What If Wes Had Been A GIRL?

[Rush Limborg]

I'm referring to the older versions of the show "bible", in which Gene, D.C., Justman and Company experimented with the idea of Leslie Crusher, rather than the current Wesley. The reason for this was because they wanted to show the problems that a teenage girl has, growing up--"something you usually didn't see".

What do you think would've happened if they had gone this route? Would fan reaction have been different?

Any thoughts?

 

[PhoenixIreland]

A grown up version of Wildman with superpowers.

In other words: an abomination.

 

[cultcross]

The reason for this was because they wanted to show the problems that a teenage girl has, growing up--"something you usually didn't see".

I think it would have been hilarious to see how a show so prim and proper, so prudish as TNG would have handled this.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Riker would've been courtmartialed for hitting that jailbait....actually, I'm not sure Riker didn't have relations with Wesley. I mean his crush in "The Outcast" was less feminine than Wes.

 

[Rush Limborg]

Here's somethin':

Maybe all the "Wes-haters" who are guys would've reacted more positively towards a babe...hmm...?

 

[RobertScorpio]

Yar, Troi, Crusher and Leslie...Picard, Riker, Data, Geordi (Worf was a back ground character)....I don't know. I think it would explain why Wes seemed a bit goofy at the start if the writers had him as a girl in the early scripts....Ultimately the character wasn't written that well, in that first season. I think he got better as it went, but some of those early episodes (Naked Now) are hard to watch because of Wesley..just keeping it real..

Rob

 

[Timewalker]

There is a guy in Calgary who took a lot of teasing back in the late '80s and early '90s... because he looked enough like Wil Wheaton that everybody called him "Wesley" and constantly made jokes about him. Had Wesley been "Leslie" this guy would have had an easier time during those years...

However, storywise... I bet "Leslie" would have had an unrequited crush on Riker.

 

[Therin of Andor]

What do you think would've happened if they had gone this route? Would fan reaction have been different?

"The Game", with Ashley Judd as Robin Lefler, would have been extremely popular with male fans, and would have started a whole slab of "X-rated" L/R slash fanfic.

 

[Red Ranger]

Does anyone know who TPTB thought of casting as Leslie Crusher? I think it would've been better, frankly, as much as I like Wil Wheaton as a person and an actor. -- RR

 

[RAMA]

The reason for this was because they wanted to show the problems that a teenage girl has, growing up--"something you usually didn't see".

I think it would have been hilarious to see how a show so prim and proper, so prudish as TNG would have handled this.

STNG was prudish????

RAMA

 

[A beaker full of death]

What If Wes Had Been A GIRL?

Wasn't he?

STNG was prudish????

Extremely. Take, for instance, the shameful cop-out of casting Melinda Culea as Riker's love interest.

 

[roguephoenix]

There is a guy in Calgary who took a lot of teasing back in the late '80s and early '90s... because he looked enough like Wil Wheaton that everybody called him "Wesley" and constantly made jokes about him. Had Wesley been "Leslie" this guy would have had an easier time during those years...

lol priceless!

 

[Red Ranger]

What If Wes Had Been A GIRL?

Wasn't he?

STNG was prudish????

Extremely. Take, for instance, the shameful cop-out of casting Melinda Culea as Riker's love interest.

Ah, but would TOS have even considered such a script? I think not! -- RR

 

[RandyS]

The way he came off, he might as well have been.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Does anyone know who TPTB thought of casting as Leslie Crusher?

It was a very early change. Once GR latched onto the concept of Wesley Crusher and Will Ryker (as originally spelt) representing GR himself at two pivotal points in his career (misunderstood child genius and successful everyman), he took an avid interest in the casting of both, even grooming Frakes to ensure he won over the studio brass.

It was quite a coup, getting Wil Wheaton, still a highly recognizable actor after "Stand By Me".

 

[AdmiralGarak]

What do you think would've happened if they had gone this route? Would fan reaction have been different?

"The Game", with Ashley Judd as Robin Lefler, would have been extremely popular with male fans, and would have started a whole slab of "X-rated" L/R slash fanfic.

Sadly, this was my first thought as well.

 

[Green Shirt]

What do you think would've happened if they had gone this route? Would fan reaction have been different?

Any thoughts?

Well, the fans at Shore Leave 1988 would have been yelling "Kill the GIRL!!" while Frakes was onstage and the subject of "Leslie Crusher" came up.

 

[cultcross]

STNG was prudish????

RAMA

Definitely. All Trek has had a sort of 14 year old blushing euphemisms approach to embarrassing topics, and TNG was the worst of the lot for it.

 

[Lt_Wandrey]

If they made the character exactly the same I can see him/her being hated just the same.

I can see her having a crush on Riker.

 

[TEH BABA]

What we needed was a Baba like goof on TNG.