Anybody who watched Star Trek TOS

[Pixelated]

What's your thoughts on the current assessment that Dr. McCoy was a racist? (Or maybe 'speciesist' would be a more accurate term.)

[Ghel]

I don't know if it's so much of a "current assessment." I grew up thinking of him as being part of the "charmingly racist but harmless uncle" trope. This was after watching TOS with my dad in the 80s.

[Pixelated]

I'm just seeing it now which is why I called it a 'current assessment.' It's in reference, of course, to his comments about Spock's appearance, which I always saw as nothing more than banter between friends.

[catcul]

Are you suggesting a character that told Data that androids were "worse than Vulcans" might have some bigotry? What a shocking assessment.

[Judecat]

I'm just seeing it now which is why I called it a 'current assessment.' It's in reference, of course, to his comments about Spock's appearance, which I always saw as nothing more than banter between friends.

It was always there, even a fairly aware 14 year old saw it in 1966. But true to the times, and in spite of Rodenberry's idea of a united society, I really don't think the writers realized what they were doing.


Since TOS was supposed to be Wagon Train to the Stars, and Kirk was CPT Horatio Horney - with a girl in every port, the writers weren't doing anything original, they were using every trope in the book, and the trope of the old cowboy hating all "Injins" except one "Good Injin" was an old established trope. I don't think they were really close friends until much later, like maybe in the movies.

So short answer, yeah, I think he was racist or whatever against Vulcans, but when it was written no one would have thought twice about it, since the whole culture was low level racist.