AWSUM SERIALS:
Star Trek: The Enemy Within
Spocks Final Line Controversy
in the Age of Neo-Feminism
In this episode, a transporter malfunction splits our hero Captain into two Captain Kirks, representing Jekyll and Hyde.
The nice Kirk goes about as his usual (altho dithering) self. His alter ego however has a great time stealing Sarian Brandy off McCoy and trying to rape Yeoman Janice Rand among other things.
The story is eventually resolved and Kirks halves are put back together again and all is well. Even Spock tries to make light of the situation when he ends the story with the clumsy remark: "The Imposter had some interesting qualities, wouldn't you say Yeoman?"
Probably not the wisest thing to say to a woman, after she's nearly been raped (and its dated terribly) but lets put that line into context. To begin with, we live in an age where we think we are somehow all knowing and wise.
Yet we still point nukes at each other and pulling down statues seems to be the latest fashion. Neo Feminism is part of that whole deal. Im all for equality but I cant be in the same room with a Neo Feminist anymore and heres why:
NEO FEMINISM & THE WOKE GENERATION
I once had a conversation about TOS (in the naughties) with a work colleague (at a bar in Brighton). I don't think she ever saw an episode and dismissed it as capitalist propergander. 'Just look at the starship they fly about in...' She said folding her arms. 'Its called ENTERPRISE!' She alluded that Trek was irrelevant in todays society and only evoked a mans future with mens philosophies based on greed.
She was of course an extreme feminist, part of the 'woke generation', so "woke" that she couldn't tell the difference between Star Trek and that Nazi piece of shit 'Triumph of the Will'. If she even bothered to watch Star Trek, I imagine it wouldn't have changed her opinion and she'd defo had a field day with the Janice Rand assault scene and Spocks dumb-ass comments about it. A line most likely added at the last minute by Gene but more likely renowned "serial killer" Fred Friedburger.
But to put Spocks dumbass line into perspective, Kirk and Janice had a 'thing' and this episode was part of a set up to establish this growing relationship. When Kirks evil side is put back, she walks on the Bridge to reconcile things with Kirk and the viewer is left with the impression that she still fancies him, (to which Spocks comment is supposed to be a way of teasing her affections and lighten the mood).
Watched in sequence the entire scene makes sense but in the age of extreme Neo-Feminism, it is easy to make more of this scene than there really is.
SEXUAL ASSAULT
However, in real life, actress Grace Lee Whitney was actually sexually assaulted by an executive on the show (probably Roddenbury but could easily have been Friedburger, Shatner or even studio Desilu owner Desi Arnaz) but Grace never divulged his identity anyway and Gene is now dead.
She would later be written out of the series after just eight episodes. Shatner said it was because she was always drunk but it was most likely because of the 'incident'. So you can take this episode or leave it. Personally I think its one of the best stories on the Jekyll and Hyde theme and thus the attempted rape scenes are valid and altho Spocks final comments are supposed to make you laugh, it kinda backfires especially in light of what happened to Grace Lee Whitney. The scenes were probably not shot in order either, so this shot may have seemed like a good idea at the time but is used as a prime target for so called "woke activists", jumping on the Neo Feminist band wagon.
FREE LOVE & NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST
Bare in mind also, that the series was overshadowed by the relentless technical (and personal) problems behind camera, (Star Trek struggled to get shot at all). Bare in mind also that sexual assault walked hand in hand with casual sex, and the line would often be blurred by the cocaine and booze and thus was part of the landscape 1960's America and television even more so. That doesn't make rape ok but these were crazy drug fuelled times, when the world was literally on the brink of Nuclear Holocaust.
Ultimately this was the whole point of Star Trek. For nations to put aside their differences and work towards the exploration of space. Unfortunately its cast and crew were falliblle flawed beings, firmly stuck in the turmoil of the 1960's.
MOVING FORWARD
Never the less, the series has prevailed despite controversy on every level and over decade after the original series had aired, the world still hadn't blown itself up and Star Treks future was assured. By now all was forgiven, as Grace finally returned for Star Trek Phase II, later to become The Motion Picture.
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