Subject: Spock
Culture: American sci-fi fandom
Setting: Star Trek
Context (Event Photos, Primary Sources, Secondary Sources, Field Notes)
"Where Kirk was a space-faring brawler with a galactically large libido, Spock was a character after the typical nerd's own heart. The half-Vulcan Starfleet officer could disable an opponent with a well-placed pinch, but he was much more likely to use deductive reasoning and logic to sort out his problems. Couple that fan favorite with Leonard Nimoy's incredible gift for conveying the emotions of a pathologically logical outsider, and it's no wonder that Spock has endured for as long as the fictional universe itself."
"As the series began production, the use of Spock’s pointed ears was cause of great controversy between the Star Trek production team and the television network. 'In 1965, the NBC Sales Department was concerned,' recalled Herb Solow, Desilu executive in charge of Star Trek at the time. 'It was as if they believed that, after Satan had been cast out the the [SIC] Garden of Eden, he was reincarnated as actor Leonard Nimoy and cast into Star Trek as science officer Spock, a pointed eared, arched eyebrowed ‘satanic’ Vulcan alien.' NBC feared its advertisers and local stations would be targets of a religious backlash protesting this “devil incarnate."
Costume
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