Except for the fact that she wasn't. Hispanic actor Desi Arnaz and Caucasian actress Lucille Ball kissed on I Love Lucy long before Star Trek even premiered. And if that isn't good enough, Eurasian actress France Nuyen and Caucasian actor Robert Culp kissed in an episode of I Spy almost two years before "Plato's Stepchildren" aired. And that's not counting the three previous interracial kissing scenes on U.K. television in 1959, 1962, and 1964.Nichelle Nichols...was part of the first interracial kiss on TV...
It all comes full circle when you realize that Star Trek was originally produced by...Desilu productions. That very same Hispanic man and white woman.Except for the fact that she wasn't. Hispanic actor Desi Arnaz and Caucasian actress Lucille Ball kissed on I Love Lucy long before Star Trek even premiered. And if that isn't good enough, Eurasian actress France Nuyen and Caucasian actor Robert Culp kissed in an episode of I Spy almost two years before "Plato's Stepchildren" aired. And that's not counting the three previous interracial kissing scenes on U.K. television in 1959, 1962, and 1964.
Every single one of these castings had voices of dissent and anger, and every single time I had to wonder if those against it really understood the point of Star Trek's message. I don't even know what the above argument is about anymore. It seems like two people trying to prove to the other they can Star Trek better.
They don't just pick the best actor for the role from a diverse pool, they purposely go looking for diversity as a point of the show, like they're checking off boxes on the diversity roster..
People like to say this-- and my response is-- how do you know they didn't cast the best actor? Why do you assume they didn't? I've written stories where the race is undefined and up to casting. I'ver written ones where race was very specific because it was part of the story. Neither is right or wrong.
The "I'm not racist, I just want them to cast the best actor" is such a sham of an argument because it's making the assumption that the person chosen (generally a POC) is automatically suspect. No one EVER says "I just want them to cast the best actor" if the actor is white... well, unless it's somebody really terrible and wrong for the role. But generally speaking, you only hear this when a POC is cast in a traditionally white role.
When Chris Evans was cast as The Human Torch no one said "I just want the best actor for the role-- not this guy!" But when Michael B Jordan got the part a lot of people said that.
And OF COURSE Star Trek casts for diversity. It was the first show to do so because Roddenberry wanted to show a future that existed without racism. That was a core ideal of the Federation, so every show has rightfully followed suit.
I'm really trying not to be drawn into a political discussion-- so I'll just rephrase my thesis. Ever since The Cage, where a woman was shown as first officer and an alien co-star lookeed Chinese and was played by a Jewish actor, Star Trek has been about diversity and representation. From day one, right up until now. It's wearing its political correctness on its sleeve and showing a future where everyone is equal.
If somebody doesn't get that, and they think that casting a black female lead is automatically a stunt, they do not get what Star Trek is about.
People like to say this-- and my response is-- how do you know they didn't cast the best actor? Why do you assume they didn't? I've written stories where the race is undefined and up to casting. I'ver written ones where race was very specific because it was part of the story. Neither is right or wrong.
The "I'm not racist, I just want them to cast the best actor" is such a sham of an argument because it's making the assumption that the person chosen (generally a POC) is automatically suspect. No one EVER says "I just want them to cast the best actor" if the actor is white... well, unless it's somebody really terrible and wrong for the role. But generally speaking, you only hear this when a POC is cast in a traditionally white role.
When Chris Evans was cast as The Human Torch no one said "I just want the best actor for the role-- not this guy!" But when Michael B Jordan got the part a lot of people said that.
And OF COURSE Star Trek casts for diversity. It was the first show to do so because Roddenberry wanted to show a future that existed without racism. That was a core ideal of the Federation, so every show has rightfully followed suit.
I'm really trying not to be drawn into a political discussion-- so I'll just rephrase my thesis. Ever since The Cage, where a woman was shown as first officer and an alien co-star lookeed Chinese and was played by a Jewish actor, Star Trek has been about diversity and representation. From day one, right up until now. It's wearing its political correctness on its sleeve and showing a future where everyone is equal.
If somebody doesn't get that, and they think that casting a black female lead is automatically a stunt, they do not get what Star Trek is about.
Yet now, Star Trek is a horribly racist because it spends its time paying attention to race.
How so?
I'll just keep repeating myself. Star Trek invented diversity casting, and sadly, it's just as relevant now as it was in the late 60s.
So you're saying they only hired Nichelle Nicols and George Takei because they weren't white? It had nothing to do with their acting ability?
So you're saying they only hired Nichelle Nicols and George Takei because they weren't white? It had nothing to do with their acting ability?
Loved that's episode. I always thought it was an elegant way to deal with a relevant issue. Maybe today it would be considered heavy handed, but for the time I think it was spot on.I can't remember how young I was when I first saw this, but it's the very episode that inspired me to work in television. Science-fiction has such an amazing gift to make us look at ourselves:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C3bemzAVMAAi-ac.jpg
Loved that's episode. I always thought it was an elegant way to deal with a relevant issue. Maybe today it would be considered heavy handed, but for the time I think it was spot on.