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Spock's ears caught the attention of many people, just not in the way he expected
Mr. Spock had a dedicated fan base, with or without the ears.
There is no denying that Leonard Nimoy's success was out of this world. He played the forever popular Spock on Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation and a series of Star Trek films.
With that much space traveling under his belt, Nimoy was on top of the world (and out of it) quite often. The man with the ears certainly made a name for himself, and not just in show business, but with fans... and women all across the country.
The Star Trek star was a character that many women fell in love with. Was it the ears? Or did women in the era just want a partner who would only speak when it was logically relevant?
In a 1968 interview with El Paso Herald-Post, Nimoy admitted he wasn't sure why women would be interested in a pointed-ear Vulcan in space.
"College professors have written me that their sociology classes have studied the implications of a Vulcan isolated aboard a space ship with human beings," Nimoy said. "They wanted to discover the reason for his popularity."
During the time of this interview, Nimoy said he would receive up to 500 letters a week from hopeful women, plastic surgeons and more.
Nimoy's conclusion for all the attention his character developed: he is rejected and doesn't dig earth-type girls.
Although some parts of his popularity confuse him, many fans got his message with or without the pointed-ears.
In a 1968 interview with Star-Gazette, Nimoy said he had no idea his success would come so quickly after the first episode hit the air.
"I had no idea what mass exposure and public acceptance could be," Nimoy said. "I had considered the possibility of moderate success with some interviews, phone calls, a fan club... then offers for personal appearances poured in. The depth and breadth of it was far more intense than I ever imagined."
Nimoy's first public appearance drove that point home. Popularity, Nimoy discovered, could be a trap.
"I never even dreamed that this kind of problem existed," he said. "But when you begin to look forward to the size of the crowds and begin to compete with yourself and others for popularity then you're dead artistically."
Man or woman, young or old, it doesn't matter when you stand for Nimoy's message.
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He was:
1. The first prime time alien who didn't want to kill us, conquer us, control us, take over Earth
2. He was the very first male on TV, movies, or any media - WHO DIDN'T LIE!
And on this last day of 2022, I am more in love with Spock today than ever! And so shall be till I die.
*opens communicator*
"Beam us up, Scotty!"
*transporter sound effects*
What we forget, is being in the moment, back then. Enjoying the Series only one episode at a time. Being fed little hints of clues and mannerisms, which dedicated Fans obsessed over. But how wonderful to establish that imaginary universe from which so much creativity was fast forwarded, even to this day. Not just fascinating. But Amazing!
When he decided to leave for California to try his luck out there, he invited Ellie to come along. Her parents (dad was a Boston cop) told him there was *no way* they were allowing a 16-year-old to go to California. The rest is history.
As I've mentioned before in another thread, Ellie married a few year later, and she and her now-deceased husband [Jimmy] owned the THIRD Dunkin' Donuts franchise ever established... and got into hot water with the company founder who wanted the locations to just be walk-up donut stands.
Ellie and Jimmy had built on an extension to the building for people to sit down while having their coffee and donuts! Nowadays, I don't think there are *any* walk-up Dunkin' stands... how things change!
Ellie also told me that when her son (Jeffrey) was around 11, he convinced one of the donut makers at their shop "to save the middles out of the donuts and fry them"... in his own way "discovering" the "donut holes" that someone else in the company eventually decided to market as "Munchkins"...
God bless her, Ellie's now 90 and still sharp as a tack and going strong...
I know this was a long sidebar to the Leonard Nimony article, but every time I read one of these topics, it makes me think of Ellie, her association with Nimoy are her fondness for him...
Place in a toaster oven until the cheese is melted and the muffin is well-toasted. There you go... "secret" revealed! Save me one, OK? LOL!
