk is about to hug (or maybe even kiss Spock): "Please, Captain. Not in front of the Klingons." In the novelization, Kirk hugs Spock anyway (though they cut away in the film).
None of this means that I think they are physically lovers (I don't), but I agree that their relationship is flirtatious, romantic, caring, and deep and complex. I don't know what to call it, but t'hy'la makes sense.
None of this means that I think they are physically lovers (I don't), but I agree that their relationship is flirtatious, romantic, caring, and deep and complex. I don't know what to call it, but t'hy'la makes sense.
Though I remember Shatner saying in one of his books that he had no friends growing up, and his only close relationships were romantic ones, I don't think he ever linked this fact to the way Kirk interacts with Spock in any way.
In "Star Trek Memories", however, Nimoy compares Spock and McCoy's relationship with that of comedic duo George Burns and Gracie Allen, who were a married couple (Spock would be George and McCoy would be Gracie). Perhaps is this what you're thinking about?
Two characters who talk to each other, see things differently, and sometimes get a laugh? That isn't much to hang your hat on. I'm surprised Nimoy would make such a loose and random comparison.
I never saw that show, but apparently George would be this serious man who often was exasperated by his wife's illogical arguments. In that way, I can see why Nimoy would think of him while playing Spock.
"especially heterosexual ones"? No other kinds existed during all but the tail end of the 1960s. Not on prime time television.
And, again, except for the very tail end of the 1960s, those we did see were all very chaste. That was the prevailing atmosphere on television at the time, and that which existed for movies (The Hays Code was not replaced by the MPAA ratings system until nearly the end of 1968) was almost as stiff.
It just occurred to me after watching an episode of Starsky and Hutch tonight, were Ken and Dave also getting it on or wasn't it big enough a show for that kind of interest?
JB
JB
Dunno. What does the fanfic say?
Because what this entire thread has been about, after all, is fanfic. Nothing more.
Given how much humor the movie franchise incorporated starting with TSFS—much of it self-referential and audience-aware—I'm pretty sure that scene was written/devised by Shatner or whomever in order to acknowledge or "lampshade" the existence of the shipper theory. But ultimately, who cares? It's charming.
I've missed you, @johnnybear!
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Why is it called shipping? I thought it had another name a while back.
JB
JB
Shipping comes from the word 'relationship'. Though if you're talking about fan fiction featuring a same-sex ship you could call it slash fiction. As in Kirk/Spock (Kirk-slash-Spock).
Okay yes I've heard of slash. Thanks.
JB
JB
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