Roddenberry was a dirtbag

I've read a lot about Roddenberry and I've come to these conclusions:

1) Roddenberry was a sex obsessed jerk in some ways. The opposite sex was a big weakness of his most of his life. It wasn't helped by the fact that his first wife cheated on him while he was in the military.

In this regard, except for his coarseness in dealing with women at times, GR wasn't any better or worse than a number of people.

2) The people in GRs life in his later years were classic enablers. Majel Barrett loved him so much that she basically allowed him to satisfy every range of his appetites without consequence.

Richard Arnold basically made a career out of puffing up GRs ego and telling him how great he was compared to everyone else working on the Trek franchise.

3) Roddenberry was truly desperate after the end of the original series to have some success, ANY success outside of Star Trek. When this didn't happen, he clung to Trek like a drowning man clinging to the only lifeboat left afloat.

4) What irritates alot of people (including me) is hearing about "Gene's vision".

Gene's "vision" was to make money, eat, drink and get laid (not necessarily in that order).

All the stuff about "an optimistic future" is fluff that fans have glommed on to the Trek franchise to make them feel like the time they waste with it has some high noble purpose.

 

^ I couldn't agree more! Unfortunate, yet very true...

 

Never make generalizations (lol). I'm a teacher, and I apply what I took away from Star Trek and other sci fi in my youth to my job every day.

 

Really? I'm a history teacher myself. And football coach.

But author Peter David once gave this take on GR's "optimistic future".

Paraphrased:

We no longer have to worry about nuclear war. Now we worry about giant cube shaped starships destroying all life on Earth...........

 

He certainly was a dirtbag, but without him there would've been no Star Trek!!!

 

Interesting. It would seem that the portrayal of Zefram Cochrane in First Contact was based on Gene.

 

Well, maybe he wasn't the most nice person around and maybe he did some not so nice things in his long life.

But we got to give him credit for creating Star Trek and for coming up with thae wonderful vision of a better future for mankind.

As an ardent rock music fan, I must admit that there are many of my rock heroes who I know have acted and still acts like pigs or something similar in their private life. And I don't defend their behavior in any way.

But despite that, I still like their music.

It's the same with Star Trek and its creators and actors.

It actually annoys me more when they make bad decisions for the series than what they are doing in their private life.

 

He was a human and a TV producer in the 1960's. He still left a lasting legacy.

 

I would never put forth the notion that I am perfect. Far from it. However, cheating on my wife is not one of my failings. That, and the fact that Gene reveled in his adultery show him to be extremely immature as well.

I take nothing away from the man's greatness and without him we would not have the greatest adventure show in television history. He was a visionary in this regard and deserves all the accolades he receives from Star Trek.

Now, who's to say he was a man of weak moral fiber? I think it's pretty obvious and I am sure he's had to answer for this.

Then again, since you advocate multiple transgressions of adultery I'm not sure you understand the damage it can do. May I ask if you are married yourself?

 

Um, funny... this almost sounds as if Zefram Cochrane's character (and the adoration he tended to receive) in "First Contact" was at least partially based on Gene Roddenberry.

 

History is what I teach, too. What I apply from Trek and other sci fi is the theme of understanding that there are multiple points of view about the past and present, cultural differences, etc. My favorite sci fi books are James White's Sector General stories, and a couple of my favorite Trek eps are Devil in the Dark and Darmok.

The "optimistic future" makes me feel better, I suppose, so perhaps you are right there (DS9 is the one Trek show I don't watch, it's not ENTERTAINING to me, even it's good drama), but Trek really does matter to me--I don't need a justification for "wasting time with it." I'll admit that nowadays watching it after all these years is like comfort food--I went through some hell at work recently and turned to watching TNG for some "this is how a workplace should be" fantasies.

But over all--Trek and other sci fi contributed mightily to the career that I chose and the person that I became. Blanket statements about fans afraid of the world, hiding in their parents' basements, waiting for perfect future, are just flat out wrong. I'm involved in teaching students to be the best citizens they can be, and maybe they will make that better future a reality.

So a tip of the hat to a womanizing cheat. It takes all kinds. I'd be glad to shake Rodenberry's hand, if he was alive, and perhaps even share a dinner to talk about how it all began. But I'd never pick the guy for a friend.

 

Never having known the man personally I'd hesitate to call GR a dirtbag. He was a flawed human being, and perhaps self-aware enough to try putting across a view of humanity that aspired to better then what he saw in himself and others.

Often enough individuals can see a better way and yet not have the strength in themselves to follow that path.

I can say the same thing about George W. Bush. I loathe his policies and his administration and will rejoice when he's out. But in fairness I do not know the man personally and hesitate to label him personally in such vile terms as many do.

 

So, it seems like a generally accepted fact that Gene cheated on his wife. Has anyone ever said whether or not his wives also cheated on him? If so, before or after he cheated?

And does anyone know if his wives cared? I know some of you don't like it, but some people do marry for things other than love and I'm just wondering whether or not it's possible that GR was in marriages that were more politically or financially based than love based.

 

Well, after having read this thread I think that making a biopic about Roddenberry wouldn't be such a bad idea actually. He was sure an "interesting" character with many facets. He fought in WWII, was both a military and civilian pilot, served as a police officer, worked as a television producer, created Star Trek... and you got drugs, you got alcohol, you got sex, all kinds of human drama. Any idea who could play Roddenberry?

 

Nope. But Leonard Nimoy could be played by Zachary Quinto. How weird would that be?

 

I wouldn't feel sorry for Majel - She took two of his unfinished proposals - got other producers to flesh them out, then reaped the profits from their production and broadcast (aka 'Earth Final Conflict' and 'Andromeda). Majel ALSO knew what she was getting into too; as she started out as "The other woman."

Lastly, although GR liked to claim Majel was cut as 'Number 1' because the network execs "didn't want a woman in a Command position on the bridge because audiences won't accept it..."; I also have read that these execs KNEW he was sleeping with and had a long term relationship with her, and it more boiled down to them saying:

"Honestly Gene, she's a mediopcre actress for a lead and we're also just not going to hire your girlfriend." (Also there was the fact that if the relationship went south; they'd have the nightmare of a lead being the recent 'Ex' of the producer...Not good for a new and VERY expensive to produce show).

 

It's obvious that the wife that he cheated on with MB cared. That's evidenced by the fact that he had her going out the back door and the wife coming in the front door, all the while making out with his secretary in the office. Also by the fact that the writer of the book was told specifically to lie and cover for him.

This isn't a guy who simply messed up and made a terrible one time mistake. This was a guy who carefully planned his adultery and went out of his way to chase every skirt, feel up as many guest stars as he could, and kept his girlfriend in an apartment around the corner from the set.

And whether or not any of his wives cheated on him doesn't matter. If someone cheats on you, divorce them and move on. Don't go to their level.